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At the start of my second challenge, I'm hoping to make some progress towards firming-up an epic quest, keeping track of things on here, and becoming a more centred, rounded person. Main Quest: This is rolling over from the last quest; my main goal is to walk from Bag-end to Bree before Christmas (19% down on the 14th Sept) Quest 1: 4 STR / 2 STA Complete the beginner bodyweight workout; One circuit, three times a week for the first two weeksTwo circuits, three times a week for the second two weeksThree circuits (if I can), three times a week for the final two weeks.Quest 2: 1 WIS / 3 STA Daily walks. On all of the days I am not doing the bodyweight workout, I'll be going out for at least a 1 mile walk. Quest 3: 3 CON No more coffee for me. I drink an absurd amount of coffee when sitting at home doing nothing, so the third quest for this challenge is to drop coffee entirely -1 CON for every coffee taken. Life Quest: 2 WIS Read and make notes on at least 6 chapters of the Java Certification textbook. I am yet to start, but passing a Java cert will help to progress my career as well as my overall knowledge. Trying to keep these goals simple as I continue to try and eat as paleo as possible

Hi Rangers! I've decided to explore outside of Adventurer land this time, because my routine badly needs shaking up. Unfortunately this means I'm not sure quite what I'm doing ;-) I've had fundamentally the same main quest since I started on Nerd Fitness - create habits that enhance my health. Walking increasing distances every challenge has been very successful. Attempts to deal with food, sleep, and depression have been kind of variable, and my adventures with a personal trainer have been unsatisfactory. (Yes, I was getting fitter, but I never started to enjoy the process, and consequently failed to establish workout habits when not with the trainer.) Well, insanity is doing the same things again and again while expecting different results. Today was my last trainer session. Now I have a great big gap, which I hope to fill with swimming. I also hope to establish a very basic, very low level home core fitness routine, and actually follow it. However, this isn't set up - designing the routine, finding a pool, etc. etc. all need to be part of this challenge. So this challenge thread is starting as a place holder, to be replaced as I figure out what my missions really are. Here's an approximate set of missions: 1. Walk - average of 6000 steps per day, as measured by my somewhat flaky Basis Band. This is not an increase, but I failed at my steps goal last challenge, for the first time ever, so I'm cutting myself some slack. It's *hot* and that's limiting my walking somewhat. --> 4 STA 2. Swimming - find a pool, acquire swim gear that fits, determine what I'm currently capable of, and then try doing it 3 times a week. (Time commitment to be adjusted.) --> 2 CON, 2 STR 3. Core Fitness - design a routine, then do it. Probably on 3 of the days when I'm not swimming. Consistency far more important than difficulty. --> 2 DEX 2 STR Life quest - not sure yet. I've got a major list of candidates for this slot. The three leading candidates are: - hire someone to deal with some of my excess workload, thereby ensuring it gets done - mental exercises to control a tendency to depression. - reduce household clutter --> 3 WIS, probably -- CHA if it's clutter I anticipate spending a week out of town during this challenge, and 2 days mostly stuck in airplanes. Swimming is unlikely to happen while away. Core fitness will be limited to bodyweight exercises. Walking should be quite feasible except the two days when I'm stuck in airplanes. I won't have any explicit missions for food or sleep. I'm doing decently on controlling undesirable foods, and will continue the same rules. Actually eating the good stuff isn't working so well - but that suggests there's no point repeating the same tired old approach.

The college football season is just under 6 weeks away so that is where I get the “pre-season†title from. My main goal is to improve my overall health, flexibility, & endurance. I am currently at 150 lbs. & have a waist circumference of 41 inches. I will measure both the weight and circumference each week. 1. Workout; every other day I will do this work-out every other day and will adjust the numbers as I go each week. 5 sets of 5 Push-ups 15 DB Rows 20 second Plank 10 reverse lunges Every Day 100 jumping jacks Grading for each week A: Workout done every other day for whole week B: 3 workouts done(on weeks when 4 could have been done) C: 2 workouts done D: 1 workout done for the week F: no workout 2. Neck Stretches; At least 3 times a day I have neck exercises for corticolis (when the muscle on one side is short and causes the head to lean to the side) which should help me. A: 20 each week, or more B: 15-19 C: 10-14 D: 7-9 F: none-6 3. Walk 30 minutes at least 3x a week. I am aiming for all 5 days of the week. Grading for each week A: walked 5 days B: 4 days C: 3 days D: 1-2 days F: none 4. Food My goal for food is to eat only when hungry and post log. This month ( July/Ramadan) I have fasted for about 30 days; each day till about 8:00 pm. Surprisingly, each day I hardly feel hungry until about 5. Grading each week A: Logged all week B: Logged 5 days C: Logged 3 days D: Logged 2 days F: No logs Life Goal #1; to be more active & spend less time at the computer I added a google chrome app that tracks how long I am on the internet, by minutes; though I will have to monitor the time I spend(if any) on LOTRO since the app cannot track gaming. I will post those minutes each week. Grading for each day (not counting weekends) will be if I personally feel like I had a productive day without being lazy. Life Goal #2: Read Qu'ran. This month I have done well in prayers & fasting(last day of fasting is today) but have done terrible in reading, so I have a goal of reading Quran every night(I do not know Arabic so this is a English translation of the meanings).

I am heading to Camp! NerdFitness! So, the wheels on the bus go round and round...preparing me to be fit enough to participate at Camp NF! I have one serious issue that confronts me(only one?) artificial cervical disc replacement surgery on September 10th. The prognosis is that I will be able to participate, just not lift heavy things(oh, so sorry WildRoss and company!) or do crazy things like fly through the air (no zip line for me!) But any surgery result is better off with a healthy person going into it. The wheels are a set of various activities that I have collected that work with my various disabilities - For some of the break down, you can check out my notes in preparation for this challenge. I will create a set of cards and choose from them each day...and at the end of the week, I will have my totals. 1) Fitness Roulette Wheel - 6/7 20 min (2 Strength /2 Stamina/ 2 Dex) up to 2 STRENGTH - DO SOMETHING strong 3/7 DAYS up to 2 STAMINA - DO SOMETHING for 10 min 6/7 DAYS up to 2 DEXTERITY - DO SOMETHING flexible - 6/7 week - 1 each day That is 15 pts per week and 90pts per challenge 81-90pts= A, 72-80pts = B, 63-71pts = C 2) Reading/Encouraging Wheel - 6/7 20 min (2 Wisdom 2Charisma ) Reading Wheel: Wisdom one point for each item READ. one per week goal is 6 Breakdown would be 6pts =A, 5 pts = B, 4pts = C Community Wheel: Adventurers / Level 1s(Red Pill) / RPG one point per day, goal is 6 Breakdown would be 6pts =A, 5 pts = B, 4pts = C 3) Food- 6/7 (a cheat meal on day 7 maybe?) (+3 Constitution) log on MFP Diet - Paleo 6/7 days new Recipes - 1 each week 7pts/ week 42/ challenge 38-42=A, 33-37=B, 28-31=C MAIN QUESTS: Spiritual - reading my Bible Life Goal - A painting Weight Loss and increased functional strength. The one thing I'm not sure I want to see is this:

I've started two challenges and am yet to finish one. This time around, I'm going for the smallest of baby steps to keep me on track to getting fitter and eating healthier. Step one: walk to mordor! Walk one kilometre every day. That's it. One measly km. every day. I'm tracking this on runkeeper, where I have a goal set up with 2,846 km—the distance to Mordor and back, from the Shire. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: STA 3 CON 1 Step two: yoga every damn day I want to get as flexible as I was when I was younger. Well, not quite. I want to be better than I was then. I want to be able to do a proper handstand. I want to do the things I see on my Instagram feed. (I follow a lot of yogis). So my goal is to do yoga every day for at least ten minutes. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: DEX 3 STR 1 Step three: paleo central I was a vegetarian for eight and a half years. I recently got back to eating meat (a personal choice) but I want to do it the healthy way. I want to eat real food. I'm allowing dairy for this challenge because I'm fairly sure my digestive system is okay with that and also because it's my way of easing myself into the new way of eating. I'm giving myself a score out of ten for every day, depending on how well I eat and how I feel physically and mentally about it. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: CON 3 Extra motivation My life quest is to be a better person. I know this isn't a quantifiable goal so I'm using the medium of SuperBetter to express it—I want to get more resilient. SuperBetter is a game designed to help you level up in life. You can power up at any time, fight bad guys, complete quests and make allies to improve your resilience and get happier. My resilience started at 280 and, based on the max points you can gain in a day, my goal is to get 470 points, so up to 750 at the end of this challenge. Some of the power ups and quests will be a part of the goals I've already outlined, and some will be extra credit. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: CHA 2 WIS 2

I'm going to be homeless, essentially, for this challenge. I've just moved out of my flat, because of a relationship break-up that made my first challenge pretty wobbly (among, of course, other things). I will be coach-surfing and cat-sitting over the summer, while I figure out what's next. In some ways I'm looking forward to it - I can make it a species of retreat, recalibrating and exploring for a while. I like to think I'll be Rangering it up, so here I am. Hello! Breaking up is horrible. You know that. And I've broken up with the best man I know. We still love each other, make each other laugh, and prefer curling up on the sofa with Thai food and Muppet movies to most things. But we realise we want different things. Our paths are going to diverge, so we split in order that that divergence doesn't make things toxic. It's the hardest, most grown-up thing I've ever done. I moved most of my stuff into my Mum's garage (thanks, Mum), and packed only what I could carry on my bike to take me through the summer. That forced minimalism felt oddly freeing, despite the sadness of the reason. And, as I rode from Kilburn to Clapham with one bag on my handlebars and another on my back, my head kept telling me this: Not all those who wander are lost. And I realised that I don't have to be. I can be sad, I can be angry, I can and will worry that we've done the wrong thing. But I don't have to let that sadness, anger or fear derail me. I don't have to be lost. I can use my wandering to work some stuff out. I can use the fact that I must travel light for a bit to teach me to travel light in other ways. I'm heartbroken, but I'm also excited. So, for this challenge, I'm going to take little steps. Nothing massive that can be derailed by moving around, and give the black dog a way in. 1. STRENGTH. Got to be strong if I'm going to be a Ranger. I worked on level 1 of Convict Conditioning last challenge, and given my circumstances it seems smart to keep on with bodyweight. Also, functional is the way forward. I'm going for two sessions a week. On day one I'll work on level 2 moves to see if I meet the beginner standards. If not, I'll continue with level 1. STR: 3 DEX: 1 2. ENDURANCE. So much cooler a word than 'stamina'. I'm working towards a 100K walk in September, so need to start proper training. I plan to walk the 135 miles from Bag End to Bree during this challenge. I'll be walking at weekends, as I tend to cycle during the week, so will work out a progression for the 135 miles over 6 weeks. Hopefully I'll finish with a walk to Brill, on which Tolkien modelled Bree. STA: 3 CON: 1 3. FOOD. I'm going to fall out of love with toast. I'd like to do Whole30 at some point this year, but given that I'm relying on other people's hospitality, now's not the time. On this challenge I will cut out wheat during every meal I have control over. That's breakfast, lunch and some dinners. CON: 3 WIS: 1 4. LIFE. I know exactly what my overall quest is, but I'm not going to share it yet. It's been a dream for too long, and I need to get my shizzle together and really do something about it. All the above goals will work towards it, and so will this. I will write every day. 200 words. That's ridiculously manageable, and will mean 15,200 words at the end of the challenge. WIS: 2 CHA: 1 Excited. Let's go! All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.

I've been going for walks every day for the past few months. I have a pedometer (sort of), so I know how many steps I end up taking, but I have no idea how much distance I actually cover. I don't need to know the exact distance, but it would be nice to have a general idea.

Do you feel like Summer gets here and THINGS HAPPEN (hopefully good things), and the next thing you know it’s labor day weekend and you wonder where the summer went? I’ve been trying to find ways to not just enjoy my summer but to slow down a little and enjoy it instead of getting caught up in so many things to do that I forget that I love to take it slow and just go and enjoy my own way. I just finished my first full quest, and am looking forward to enjoying my next one. When I try to do things I use to do the overhaul approach “I MUST DO IT ALL Now!â€. now I’m going slow taking a few baby steps at a time and trying to make changes gradual, and hopefully permanent . So a half of my quests are continuations of the quests that I did last time, with some tweaks. I talk and post photos of my Lovely side kick River, the 11 month old Great Dane. Last Challenge Hubby was away at conference/work travel and I was a single dog mommy. He’s back and we will be sharing responsibilities a lot more. She and our 3 furry purry friends, Patrick, Sebastian and Beatrice, Hubby and I make up our house. Enough talk, time to Quest! Main Quest: To change from a awesome Oger into an Awesome Amazon. Lose weight and gain muscle. Also be as kick ass in person as I am in my head (physically). Keep my sweet sidekick River the Great Dane healthy, happy and active. Get fit and loss pant sizes though watching what I eat (tracking), and working out. Quest 1: weight training 3 times a week. mon, wed, fri, or for long weekends, tues, thur sat I’m going to add Weights into my life again. it’s been years since I did weight training seriously. I started and worked with a personal trainer that I loved working with, but then he moved and I started working with a women that wanted me to do many reps with light weights, uggg. So I stopped. and life, operations and recovery and never really got beck to it. So the plan is 3 times a week, maybe starting with bodyweight exercises for this challenge and up it to free weight next challenge. Quest 2: track food 7 times a week I’ve been using sparkpeople to track my food, and still love it. I did so well with this last challenge and I want to keep it up. I’m going to aim for 2,000 to 2,500 a day in calories, and Post my daily total on my challenge board. Quest 3: walk River, and/or bike to work and/or swim 6 days a week. last challenge I had a lot of cardio for my workouts. things that were good, I definitely biked to work more since I had to be accountable for them. Walking River comes pretty naturally since a board Great Dane is a handful but a tired one is a warm lump on your couch. We have plans of visiting in laws and camping next month so I thought that adding the swimming for those days I can is always a great addition. Life Quest: Practice singing and piano 5 times a week I’ve been taking singing lesson for the last year and a bit, and just started to alternate taking piano and singing lessons at my weekly lessons. I am bad for only practicing 2-3 times a week and now I have two things to practice!

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!

Hello Druids. I have come to collect no bounties, but bounties of wisdom. Normally I train with my warrior brothers and sisters, but a knee injury has lead me to more tranquil waters. I injured the knee while locking out a push press. My knee made a loud pop. Unfortunately, it did not hurt that much at the time and I'm new to sports injuries, so I continued to perform heavy squats and deadlifts with it. Now I have an appointment next Tuesday with an orthopedist who specializes in injuries of the knee and spine. The short of the long of it is that I'm not to do any sort of lifting or cardio besides walking until I see the doctor. I have decided to do this challenge as a druid. It's time I performed some introspection and from there, gained wisdom. Main Quest: Develop/kick habits in order to bring my mind into a more healthy and peaceful place for sound decision making, planning, and harmony with others. Additionally, I will strive to come as close to my 199.0lb weight goal as possible. Goal 1. Tracking Calories and Protein for Fat Loss Based off an analysis of the last challenge's data, I will be using the following Calorie limit and protein goal: Calories - 1700kcal Protein - 150g I am 5'10 and 219.0lbs as of yesterday, Sunday, July 27. This puts me at 0.68g of protein/lb of body weight, which is perfectly acceptable. These values are moving targets and will be reevaluated weekly. Success here will be evaluated as a function of days tracked/total days in challenge or weight lost/20lbs, whichever is larger. Potential Stat Gain: +2 CON, +2 CHA Because I'm getting healthier and looking great. Goal 2. Walking OR Whatever Program (If Any) The Orthopedist Prescribes This could go either way. If he tells me that it will heal on its own, I will follow the walking plan. This will be updated to his plan should that become necessary. The elliptical trainer was starting to hurt my knee, but walking around my relatively flat neighborhood does not. Here is the plan I devised: Walking 3x/week Challenge Week 1-2: 30min/session Challenge Week 3-4: 45min/session Challenge Weeks 5-6: 60min/session I will use this as a time to calm my mind and enjoy the outdoors when I am alone and on the times my wife joins me, I will enjoy her company as well. Success here will be evaluated as a function of walks completed/total possible walks Potential Stat Gain: +3 STA My heart rate will definitely get up. Goal 3. Meditation I want to make time for meditation daily. I am excitable, easy to anger, stress prone, and welcome/sometimes seek out conflict. I want to change this because it is having a negative impact on how I feel, how I interact with my wife, how I interact with others in general, and my career. A part of this goal will be to discover effective methods for meditating. The first task will be to research basic meditative methods. Luckily, some NFers already pointed me in the direction of some books and apps. Starting out, I want to meditate for at least 5 minutes/day after work. I may throw in a morning session if I'm feeling adventurous later. It may take longer than this challenge to see big results (I don't know, I'm a newbie druid), but I plan to log the following: Progress made in handling my own emotions (fear, anxiety, anger, jealousy, greed, lust)Progress made in my interactions with my wife (cooperation, give and take, respect, trust)Progress made in my interactions with others (compassion, empathy, fairness, ethics)Progress made in how I view and handle career related tasks and incidents (laziness, problems with authority)Progress made in how I view and handle life chores and errands (laziness)For each day, I will be graded on whether or not I completed the meditation(s), and if I made notes on my reflections. Potential Stat Gain: +4 WIS For opening up and calming down my mind. Goal 3. Tapering off of Marijuana It's like my first challenge, but instead of soda, it's weed! I find that the leaf slows my mind and stifles my personality. It's great for relaxing and gaming, but not for my career, most social interactions, and productivity. Additionally, I had been hacking a lot between heavy lifting sets and this is the obvious culprit. Medical marijuana is legal in The State of California and I do have a recommendation from a doctor, but weed and I need to part ways for a while - a long while. I normally smoke from a bong once in the morning at about 7:30 AM, once immediately after I get home from work at 5:30 PM, and several bowls burn by between then and bedtime at around 10:30 PM. This is the planned taper. Each week's condition stacks with all previous. Week 1: Eliminate Morning Smoke - Except on Weekends Week 2: Can Only Smoke Three Times After Work - No Effect on Weekends Week 3: Can Only Smoke Twice After Work - No Effect on Weekends Week 4: Can Only Smoke Once After Work - No Effect on Weekends Week 5: No Smoking During the Work Week Week 6: No Smoking At All I've quit before to clear a pre-employment exam. I can do it again. Potential Stat Gain: +2 CON +2 WIS For cleaning out my lungs and my mind. That's it for now. This is prime for some revision between now and next Monday. Please, offer me some advice, particularly on meditation if you have some insights. I look forward to chatting with many of you. This seems like a really cool guild and I like the juxtaposition with the rowdy power seeking vibe of my home guild. I have a feeling that I will return as a much more well rounded warrior, and I'm excited as what fruit will bear in my real life. Cheers! Broba

Hey guys, My name is Erin and I'm in Melbourne, Australia. I am 22 years old and have, in the past few years, gone on a bit of a roller coaster in my health/fitness life. I've tried a lot of things and fallen off many many wagons. I'm currently trying to convince myself that slower is better, that every healthy choice helps, and that consistence and persistence are key. I would love to have a buddy I can text with my tiny milestones (I didn't eat a cupcake today! I went to sleep on time last night! I just walked an extra tram stop!) and who can text me back with encouragements and rallying cries to help me when I'm feeling down or losing my determination. I would love to do the same for someone else in a similar situation, and would love someone in Australia so I can text you for free (I have a limited budget as I am a student and work in hospitality) Help me!

Main goal: To do a "great walk" multi day hike. I have all but booked Milford track (NZ) in January. To do this hike 10 kg lighter than I am now. Food - back to basics (I feel that's all I am ever doing) After a successful low carb period I fell off the 'eating well' wagon so it's time to get back on (again). 1. Snack control Plan - no white tea because white tea = bikkies No after dinner snacks Mindful afternoon snack (fruit, nuts etc) (Week one: 3 x week Week two: 5 x week Week three-six: 7 x week) 2. Veggieful dinners 5 dinners with three or more vegies Movement - keeping the momentum Moooooovvvvvveeeee - after thinking about a fitbit for ages I have decided to downgrade to the app : Move. Aim for 10,000 steps but I am a loooong way off that. Daily at least 3,000 steps with one day per week of 10,000 steps. Plan: Dog walking - commit to taking the dog for three walks per week (sadly neglected dog) (Week one: 3 x week Week two: 5 x week Week three-six: 7 x week) Motivation - stress reduction. I have always prided myself in not letting things bring me down but things have been crazy at work and to a lesser extent at home. I don't really have any great coping mechanism (other than planning holidays or eating crap and not prioritising exercise). Plan: Journal - I have downloaded a journaling app. I will use this for 3 day per week. Try to be mindful about what is causing the stress and how I react to this. Side challenge : pedal and don't fall off - move towards being more confident with "those" clipless pedals. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I was a bit tempted to post this challenge in the Adventurers or even the Druids forums but decided, as continued Karate and Kobudo training are an integrl part of it, along with swordplay, that I would return once again to the Monks' Dojo. Last time, I successfully channelled my inner Raphael and Donatello (though less so Leo and Mike - didn't get round to fully learning the nunchuk kata or sword kata)... So this time, in my attempt to re-instil some self discipline and get "back on the wagon" I'll be thinking more along the Maste Splinter philosophy and working on my discipline and routine. Therefore this will be... TMNT part 2: Master Splinter (Hugh's "eat-move-sleep-discipline" challenge) So here I am looking at myself in the mirror and thinking of all the progress I made in the past year. Took up Karate, did well in a tournament, did a tripple grading and, well, that's it. Unfortunately, when I think about it, I've taken quite a few more steps back than I have taken forward. Specifically, I've been more and more remiss in taking care of what I eat and how much walking and running I do. Additionally, I have always needed to improve my sleeping habits - I'm noctournal by nature and this tends to manifest in me staying up pretty late 90% of the time, regardless of what time I should be getting up. This results in less sleep than is healthy. I used to think nothing of it but as I get older (last month saw my 39th birthday) I'm sure it will become more and more of a thing and I'm sure it's already effecting my health and weight-loss... or lack thereof. So my goals are eating better, getting more sleep and doing more walking and running. Simple. Of course, this is the Monks' Dojo. I'm here because my focus is martial arts / fitness goals (after all, one of my my ultimate goals is to be able to kip-up) So my Goals (now updated and colour coded to match the turtles headbands original colours) are... Karate: Keep attending weekly lessons. 'nuff said. Keep practicing the basics. By basics I mean the main "blocks" (Jodan uke, chudan uke, chudan soto uke, gedan barai and shuto uke), punches, kicks (see below) and footwork/stances. I will run through the basics, even if it's just a dozen repititions of each technique, each time I do a workout or practice katas. (If nothing else, running through basics and katas is a great warm up for a more intense workout.) Keep practicing katas, both unarmed and Kobudo. This means, as well as going to class, I will run through the unarmed katas I know at least thrice a week in my own time. Both Fukyugatas, all five Pinan katas and Naihanchi Shodan. I won't worry overly about learning the next Naihanch katas (outside of lessons) but rather focus on improving the ones I know. I will also run through the armed katas I know at least twice a week. Bo shodan & nidan and Sai nidan. Work on my kicks. When I am practicing the basics, I will pay particular attention to my kicks. I can kick fairly high and I can kick fairly hard but the technique is a little sloppy and my balance is a little inconsistent. My "posterior" kicks need particular attention: hook kick, back kick and reverse roundhouse. Fitness: Workouts. I'm planning on two or three fairly intense workouts each week. Bodyweight and kettlebells. I'll make an effort to structure my workouts a bit better but it's not the focus of this 6WC so updates on workouts will be iregular and vague. More walking and running. I'll aim for at least 30 minutes of walking or running each day that I'm not doing a more intensive workout, even if it's just walking up and down my driveway fifteen times! HEMA. My sword training has been almost non-existant since early April. I've got a few gigs coming up (all too few) and I really should, at the very least, practice the routines I'll be expected to do. Once a week, at the minimum, I will break out my longsword and refresh my "muscle memory" of my show's fight routine, the "dvd extras" (essentially telling the audience why show fighting is totally unrealistic) and the five Meisterhau. Diet: This is the tough one! When I first started making serious changes, I had great success with reducing carbs and keeping one foot in the paleo camp (as much as limited funds would allow). Lost lots of weight and greatly improved health the first year! And I even had a weekly cheat/treat day! It was aweome. This past year and a half, I have been slipping further and further away from that. I've blamed my even more limited funds and stress and, well, pretty much anything else I can... but the simple fact is that it's on me. My willpower is lacking. The "just one biscuit" or "I've already had a donut, I might as well have another" has been just too tempting. This must change. So LESS crappy food! Minimise sugary stuff and carb laden stuff: Avoid high carb staples at least 4 days a week. If I have no option other than "bad" food, then I'll do my best to pick the "least bad" option (i.e. rice or potato over bread or pasta) (I have to be realistic and say less rather than none. Sometimes my limited finances mean I'm stuck with rice, baked beans or noodles, just to get enough calories to make it through the week.) Breakfast. I'll make sure I have something healthy in the mornings at least 5 days a week (green smoothie, protein shake or eggs) Treat Days. Some people say treat days are a bad idea. Some people utterly swear by them! Me? I found that they kept me sane. Initially, I'll allow myself two per week... for the first two weeks: probably wednesdays and fridays*. Then it's down to one. probably wednesdays*. * actual days may vary as evenings when I'm gaming are the ideal ones for treat days due to having limited options at my friends' houses. I know it can be done. It really can! What I need is motivation. When I did well at the start, it directly followed what doctors say is one of the most painful experiences a human can endure (gout). That was damn good motivation to make some changes! The occasional flare ups haven't been as bad but the thought of another full blown accute attack leaves me cold, especially as it's already done some permanent damage to my big toe joint... Other times I did well were when I found myself hitting targets and reaching goals. I guess I'm more competitive than I thought (at least with myself). So I need both the carrot and the stick! My carot will be my weekly treat/cheat day(s). Additional carrots will be reminding myself how much better I feel when I eat more real food and less crap (I feel more energetic, I breathe better, I sleep better, I crap better and I train better) and, of course, reminding myself that as long as I keep it up, I will be more and more, slim and attractive and more and more awesome! My stick will be harsh reminders of the alternative... pain, low self esteem, fatigue, incresing weight, IBS, chronic inflamation and regular reminders that I used to be much fatter and will be again if I don't get back on the wagon! Sleep: I typically go to bed at about 3:30 - 4am. I'm a night time person by nature and often have nothing to be up for. This means that when I DO have something to be up for, I end up running on about 4 hours sleep. Controlling my sleep pattern is something that is within my power and arlier mornings means more daylight hours to do stuff outside (such as walking, running, training, etc) Must go to bed earlier. On nights other than my treat days, I'll be in bed by 2:30am. Even if I'm sitting in bed reading, it'll be the mental cue to switch off and wind down. I'll subsequently get up at 11am. (not counting mornings after my treat days) And there we have it. I'm not attempting anything too difficult or extreme. It's all about the self discipline, routine and consistency... three things I have trouble with hence the small steps, inclusion of treat days and general simlicity.

I'm notoriously bad for wanting to do ALL THE THINGS! I get involved with a lot, and then don't get to put my all into it and focus on a few things. This challenge I really want to focus on the basics and tracking my progress. The last couple challenges I've gotten off track and focused on health things that, while important, aren't the big things. My ultimate goal is to lose weight. I would like to get back down to ~150lbs or less. A few weeks ago I noticed my pants were a bit snug, and weighed myself for the first time in a couple months and I'm currently at my heaviest ever (and not for the good reasons). I want to stop moving in the wrong direction. I think the reason that I've never really succeeded with losing weight in the past was because I was actually pretty happy right where i was. But now that's changed and I need to and do this! Goals 1) Whole30/paleo - I'm currently doing a whole30 but it'll be over on June 23. After that I plan to eat strict paleo. My goal is that I stick largely with the whole30 approved foods, but I'll be allowed to combine ingredients to make things that aren't allowed on whole30. I will be allowed 1 non-paleo meal/snack a week. The goal is that when it's non-paleo it's not "looks like I'll have a giant fast food meal" but instead "hmmm, maybe I do want a glass of wine/beer, fries with that" A - 6 weeks B - 5 weeks C - 4 weeks D - 3 weeks F - <3 weeks Grade + can be awarded if I ate 100% paleo. Grade - if I had more than 1 non paleo meal/snack. 2) Monday night workout - This is to be a test drive of the class I'm planning for my fall strength training class. Between a good workout here and the Group Power class I teach Thursdays, these should meet my strength training requirements. If I have a sub for a class (I already know I do on June 26th because i'm going to Tegan & Sara! I need to make up the workout by attending a group power class. June 25th I'm starting an aerial silks class, and I plan to continue practicing aerial hoop on Sundays! A - 6 weeks B - 5 weeks C - 4 weeks D - 3 weeks F - <3 weeks 3) Walks - minimum of 3 - 30 minute walks per week. I have a gorgeous park right behind my house and there is really no reason not to do this. 30 minutes is a short time, I just need to DO IT. I spend all day at a desk, I need more movement in my life. Life side quest Create list of 3 important things to get done for the next day. I think that by choosing this one, I can incorporate other tasks (some listed below) into here without getting overwhelmed. Life stuff: work on business plando fitness conference sponsorship stufftalk to kinesiology department head about cptdecorate house/prepare for condo-versary housewarming partymake plans to see people more oftenTracking: I stopped doing things this way a while back, and I think I need to pick it up again: 1) Paleo - 6/7 6.5/7 3/6 4.5/6 0/6 0/6 = 20/38 2) Workouts 2/2 2/2 1/2 2/2 2/2 0/2 = 9/12 3) Walks - 2.5/3 2/3 2/3 1.5/3 0/3 0/3 = 8/18 Three things - 7/7 6/7 3/7 2/7 0/7 0/7 = 18/42 Starting stats (pre-whole 30) May 24: Weight: 159.5lbs Bust: 38" Ribcage: 33.5" Biceps: 12.5" Waist: 33" Hips: 39" Pants-level: 37.5" Thighs: 23"

Introduction: Hi, I'm maigrey and welcome to my first NF challenge! Over the last year I've really been working to get to a healthier me, done a couple of whole30s and really would like to get back to the Primal food plan. I love walking, hate the gym, and truth be told, would like exercise a whole lot more if it didn't involve sweating. I love gadgets and toys and probably have the next new thing already I've also never really gotten into the whole RPG stuff, so I'm just going to dive right in and get to it! (*splash*) Main Quest: Lose 30lbs by the end of the year 6 week challenge Quest: Walk a half-marathon on Aug 3rd! Quest 1: Follow weeks 7 - 12 (i've done 1-6 already) of the Hal Higdon half marathon walking program Measurement: A = 100% of the workouts B= 80% of the workouts + long walks C=60% of the workouts (including long walks) Quest 2: Follow food plan of "no candy, no ice cream, no baked goods and no white flour". Processed carbs poorly affect me, and I'm well aware I don't need them Measurement: A = 0 slips, B = 3 slips, C = 6 slips Quest 3: Drink at least 115 oz of water (weight / 2) per day Measurement: A = 115 oz of water, 42 days; B = 115 oz of water, 36 days, C = 115 oz of water, 30 days Life Quest: Go to a bar and a) not drink and have a conversation of substance with at least one person. If I'm going to tackle my stranger anxiety, let's get that act together Measurement: A = 6 times (1 time/week), B = 5 times , C = 4 times Motivation: I am tired of being tired, easily winded, and not confident in who I am. And, it all starts right here.

That's right. The game, my friends, is on! We've finally got a case again! The last several weeks have been so quiet... peaceful... Wasn't it just hateful? Fitness Goals Goal 1- "I Said FOCUS!" All fitness goals this challenge are smaller since they are being added on top of my current work out routines. So, on we go! My mind is generally going multiple directions at once. Last challenge I found that practicing handstands has a fantastic effect on the chatter in my brain because I have to completely focus on doing them. I also just discovered that I can do bridges/wheel pose. These have the same effect. SO... Goal 1- Practice handstands and bridges at least 32 days out of the 42 day challenge. If I do more, great. This goal is all about building strength and focus mentally and physically. STR- 3 Goal 2- Legwork... We all know how much Mycroft hates legwork... So this challenge, I have to do it for him. Goal 2- Walk at least 32 days out of the 42 day challenge. It has to be over 1.5 miles to count as a walk. I'll be keeping track of my distances to see how long my total distance is at the end. (No real reason, just for giggles.) The actual reason behind this is to give my body gentle exercise between my rounds of lifting and to give myself a little more mental clarity. STA- 2 Goal 3- Always the Addict You can't have a Sherlock without having some kind of addiction... And that I have. To hooping. It's been a secret passion for years. Thanks to some of the people in this lovely guild, I'm finally going to be letting it out in the open more. It's time to UP THE STAKES. Goal 3- I have to learn and perfect at LEAST 6 new moves. A move a week should be doable. Ecstatic? Manic? I am. (Do I actually dream about hooping? At least one night a week!) Links with the moves that I will be learning will be coming in the next post. There will also possibly be videos of yours truly appearing here and there! DEX- 3 Life Goals Life Goal 1- "The Police Don't Consult Amateurs." We all know that the professionals only go to the best. My skills need polishing! It's time to leave the amateur title behind! Life Goal 1- Write or practice some aspect of it for at least 84 hours throughout the challenge. I am already trying to work 2 hours of daily writing into my life, so this one shouldn't be too hard to stick to. On top of that, I have to write for two of my internships, so I spend time doing that for them already. WIS- 4 Life Goal 2- Urban Camouflage! I am moving from an agricultural science career into an urban environment. I must have camouflage to blend in with the natives... This goal is different and something I've never tried before. However, I KNOW it's going to have hilarious results. The field I was previously working in required me to spend all day in greenhouses or outside and involved at least 8 hours of manual labor per shift. I'm not in that particular field anymore but now I'm facing the fact that the one I'm entering actually requires me to look... *gasp* put together. (Meaning I can't go to work in men's work jeans, steel-toed boots and ancient t-shirts.) My hair can't be shoved up under a hat. I will actually be judged by how I present myself. Soooo... Life goal 2- Learn at least 6 new hair and makeup styles in 6 weeks. At the end of the challenge I should, ideally, have 6 new hairstyles and 6 new makeup styles that I can do with some level of... non-panic. (Non-panic may take longer to develop. However, having some vague idea of what I'm doing would help.) CHA- 3 Those of you that followed my last challenge, I've got a new battle this round. I'll be telling you more about it soon. However, this whole challenge was crafted to help! There will be more info coming your way soon! Here's my spread sheet/sock index for this challenge! The game, my lovelies, is on!

Hallo everyone!!! How are you?? This is going to be my second challenge for the Rangers & I'm super excited about it! For those of you who followed me the last 6 weeks, my goals this time around are gonna be similar. For those of you who are new, HI!! Main Quest: Maintain my Health and Fit Into A Dress - Long story short, I've spent the past 2 challenges working to get my health back after a debilitating knee injury in July 2013. Now that I'm almost back to 100%, I'm ready to take my workouts to the next level. I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding in June, and I purposefully bought my dress a little smaller, so now I'm on a mission to get myself ready to look fabulous in it Supporting Quests: 1. Nutrition is still going to take center stage for me - but this time my main focus is going to be staying gluten-free ALL the time. I made this change about 4 weeks ago and I feel SO much better, so I want to keep it up!! Normally, this means I eat mostly paleo & primal - but without the emphasis on the higher saturated fats. It works well for me - so I want to keep it up. I'm not focusing on counting calories - I'm focusing on eating high quality, whole foods & creating a natural deficit by exercising 2. Begin Training for my First 10K!!! Hubbs and I signed up for a 10K, which happens to be the weekend BEFORE the big wedding in June. I think this is gonna be a GREAT motivator to keep moving and stay in shape. We ran a 5K a few weeks ago, so now we're gonna bump up our training to the next level. Due to the knee issues, I've got to run intervals (right now I'm at 60 seconds run/60 seconds power walk and am averaging about a 13-14 min/mile pace) but I'm happy that I'm at least moving again. On non-run days, my goal is to get some mild cardio in the form of walking at least 2 miles over the whole day - just to stay moving. 3. Strength train to help benefit my running goals! I tried doing other programs around my running & it just didn't work. so I decided to focus more on my end goals. Ultimately, I love running - so I found myself a program created by an endurance running & triathalon coach that will have me lifting twice a week and optimize the muscle groups primarily needed for running. I'm thinking this will be the most solid way for me to incorporate everything. Now - workouts might be sporadic due to my work & school schedule (school changes quite regularly) - but I figure as long as I get 2 lifting workouts a week and 3 running workouts and 4 days of walking, I'll be happy. Realistically, I can't fully start this plan until April 21st - so expect the first week of the challenge to be a little *off* but I will hit at least 2 miles every day and it will hit the 10K training plan on the 21st. Just like last challenge: I'll give myself 33% a day for each of my workouts (2 miles/Cardio and strength training) and 34% for my food. I'll add them all together and get a percentage out of 100% - at the end of the Challenge, I'll have a solid average for how I'm doing. And on days that are Rest Days from Strength training - I shall default to the 33% as long as I hit my other goals. As far as food goes, I'll consider that a "34%" if I stay on point, eat healthy, with no processed junk foods or gluten. My "before" measurements & pics will be the "after" pics from the last challenge - and I'll post them here sometime soon so that I have something tangible to track numbers & progress. I've had issues in the past with the "neurotic scale tracking" and so I'm really just focused on getting healthy & strong and will use my workouts & measurements to track my positive changes Anyways, can't wait to get started on this one & hope to hear from all of you in the upcoming weeks!!

Hello, Brothers and Sisters. Challenge number three for me. And, I have the opportunity to complete it, something I haven't done yet. The theme of this challenge is Consistency. Main Quest: play soccer competitively Goal 1: consistent cardio. 3 days per week, 20 minutes total workout. walking is fine. failing to walk/run is not. I stick with this goal, because last challenge I was doing great for like, 3 weeks, and then I hit a mental wall. I just couldn't get up and get out, perhaps I was working out too hard, or perhaps I'm jsut a baby and need to man up. whatever the case is, the vehicle on which you arrive on the road of success is persistence, so, I continue pressing on, training for the goals I have to survive. I often times want to get up and run, though, and do intervals with some regularity because they feel great. But I want to get that measurable consistency up. This particular goal is Pass/fail. anything short of 100 percent completion is a failure for me, because I have a degree of fitness already. So, 3x6(w)=18 total workouts. my work schedule is fun, graveyard shift and all, so M, W, and F afternoons are when the workouts will go on. Goal 2: Train for the upcoming soccer tournaments (jun 21st and July 31st). I have 8 drills that I do. I don't want to do each one each day, because that challenge sucks. I tried, and failed. So, I'm gonna say if I spend five minutes working on 2 skill drills (or completion for the around the world challenge) 3 times a week, it'll be ok. I play between two and four games a week during the summer, and while I love it, I have to take it easy if I want to be consistent, My goal is not to break my body, but to consistently build skill. DAY 1: soft touch and around the world. Soft touch is a cones drill (I use rocks, cause I'm broke right now, but maybe that will change.) where you dribble through cones. Around the world is an adaption where you try to build passing accuracy on each side of both of your feet by consistently hitting the same post from nine different positions. DAY 2: Triangles and juggling. Triangles is relatively straight forward, you pass the ball between both feet making a triangle. Juggling, you keep the ball in the air. DAY 3: Shooting precision and shielding: Shielding is the movement of the ball in four directions without changing the orientation of the hips. Shooting precision is working on hitting the same spot on the ball with each kick. I'm not super skilled yet, so the goal is to have the ball roll forwards and backwards with no spin. DAY 4: classic agility ladder and lower leg strength. The classic agility ladder is one that I have seen in every strength training/sports program I've ever been involved in. I don't think it needs a whole lot of explanation. But the lower leg strength is gonna be bodyweight squats and jumping drills, forwards and backwards on a left to right on a line. 15 secs squat, 15 secs jumping forwards and backwards, 15 secs jumping left to right, 15 secs rest, for five minutes for this drill. Two days a week is going to be easy with this drill, as I work at a soccer program (WHICH, BTW, I got paid to do this summer! I wasn't expecting that one) and I can show up and use our equipment before I run our program's games. So, 12 total workouts (2x6(w)=12 total workouts), 3 on each day. Should be easy-peasy, no joke, but I'm going for the easy win here because I've not been able to complete a challenge to my satisfaction to date. A: 12 workouts total (3/d) B: 8 or more workouts total (2/d) C: 4 or more workouts total (1/d) F: 0-3 workouts total. Goal 3: Develop 4 recipes that are 2200-2400 calories. These recipes will be big pot recipes, or something along those lines, that I can cook in the evening and distribute in small portions throughout the following day. This is part of a long term strategy that I'm working on to lose weight. But I don't want a specific fitness goal as much as I want to start building a lifestyle of healthy eating habits that I can then stand on for the rest of my life. I have 2 recipes already, for a 400-600 calories snack, if it becomes necessary. I'll post up a recipes thread, probably somewhere not challenge specific, to keep you informed of what I like to eat, and to talk with you of the many tasty concoctions we can make. so, 6(w)/4 equals 1.5(w) per recipe. Starting on June 9th, the challenge start date, I will have one recipe drafted for each 1.5 weeks of the challenge (252 hours to complete one recipe). A: 4 recipes, 1.5 weeks apart. B: 3 recipes over challenge. C: 2 recipes over challenge D: 1 recipe over challenge F: 0 recipes over challenge And, since I'm still trying to successfully complete a challenge, no life quest, though there are several I'm looking forward to getting underway. If you can, help me out. I get weighed down after some weeks, and can definitely use the encouragement. that mental wall is for real, and its out there for me to find, and overcome. Hopefully, this will be the challenge that I do just that. This challenge also, I'm going to be posting up a signature with progress bars, and all that, so that'll be a lot of fun. And, any suggestion about tags would be helpful, I don't know how to tag this thread at all. AND, I have a theme song for this challenge as well... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHk_Emakefg. "To pass beyond is what I seek. I fear that I may be to weak..." (;

My oh my. Feels like a whirlwind this time. Like, we just finished the last one and the next one is already here. Weird. I know we usually can't wait for them to come, so I'm glad, but at the same time, just, wow. Oh well. Let's get it on. Goal 1: Mobility Work on Off Days Pretty much what it sounds like. I've found all of the things that I need to do for my body so far. I've found yoga for my shoulders and knees, and the HFS for my hips and lower back, and SMR for the other pains in my body that I have to deal with. It's all good. But it's not enough to know that these things work. They also have to be applied. The general rule I've heard before goes that you need to spend at least as much time on your mobility work as you do on your strength work. So, if I'm doing strength/power stuff three days per week, then I need to be doing mobility stuff three days per week as well. Graded out of 18. +2 STA, +2 CON. Goal 2: Integrated Martial Arts Training Just like before. This started strong and finished weak, but I really think that I was onto something there, given myself. Unfortunately, there's no hack to get around getting things done. I can't make the training happen if I don't show up to do it. So. Here we go again. Combination work, uchikomi work, and newaza work at the end of the training session. No matter what. Graded out of 42. +2 DEX, +2 STA, +1 STR And now to be a loose cannon... Life Goal 1: Walker University What? Have I somehow tricked a university into giving me more moniez so that I can earn more useless papers? Pshaw. Naw, y'all. One of the ways that personal trainers are encouraged to get ahead is to go for a walk and plug in an audio book of some kind. I spend so much time reading fiction on my own as it is that I don't need to plug in fiction books. So, it's time to start listening more to podcasts and the like relating to fitness business and writing stuff. Any time it's nice enough near me to go for a walk, I'mma do it. Graded out of a possible 30, with adjustments as needed depending on the weather. +3 WIS Life Goal 2: Write Our Story Well. Y'all asked for it. My mom's asking for it. My friends are asking for it. So, now I've got no choice. I have to buckle down and get to work. Every day, I need to be either writing some on the story, or working on characters, or plotting scenes, or something. Each day has to have a concrete step taken toward the completion of this bloody novel. RisenPhoenix already has an expy in it, though it's not really him so much as a character who shares a couple traits with him. I feel like I'mma have to make this disclaimer repeatedly: these characters are not y'all. So please, please, no freaking out if you end up reading this and you spot someone whom you can clearly tell was based on you and they do some decidedly not-you things. Graded out of 42. +3 CHA Also, unofficial savings goal: gotta start working on saving up for the Spartan. First step: registration fees.

(Same) Main Quest: Stop Making Myself Sick In particular, to improve my diet and fitness to the point where they aren't providing me with risk factors. Missions: 1. Walking: I've been maintaining an average of 7500 steps walked per day, as measured by a Fitbit Force, with a goal of increasing to 10,000 (a bit more each challenge). A week ago, the Fitbit Force went missing. I'm now using a Basis Band, which is known to record fewer steps for the same distance, due to intermittent episodes of recording nothing at all. I'd like to have a goal of averaging at least 8000 Fitbit Force steps per day, but that's impractical. So the official goal is an average of 7000 Basis Band steps, until I find or replace the missing Fitbit Force, (This is, by the way, ambitious, and subject to revision. I've had days where the Basis Band recorded 30% fewer steps than the Fitbit Force. The all time worst was the day my left arm was attached to a body that walked 6530 steps and my right arm was attached to one that walked 11328 steps! I *think* if I'm attentive I can reset the Basis Band when it stops noticing my activity, and only have a 1000 step deficit. But I'm not sure.) 4 STA 2. Exercise: Maintain strength exercises - 2 STR Maintain stretches 1 DEX Trainer sessions 1 CON 3. Food: Caffeine Control (count % of days with 2 or fewer cups of caffeinated tea) 1 WISChocolate Control (count % of days with 4 or fewer ghirardelli squares or equivalent) 1 CHAFruit and Vegetables (100% would be 5 servings of fruit/veg per day, averaged to make it achievable. 1 CON4. Sleep To bed by 12:30 AM every night before a work day (exemption (1) if I nap the day before; (2) bridge nights) 1 CON, 1 WIS [Edit going into week 5: In recognition of the realities of my new job, bedtime is 11 PM on week nights, 12:30 AM on other nights.] 8 hours sleep every night (including any naps during the following day), except bridge nights: 1 CON, 1 WIS That's 15 points. Since I can't award partial points, I'll do something reasonable if I find I've earned 0.4 DEX and 0.6 CHA or some such - e.g. convert that to 1 CHA, 0 DEX. [Edit - I see other people with decimal stats, so I guess I won't have to round down, and can give myself partial points after all.] I know there are 4 missions; if people insist, I'll call getting enough sleep a "life quest". I apologize for the boring and repetitive nature of this challenge. I'm jet lagged out of my gourd right now, and totally bereft of imagination, but wanting to get something up while I'm only 2 days late starting . ;-)

Intro thread! | Story thread! I know I'm late starting this challenge,‭ ‬but I have this weird feeling that if I don't start now,‭ ‬it might be harder to make myself do it later. The number on my scale doesn't give me the initiative I'm going to need. I want my activity level back to the wonderful heights I hit four years ago, and I want to eat less junk food. If I do these things, the weight should start neutralizing itself. Many of my‭ ‬lapsed‭ ‬hobbies are either active outdoor pursuits,‭ ‬or‭ ‬cartooning and writing related.‭ ‬It's time I focused on the‭ ‬active ones for awhile.‭ ‬Strengthening the‭ ‬artistic ones can come later. My Quest for Challenge‭ ‬1: I want to hit the magic‭ ‬10,000‭ ‬steps number‭ ‬(wherever it came from‭) ‬every day,‭ ‬without fail.‭ ‬I have a three-day-old Fitbit One,‭ ‬so I'd better take advantage.‭ ‬I'm a teacher,‭ ‬and‭ ‬one who spends most of every day on his feet,‭ ‬but that doesn't even get me halfway there.‭ ‬This should be an easy one,‭ ‬as long as I can make myself get off my duff and do it.‭Do something active,‭ ‬above and beyond the step counter,‭ five days a week.‭ ‬Bicycling‭? ‬Ideal‭! ‬Stationary bicycle‭? ‬If I have to‭! ‬Running‭? ‬Well...maybe I'll save that for the next challenge.‭ ‬Lifting weights‭? ‬It's not my favourite,‭ ‬but I always feel good when I'm done.‭ ‬All of this will make it into MyFitnessPal,‭ ‬which will in turn share it with the Fitbit.‬Watch what I stuff in my craw.‭ ‬Do I really need those Smarties‭? ‬Probably not.‭ ‬Do I really need to make that much pasta‭? ‬I doubt I'll even finish it if I try‭! ‬I make my own meals anyway,‭ ‬so I'll just start watching them a little more carefully.‭ ‬I'll use MyFitnessPal,‭ ‬linked to my Fitbit,‭ ‬to make sure I'm hovering around zero remaining net calories per day.Pass/fail,‭ ‬kid‭! Here we go‭!

Hello Assassins! I was here for a challenge a while back, then tried to do one with the Adventurers before Christmas, which was a massive fail. I was too busy and dropped off the map pretty quickly. Plus I missed you guys! I haven't joined a challenge yet this year because the structure of it hasn't really resonated with me, I've been keeping fit but in a random, aimless sort of way. I got an itty bitty 10lb kettlebell for Christmas and have been playing with it, lots of swings and presses and so forth, and I'm definitely getting stronger and seeing changes. Last time I was here, my big goal was to do a real push-up. Well, that hasn't happened yet, so I'm refocusing my efforts on that. I'm not much of a storyteller or a gif collector like many members here, so this is going to be straightforward and boring. Challenge goal 1: Keep progressing on push-ups! I managed to build up to 20+ in a row on the kitchen counter, but somehow couldn't manage to move down to a lower incline. 3-4 weeks ago I found the one hundred pushups program, and then 2 weeks ago I moved to an apartment with a ledge between the living and dining rooms, giving me a nice convenient place to move my incline down just a tiny bit, and I could just barely eke out 5 reps. I started the one hundred pushups program on the first column, very beginning, and I'm halfway through week 2 now. I am going to keep at this, 3 days a week, and after every week of the program find a lower incline (I'm thinking coffee table or couch next, maybe) and give it a try. As soon as I can get 4-5 reps on a lower incline, I'll start the program over until I get it down to the floor. I feel like this gives me a much more solid plan to accomplish what I want than I had last time. Challenge goal 2: Keep running! I've been doing the c25k as well as the Zombies, run! 5k trainer simultaneously, moving back and forth according to circumstances and how I feel that day. It's been super sporadic - I actually don't think I have, at any point, actually gone for the whole three runs in a week that I am supposed to. I'm currently at the end of week 5 in both programs, and am dying to actually complete one. I need to get out for a run 3 days a week, every week, and keep it moving. Challenge goal 3: Keep moving throughout the day! My new apartment is walkable to downtown, and me and Toddler have been getting out a lot to explore and play. I want to keep walking and keep my monthly steps average on my fitbit above 10,000. As I type this, my average for April is 10,951. Goals 2 and 3 relate to my big goal because, despite what everyone says about cardio nowadays, I have the best success dropping weight when I am walking and running a lot, and having less weight to shift can only make push-ups easier, right? I know diet is a big compenent, but I have been having issues with anxiety and weirdness when I make rules about eating, so I'm just aiming for a vague guideline of not overstuffing myself, and having lots of veggies and lots of protein. I'm also going to try to stretch more, since I have been neglecting that and reading you guys's challenges has reminded me how important it is. My mobility has definitely been suffering lately, and my posture is total crap, so I'm going to work on that. Informally, though, not too much pressure on myself. I am going to look into a heavier kettlebell as well as try to keep up my workouts with the one I have when I can, but again, in an informal sort of way, no pressure. As far as a life goal, I've been tasked with sewing a picnic blanket for my sister for her birthday at the end of May, and I'm hoping to have a shawl knitted for my mom by Mother's Day. I need to spend at least a small amount of time on one of these things every day. I'm excited now! Let's get started! I'm amazed at how much stuff there is in this forum already in the chat thread, the mini-challenges...off to catch up!

My past two challenges have been about trying to lose weight with the end result of being happy and accepted. I have had zero success in losing weight or feeling sustained happiness even though I completed half of my goals (the eating and walking ones) per challenge. I worried and stressed myself to a point where I just give up half way through the challenge. So for this challenge, I’m changing the focus of my main quest. Also, this will be the last challenge I do as an Adventurer. I plan on finally advancing to the Assassins, which has been my goal since I first joined the rebellion. This challenge should help me focus on the fun activity I want to pursue. Main Quest To love myself for who I am and get healthy while doing it. Goal 1: Cut out processed foods. +3 CON Part of this is to steer my eating to more of a real food focused kind of diet, borderline Paleo. This is to eat more natural foods and to enjoy the food I eat. I love cooking but I tend to use the “I’m lazy†excuse quite often. Replace at least one processed food each day. This replacement may or may not stick for each day. It's more to exercise control over food choices by choosing something better over something processed or filled with sugar. Goal 2: Be more active. +3 STA Movement makes me happy and walking does make me feel better. What I’m truly striving for here is to remember that I feel better after walking, or moving in general, and that’s why I’m doing it. It’s not solely to lose weight. I’ll continue the walking at work but at home, I want to explore some of my interests in the fun exercise category. This will help me for when I join the Assassins. Goal 3: Focus on the positive things. +2 WIS & +2 CHA Spend five minutes each day to write down the positive thoughts or events each day. Like many others, I tend to say and focus on the negative things in my life. Sometimes, these are things I can’t change or have no influence on. Sometimes, these things aren't actually a negative. They should be positive ideas. Side Quest: Try a new recipe each week. +2 CON I did something similar to this in my last challenge but I did a new vegetable each week and then ran out of vegetables/ideas available to me. Then again, I didn't try to find a new vegetable the last week. Ideally, I want to try 2 breakfast, 2 dinner and 2 dessert recipes during these 6 weeks but this may not happen. The goal is 6 total new recipes. I may be leaning towards more dessert recipes than the others. Here's to an excellent new challenge! Tracker Goal 1: 6/7 6/7 7/7 7/7 6/7 7/7 | 39/42 Goal 2: 4/5 4/5 4/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 | 27/30 Goal 3: 6/7 7/7 6/7 5/7 5/7 6/7 | 35/42 Side Quest: 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 0/1 1/1 | 5/6

Looking for local workout partners. I live mid-peninsula. I don't want to work out anymore. I had a weight plate come lose and give me a concussion. I would like a partner in fitness. Let me know if you are interested.

Last challenge I did started redefining some habits that were bad and creating better ones. This challenge is a continuation of that. A couple of the goals are to complete what I started last time (PLP and HASFit Warrior Program), and a couple are new. The overall goal of my challenge is still to prepare for my Warrior Dash that is coming up in July. I have it planned out that this challenge will finish up the same exercise plan I started last time for building strength, and then the next challenge will be about running and getting the cardio in order with a little strength also. If my calculations are correct, this challenge is April 14-May 26. Then there will be a week off between challenges (May 26-June 1). June 2-July 11 will be a second challenge (the running/cardio one) and then I will have 2 weeks before my race. 1) Complete PLP Challenge (+3 STR) I started this in the middle of the last challenge. I am doing it with a friend and we are on 36/69. I have seen great improvement with this workout and want to see just how much strength I can gain from it! 2) Complete HASFit Warrior Program (+2 STA +3 DEX) I started this last challenge and want to see it through to the end. I will actually complete it the week after this challenge is complete currently. My “rest†days toward the end will be the days I play softball. 3) Walk with wife and puppy 4x per week (+2 CHA) I wanted to include this as a goal because we both work and our dog is in her cage all day. With it being spring, the weather is typically nice enough to take her out and give her some exercise. Also it will give us some time away from electronics to talk and spend some time together. As a mini bonus, I plan on wearing my Vibrams and weight vest while we walk to get some exercise out of it. 4) (LIFE) Finish reading “Drive†and “Teaching with Love and Logic†(+3 WIS) I have started reading both of these books but have not finished them yet. There is an idea in the back of my mind about a new way of teaching that I think would be helpful not only to my wife, since she teaches, but also for when I teach to the high school students that I volunteer with. 5) (DIET) Eliminate pop (+2 CON) I have fallen off the no/few pop bandwagon this year and I know that part of my struggles with my BF% is because I am drinking pop still. So my plan is to do a ladder system for stopping. Week 1, I will be allowed 6 pops throughout the week. Week 2 is down to 5 and so on. I will allow myself to drink as much real fruit juice as I want during this time, but eventually I know that drinking too much fruit juice will also keep me from my BF% goals. But one dragon at a time. Side Experiment: Fast 1x per week for 24 hours. I have done intermittent fasting in the past but doing it by skipping breakfast, eating only between 11am and 7pm. After listening to Brad Pilon talk about what he meant when he started intermittent fasting, I am going to try his 24 hour 1-2x per week fast. I will start with once a week starting on Saturday at 1pm and starting again on Sunday at 1pm. This is normally a time where I am not exercising and can take a break for my body to reset and repair.