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Prologue I took my usual winter sabbatical off social media to figure out what’s important and what I most missed. And again, NF begin to call to me.... The House of Vries once again finds itself in transition. Mr’s work contract ended quite suddenly at the end of November (we expected the end of 2020), leaving us in a tumble. Our plans had been that after that contract, we would make good on Operation: Escape London and find our forever home. We’ve decided to go forward on that... probably. New employment hasn’t surfaced in the primary places we wanted to go to, and new places to research have come to light. In addition, the siren’s call of adventure always trickles in, inviting us to come away from settling somewhere and making roots, or put that off for another few years and go explore another land. And also London keeps her claws in us, whispering to stay for a few more years... who would be mad enough to leave this glorious city? Mr and I have never been good at settling down, despite really wanting to. We are fortunate. We are in a position to take our time and be choosy about our next move. But I find this in-between space stressful. Even... unsettling. So much change is soon to come—yet where is it? When is it? What will it look like? Unsurprisingly, most of my goals from autumn into winter fell through into icy waters. The whole household routine is in shambles. We had continual illness (one or all of us) until after Christmas. Amid this, SAD hit me like a truck. My physical activity went down, and my weight ticked up. We’re still picking ourselves up and trying to get sorted. Preparing to sell the house for a move? Haven’t even started! So, my goals will be about getting myself grounded again. To get comfortable in this uncertainty—and indeed, be ready to take action when and if we find the right contract and the right place and pull the trigger. That may be during this challenge, or it might be another.... Oh, and there’s likely to be an adventure or few along the way....

Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation As it’s the new year, full of promise and potential, I thought I’d go big or go home, right out of the gate. I need to get back to my regular calorie counting diet with healthy doses of exercise as I’ve fallen out of practice with both. I’ve maintained the 1200 calories per day, M-F with blow meals on the weekends and have been going to the gym for about 45 minutes M-F, but I’ve found loopholes and caved in more than I should so I’m knuckling down again, mostly to be better, but also because I’ve got my first real physical at the end of January and want to drop some pounds before then. Even though I enjoy weight lifting, I feel like I need to drop some weight first before being able to properly tone up. Smaller Quests 1. Walking This seems to fit well into: 1. What I am willing to do for exercise (ie. NOT running!) and 2. What I can do for exercise over my lunch break without making me too exhausted or too sweaty. Scoring: x/40 miles in 4 weeks Reward: +4 to STA (+1 for every 10 miles completed) 2. Yoga I enjoy yoga and so to add some balance to my walking, I will be doing the 30 Days of Yoga from Darebee again. Scoring: x/30 days of yoga Reward: +3 to WIS (+1 for every 10 days completed successfully) 3. Eating Better This is the big one for this challenge as I’ve done both #1 and #2 before with other challenges. I’ve cut down on my processed sugar in challenges before too, but this time, I really need to buckle down so it sticks long-term. No sugary snacks M-F and more veggies instead and only 1 blow day on weekends! I will be cutting out the processed junk food and as many carbs as I can while eating healthy. I will also be trying to limit my blow meals to 1 weekend day, rather than Friday night through Sunday. This worked when I first lost the weight, so it should hopefully, kickstart this again for me! I’m also going to attempt to cut out my weekday soda as it’s wasted, processed sugar. If I need a caffeine boost in the afternoon, I will have more coffee or a Bai. 1. No soda (save for ginger ale, as it helps my digestion) 2. No processed, sugary junk foods M-F and limited on the weekends 3. More veggies 4. 1 blow day per weekend Scoring: x/5 weekends of only having 1 blow day x/25 of not having sugary snacks M-F Reward: +4 to CON for weekend success & +4 to CHA for sugary snacks weekdays

Walk to Mordor and Back Again (2019) Whether you have been trekking to Mordor for years or just looking to get started, you are welcome to join us at anytime. All miles/kilometers count. You decide how you want to accumulate distance. This is your adventure! (ex. my journey has included walking/steps, hiking, running, biking (distance/3), and swimming (distance*3)) Begin Your Journey Now! SPREADSHEET Open the spreadsheet, click on the 'Sign Up' tab at the bottom of the page, fill in all fields labeled in yellow, and begin tracking and logging your distance in the appropriate monthly tab. “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” - Bilbo Baggins

I’m actually starting a week early, in the hopes of getting a decent jump on weight loss for this challenge and to make it 4 weeks. Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories, but I’ve been slacking with this a lot. I need to get back into the habit of eating better and getting more exercise. I know the holiday season, basically from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, is really hard food-wise to be good, but I need to do better. And I’ve got a performance at the end of December that I want to look my very best for! Smaller Quests 1. Cookie Counter - Eating Habits In an effort to drop some stubborn weight and to knuckle down again, I’m dropping to 1000 calories per day M-F. Mostly because I shouldn’t be eating the sweet treats in the evenings anyway. Those 200 calories are always spent on things like Oreos, which they shouldn’t be! To be a bit lenient since it's the holidays, I’m not including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Dec 27th for a family function and my performance. Scoring: x/17 Reward: +5 CON & +5 CHA 2. Walking in a Winter Wonderland - Walking Walking is a good filler exercise and it’s mildly enjoyable because I get to watch TV while I do it. Scoring: x/30 miles in 4 weeks (6 miles per week) Reward: +2 STA EDIT: I upped this from 24 miles to 30 miles because I seemed to be really succeeding in this, so I upped the difficulty on 12/9/19. 3. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Weight Training It’s been too long since I lifted heavy things (June 2019!), so I want to add weight training back into my gym routine. Bench press: 45lbs → 60lbs Squat: 50lbs → 75lbs Deadlift: 50lbs → 75lbs Scoring: +1 for each achieved Reward: +3 to STR

While we were in Wales, in a rare moment we actually had phone signal, a call came through. It was our community nursery that RoV had been on the waiting list for since the beginning of the year. They had a part-time opening! Would we like it? Mr and I needed to discuss it—but eventually we decided we should get a foot in the door while we had the opportunity. Unfortunately, several days passed before we could get strong enough signal to call back. I promised myself then, that if this worked out, I would use that time to return to the fiber arts. We got the spot and now I have childcare 4 mornings/20 hours a week (including his existing childminder), and I’m going to make good on that promise. The Return of the Stitch Witch I’ve signed up for a program called the Artist Residency in Motherhood (ARIM) which is a framework designed to help new parents get back into the arts after the shock of adding a small child into their world. I’m currently signed up for 3 months (and can extend), and so this will be ongoing. My focus will be exploring and developing a fiber arts direction that’s been invading my imagination all year (but I’ve lacked the time or space to explore)—embroidery as a medium for storytelling. 10+ “studio” hours a week on improving technique, creating designs, and the actual stitching related to my residency projects/goals. (Due to the holidays and related trips, there are weeks when I may not be able to do 10 studio hours, but those should be known in advance rather than... accidental.) Take a trip to the V&A to look at embroidery exhibits. (Adventure!) Those who follow my Instagram will see it repurposed as an accountability space for the residency. Continue Spiritual Studies Resume meditation practice at least 5 days a week. Mornings are ideal, but I need to get flexible about it. Perhaps I’ll do it at the start of studio time. Finish my outstanding assignment, plus 1 other class assignment (and associated activities) I’m backing off on progressing this course a little bit to make more space for the arts practice. Tame the Hearth Flame 4 childcare hours a week for household chaos reduction and outstanding domestic projects. Be an Adventurer! In the summer, it’s easier to follow up on “I’m going to go out every day!” But it’s no longer summer and with RoV spending most mornings in childcare, I think it’s even more important to spend quality time with him in the afternoons. And embroidering and associated tasks is a lot of “bum in chair” time, so I need to make a point of being active at other times. Aim for one outing each day with RoV. Preferably outdoors, but if it’s really miserable out an active indoor activity like the soft play centre is great, too. This won’t happen every day, but it should most. We’ve also got a couple of trips planned during the span of this challenge, so adventure during those, too!

I needed a challenge off to get some aspects of my life together and figured out, but while always imperfect, I’m such a better person when I’m doing a challenge. So here I am with the Adventurers once again.... Who am I? (Yes, this image is to show off my awesome new hair.) I am Ann of Vries, aged 40, diarist, LARPer, stitch witch, traveler, walker, and an aspirational forest fairy living in the city. I’m an American living in London, UK; married to my true love and brilliant partner (Mr of Vries) and my main job/labour of love is raising our adorable toddler son (Rowan of Vries). Which is mostly fun, but occasionally harrowing. (You wouldn’t know he had a total tantrum meltdown on this same train a few days before....) I immigrated to the UK from Seattle three and a half years ago. I love it here, although I’m still trying to find my tribe (outside of the House of Vries, of course). I long to live in the English countryside, in a stone house with a large garden that grows most of our herbs, vegetables, and fruit. But that time is out in the future—for now, we are city folk and I aim to make the best of that. Not every person gets a chance to move abroad and live in one of the most famous cities in the world! To that end.... I am the Dream Look at my short summary up there. I am, by many people’s standards, ~living the dream~. But a tendency toward Hedonic Adaption, some much wished for (and worked for) dreams that didn’t come true, and a history of depression (which gets much worse in the darker part of the year) means I often forget this. The Challenge There’s no reason to let these dreams turn into a nightmare. So to help keep the darkness at bay and remain living the dream, I will be: Practicing gratitude/journaling Write and post about something I’m grateful about at least 3 times a week. Many will be about my general status of life, but least one of those per week should be something current. Keep up on my personal journals in between. Meditation and spiritual practices I’ve recently started a course to help motivate me out of being an occasional witch and more of a regularly practicing one. Practice grounding/centering/meditation at least 5 days a week. Every day is better, but every day doesn’t always happen. At least two more lessons completed for the pagan degree course I’m in. At least once a week, work on book study or a branch class assignment. Get outside/stay active RoV is now a walker (although not particularly fast or with a destination in mind), and he doesn’t want to be carried all the time. In fact, he doesn’t much like carriers at all anymore and I’ve had to give and buy a stroller if I want to get him around (I’m not sure why he prefers the stroller to the carrier, but he does). This means my days of hours and hours of walking have become more challenging as has my use of public transport (my nearby stations aren’t step-free accessible), despite that RoV needs to go out 2 or 3 times a day to burn off energy. Go outside at least once a day, even if it’s just the back garden Embrace and enjoy going out. 10k steps a day; more is better. Engage in mind-healthy pursuits (and cut back mindless ones) I’m finding myself wasting a lot of time on mindless Facebook scrolling, news rubber-necking and other such activities. Cut back to only checking a couple of times a day and for no more than 5 minutes a go. Spend that time on reading, appreciating the outdoors, journaling, embroidery, knitting, and playing with RoV. I may resurrect my Instagram account. We’ll see. Don’t (always) eat the croissant I’m at a healthy weight and I’m generally a healthy eater, but the last few weeks has seen me engaging in a lot of indulgent, often junky eating (made worse by a two weeks cold I’m still recovering from) and my weight has crept up just enough to concern me about the beginning of an ongoing trend. My household consists of foodies, and I’m not a calorie counter, but sometimes I just need to resist the croissant. (And I definitely need to resist the junk food!) Sometimes, I’m allowed to have the croissant but it needs to be a conscious choice. There’s a lot going on in this challenge, and you guys know I’m not a huge fan of collecting the metrics. My general intent is that by striving for these things with some accountability, I will do them more often, and I’ll try to update a couple of times a week with how it’s going. Except! I’m going on an adventure during this challenge! We’ll be headed to Wales for 2 weeks shortly into the challenge. I haven’t decided if I’m taking my laptop or if I’m just going to go with a notebook and my phone and have a bit of tech break. Depending on how this goes, I may go silent for a couple of weeks. But I’ll be back. Cheers, AoV

Dear Battle Log, I tried the 4-week challenge a couple of times, but I had a very hard time with it. I think maybe 4 challenges is too much for me, and I should start slower. So I am trying again, but this time with just one challenge. I saw this 8-week training program to run 5k, but the problem is it starts by running 1 mile on the first training day. Unfortunately I got even more out of shape recently (stupid finals), and I'm not sure I can safely run even just 1 mile at this point. I know I can walk it, and run about 1/4 of a mile, but really not sure about running a whole mile. I know, this is really sad, considering that I ran 5k a few years ago. Anyway, this program recommends a 4-week to 1 mile training program for beginners or those like me. When I saw it, I realized that maybe I need something like this. Not just for running, but for the 4-week challenge and maybe other things in my life too. Baby steps. Start slow. So here is my plan. I will start with the 4-week-to-1mi training. I can respawn if I fail. When (not if!!!) I complete step 1, I will run 1 mile about 3 times a week until I am ready to proceed to step 3. Then I move on to the 8-week-to-5k training. If something goes wrong I can go back to step 2. If all goes amazingly, I could spend 4 weeks on step 1, 2 weeks on step 2 (last week of step 1 is just running a mile 3 times a week, which is basically my step 2. Really it would be more like 3 weeks on step 1, then 3 weeks on step 2). Then 8 weeks on step 3, and I would complete this exactly by September,1. If all goes super amazingly I could even run in a local 5k race in the beginning of September! (and qualify for the Olympics lol). On the off chance that everything does not go super amazingly, I will give myself time until the end of the year, then reassess. Even if I end up completing only step 1 I will count it as a success.

Elize, Elvin Broom Ryder Elize and her trusty fox left the Misty Mountain training lodge for their first assignment: Stop Evil C.Roach from getting the three factions (Antzies, Dusti-Mites, and Fleashies) to work together, to overpower and eventually rule The World. She wasn't sure exactly how this would work, as she would have to venture into the world of the Minimoys. They were a minuscule, African tribe, barely 3mm tall, whereas she was a normal human of 1.74m! During this assignment she would also be responsible for two Minimoys Warriors in Training, called Adamus, and Roccodemus. Elize sighed and looked over the dry, dusty winter landscape. The path she was shown to take out of Misty Mountain Training Lodge, was into new territory. She had only a short distance to travel with Foxy, before she (once again) had to leave him behind, set forth into the mini-world, and start saving the world, one step into the dirty underworld, at a time. --------------00-------------- Elize couldn't believe she was twirling around a wet mop as weapon. The emperor of the Minimoys had quickly found out that the Magic Dust that covered the critters, protected them against normal metal weapons. Made their hides impenetrable. It was however susceptible to water. That was why she was carrying a mop, and other protectors following in the tunnels, were carrying all kinds of cleaning equipment, from feather dusters, to brooms, and wet cloths. Unfortunately the Magic Dust also gave the wearer the power to multiply exponentially as soon as they stepped foot above ground. They had to stop and wash off every single particle of dust from each critter. "The other warriors have the rebels surrounded in Evil C. Roach's hide out!" Adamus whispered urgently to Elize. "He is giving them the "We shall conquer and overcome!" speech," added Roccodemus in just as quiet a voice, jogging next to her, trying to keep up. Elize nodded in acknowledgement of the information and gave quiet hand signals to her brothers in arms behind her. Although the critters were still small, they each had their own natural defenses that had to be faced. Dusti-Mites had a bite that left you with red, itchy welts all over your body. The Red-Antzies were an off shoot of fire ants and therefore a pinch with their mandibles didn't just remove your body part, but also made it feel as if hot coals were burning into your skin, wherever they touched you. Fleashies? They could jump, and kick worse than an ostrich. One kick hitting you square on a bone could easily break it in half! No, it wasn't going to be an easy fight at all. From left to right: Roccodemus, Adamus, and Elize (in Minimoy-form) The protectors crept quietly into the hideout, but stayed hidden in deep shadows on the outer rim. This hideout, although aired via small ducts, were still dank, not much better than the tunnels they had come through, but the dampness was in their favour. It made the magic dust less effective. On Elize's signal the protectors stepped forward as one, drawing the attention of Evil C and every rebel in that hole. A cacophony of shouts erupted that nearly burst her eardrums, but the only outward sign she gave was to start twirling her mop round and round in her hand. The protectors to her sides stepped clear, making space, and planted their feet securely. Minimoy warriors stepped back and lit candles in cornices, then fell in beside the protectors they were assigned to, wet cloths at the ready. The plan: the protectors catch and hold the critters, the warriors wipe the magic dust off the outside shell, without anyone being bitten or injured, if at all possible. The great white beasts would refill water buckets as well as the plant gel water that numb limbs. With a high pitched screech a Dusti-Mite stormed Elize. It was about knee height, with an almost translucent body, which helped it to blend in with its surroundings if it stood still. Dim light reflected off its body to blind her momentarily. Elize cocked her head picking up sounds, hearing the footfalls, focusing on the movement around her, the way it created a swirl of motion in the air. She twirled her mop like she did her favourite bo staff. The Dusti-Mite's head was sunken into its body, with just its two mandibles sticking out in front, ready to pinch a piece of skin. The business end of the mop hit it squire in the beak between the mandibles, and forced the critter to a grinding stop. It tried to pull the mop hair out of its mouth, disgusted by the taste, but couldn't get any grip. Instead its mandibles got stuck in the filaments and it became ever more anxious. An icy cold sticky drop of gel water dripped on its back, slowly sliding down the body, down each leg, effectively immobilising the dust mite, as it numbed the limbs. More water splotched onto him as the warriors hurriedly wiped the critter down with soggy rags. The mop was pulled from its face but just as quickly brought down on the top of its body, forcing its underside down into the drop of water that had pooled underneath. Two great beasts slowly dawdled closer, grabbed the Dusti-Mite and carried it out. "Eek! You'll pay for this, Elf!" it screeched loudly while trying to spit the last of the disgusting woolly filaments out of its mouth. Elize's one eyebrow raised a little bit before she turned to meet the next critter full on. The first one forgotten already. Again her mop twirled around, again, and again, another critter immobilised, more magic dust washed off. Big pack beasts carried the immobilised creatures out of the hall, straight to holding cells, giving the protectors and their respective warriors more space to fight and clean up any magic dust they could find. Hurtling over ants, sliding underneath mites, kicking the legs of a Fleashie out from underneath itself. On and on Elize fought, side by side with her protector colleagues. As she slowly stretched herself to her full height, she faced off with Evil C.Roach himself. He was the last critter standing in the hideout, grinning like the Joker from ear to ear. What ace did he have up his sleeve, she wondered before slowly starting to circle him. She had a long thin rag in her one hand. The mop long since been bitten in half by another critter. The rag looked very similar to a lasso, except there was more material, and it was sopping wet. With slow careful movements she started twirling it in small circles above her head. Drops glinted in the firelight, flying every which way. Faster she spun it still, until she reached her ideal pace, all the while also circling Evil C. He on the other hand, was monologue-ing! Telling them all just how ingenious his plan really was, and that they would never find his hidden stash of magic dust. Evil C. Roach Quietly the other protectors started moving in, closing the circle like a noose around his neck. Then in a blindingly fast move Elize let go of the lasso-rag. It almost whistled as it flew through the air, and settled high around Evil C's shoulders. His one useless shell of an arm hang limply by his side, but his other hand had cruel, sharp claws, which he had no trouble using to try and cut the rag, or scratch and infect protectors. With a sharp whistle as signal to the protectors, Elize advanced with a second lasso, and as Evil C angrily high stepped to take a jumping start in her direction, she threw the next lasso and it caught his legs, bringing him down like a rock. One protector secured the first lasso around Evil C's arms, while another used the lasso and trailing material to immobolise his legs. Some Minimoy warriors stood closer but preferred to use long handled mops to wash him clean of magic dust. No one wanted to be a victim to those poisonous claws. A huge sigh of relief filled the hideout from almost every soul in there. Then excited babbling and slaps of congratulations filled the air. The danger had been averted, although they still had to find the hidden stash of magic dust. But that was a job for another day. --------------00--------------

I haven't had a decent challenge this year it seems. Though I mostly have maintained, I really went full on self sabotage mode this last month. I tried to reflect a bit on what was happening. I have the anniversary of my Mother's death coming up on August 20th. That usually that hits me closer to the date though. I know that in the back of my mind, I have been fearful of what happened to me last time I lost this weight. We I first joined Nerdfitness in 2013, I had a great go to start off. Dropped down 257 lbs. Then seemed to bounce between 260-280 the next year. Then everything went sideways, and I gained everything back. I left the forums in shame, but finally found my way back. I had an amazing 2018 run. Losing 110 lbs for the year. Then this year I have been doing the bouncing between 250-270. All the while, that failure still lurks in my head. Today, I am sitting at 280. I seem to keep trying to make things work, but then giving in to whatever garbage at night. Thus erasing everything I am doing. My damn brain is really trying to make me do this crap all over again, isn't it? I am refusing to go back above 300. These last few weeks, I have been listening to some motivation type speeches. I linked one in my last challenge thread. So, I came up with an idea. This challenge, and really the challenges for the rest of the year. I need to Go Beyond, Plus Ultra! I am going to set impossible goals for me to reach this year. By my birthday (November 2nd), I am going to have these goals met. #1 - Be under 200 lbs #2 - Run a 30 minute or less 5k #3 - Do 1 pull up Easy, right? To meet this, I will have to lose over 80 lbs in 4 months. I will have to shave probably 8 minutes off my 5K time. I will also have to actually do a pull up, and the best I can do now is hang from the bar for a bit. Each one kind of fit together though. I lose weight, I will get faster. As I get stronger and lose weight, eventually I will hit that magic point that I can get the pull up done. So why the impossible goals. It seemed like a lot of these inspiration videos had common themes. Setting goals when everyone else said it was impossible. Having that time frame where it must get done. I never had my "big why" moment for why I want to lose weight and be healthy. I have the same "Be around for my kids" answer. Really though, I want to be the best version of myself. I want to be stronger, faster, and just a much healthier version of myself. What I think can drive me forward on these goals, is the idea of what if. What if, I can actually get this done? That will be one hell of a self esteem boost haha. Of course the flip side is what if I fail. That What if has always been there in my life. Kept me from many things. What if I fail? Well, I still succeed. If I truly give this my all, then I can be ok with not making goals. I will be just that much closer to reaching them. I look at it like a bowling game. If I do my very best and bowl a 250 game, but the person I am bowling against bowls 260 I lose the game. Still I gave it my all. I can be mad at the outcome, but not the performance I had. I felt like I wanted to have a little theme this challenge. My Hero Academia shall be that theme. From Crunchy Roll: In the show All Might choose Izuku to inherit his powers that he can pass on. Before he can do that though, Izuku has to improve his body. He has to push his limits so that he can be able to handle the All for one Quirk. Like him, I have to push my limits. Go beyond, Plus Ultra! Goal #1 - Get back to Keto, do Intermittent fasting, track all the things This challenge, I need to get back into the food eating 100%. I am going to use Chronometer to track food. I am going to use LIFE Fasting to track my fasting. I also have looked at my macros, and want to keep a certain calories remaining tracked. This should help a ton with weight loss. Since I have been off the full keto wagon for a bit, I can expect a pretty big drop in weight right away. I also need to check my glucose numbers. Type 2 never really goes away, and I bet my numbers have been spiking recently with my poor eating. 1 point - Calories never above 2100 per day. 1 point - Remaining calories 1000 or above each day. 1 point - Under 20g net carbs tracked each day. 1 point - 18 hour + fasting tracked each day 1 point - Blood Glucose tracked once per day 5 points per day, 35 points per week Goal #2 - Workouts, Running, and Walking I am going to restart the RunDouble 5k improver program. This time I will run every other day. I need to get hitting the weight as well. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be the workout days. Hopefully, I can expand this to maybe having 2 workouts during the days. I also want to do other workouts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays, but let's get consistent with 3 days first. My goal is to hit 10,000 steps each day as well. Nothing super fancy, just walking. It will help me mentally as well as physically. Saturday or Sunday will be my "rest" day. I still don't want to just turn into a pile of goo on that day though, so I can still go walk or do something fun. 3 points - Workout 3 times per week. 1 point per workout per day 3 points - Getting in all runs for the week. (4/3 runs per week) 1 point - 10,000 steps per day (5,000 on "rest" day) 7 points per week. 13 points per week Goal #3 - Rest Equally important to all other goals, is to make sure I get my rest. I know in one video Arnold Schwarzenegger said to sleep 6 hours. People say they need 8 hours just need to sleep faster haha. I don't think I quite subscribe to that idea. I have been staying up way to late, and getting up early too. My sleep has not been great. So really I need to get back into the grove. this challenge I am actually going to try a little less reading, in hopes of getting to bed a little sooner. With school coming up soon for my kid, I will have to be getting up earlier again. If I can get use to getting to bed sooner, then I might try getting up sooner as well and getting workouts or whatever polished off before school time. first steps first. 1 point - 10:30 PM off the computer and get reading. 1 point - 11:00 PM off to bed. I do have one exception. I have a later night game session with my friends in World of Warcraft. Usually only running a mythic dungeon or two. So I just need to get myself logged off as soon as we are done. Then ready a little to settle the brain, and then off to bed. 1 point - Saturday off PC when done with dungeons, ready for 20-20 mins, and head to bed. 2 points per day 14 points per week. Goal #4 - Plus Ultra Make time to check in daily. Fit in some meditation and/or positive affirmations from time to time. Kill this challenge, feel great, live up to the ambassador title again. 1 point - Checking in 7 points per week So there it all is. I wanted to use Week zero as my perfect start. Nothing is ever perfect though. So I am up late to make sure this gets posted. So while it isn't perfect, it is a start. tomorrow (Tuesday) I'll be tired, but it's time to engage. I will not let myself regain any more weight. Time for the fit me to win out again, over that other side that is trying to keep me down. Measurements: (Week 1 / End of Challenge) Neck - 17.08 in / Chest - 47.91 in / Waist - 51.37 in / Bicep (R) - 14.56 in / Bicep (L) - 14.48 in / Forearm (R) - 12.08 in / Forearm (L) - 12.08 in / Thigh (R) - 25.66 in / Thigh (L) - 25.31 in / Weight - 268.9 lbs / Points: Week 1 (08/05 - 08/11) - 0/69 Week 2 (08/12 - 08/18) - 0/69 Week 3 (08/19 - 08/25) - 0/69 Week 4 (08/26 - 09/02) - 0/69 Week 5 (09/03 - 09/08) - 0/69 Total: 0/345

I’m very excited that we’ve expanded the challenge to 5 weeks instead of 4 because I like the longer challenges. Honestly, I’d prefer back to 6 weeks ago, but I’ll take 5! Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories so my diet will mostly be staying the same with 1200 calories per day M-F and then blow meals on the weekends. In September I’m going to Yellowstone! We will enjoy a bit of hiking and a lot of walking so I need to be in good walking shape for the trip. Also in preparation for Yellowstone, my husband has agreed to do another Darebee fitness workout with me. He even suggested we try two of them at once so we’re going to try Epic 5 AND 30 Days of Yoga! I need a jump start on more Darebee fitness workouts because they were easy to follow and gave me something new to do, so might as well jump-in headfirst! Because Yellowstone will immerse me in nature, I’m back with the Druids for this challenge. Smaller Quests 1. Walking We will be spending a lot of time driving through the park, however, there will also be opportunities for hiking. I want to get into better walking shape, so this part of my challenge will be focused on getting in more miles than ever before. Scoring: x/40 miles in 5 weeks (8 miles per week) Reward: +5 STA 2. Epic 5 Epic 5 is 5 minutes of working out, per day, from Darebee fitness. This seems like it should be easy to fit into our busy schedule, even on dive days. That being said, the exercises also seem like high intensity so I doubt those 5 minutes will be easy! Scoring: x/31 days of Epic 5 Reward: +5 to DEX 3. 30 Days of Yoga I enjoy doing yoga and I think doing another Darebee fitness routine that is yoga-based is going to be great. Scoring: x/30 days of yoga Reward: +5 to WIS

Elize, Elvin Toboggan Ryder Elize and her fiery orange-red fox faced the dawn. In front of them spread a vast open grassland specked by dark evergreen trees, pocketed with shrubs showing off bright coral and peach spiked flowers reaching up towards the morning sun. Huge boulders dotted the grassland too, thrown there by an enormous monster from the depths of the earth, when it was attacked by a raging river of fire. This happened eons ago, when giant reptilian behemoths walked the earth, while great flying beasts blasted fire and acid from the sky. Patches of yellow, green, and white lichen covered the cold, black rocks, showing the time they've been above ground. The shadows were lifting oh so slowly with the rising sun, but still cast an air of secrecy where the mist swirled into the nooks and crannies of the rocks. The fox rubbed his head in farewell against Elize's side. Their paths separate here, for a short time. This journey was not for him to take. This path Elize had to face on her own. He'll join her again, soon enough. Carefully the girl moved along the well trodden path. She had to reach Sleepy Hollow by the end of today. Then she had four sennights to get going. This was the time in between challenges; a time of near restfulness, and relative safety. But there will always be some trouble afoot - little foxes playing in the vineyard, as the Old People used to say. This was the time she had to build up her strength, physically and mentally. This was the time she had to prepare, before she faced the battles that will lead to her reaching The Land of the Long White Cloud, hopefully her final destination. That will bring challenges of their own, no doubt, as once there, she will have to capture and bring back The Magic! With very little magic of her own left, but some willpower and stubbornness, maybe a dab of inquisitiveness and excitement too, she faced the morning sun. Little puffs of dust lifted around her every footfall as she slowly made her way into the grass field. By noon Elize had reached a tall hill with a modern contraption rising from it's back. The metal rail ran all the way down the other side of the hill, throwing huge curves across the grass saddle stretching on for miles between hilltops. One side it came within reaching distance of the scary, jagged cliff dropping down to meet the river below. She followed the rail to where it disappeared into the darkness of The Forest. All was quiet, peaceful. A light breeze ruffled the grass tops, while eagles soared on high, specks of black against an azure, cloudless sky. Elize could feel the animals around her. That was the little bit of magic she had left: she could feel the different animals, and borrow some of their abilities from time to time. But magic was growing weaker by the day, and she needed to build up her power, so that she could help her people build up their magical abilities in turn. Slowly she folded her tired body into the bright yellow sled. It was going to take a bit of time to build it up to its former strength and health. The worker gremlin smiled wickedly when he fastened her belt tight around her middle. "Hold on tight now, and whatever you do... Don't pull the brake!" he shouted as he pushed her forward onto the track, which immediately picked up speed going down the incline. The wind rushed around her face, the toboggan sled throwing her hard to the left as she rounded the corner. She tried to keep her balance, but it was difficult not to go with the momentum when being tossed from side to side. She saw the edge of the cliff from before, rushing up, knowing, waiting for the sharp turn, with some trepidation building in the pit of her stomach. The toboggan was going faster and faster, closing in on the drop! Another lurch and she felt herself rising a little bit, slowing down the toboggan ever so slightly, then some more, before she hurtled around the corner on the edge of the cliff. She couldn't help but look down. Caught only a glimmer of the racing waters far below. Then her head was whipped to the other side as the rail changed direction yet again. In less time than she anticipated Elize had crossed the vast grass plain and was nearing The Forest. The rail ran arrow straight down the hill, slowed down some on a flat stretch of land, then fell again and in no time she was zipping past trees, going ever faster in the murky shadows. She saw light up ahead as she neared the far side of the forest. Bushes with spooky white flowers flashed past, and imperceptibly the toboggan started slowing again. The momentum was carrying it up and over the small rise. For a split second she felt suspended at the top, suddenly out in the open again, before the rail, and therefore the toboggan, with her fastened to it, fell down the last hillside. In the distance she could see where it stopped at the Misty Mountain station in Sleepy Hollow. It slowly lost speed and momentum, until at last the toboggan barely crawled into the station before coming to rest with a soft bump against the thick rubber stopper. This was her destination for now. She felt hope blossom inside her heart. Little Hobbit children where shouting and splashing in icy blue-green mountain pools, oblivious of the cold, diving and swimming in the crystal, clear water. Yes, this was a place she could spend some time at, doing her share of duties to secure, cook, clean and manage the place. And train... she was here to train too. (I can't believe it took me nearly 3 hours writing this whole piece!) ----------------------------------------- Brandt (hubby), myself and our two boys were in the mountain town Sabie this first weekend of the challenge, visiting family. On Saturday we went to Mac-Mac Pools where we walked along the 3km Secretary Bird Day Trail. When we came back to the starting point, Rocco (my youngest son - on the left on the photo above) and his cousin dared each other into swimming in one of the pools. Within no time their lips were blue from the icy cold mountain water! Of course hubby couldn't let this opportunity pass, so he went in as well. Sunday we spent a (sort of) peaceful day at m.i.l.'s home, where I did my first strength workout for the week. We walked about 2km on the road to her house as well. Monday we went to Misty Mountain Lodge, a small private resort on the Long Tom Pass, where we all rode toboggan sleds down the hill. It wasn't quite as scary as I made out in my story, but definitely exciting. Now I'm hopefully ready to take charge of the rest of this challenge, trying to improve my health (mentally and physically), strength, as well as getting some things crossed off my To-Do list. Some of these things are needed to prepare for possibly immigrating to NZ hopefully before the end of the year; other things are just normal chores that needs doing, which I'm inclined to procrastinate on. Food-wise I'm cutting down on gluten as I know it makes my sinus and health in general worse. The same with milk/cream, but the main reason is to support Rocco, my 10yr old son who has very bad eczema from some food product, and we need to cut out food to find the culprit (long back story on this). As per advice from a friend ( @Lightning) , I'm increasing our probiotics (for digestive health) intake too. I'm also increasing food and vitamins that fight inflammation, as well as Omega 3 fish oils, to see whether it will help in this fight. It would also help both him and myself if we manage to loose some weight in the process, but we are not focusing on that right now. But it would be welcome... as a side benefit... Moving Moved my goals down to another comment block/post as I made some changes.

It's a NEW challenge! Gosh it goes by so fast. For this challenge, I want to maintain the new habits from the last challenge: Exercise (Fitness) No Snacking After Dinner (Nutrition) Take one hour unplugged for myself (Stress-Relief) It's time to add more to it. Add strength training to my exercise routine. Cook Ten meals No candy! Take 1 hour a day for work EXPLAIN YOURSELF, SNARKY (spoilered for wordiness.)

Hello Rebels! I'm annyshay. I'm a single, thirty-something physician that just moved across the country to start a new job and life in Albany NY. My cat's name is Dragon. I've been at this Nerd Fitness thing for quite some time and recently became an ambassador for the Adventurers. I've had an injury in my right foot that I'm slowly nursing back to health. I eat intuitively and have sworn off diet mentality. I've learned a ton about stress management and work to prioritize sleep. I love meeting new rebels, so say hello if you wander in. To all my friends and old followers, welcome back! As I resettle into my new life, I'm going to refocus on some of my core habits to make sure that I strengthen my foundation. I will aim to do these things regularly and report on them often! Cook Walk Reach Out Grateful Wins

I'm Ann of Vries, aged 39; a diarist, a fiction writer, a fiber artist, a LARPer (also TTRPG, board games), a traveler, a hiker, and mother of a young toddler. I’m madly in love with my partner, Mr of Vries and my son, Rowan of Vries. I live in London, after having emigrated from Seattle three years ago. I love it here, although I’m still trying to find my tribe (outside of the House of Vries, of course). I long to live in the English countryside, in a stone house with a large garden that grows most of our herbs, vegetables, and fruit. But that time is out in the future—for now, we are city folk and I aim to make the best of that. Not every person gets a chance to move abroad and live in one of the most famous cities in the world! To that end.... *** Depending on who you speak to, some claim Keepers of the Flame are a subset of the wizards. Like metamorphmagi or parseltongue, being a Keeper is just an extra talent that wizards can possess. Since I never got my Hogwarts letter, I’m not convinced we Keepers are wizards except when it’s convenient to the Ministry of Magic. Example, a few days ago many of us Keepers were contacted by the MoM asking for our help with a Calamity that has threatened to expose the wizarding world, and I suspect may play a part in the darkness that has been seeping into the local Hearth Flame network. So maybe I’m still a little bitter about that Hogwarts letter, but I need to do what’s right, and it’s time to increase my patrols in and outside of my domain. *** This challenge is loosely tied to the new Harry Potter: Wizards Unite mobile game.* I’m keeping things relatively simple for this challenge—a focus on fitness. My weight loss has plateaued. We have a 12 mile hike planned conveniently on the last weekend of this challenge, and I don’t want to be the one who backs down from this Boss Battle. (It’s a group hike with varying fitness levels, so there is a likelihood of an early turn-around. That’s fine—I just don’t want to be the one who initiates.) Patrol the Area for the SoS Task Force Go out for daily walks, focusing on the “active minutes” stat of my Fitbit. Actions for this goal: Start with 40 active minutes 4 days a week and ramping up as I go on based on progress. Research (and potentially purchase) hiking boots that I will enjoy wearing. The current pair I have feel like I’m wearing lead weights and I really dislike them. Rock that 12 mile (or whatever it ends up being) hike. Examine and Fix My Eating Habits I hate food tracking, and I make no promises to do it. But my weight loss has stalled, and while I’m considered a “healthy” weight on the UK BMI scale, it’s only just barely. I want to increase that margin. My household already eats pretty clean. The challenge for me is to get back to eating on a sensible schedule instead of “whenever I can cram something into my mouth.” This is most problematic on weekday mornings, as Rowan has breakfast with Mr while I shower and then I have a toddler on the loose while I’m trying to fix and eat something for myself. This usually ends in me eating whatever I can find, and snacking later as it often wasn’t enough. Even healthy foods can be misused. Actions for this goal: Note when I eat (and possibly what I eat). Find and fix unhealthy patterns— particularly regarding breakfast. Stick to these solutions for the remainder of the challenge and check results. ***

After succeeding in a respawn challenge, Skywalker is determined to make this reboot last. It won't be easy, as one more intensive course week and several due dates for writing assignments are awaiting. So, the challenge will be realistic and simple. Keep successfully doing what works, and keep working on that which wasn't successfully done in the previous challenge. AND I'm adding a study-related one, just in case. Subquest 1: start the day with devotions (Scripture study, meditation and prayer) -> 1 WIS + 1 CHA Subquest 2: do at least >7000 steps/day -> 1 STA Subquest 3: completely cut all unintentional time on the internet (entertainment, news, social media, etc.) and spend it on research/writing instead -> 1 WIS Subquest 4: go to sleep before midnight -> 2 CON Subquest 5: run at least 2x/week (1x long run + 1x tempo run) -> 1 STA + 1 DEX Subquest 6: lift 2x/week -> 2 STR So... I'm ready to step into the larger world once again.

Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I eat 1200 calories per day, M-F with blow meals on weekends. It’s been over 3 months since my last challenge and I want to get back into the regiment of it, so I’m back! And I’m with the Rangers for this challenge. I’ve been going to the gym, but it hasn’t been as focused on a particular area since I haven’t done a challenge in awhile. I intend to do some weightlifting, per my usual, but I want to focus more on other smaller quests this time around. I enjoy doing themed workouts and for this challenge it will be Galaxy Quest because it’s been awhile since I had a set workout routine and I want to get back into the habit, therefore I should never give up and never surrender! 1. “Never Give Up. Never Surrender!” -Captain Taggart Walking It’s a great workout and fairly easy, so I’m once again going to be walking. Plus, the crew of the NSEA Protector have to walk around a lot when they go to help the Thermians. Scoring: /30 miles in 4 weeks (7.5 miles per week) Reward: +3 STA & +3 DEX 2. “By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Worvan, you shall be avenged.” -Dr. Lazarus Weightlifting I enjoy weightlifting; it makes me feel good about my pathetic human body and it’s got real-world, practical purposes. However, it’s been awhile since I did it seriously, so I’m going to be easing back into it. I’m going lower than I probably need to, but I can adjust the starting weights accordingly. Bench press: 45lbs → 60lbs Squat: 50lbs → 75lbs Barbell curl: 15lbs → 20lbs (with good form!) Deadlift: 50lbs → 75lbs Pullups - 1 with good form Scoring: /5 Reward: +5 to STR (1 for each achieved) 3. “I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm just "Crewman Number Six." I'm expendable. I'm the guy in the episode who dies to prove how serious the situation is. I've gotta get outta here.” - Guy Fleegman Sweet Treats I’m still addicted to sugary, processed sweet stuff! During the week, I want to try to stick to snacks like fresh fruit, popcorn and nuts. Score: /20 Reward: +2 to CON & +2 to CHA

Disclaimer: I hate running and haven’t run for more than a bus in years! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A number of us (it might be 100%!) are sub-optimal in the running department. How about a couch-to-5k to rev the NF crew up? It’s a zero to hero, couch to 5K program, designed as it says to get you from the couch to a 5k run. 9 weeks of terrible dreadful pain and suffering in your time, then it’s over and you can get back to your pint! This is the app that outlines the program and guides you through it, there’s a small cost (less than $5): iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/couch-to-5k/id448474423?mt=8 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.active.aps.c25k Start next week on Saturday 30th March…..9 weeks later on Saturday 1st June at 8am(!) we’ll do a virtual team 5K using a local Park Run Lycra optional! Who’s in? OK back to my beer… @DarK_RaideR help me out bro...

(With apologies to @oromendur) I'm Ann of Vries, aged 39; a diarist, a fiction writer, a fiber artist, a LARPer (also TTRPG, board games), a traveler, a hiker, and a first time mother. I’m madly in love with my partner, Mr of Vries and my son, Rowan of Vries. I live in London, after having emigrated from Seattle three years ago. I love it here, although I’m still trying to find my tribe (outside of the House of Vries, of course). I've been spending a lot of time with the Rangers Guild of late, but as @Sciread77 says--once an Adventurer, always an Adventurer. Although in many ways my adventuring goal of late feels more like "coming home" (or maybe it's "finding home") that is still part of that pesky heroic journey. (Also, I love you Rangers, but I cannot keep up with your forum.) I blinked, and suddenly I went from having a sleepy newborn baby to an energetic toddler! Being a curmudgeonly wizard who wants to sit cosy in my tower with a book and maybe I’ll go out tomorrow or next week or next year, I’m finding it a stretch to keep up with this little creature of chaos that wants to eat five times a day, frolic out of the house, get into mischief, and generally enjoy every moment of life… right now! I feel like I’m living with Merry and Pippin rolled into one cute package. Or maybe, I should see it as the pair of us being Merry and Pippin. I could fight that, but it’s not a very fun way to live, so if you can’t beat them, join them. As such, I’m heading back into the Shire for this challenge, except.... This Challenge Starts with a Proper Adventure! Part way into Zero Week into most of Week One, we’ll be taking Rowan on his first trip to America. And his first plane flight. 10 hours each way. Yikes! We’re on our way to Austin TX to spend a week with my paternal family. Talk about an adventure! I don't have specific goals for this trip except enjoy the time with my family. Once we’re back from that, the rest of the Challenge kicks into full swing. Frolic and get into Mischief Today Summer is coming, the weather is great, so lets get out, get active, and have some fun! Enjoy playing with my little hobbit. Get out at least once a day—to soft play, the story centre, park playgrounds, playgroup, etc. (Usual free pass for illness or particularly inclement weather.) Play with him at home, too! Clock in 10k+ steps a day. Eat Well Today Much like the hobbits, the House of Vries enjoys gathering around the table and eating good food. Cook healthy, diverse meals for the family on the weekdays (Mr cooks on the weekends). There may be food writing. I’ve been going through one of my “rely on sugary coffee drinks in the morning because I’m tired” phases. (This is the only way I like coffee.) I want to cut down to one sugary coffee drink in the morning, ideally eliminating it entirely, except on the worst of days. I can drink all the tea (as I don’t add sugar or milk to my tea) and fizzy water I want. Live Well Today Gratitude lists don’t really help me much, but I still need to remind myself I’m living a charmed life. I haven’t always. There’s been some really difficult times in my life. But right now? This chapter? A bit challenging, but absolutely charmed. So love it and live it to its utmost. At the minimum, mentally note things that are going well each day. Ideally, write them down. Going out all the time for toddler activities cuts heavily into getting any housework done, though, and we like having a tidy space to live in. So I want to utilize 5 minute tidies to try to keep up so everyone can get to the fire exits in case of emergency! 2-3 short tidies a day. Love Well Today The first year with a baby had our marriage functioning in basic survival mode most of the time. Now that Rowan is getting older, I want to spend more time with my husband and work on higher level aspects of our relationship. Make better use of the time after Rowan goes to sleep. Play games together, at least once a week. Make time to talk, at least once a week. Try to get some walks in green places in, at least once this challenge. (Ideally, more.) Be a Wizard, Sometimes We’re currently negotiating with a childminder, which should start in early June and will afford a few hours of “me time” a week. (Final schedule TBD.) I want to make good use of that time—working on my writing, my knitting, other enriching activities, and also on some family projects that fall by the wayside chasing my little Merry!Pippin around. At least 20 minutes of “Wizard” activities during a nap time during the week. At least 1 hour on childminder days (once he’s in full attendance). Now, let's get on this adventure!

As some people know here, I am a Bowler. This challenge, I have signed up for all the bowling. haha. First we start off with the USBC Open Nationals Tournament in Las Vegas, Nv. I fly out on Wednesday the 29th, and return home on the 1st of June. Thursday I bowl team event (3 games) then Friday will be double and singles. (6 games total). The day after I get back, I signed up to bowl a Match Club "fun" day event. On June 15th, I bowl in the California State Tournament. Team/Doubles/Singles all in one day (9 games). Then I have two different Match club bowling events on the 22nd and 23rd of June. (One travel out of town). Still in June, i have two more Match club events on the 29th and 30th (both travel out of town) This, plus my normal league bowling haha. Summer league is starting up, and this summer I am only bowling one league. So, I have a lot of bowling headed my way. Along with some bit of traveling. This challenge will be pretty similar to last challenge. I'll add in a few things to try to kick it up a notch. I did decent in the last challenge when I wasn't trying to self sabotage myself. Hopefully, this challenge I can keep that under control. Goal#1 - Tracking, Keto, Calories, and Intermittent Fasting Pretty much the same formula as last challenge. Though this time, I am going with some Max numbers. Last time I wanted to be close to 2100 calories on my workout days. I gave myself a but of room though. I re-looked at my target macro numbers, and am going to try go with 2100 calories MAX on working days, 1700 MAX on rest day. This means 2101 calories is over. I am also continuing with IF. My current goal is 18 hours fast. I am going to keep that this challenge. I might toy with the longer fast this challenge, but we shall see. I also need to make sure I am under 20 grams of net carbs each day. All this while tracking everything. Chronometer for food, and LIFE for fasting. During the days I am in Vegas, I am not going to worry about tracking in Chronometer. I think I will just get too frustrated trying, will play it by ear I suppose. 2100/1700 MAX Calories - 4 points 18 hour fasting done - 4 points Under 20 grams of net carbs - 4 points 12 points per day. 84 points per week Goal#2 - Run, Walk, and lift things. Be Active! I am currently following the RunDouble 5K Improver plan. I am not doing 4 runs per week. Instead I am sticking to my 3 day run schedule for now. This pretty much means I run a 5K, then the next time I run intervals. The intervals seem to change distance or resting times every couple of times. Along with this, I am keeping to my step goal of 10,000 steps per day. I still also have my goal to someday do a pull up. Hopefully, this year. I won't get there if I really don't start training for it though. Workouts will still be on the non run days. Week 0 I am going to look into creating my own bit of workout schedule, or even see if there is a plan I should follow. I think I need to start doing a bit more targeted workout vs randomly picking 4 exercises to do. This last bit I want to try having more active minutes in Fitbit. I want to target 100 minutes per day. My plan is to get in my normal walk time, then each hour or so, make sure I get in a few steps. I will work this out a bit more during Week 0 I hope. Overall though, I want to get away from having to just rely on one big walk or run to get in the steps for the day. It would probably be better to move more often instead of sitting there. Run the 5K improver on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays - 4 points each day Workout on the non run days Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays - 4 points each workout 10,000 steps per day - 2 points 100 active minutes - 2 points (this may change) Sunday is rest day 6 points per day. 36 points per week. Goal#3 - Rest up I need to make sure this sleep is on lockdown. I may even work on changing my sleep to go to bed a little earlier. We shall see. For now though, pretty much the same as last challenge. 10:30 PM off the computer and start reading. 11:30 PM time to get to bed. My gamer night (Saturday night) never has set hours. So the plan is to Log off the game within 15 minutes of us being finished. Then get in 30 minutes of reading before heading to bed. Off to bed at 11:30 PM plus reading done - 4 points per day. Gamer night, log off in 15 minutes, and read for 30 minutes - 4 points 4 points per day, 28 points per week Goal#4 - Create that positive headspace I want to get myself into a good frame of mind each day. Or even before going to bed. I'm not sure what will be best for myself yet, but I want to explore my options here. Last challenge I struggled with some self sabotage. It's really just those mind games going. This challenge (particular in week 0) I want to find something that works for me. Maybe I use a meditation app to help out, or I just have to spend 5-10 minutes focusing on a positive aspect for me that day. Pumping myself up for the day. Using the Mindfulness Coach app, complete a Mindfulness training session each day. Training session completed 4 points per day. 28 points per week. Measurements:(Week 0 / EoC) Neck: 17.44 in / Chest: 46.22 in / Waist: 48.30 in / Bicep (L) (no flex): 14.84 in / Bicep (R) (no flex): 14.29 in / Forearm (L): 11.77 in / Forearm (R): 11.92 in / Thigh (L): 25.59 in / Thigh (R): 25.55 in / Weight: 255.9 lbs / 266.1 (week 1) / Points: Week 0 - (05/20 - 05/26) - test running ideals Week 1 - (05/27 - 06/02) - 0/140-176 (if I can track) Week 2 - (06/03 - 06/09) - 0/176 Week 3 - (06/10 - 06/16) - 0/176 Week 4 - (06/17 - 06/23) - 0/176

Hi there. It's been a weird couple months. The concussion symptoms are still with me, but the physical whiplash symptoms are abating. The headaches are less frequent. I can do a little screen time each day. It's time for me to return to the Light, even if it has to be slowly. Emerging back into my life is strange and new -- so much about me has changed since the autumnal equinox. I'm looking forward to having you along for the journey. Thank you for walking this piece with me as I watch for the Way to open.

So mostly this challenge is a continuation, but I thought I would reach back to an older nerd show for inspiration: We can rebuild him - we have the technology. Main goals are below the fold, but here's the main thing: 1. POST! ACTUALLY POST! POST! 2. Get better about scheduling my goals. In other words - "I will do ACTION at TIME in LOCATION" - use better cues to do the things 3. Actually use the zero week to debug the challenge, and come back and edit this one.

In this wild and stressful life, I have a tendency to just drop everything and do nothing. This is not working for me, so I need a routine to make sure I at least stay somewhat active during these periods. I'm recovering from a burnout, so I only work 3 morning a week at the moment. Hopefully this will be more by the end of the challenge, but I genuinely don't know yet. I want to put in place the following routines: Working day routine: after work, make sure to do yoga and either a short walk or bike ride. Non-working weekday routine: walk at least 5 kilometers, starting before 9. Do chores for at least 10 minutes. Morning routine: get dressed, make the bed, eat breakfast, empty dishwasher if applicable. Evening routine: clear kitchen counters, brush teeth and stretch calves. I will test this morning- and evening-routine this week. I'm not in the habit of having these routines, so I might need to do some fiddling later on. Hopefully, I can add on to them in next challenges . Exercise goal: Either climb or run on either Wednesday or Thursday, and either Saturday or Sunday. Let's see if I can conquer my yoga-mat again:

Welcome to my challenge . After a long hiatus, I started a challenge here a few weeks ago to see what’s a good baseline to start building up from. I walked at least 25km per week, did yoga 4 times per week and tried to do something about my restless legs every evening through stretching and/or foam-rolling. Due to mental problems, I don’t have a lot of energy nowadays, although I do have plenty of time. I would like to get more fit again, both strength-wise and cardio-wise. Therefore, my goals for the next 4 weeks are the following: Walk or run 35km per week in total (which nets 5km/day) Outside time is good for my mental state, and while 35km per week is a bit of a challenge, it should be doable. A lot of this will be spent catching Pokemon . I would like to walk a new walking-route at least once a week as well, as there are so many routes nearby that make exploring the area easier. Do yoga 3 times per week This can be any style, and I will follow youtube videos for this. Anything more than 10 minutes is good. My entire lower body feels better when I do regular yoga, especially when I move around a lot. Run away from zombies and do strength-training at least once a week each Just to get into the habit again, do a minimum amount of running and strength-training. The strength-training does not have to be anything organised, as long as I do at least 3 sets of a push-, pull-, legs- and core-exercise. In good weeks, I would like to train more than this, but I’d like my goals to be doable in bad weeks as well. Play a set of scales on the clarinet at least 3 times per week I would like to improve my clarinet-skills, and I realise that my scales are lacking, both in precision and speed. They are a bit boring to play them over and over, but I do need them so often in orchestra-pieces that I must really spend more time on them. A set is a major-scale with its parallel minor scale-variations (natural, harmonic and melodic), and their triads. Let’s go and beat those goals!

So... Last challenge went reasonably well. I need to work out more and focus much more on my diet. Moreover, I need to find a way to spend my free time. Unfortunately, all my hobbies are so interesting!! And I always have a hard time deciding what to do. So, I want to tackle from a particular angle: I'm a big fan of Thomas Frank and his YouTube channel. He mostly talks about how to be a good and successful student. In his podcast, he once talked about how everyone should have three hobbies. One movement-/fitness-related hobby that should go beyond working out for the sake of working out. One entrepreneurial hobby that you took as serious as a second career. And a skill-based hobby. I want to spend the next challenges focussing on three hobbies that fit those categories in order to find out what I really want. I will most likely change in-between challenges depending on my experiences. So... Let's start! ------------------------- Moving Working out Running A new round of physical therapy started today in order to fix -- or at least manage -- my back pains. I hope I get a few pointers on how to work out better and then actually do it. I aim for two times a week of "intense" workouts. But I will try to do yoga or something similar as often as possible. Running helps my back pain and it is fun. And in June there's a 5k at my university and I think about participating. I want to go running twice a week. Dieting Low-Carb or low-calories So... Dieting is not going too well. I'm sitting firmly at 94kg. To be a bit more proactive I do not only want to track my food intake but aim for something. I had great success with going low-carb in the past and, obviously, low-calories is always a good idea. So, I'll try both: I want to stay below 150 grams of carbs or below 2000 kcal on as many days as possible. As both correlate -- at least the way I usually eat -- I expect to achieve both or neither each day. Hobbies Walking Drawing Studying/playing Go Practising the guitar So, my three hobbies. For the fitness-related one, I want to be much more active. But I'll start with walking. Last challenge I managed on average 8955 steps per day and maybe I can get that up to 10000. Moreover, I want to listen more to audiobooks and podcasts. Thus, I want to combine these two and aim for a 20-minute walk each day on which I listen to a podcast. Next, I want to get back into drawing. I don't have a particular goal in mind -- just sketching for now. The mid-/long-term goal is to draw and publish comics. Lastly, I want to play and study Go more again. I'll try to go to the local meet-ups and read a few books. Moreover, I'll add practising the guitar as an extra hobby. First of all, it's close to meditating for me and I can easily do it daily for a couple of minutes. Second, I want to propose to my girlfriend in April with singing a song to her. So, I have to practice. ------------------------- As always, I probably have too many too hard goals. But I'll adapt the challenge.

I’ve been away for a couple of challenges. The holidays and new year left me evaluating my online haunts—I’ve let some go, but here I return. NF is a place for good. Who am I? I'm Ann of Vries, aged 39; a diarist, a fiber artist, a gamer, a traveler, a hiker, and a new mother. I’m madly in love with my partner, Mr of Vries, and my 11(!) month old son, Rowan of Vries. Warning: There will be baby pics and talk on this thread. I live in London, after having emigrated from Seattle three years ago. I love it here, although I’m still trying to find my tribe (outside of the House of Vries, of course). Where are we now? The days are as long as sleepless nights, and the months move as fast a thought. Mr of Vries has a new job after a four month break (bringing dinosaurs and robots to life!), and although I cannot yet see the sunset of this new chaos, Rowan and I are getting back into the routine of it just being the two of us during the day. Here's a photo montage of the last few months: The Challenge: Carry On My theme of my challenge will be to carry on not let the frantic pace and demands of daily life tear me away from key rituals and routines I know are good for my mental/emotional/physical health. After a long plateau, the rest of my pregnancy weight has began to (slowly, but progressively) slide off. I’d like to keep that in forward motion. I suspect that moving to 3 small meals and a “tea" a day (coinciding with RoV’s eating routine), helped in this. I also want to expand my cooking repertoire as I’m getting bored. Keep moving my weight down through good eating choices. As a guideline, but not absolute rule, I follow the philosophy-if you wouldn’t feed it to your son, why are you eating it? With the dark season came a return of the shadows in my mind. Getting out has helped. I’m now trying to go out daily, even if it’s only for a few minutes of walking around the block, pushing Rowan on the swings at a nearby park, picking up food at the grocery. Sometimes it’s such a bother—ask anyone trying to go anywhere with a small child! But sometimes I just need to put him in a carrier and go out for a little while, close to home. Mr and I are trying to use our weekends more wisely to get out, walk, spend time together and as a family. We’re still hoping to get back to hiking regularly. We’ve also hired a babysitter a couple of times a week so I can go out on my own for a couple of hours. I can do most things with Rowan along, but sometimes the company I need is my own. Keep my mood up and my weight down with daily adventures big or small. (I will not penalize myself in situations of poor physical health or inclement weather.) Over and over again, I learn that my personal journal is something I cannot neglect for long without my psychic landscape turning into a black, fell wasteland. I’ve spent a lot of time writing in fictional worlds, but the truth is that while I love making up worlds, I really want to have that “life worth writing about” in my own. (Even if I’m the only who is reading it.) Make time to explore my psychic landscape in my journal when I need it. I need to create things. Over the years, I’ve often vacillated between writing fiction and fiber arts (knitting, sewing, etc.) . Lately, I’ve increased my attentions to my fiber arts. At the moment I’m knitting and learning embroidery. I can’t do it with the single-minded focus I did before I was a mother, but if that was a reason to not do something… well, I wouldn’t be doing much of anything right now. And that never goes well for long. Make time to explore my fiber arts creations, simple or complicated. I’m an introvert, hands down. But I still need people in my life. The problem is that sometimes I feel like between Rowan and Mr I’m always “on.” Yet, I still need to be part of the wider world. One of the things I always think about when I’m about to do another challenge for NF is that I can’t keep up with threads half as much as I want to and it makes me feel guilty. Locally, I’m still trying to find “my people” on this side of the Atlantic. Honour my introvert nature, but push myself a little more to reach out to people and make connections (both online and offline). I’m an introvert, not an island. I tend to forego the metrics, as when I try to devise them I get more focused on the numbers than I do on living my best life (which is really the goal). So… I’ll update a couple of times a week and let you know how I’m doing. I can watch the scale—and I will be—but ultimately, whether I’m doing well or not is based on my overall mood and emotional state. Carry on!