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Friday Weigh Day: Current weight: 260.4 Goal Weight: 170 Pounds lost in total: 19.6

Welcome aboard one and all, once again and once more to... The 10/12lbs in 10/12 weeks weight-loss Player-versus-Player challenge! Now's the time to sign-up for a Player-versus-Player accountability challenge sure to motivate you to tackle those weight loss goals! Of course, we only advocate losing healthy weight and using healthy methods to get there! This playful side quest is less about beating your peers to the finish line than it is about challenging yourself, making some new accountibilibuddies, and having a place to share your battle plan or struggles along the way. Feel free to set your goals online with either the 5 weeks of your next two challenges, or include both Week Zeros for a full 12 weeks. Set goals that you think are realistic (that could even be 6lbs/12weeks or whatever works for you) It's okay to need a break sometimes, even if it’s not Week 0. If you find you need to take a week off, that’s okay. Take the time you need, and hop back into the spreadsheet when you’re ready. Stick around for the excellent company and to cheer on your fellow pirates. Weigh-in sometime this week, and again every week. Share your data in the SPREADSHEET! Post your successes, struggles, and tips. The Rules 1. Sign-up using the SPREADSHEET. Add your name & starting weight, waist measurements optional. Don’t enter a value for “Current Weight” just yet. That will update automatically as you enter your weekly weigh-ins. 10 or 12 lbs in 10 or 12 weeks (roughly 1lb or 0.5kg per week) is the goal but feel free to increase or decrease the difficulty as you see fit. Whatever your goals are, you are most welcome to participate (even if you'd like to join in late)! 2. Introduce yourself to your fellow competitors! Feel free to mention your goals, any battle plans for getting there, and what your primary motivation or inspirations are. Feel free to mention your Challenge goals or BattleLog too! This is an excellent place to get to know others from the forums. 3. Update the SPREADSHEET with your weekly weigh-ins. We're using Monday as the 'official' day, but if Sunday, Tuesday, or any other day work better, go nuts! Just keep it at roughly a week for tracking purposes. This challenge is aligned with the current and next 5 Week Challenges, with optional weeks off for Zero Week at the start and in between. 5. Have fun, encourage everyone, and keep each other accountable! Make sure you warm up and cool down during exercise to help prevent injuries! Also if you bicep curl a cat, I wanna see that. Tips for Success! 1. Get some exercise! 30 minutes of cardio is great for your bloodpressure and HDL cholesterol! Strength training is great for building muscle and burning fat, and yoga is a great stress buster that challenges your body to move in new ways! Also, exercise is great for getting good sleep! 2. Eat your veggies! Green leafies are fantastic, but so are non-leafy greens and other colorful veggies! 3. Stay hydrated! It's good for you whole body, including your brain! 4. Visit and update us (and the SPREADSHEET) regularly to build that accountability network. 5. Share your workout playlist for MAXIMUM HYPE!! 6. Get enough sleep, and schedule rest days. Not only does rest and sleep help repair and make our bodies stronger, studies show that a good night's sleep will actually clean your brain so you feel refreshed, focused, and less moody the next day. 7. Make your inner critic WALK THE PLANK! (arrr, we can still be piratey) This group concept and spreadsheet were created by Rurik, stolen ruthlessly and edited by Snarkyfishguts because we be piratey that way. Additional Thanks to The Most Loathed and TimovieMan for coding help with the spreadsheet

Hello friends! I am back! Life took some violent twists and turns - I lost my job in Berlin, I got rejected at a new job after a trial day, we couldn‘t rent a new apartment, my husband couldn‘t get a date for residence permit - it was no fun. Then we moved to Dresden. We did it because we predited getting an appointment for RP would be much easier here. And we were right - we got it in just three weeks. Besides, I got a job as a German teacher, yay! We live in a beautiful, sunny city and my husband is already allowed to work. He is also gonna receive RP in two weeks. Everything turned out well. Now as everything is settled, I can focus on my wellness. My goals: - do more back exercise: 20 min a day - find a fitness routine that doesnt hurt my back and do it 3-4 times a week - lose 2 kg. Unfortunately I put on weight because I was unable to do my workouts due to injury as I used to.

Welcome to the 2024 challenge...on Jan 2nd it will be 10 years since I joined the forums... My main goal was then and still is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good (to me) naked. I’ve learned this doesn't get easier when you get older. I don’t want this to be a focus for the rest of my life, I want to build some habits/routines so it becomes second nature and I don’t have to think about it. I also want to be around to watch my grandkids grow up and be able to do things with them, as well as continue to do things I enjoy well into the future! In 2023 it was all about the struggle. This year, I’m going to be set, I’m simplifying things for consistency and I need less clutter in my life, also working on my mindset. I don’t have to track “all the things”. The three most important things for me regarding weight loss are sleep, exercise (though that’s debatable) and what you fuel your body with (tracking). Exercise is debatable because you can lose weight without it, but I feel better when I do it. I know not everyone needs to track what they eat, and I no longer use an app to do this because it got to the point it was too much, but I do put it on my spreadsheet to keep myself accountable, and it also helps with meal planning and creating my grocery list. All SET ( S )leep - ( E )xercise ( T )rack - And because it wouldn’t be an RES challenge without some 5k’s Upcoming Items 12/16 - Reindeer Run 5k - Done, 54 Minutes 12/17 - Candy Cane Course 5k - skipped 01/27 - Java Jog 5k 02/11 - Couple Shuffle 5k 03/09 - Time to Paddy 5k 06/22 - Hometown Half 10k 07/07 - Firecracker 4mi 08/10 - Summer Sizzler 15k 09/28 - Donot Stop 10k 10/20 - Spooky Sprint 10k 11/10 - Turkey Trails 10k

Not long after slapping in the above placeholder photo, two of those angelfish started laying eggs on the leaves of one of the Anubias plants in the tank and beating the crap out of any other fish that came close, not to mention darting across the tank to harass the other two angelfish. So I go the breeding pair out of that tank and set up a 10 gal on the fly and yadda, yadda... they ate their eggs. <sigh> But now I know I have a breeding pair of angelfish. Time to move on. ====== Hi. I am Stronkey Kong. I've been on NF ten years. Lately it's church etc, and fish tanks that are getting me off the couch and not stuffing my face so we'll roll with that. This challenge will be a combination of a lot of the usual: a nutrition goal, a bed time routine, a morning routine, an exercise routine, and a fish tank based LUYL. When does life stop getting weirder? ========== Goal 1: Bedtime Routine-- In bed by midnight. I get home from work around 10:30 pm. That gives me an hour and a half to: feed the cat feed the fish feed myself (a small snack) change clothes, wash up, brush teeth evening prayer go to bed by 12 am. I can read in bed if I don't feel like falling asleep right away, but that's it. Goal 2: The point of goal 1 is to fix my morning routine. Get up at 8 am. Morning prayer. Feed fish/tank maintenance. Exercise Breakfast Read scripture Study Ukrainian or Greek Goal 3: Exercise Mon-Sat MWF = walk or something light TRS = KB, Ringfit, or jogging Goal 4: Ditch the soymilk and fake veggie meats. It's our liturgical calendar that has brought out this one. There's a lot of fasting in Orthodoxy, mainly in the form of giving up meat and animal products. My eating habits have veered toward vegetarianism, and so I have a lot of soy products around, so much so that it makes fasting not really feel at all like fasting. I don't really have to give anything up, I'm just switching the days where I eat tofu and veggie sausages. I should feel like I'm sacrificing something, and on fasting days I should always be at least a little hungry. Also, veggie stuff can be kind of expensive, and it's debatable whether its really all that healthy cuz it's processed yadda yadda, and I tolerate real dairy well enough. And there was recently a big study on diet that found that whole fat dairy was actually protective in terms of longevity (not counting butter). So I'll eat meat, milk, and cheese and just limit myself to tofu on fasting days... tofu is not a meat replacement, just ask a carnivore. LUYL: Breed Fish, Grow Plants, Make Money This goal will practically do itself as I require little added motivation to do this hobby. But I'm at the point where i need to tune it up and turn it around so it doesn't just become a money toilet. I have a couple of orders of plants, fish, and hardware coming. After that I need to stop spending and start focusing on growing and marketing and come up with a legit plan.

Okay just playing in the Battle log section got lonely. - Lose 2lbs - Drink 2L water every day - Floss and brush every day - Apply to at least 1 job How do I plan on losing 2lbs? Attempting to listen to my hunger cues. Eat when hungry, don't eat when not hungry. I might play with some fasting stuff. Move more.

Hi. I'm Stronkey Kong. Ugh... I just realized I've been on NF for 10 years, almost to the day... I have only 6.5 words to sum up the journey: I'm still fat, but still fighting. My main goal is to just improve and maintain my health, and hopefully lose some weight as I do that. I'm in the process of converting to Orthodox Christianity.... I only mention this because the feast and fast cycles (Like the upcoming Dormition fast) affect my eating and exercise activities, and it might inform some of my current motivations... and I scaled back some of my goals because this is coming up. Goal 1: Re-build My Morning Routine For almost a year I was on the afternoon-evening shift at work: 12pm -10 pm. A little over a month ago, I was moved back to the normal evening shift: 3:30pm - 2:00 am (BTW, I work 4 10's). Then last week they told me to go back to afternoons. Which is great because I wasn't enjoying the regular night shift, but one month was just enough to ruin my nice morning routine I had going before the change. Which was wake up, pray, then go for a walk. Then I 'd have free time to do whatever until work. It was nice. Now I need to get this back. So that's the goal, get back into my morning routine. Wake up: at 8 am. This includes bathroom, light the candles and incense, feed the cat, and start the coffee. I'm also going to add stepping outside to check on my plants and the weather. Pray: This includes all the morning prayers in my prayer book. Then any others that get added per my parish priest's instructions. Walk/Exercise: Then I grab my coffee thermos and go for a 1-2 mile walk. And in this challenge I'll also be adding exercise with walking. Goal 2: Fighting Gluttony. This is a multi-pronged strategy to combat my tendency to overeat. I got the first two from a podcast done by an Orthodox dietician. Bless and Give Thanks for Every meal: Pray for blessings on the food before meals. Pray to give thanks afterward. Kind of goes along with mindful eating. Mid-meal pauses: Stop halfway through each meal, assess my level of hunger, and consider (or even prefer) stopping. This too. Replace Bread with potatoes (or squash): Fewer carbs, more fiber, and more vitamins. Basically doing that as staple replacement. Bread (and pasta) is not banished, but it will no longer be the go to. And oats and rice other whole grains are fine too. Side quest: Try new potato recipes on the weekends. This last weekend I made fondant potatoes. They were fun, pretty easy, and they made the house smell amazing. Goal 3: Run Run on Tue, Thu, and Sat instead of or in addition to walking in the morning. I'm focusing on these three days because the weekly fasting days are Wed and Fri. I'll be eating less protein, and less over all on those days so less fuel/material for recovery. Do posture correcting exercises 3x per day-- I'm always slouching or hunching and this needs to stop. I'm gonna do some exercises (see video on another post below) 3 x per day. Just pick one and work on it for about 5 min. Sidequest 1: Go on 2 Fellowship walks-- These usually happen almost every Fri or Sat. Sidequest 2: Volunteer work-- I have one scheduled for Sat Aug 5 for an event with one of the food pantries. These can sub for exercise since there's quite a bit of physical activity. I will schedule another soon. Not sure if a spot will land during this challenge but we'll see. Sidequest 3: My cat is getting fat too. I need to chase her around the house more. Goal 4: Housework (to-do list) Outdoor stuff Buy a ladder Clean gutters-- pre-req no. 1 Clear gravel off concrete pads (can sub for exercise) Landscape with gravel? -- pre/co-req no. 3 (can sub for exercise) Dig a low spot for future rain garden (can sub for exercise) Plan, set-up space for outdoor gym? Connect outdoor water spigot Basement stuff Break down boxes Organize hardware and storage shelves. Setup a workshop area (smh) Clean and organize office De-junk-ify (whatever that means) Organize books-- sort by subject, set aside some for selling/donating Bathroom-- Tub repair (If I get this one done this goal is all win). Find a fix/replacement for the stupid claw foot I ruined -- might have to do bricks and boards... luckily the foot is in the back corner where it won't be seen Fit new fixtures. Re-connect plumbing Dining Room/Prayer corner/Studio corner-- I took down my power rack, and am re-claiming my dining room, which also houses my prayer corner, and I'm setting up a studio corner for painting. Basically figuring out a set layout and messing around trying to get it situated. Kitchen-- It's due for a deep clean and an organization overhaul now that the new fridge is situated. Attic crawlspace get up there and check things out lay down some boards over the rafters for gettin' around up there

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. (W) I work from home, (4 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. I use a 5K training plan that I’ve used in the past, 3 days of intervals and 1 - 2 of strength/cross training days, I may graduate to the 10K and half marathon plans this year, I may not. I just want to keep moving. (R) I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. (E) I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. So far I’m down 11 lbs. This has kind of stalled no matter what I do about it so I'm going to just focus on not going overboard, stopping when full, and not blowing my calorie budget. (S) I want to hit at least 7500 steps a day, once this becomes habit I’ll raise it (T) Tracking the things that I eat so I’m aware (L) I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo, because this country scares me and I may want to move abroad one day. I want to learn to play guitar.. (E) Extra things that make life worth living, 5k’s or more that I may do, motorcycle rides, FL trips, and life events will go here. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be So I'm going to try throwing in the towel with this challenge, not as in giving up, but to focus on the goal. I'm going to take the time to do what I need to do, also making sure I get enough off time, put in the work and effort that hopefully will lead to lower numbers on the scale as well as other health markers that are important. T - Time O - Off (recovery) time W - Work E - Effort L - Lower The Plan... Workout - 5k a day/Weight training program I want to try Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) Eat - Stay under calories Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal Track - using Cronometer Learn - Guitar Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ I want to get my granddaughter's item I've been crocheting since before Xmas, finished. Changing the workouts to do things that may work towards my goals a bit better, macros and eating goals are also changing, sleep, steps, tracking is staying the same, learn is now practicing guitar at least five days a week, extra is whatever. My personal life may be falling apart, I am doing my best to keep me from doing the same…therapy is a big part of this, journaling is another part. I'm going to continue doing this, as well as working on getting back to me and what I need in my life. Week 3 I will be on the motorcycle all week for the WOW ride-in, this is a planned break from the workouts

TW: ED talk Welcome to my daily log. Here I'm going to post: Daily meals with calories Exercise Overall how I'm feeling in my journey My overall goal is to just get healthier. I'm currently recovering from an undiagnosed but kinda evident ED. Which one, I dunno. But for 2 years apparently I was at max eating only about 950 calories a day on top of working out. I'm going to fix that. Daily goal: eat no less than 1200 calories I think I want to be around 1400-1500 Weekly goals: Have only 1 pepsi/sugary drink a week some sort of light exercise 3 days a week That's it for right now while I get into a better head space. I'm spiraling a little, but I know I need to post somewhere to help get myself back. So, thank you in advance for being here, whether you post or lurk!

I'm finishing up my vacation and after some thinking about how I'm living and what my strengths and weaknesses are. I need to focus on simple daily habits. Exercise Breath-work while the coffee brews Morning walks-- take coffee, listen to audio books, and walk around the neighborhood. (Lift barbells or KBs on rainy days). Eating Breakfast can be normal. After that, all meals at work will be one taco (or similar item) at a time followed by a walk around the shop. Reading and writing Do at least one writing activity on the evening-- even a single sprint or some editing. Stretch before reading. Read before bed.

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. (W) I work from home, (4 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I use a 5K training plan that I’ve used in the past, 3 days of intervals and 1 - 2 of strength/cross training days, I may graduate to the 10K and half marathon plans this year, I may not. I just want to keep moving. ( R )I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. (E) I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. So far I’m down 11 lbs. This has kind of stalled no matter what I do about it so I'm going to just focus on not going overboard, stopping when full, and not blowing my calorie budget. (S) I want to hit at least 7500 steps a day, once this becomes habit I’ll raise it (T) Tracking the things that I eat (L) I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo, because this country scares me and I may want to move abroad one day. I also want to learn to play guitar, since I have one collecting dust in my room and it will not learn to play itself. There are plenty of free videos on how to do this on YouTube. Learning something, at least once a week (Duolingo goal is daily) will count towards this. (E) Extra things that make life worth living, 5k’s or more that I may do, motorcycle rides, FL trips, and life events will go here. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be The Plan... Workout - Intervals/Kettlebells Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) Eat - Stay under calories and don’t make excuses to eat the unhealthy things Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal Track - using Cronometer Learn - Duolingo, other stuff Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ New Stuff: Yes I carry goals over from one challenge to the next, for those that stick around for multiple challenges (I love you, seriously, thank you!) New stuff will always be at the end of the first post Going to make a couple additions to this challenge now that I've gotten my schedule pinned down a bit better. I want to get my granddaughter's item I've been crocheting since before Xmas, done, since it's only about five weeks before I see her! I also want to do something to focus on me each day, this can be (finally) starting to learn to play the guitar, journaling, or riding my bike. I would say reading but I honestly do that every day, and if I put crochet in there it's like cheating LOL I may count crochet anyway...

I am channeling inspiration from Naomi Novik's A Deadly Education this challenge, because the forge thing seems to have burned itself out (ba-dum-crash). I will try not to give too many spoilers if you haven't read the book. I think I can fairly summarize without spoiling: At Scholomance (school for wizard children) everything is trying to kill you -- the monstrous maleficaria "mals" which creep through the pipes and vents, your fellow students, even the school itself (after all, how else would you learn to survive?). Your only hope to survive school -- or worse, graduation -- is to form alliances to watch your back and store up mana to power your magic for fighting the really big mals. How does one gather mana, you ask? You do things that suck while wearing a storage crystal, of course. The more difficult and onerous the task, the more mana it generates. If you focus hard while doing the task, the mana is channeled into your crystal, which is connected to your backup crystals and they begin to charge. Slowly. I am way behind on my mana storage for graduation due to an ill-advised battle with the worst kind of mal *shudders*. I need to fill at least 20 storage crystals before graduation next year to have a prayer of leaving the Scholomance alive. I hope to fill 4 this challenge. Roughly 500 mana fills a crystal. Here is how I hope to earn it: Eat 100 calories under maintenance = 10 mana (can be cumulative) Difficult/onerous exercises for 30 minutes = 30 mana Skipping sweets for a whole day = 50 mana I will use art to track my progress, because why not? As each crystal fills, I will post it here like so: Here's hoping we all make it!

My best friend is coming to visit shortly after this challenge ends, and she'll be bringing along her son and husband. I cannot wait, but then again, I totally can... because I want to be in better shape for their visit. We are all going to visit Lake Tahoe and will be hiking and probably kayaking on the lake, and I want to be ready. Most of my goals will support that mission. Last challenge I lost exactly 12 pounds! Today I am 239.8 pounds and would like to get down to 227.8 pounds or so by the time they come to visit. Can I lose another 12 pounds? I think it's possible and am all for it! #1 - 4.5 hours of exercise per week, exclusive of walks I'll be doing both strength training work and cardio, as well as one HIIT kettlebell workout per week. I want to have the strength and endurance to hit those hikes with gusto, to paddle my son around on the lake, to maybe even go for a jog or do a workout at high altitude. I hope to surpass 4.5 hours as the weeks progress. #2 - write or art for 30 minutes, 3x a week I managed to completely avoid a version of this goal in the last challenge, and so I'm including it here. Last time, I asked for myself to do 45 minutes of art or writing 4x a week. I've lowered my bar and will see what I can do this time. #3 - spend 2+ hours sans-kid out in the world, 4x during challenge I'm already finding from my first foray out into childfree activity last week that I enjoy it very much. As a stay at home mom, my world is my son. That's made me a bit overly wrapped up in the role of mom, I think. It's time to plan for and spend some time out and about without him, just for a little bit. #4 - take son either on a hike or to the local swimming pool, 1x a week My son is not comfortable around water yet and I want to change that. Hence the swimming pool visits. I hope that I can get him to really like the swimming pool. Splashing in the water can be so much fun! I have him signed up for swim lessons in August, and hope to have him acclimated and excited about being in the water before then. Also, we haven't been hiking together since he was about 25 pounds and I used to carry him on my person. I want him (and myself) to become more acquainted with hiking again. This time he'll be on his own two feet. He loves being outside and observing everything, so I think he'll love our more regular hikes. #5 - control budget better by reducing food delivery orders to once every two weeks (3x in challenge) We have been spending way too much money on delivery food. That is all that needs to be said.

Previously on Everstorm Re-Forged: I have completed one fire weight-loss) cycle and am currently in a tempering (maintenance/recovery) cycle that will end the morning after Easter. It does not beautifully coincide with NF timings, but here we are. So, weeks 0-2 will be continued maintenance and weeks 3-5 will be the start of the next round of weight-loss. Instead of having two sets of goals, however, I will try to make ones that will apply to both phases. Goal 1: Stay within my calorie limits. The actual quantity will change with different phases, but I know what the limits are and I need to stick to them. Goal 2: Stretch for 10 minutes every day in the gym. The idea is to build a daily gym habit, even though I will only follow-up stretching with a gym workout every other day. My hope is to 1) grease the groove a bit and remove a barrier to getting in the gym and 2) have an easy habit to fall back to when I am sick/injured/roll in poison ivy and need to back down from full workouts without losing the gym habit. Goal 3: Draw weekly (or more) I had considered doing Camp NaNoWriMo in April, but I think I am enjoying pursuing my art right now. I want to keep working on the Inktober52 challenge and also...I have been commissioned to do an ink drawing for actual real dollars. My mother showed someone the hawk I did for Inktober and they offered to pay me to do a great horned owl in the same style. So I need to work on that.

If there's anything I've learned about myself from the past couple of challenges, it's that I can't overextend myself when it comes to building positive habits. I basically spent the last two challenges cementing alcohol avoidance and healthier eating habits (yay for those strides forward!) but basically ignored every other thing that I wanted to do. Why? I don't know, really. I just couldn't focus very well on more than two things. With that in mind, I'm going to just pick two things to work on this challenge. I'm still of the opinion that my health needs to be my greatest priority. I lost almost 18 pounds in the last challenge and am now down to 252.6 pounds at 5'5". Yay for that! Just as a side note, and this really is a side note, I hope to lose another 12 pounds this challenge. Here's what I would like to do to make more progress on my fitness and health journey: - 💪 Challenging Exercise - 30+ Minutes 4 Days a Week And for my second focus, I'd like to make time to express myself, whether it's with writing or painting or whatever form of art: - 🖌️Work on art projects - 45+ Minutes 4 Days a Week

Hello! I am back on here after being away for almost a year. I have had ALOT of ups and downs when it came to my health goals. I am currently in a downward slope...I have felt unmotivated to take care of myself and my health. I am currently at the heaviest I've been and need some encouragement and motivation. I know weight loss and reading my health goals has a lot to do with mindset...so I need help getting the right mindset. I want to be at a healthy weight so I can better take care of my husband, and have more confidence in myself.

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. (W) I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I use a 5K training plan that I’ve used in the past, 3 days of intervals and 1 - 2 of strength/cross training days, I may graduate to the 10K and half marathon plans this year, I may not. I just want to keep moving. ( R )I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. (E) I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. It’s really a combination of several different things like IF, Low Carb/Keto, and Macros. The common denominator is calorie reduction, of course, unless you burn more than you take in, nothing is going to work! My biggest issue is I get tired of trying to figure it all out and do a lot better when someone just tells me how and when to do it, so I’m putting this on easy mode until I lose the weight! So far I’m down 11 lbs. (S) I want to hit at least 7500 steps a day, once this becomes habit I’ll raise it (T) Tracking the things that I eat with an app makes hitting macros and the calorie goal easier, this is in conjunction with E, even though I can eat and not track, doing both is better (L) I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo, because this country scares me and I may want to move abroad one day. I also want to learn to play guitar, since I have one collecting dust in my room and it will not learn to play itself. There are plenty of free videos on how to do this on YouTube. Learning something, at least once a week (Duolingo goal is daily) will count towards this. (E) Extra things that make life worth living, 5k’s or more that I may do, motorcycle rides, FL trips, and life events will go here. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be The Plan... Workout - Intervals/Kettlebells Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) Eat - Stick to macros and don’t make excuses to eat the unhealthy things Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal Track - using Cronometer Learn - Duolingo, other stuff Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ My mental health has taken a serious beating since 2019 and the events that happened there, it's not anything I care to rehash but D and I have been talking about our feelings surrounding that time of our lives. It's not been easy, I do feel it will be worth it though. Seriously considering therapy for the first time in my life, but not certain if that's a step I'm going to take or not yet.

So, I posted all of my goals for this challenge in my last thread as I was thinking ahead. Just saying as an FYI for those of you who already read it! . . . . My health needs to be my greatest priority. I'm 265 270 pounds at 5'5" and have been steady at that weight for all of 2022 to now. Before that I was 225 pounds when I was more active. That was 2020-2021. I fractured my ankle in July 2021, which was the turning point which lead to my inactivity and weight gain. My "happy weight" and happy fitness level was when I was between 165-185 pounds but that was way back in 2015-2017. I believe that I can get back to that happy spot. I have to believe it. If I do, I can get off of taking insulin for my diabetes management, which would be AWESOME. I hate poking myself every day. I actually have a doctor's appointment with a new doc today - he handles diabetes management and weight management - hopefully he can help me get somewhere on my journey. I would like to set a measurable goal of 10 pounds lost for the next challenge along with measurable actions that I'll take toward that goal. - 🚫Avoid Alcohol - only two drinking days per month allowed (and 2 drinks max per day) - 🥦Eat Smaller Portions and Healthier Foods - yes/no to my best judgment - 💪 Challenging Exercise - 30+ Minutes 4 Days a Week I've chosen not to count calories and macros as it has fed an unfortunate little monster of obsession in me in the past and has not been good for my mental health. If I don't make weight loss progress using a smaller portion/best judgment approach this month, I'll consider adding CICO back into my life (* cringe *). What I've decided to do instead is to temporarily move me and my family to a healthy subscription meal plan service so that my meal planning is taken care of for dinners. That'll help a lot as we have been ordering in quite a bit. Making things easier on myself with meal planning will really help with a part of the burden of meal planning that I've had on my shoulders for a while now. Anyway, that's the idea. I'll also buy some extra fruit and vegetables to supplement the meals as snacks and such. I would like to make time for art because that is what I do best besides my mom duties, and I want to keep at it. - 🖌️Work on art projects - 45+ Minutes 4 Days a Week Make Time for Self Care - 👳‍♀️At Home "Spa" Time - Twice a Month - 🕯️Spiritual Time - 10 Minutes per Day - 🫂Hang Out with Friends - Once a Month So these are seven different things that I want to work on in my next challenge, which typically I would say is too much, but two of the things are infrequent asks, so it's more like five. I was already doing really well on two of the other five, so I think that this is a reasonable ask of myself, after all.

Me the past two years I woke up this morning at 185.2 That may be my highest ever. So basically I need to start moving and eat right. No theme to this challenge just a few basic principles and the help and support of this community. Daily: My morning routine A workout later in the day(lifting or cardio) Eating right No alcohol Morning Routine Walk around the blockish. Some mornings I do 45 mins, sometimes I do less. That is all. If I do this I always hit at least 10k steps later in the day. Read. Read a book for some period of time. That's it. Duolingo 50XP When I start my day like this it generally goes really well after. It also prompts me to get to bed early so I can get up early and do these things. Workout 3 Days a week I'll do compound barbell lifts. The other 4 days I will do some form of cardio. Some examples might include: Running Biking Paddle boarding Hiking Rucking Hockey Tennis This will likely be done right after work. Eating Right Is it Mediterranean? Specifically Ikarian. Is it Paleo Those are my two approved eating methods. I am loving eating Mediterranean food, specifically Ikarian. Ikarian is mostly veggies/fruits, lots of beans, some whole grains, and a metric ton of EVOO. Very little fish and poultry, very little dairy. I am still eating paleo since that is in my freezer and cabinet. I will not be buying any more paleo items though. When out to eat, I will just try to make good choices. I went and had Thai with my GF for lunch this past week and ordered the ginger dish with shrimp and brown rice upcharge. I ate half and then took half home for later. Normally I would order pad thai and eat the whole thing and that is why I am in this mess now. No alcohol None. However I will cook with it if called for it since a lot of my recipes call for it. IPA is good, but it makes me fat. Maybe after this challenge I will reincorporate red wine into meals like the Mediterranean.

Hi. I'm Stronkey Kong. I'm 38. I'm fat and I don't want to be fat anymore. I lift. I have a vague idea for how I need to eat to keep this weight loss + get stronker thing going. I write... in fact, I'm doing a writing workshop during this challenge. Also, I have weirdly intense hobbies that I tend to jump between at random intervals. Okay. Goals. Goal 1: DO NOT EAT A PIZZA As I've mentioned in the holiday mini. My worst habit/downfall is I'll go grocery shopping on the weekend, pick up a Meat Lover's-esque pizza and a bottle of wine/six-pack/booze/etc. and undo a week's worth of good eating in one evening. This challenge, I am not going to do this.(every week) Further, I'm going to track how I'm not eating a pizza. For the duration of the challenge I am going to avoid eating any ingredients that belong in that meal: 1 large meaty pizza and a bottle of wine. Those ingredients are: 12 servings of junky meat: any meat that can be described as fatty, salty, processed, cured, etc. 12 servings of cheese. 12 servings of junky carbs: white breads, pastas, desserts, candy, etc. 5 servings of alcohol. These are all foods I need to work on my relationship with, which is why they will be limited so much. Tomato sauce is fine. I'm going to track this by drawing a picture of a pizza, and drawing on the crust, cheese, and toppings, next to a bottle of wine that I'll fill up with reddish-purple ink. This will hang on the fridge. It will be an ever present visual reminder in my kitchen. And when I make mistakes, drawing stuff on will force me to spend time pondering my mistake. If I make it through the five weeks without eating a whole pizza, I can reward myself with a small pizza and a couple glasses of wine or beer. Other than that, I'm emphasizing proteins, fruits, and veggies, minimizing condiments, and judiciously adding whole grains and legumes for protein/mineral/fiber support. Goal 2: GREYSKULL and CARDIO Lift weights following Greyskull 3 days per week. 2x30 min med. intensity cardio sessions 2 days per week: stat bike, ring fit, racquetball, or any reasonable substitute. This has been going well the last two weeks. I just gotta keep doing it. Then I'm gonna take my 24 lbs. kettle bell to work. I don't have time for long walks... or even a good place to walk... when I'm at work, so I can do a quick KB sesh after food breaks. Not sure what. I just want to get my HR up and burn a few extra calories. Goal 3: COMPLETE MY WRITING WORKSHOP Starting Jan 15, by every Sunday I have to write 2500 words, and read up to 9 other people's 2500 words and provide feedback. Between now and then, I need to write 2500 words on a handful of projects, and pick one for the workshop. Goal 4: PLAY CHESS I've been on a chess kick lately. I used to play casually in high school. And the occasional game here and there. And I've been playing online games, and they stress me out in a weirdly good way. I've always wanted to really learn it and get good at it. Daily: play a game or study a game. (watching a YouTube video doesn't count... unless I set up the board and play through and analyze something I guess). Also, this counts as research for a middle grade novel I might do for the workshop... a portal fantasy about a chess prodigy. Goal 5: LEARN (at least some) UKRAINIAN. I've tried learning Slovene in the past as some way to connect to my own heritage, but resources are limited. Another way in is to learn another Slavic language. Though Russian is an obvious leader in terms of resources, learning Ukrainian is kinda trendy for solidarity. I started doing the Ukrainian course on Duolingo, and it's been fun and interesting so far. But I realized this morning all the sentences I've learned rely on an implied but omitted 'is.' I know no verbs, and the inflections are coming. Also, Pimsleur, I found out, is giving their Ukrainian course for free through 12/31/23 if you sign up by 12/31/22.

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. Changing some things up in the new year and clarifying some goals, so this is a test run for 2023 to see what may need adjusting further. (W) I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I use a 5K training plan that I’ve used in the past, 3 days of intervals and 1 - 2 of strength/cross training days, I may graduate to the 10K and half marathon plans this year, I may not. I just want to keep moving. ( R )I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. (E) I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. It’s really a combination of several different things like IF, Low Carb/Keto, and Macros. The common denominator is calorie reduction, of course, unless you burn more than you take in, nothing is going to work! My biggest issue is I get tired of trying to figure it all out and do a lot better when someone just tells me how and when to do it, so I’m putting this on easy mode until I lose the weight! So far I’m down 11 lbs. 🙂 (S) I want to hit at least 7500 steps a day, once this becomes habit I’ll raise it (T) Tracking the things that I eat with an app makes hitting macros and the calorie goal easier, this is in conjunction with E, even though I can eat and not track, doing both is better (L) I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo, because this country scares me and I may want to move abroad one day. I also want to learn to play guitar, since I have one collecting dust in my room and it will not learn to play itself. There are plenty of free videos on how to do this on YouTube. Learning something, at least once a week (Duolingo goal is daily) will count towards this. (E) Extra things that make life worth living, date nights with D, 5k’s or more that I may do, motorcycle rides, FL trips, and life events will go here. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be The Plan... Workout - Intervals/Kettlebells Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) Eat - Stick to macros and don’t make excuses to eat the unhealthy things Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal Track - using Cronometer Learn - Duolingo, other stuff Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ An additional note, my second grandchild is due to be born before the end of the year, so updates may not be able to be as frequent while I'm traveling

Yup. Just look at it. It's sticking out way too far. Even for an innie. It is winter and I am generally irritable and all this holiday food is everywhere. I just had my annual physical and talked with my doctor about weight loss, etc. I'm right where I was last year at least, so I haven't gained. But that cholesterol is still high, and we talked about medication and bariatric therapy (not surgery, just physician supervised weight loss). And in pondering all the options before me and looking more at my lifestyle, I'm realizing how far I've slid into general laziness and inconsistency farther than ever in my adult life. There is still so much more that I can be doing. 1) Fix my diet -- I have been running some numbers through some calculators. TDEE, body comp, macros... and oof. I'm not doing what I need to be doing for my metabolism and activity levels... both of which are low. I need to hammer out a feasible set of eating habits. 2) Create opportunities for Exercise/Activity -- work has me spending most of my 10 hours/day there sitting at a desk. While I've had nights where I get up and walk a couple laps, the occasional an sporadic. I need to create a daily routine for physical activity. I'm not in the situation where life is gonna just throw it to me. 3) Keep doing what I love to do, namely writing -- every minute scheduled toward word and exercise is one less that I have to write and finish these novels and stories. I need to create a robust, daily reading and writing routine. 4) Take better care of my shit -- the house and yard. The last year kinda got screwed up because I got sick in the spring, put off a lot of projects, then summer heat was relentless (or it was storming) and I got way behind on a lot of things. Again, I need to figure out a workable routine and stick to it. Notice the trend? Scheduling is needed. This helped a lot a couple of challenges ago. I need to get back to it. Some things I'm working on: 1) Eating plan: meals, timing, portion sizes, macros, etc. 2) Setting up a powerlifting routine: assessing training maxes, days/split, assistance lifts, etc. (Greyskull) 3) Coordinating 1 & 2 -- A mistake I often make is cutting too many calories while adding too much activity etc., and that creates burnout. 4) Plan and schedule meals and workouts. 5) Create intuitive and simple plans for execution. 6) Stick to my evening writing schedule. 7) Work in some additional reading and writing time... write/read during workout rest times. 8- Other? I bolded #5, because that's what needs emphasis here. This won't work unless I can accomplish that. Otherwise, I'm just building another elaborate plan that will fizzle three weeks or less into it. Anywho... Happy Ho Swolidays!

I decided to make badges for this challenge- please feel free to use them! I'll keep making them as the challenge progresses as long as it's fun to do. So obviously, the first badge is for creating a challenge! I have some ideas for badges like having a perfect day, getting back up after failing, marking the weeks, etc. I am open to suggestions! I realized after I got a minion badge from fitbit that I REALLY like badges. So why not make my own? It's a good excuse to practice some of the drawing programs I have too. Last challenge, I wanted to lose weight to help lower my blood pressure, and I ended up unpacking some baggage instead. I feel like I'm in a good headspace and I'm ready to really do the work...Overall, I'd like to lose 60 pounds. That would put me closer to 185 pounds. I am aware that isn't going to happen in one challenge, but let's just see how much progress I can make this challenge! The Plan: 1. Chop up veggies for easy snacks 2 times a week. In Habitica, my habits are "Choose Freggies Instead" because I want to make a habit of grabbing carrots in stead of cookies. But I need to make carrots as easy to grab as a cookie which means chopping up veggies and having easy fruits on hand. CHOP CHOP FOR CHOMP CHOMP 2. Take a deep breath before eating. This is a habit I started last challenge, and it's an amazing tool against stress-eating. 3. Brush and Floss after dinner. This is a simple thing that makes a big difference in how I sleep, cutting calories, and having a healthy mouth. 4. Exercise 60 minutes, 5 days a week. I like exercise. I love how I feel. I'm making more time for it. YES. Bonus Achievements! 1. Earn a Kevin Badge on Fitbit for walking 22,222 steps 2. Earn a Bob Badge on Fitbit for walking 32100 steps 3. Try a Kettlebell workout! 4. Cook dinner 10 times! I'm going to track all this on Habitica with my other stuff. I'm also tracking my blood pressure daily and weighing in every Wednesday. (until the end of the challenge, I'll weigh in the last day.) This still feels like a flexible challenge which I love. I'm excited to make and share some badges. The fitbit challenges are a little MUCH but hear me out.... Thanksgiving is coming, and that means the visiting uncle will be here. I'm totally gonna get those Fitbit Minion badges

Hey, there. I'm Trashcan Carla and I've been here before. To be honest, I'm surprised that I am even back on NF after my depressed, hobbling exit, but here I am with new intentions and just enough self-confidence to start this challenge in its last week. So let's do this! (by the way, if you want to read about why I left before and why I'm back, here you go) I live a sedentary life at present. That is the sucky truth. My sedentary life is the swarm of bloodbugs, you feel me? And me putting on running shoes again (it's been a while, but I know I'll love it once again) is me running away from that sucky truth. I got my Brooks shoes, my reflective running belt and a few new pairs of socks. I am equipped and ready. I mean, I think I'm ready. I haven't run since the summer of 2021 when I busted my ankle while on a jog (damn you unseen pothole!) BUT my joints seem strong enough to handle some easy jog-walk intervals. I have this fond memory of running up a steep hill on Madison in downtown Seattle. I have a fond memory of running eleven miles to get to a brewery. I have a fond memory of running completing a half-marathon in Las Vegas. Basically, I know that the beginning of this journey is going to be tough, but I have enough fond memories of myself running to get me through my first week. I just need to think back to those days of glory and envision them in my future. Goals Jog-Walk for 15m-20m 4x. Since there's only one week left in the challenge, I can be super-specific (which I understand is good for setting goals): 11/20, 11/21, 11/23 and 11/25. Log in and post something 4x. I don't care to be specific with this one. I just want to practice logging in to Rebellion again and posting progress or whatever.

Hi there! Names Ba'sini'on, but you can call me Bas if you'd like 😄! I've decided to join in on the challenge because I'm sick and tired of being overwhelmed by the holidays! I'd love to be able to lose 60 pounds because my excessive weight has led to my joints always aching, and causing havoc with my hormones. I'm already doing a lot with working at home, homeschooling my kids, caring for our home, etc. But I know I can fit in a workout if I put my phone down once in a while. I'm determined to get out of the habit of always stressing and retreating into my phone to block it all out. Also working out creates a calm head space for myself and ever since I stopped my habit of walking, I've been nothing but a big butterball of stress and anxiety. My goals aren't just for me, my kids and husband really need me to be present and not hiding away. I'd also like to get my stash of yarn down to where it all fits in ONE tote. Not the 4 it currently is bursting out of 😒 (Not my yarn! I'm not that organized!) GOALS Workout 60 min. 5 days a week - I'm going to focus on my cardio heath by walking and getting my 10,000 steps in. Weight training is my fun time, so I will be putting a lot of effort into hitting a PR by the end of this challenge! Practice Stretching or Yoga - I'm really stiff with a lot of aches and pains. I know stretching will really help with relieving the tightness I'm feeling. Limit My Phone Time to 2 Hours a Day - It seriously is a big problem 😑 Complete 3 Crochet Projects - It seems like a lot to finish these all by the end of the challenge. But these are Christmas gifts that were supposed to be finished LAST YEAR! So they need to get done. There was so much I wanted to make a goal but, I only have so much time in a day. Hopefully I will succeed!