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Hey folks, I know I'm late to the game but my goals will rollover to the next challenge, plus I'm to excited to wait another two weeks to "officially start." A little bio on me, I've always been overweight but played sports at the same time, I grew up playing basketball, football, baseball, etc. But I never locked down the chow and stayed consistent with it. I'm what you'd call a 'I'll Start Monday' guy, but I'd only make it through half the week before relapsing. It's time to finally get to a healthy body weight and become more athletic so I can join the local sports leagues and feel good in my skin for the first time. The ultimate goal is to become a Spartan Trifecta athlete, but that's down the road. Anyway here's my stuff: Current Stats: 6'1 Male 300lbs. 35-40% bodyfat Main Quest: Body Recomposition (Drop 40 lbs.) 1. Do my bodyweight workout 3x per week + plus walking 3 miles every morning 2. Getting a solid 8 hours of sleep a night (get to bed by 930-10) 3. Stick to 90-95% Paleo diet the entire time (I feel the best on that diet, just have to stick with it long enough to see results) Life Quest: Launch website for my business Sticking to the above will help me mentally and reduce the overwhelm of launching my site, it's a video based teaching site…about how to do…video Hoping to launch that and start building a community around it. I know being healthy will help me in all areas of getting that launched successfully. Motivation: Happiness I realize that sounds a little after-school-special but I've never been comfortable in my own skin and being an athlete in the past and still being active now, I've always felt like my weight was weighing me down…if that makes sense. So finally breaking away from having all the extra weight and feeling comfortable in my own skin is what I'm after…well that and finally having the doctor not tell me that I need to lose weight or I'm going to die…that would also be nice. Also through the course of my challenge I'm going to do a weekly video update to take the motivation even higher than just being apart of this forum. I started a battle log initially but I think I like this better, so I'm going to continue with my videos here…even though it's embarrassing to put it on video for all of Youtube to see. Good luck everyone!

Hello all! JB here. I'm a 20yr (almost 21!) old Chick-Fil-A supervisor/college student and it's time for me to make a changI've been looking into Nerd Fitness for several months now, but when I saw the FB post about the 6-week challenge, I figured it was time to dive in. I've definitely got some poundage to lose and muscle to put on. I've been doing okay with watching what I eat; I can do better though. Exercise is pretty nonexistent...not much boomboompow going on the bicep, abdominal, or any area for that matter. Working out has never been something I get up craving in the morning; I may or may not get to that point, but hopefully time will form some sort of a bond between me and no-pain-no-gain, here-comes-the-puke body conditioning. I know i'm jumping in a week late, but better late than never. Here's what I'm hoping for for the next 5 weeks: MAIN QUEST: LOSE 10lbs I'm starting out with the basic "I want to lose weight" just to get my feet wet with this 6week challenge concept. Losing roughly 2lbs per week shouldn't be too hard for a 20 year old dude...but oh the ice cream..the Burger King onion rings..crispy waffle fries..On top of that, I'm definitely not an emotional eater. Nope. Not at all. I never have a rough night at work and happened to hit up the McDonald's drive-thru for a Filet-O-Fish and a large vanilla shake with no whipped cream(to make it healthier, of course) at 11:30pm...yeah right. It's time to break that bad habit, plus much more. So here are the rules: Rules: (1) Do The Beginner Bodyweight Workout Tues/Thurs and Do 4min Abs Workouts Every Mon/Wed/Fri - For those of you who don't know what the beginner bodyweight workout is, definitely give it a look-see here: http://www.nerdfitne...t-build-muscle/ It's pretty nifty. As for the 4 Minute Abs workouts, you chose a certain high-intesity activity (sprinting for instance) and give it all of you've got in eight 30sec increments, allowing yourself a minute or two rest in between each 30sec sprint. (2) No Eating Out After Work - This definitely needs to be curbed. My dad told me about a guy who lost some serious weight only because he stopped eating after 8pm. Sounds good to me, but working in the restaurant industry doesn't always allow you to eat when you're supposed to eat. However, I can try to time my break time so that all I might need is a light snack before I leave work or if really needed, something small and healthy at home. But absolutely no more McDonald's, Burger King, Waffle House, Krystal's, any of that business. No mas. (3) Diet Clean-Up - No more packaged food, no more fast food, no more fried foods. Get away, high fructose corn syrup. Ya'll know the drill; I know the drill. It's just time to get down and do it. I'm going to try to maybe have a plan for the following day's food-intake or at the very least an idea list so that I have something to refer to. Having a plan has seemed to make all the difference in the world whenever I do anything. I'm also going to be looking more and more into the Paleo diet as that seems the best way to go. Feel free to send any recipes my way! LIFE QUEST: Buy My First Gun - I never thought I would be interested, but I experienced the sweet taste of explosive awesomeness the other day when my manager took me to the gun range and let me shoot his rifles and handgun. I was instantly in love. We used to have a little BB gun around the house that we'd shoot cans with, but this was a totally different ball game. Therefore, I'm going to do some research to see what's out there and what might be a good fit for me and my itching trigger finger. My manager says he'll have me hunting like a pro in a year and a half...all I can say is bring it on! MOTIVATION "I'm sick and tired of simply floating through life. I want to enjoy and experience as much as I can; however, as the old saying goes, 'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be where you've always been.' No thanks! I've been doing nothing for so long; again, it's time to make a change." I'm really excited to see what happens in the coming months, friends. Let's make it awesome! Good luck to you all, JB

Do you guys eat the same amount of protein all the time, or eat extra protein on days when you work out (or do a strength based workout)? I'm eating at a slight deficit at the moment while working out 3 times a week with a long term goal of losing 15KG. At the same time I have the puny muscles of a very puny thing, so I want to build strength. I'm concerned about accidentally reducing muscle mass or straining myself generally by doing too much with too little fuel. I have no idea if it makes a difference to protein-load on workout days, or if just eating a little more on a day to day basis will do the trick. I'm interested to know what works for you numbers-wise - I'm not fishing for recipes right now as I'm close to vegan and a really impatient cook

Hello, I'm Victoria. And this is my first ever challenge thread. You have probably assumed this from the title, but I am a HUGE Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Tolkien fan. I am a part of many fandoms, but The Lord of the Rings will always hold a very special place in my heart that cannot ever be erased. That being said, I must say that I am a hobbit through and through. I love gardening. I love reading my books. I love tea. I love rivers and trees and peace. I love good company and a cozy home. And perhaps most of all, I love food. Selecting it, cooking it, eating it, I love it all. The only downside is, I don't really love exercise. And therein lies my problem. My lifestyle has started to catch up with me, and I've gained a lot of weight over the years. I've tried so many different diets and eating plans, it's enough to make my head spin. I would get quick results, no maintainability, and I ended up in the same place that I started; and, sometimes I would end up gaining more weight than I had started with. I gave up for a little while, but eventually it got to a point that I said to myself, "This has got to stop." This is negatively affecting my health, my energy, my mood, and basically my entire life. Happiness is a choice, and I want to be happy with myself and my life. I heard about nerdfitness through a friend, and my immediate thought was, "Where has this been all my life?" I have read so many inspirational stories and positive messages, I was immediately eager to get started. Luckily, I joined at a good time since it's the beginning of a new challenge. So, without much further ado, I'm going to declare my quest to the world! Main Quest I want to lose some weight and implement healthy eating and exercise habits. Goals Try a variety of different exercises/fitness classes/dvds/whatever and find something that works for me. Cut out processed, fatty, and sugary foods/drinks from my daily diet and replace them with healthy whole foods. Take measures to decrease stress and increase energy and positive thinking. Side Quests Life Side Quest Make efforts to be neater and more organized in life (and in my apartment). Get accepted into Graduate School so that I can do good things for the earth. Fitness Side Quest Jog a mile without stopping to walk. (Train using the Walk to Mordor nerdfitness walk) Here's my motivation note to myself: Cheesy? Probably. But it works for me. I'm really just starting out, so my goals are a little broad. But, I think Samwise said it best when he said, "It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.†So, here I go! I look forward to beginning this journey with everyone. See you on the road! Also, if anyone else is interested in forming a fellowship, definitely let me know!

I don't know how many "Hi, my name is Vanessa, and I'm new here" posts I've filled out. With some grit, this will hopefully be the last one, since I plan on sticking to getting and staying healthy. I've been battling the whole weight loss thing for awhile now, and like many of us here, started some program, only to bail out at the site of the first obstacle or interruption. This is extremely frustrating, since I seriously considered military life in high school, was awarded a 4-year army scholarship after graduation, had spent a year training with Army ROTC's Ranger Challenge team, was given 2-months time to meet the height/weight/BMI cutoff, only to lose out due to a tape test. I think this is the first time I've readily admitted it. I am horrible at sticking to any routine and am lucky to just make it to work everyday. Sad, I know. We just recently had a heath and fitness screening at work (note: I work in a lab and am on my feet/briskly walking around instruments for 9-11 hours for 5-6 days of the week). After getting the results, I realize that I haven't improved much from last year and am in need of help in just leading a more active lifestyle. Here's my stats from Friday (8/30/13) with the optimal goals set by Provant - the health screening people: Measurement / My Results / Optimal Score Total Cholesterol / 125 / <200 mg/dL HDL Cholesterol / 56 / >60 mg/dL TC/HDL Ratio / 2.2 / <3.5 LDL Cholesterol / 58 / <130 mg/dL Triglycerides / 56 / <150 mg/dL Glucose / 87 / <100 mg/dL fasting Blood Pressure / 132/86 / <120/80 mm Hg Body Fat Percent / 34.8% / 21-32.9% for F/20-39y.o. BMI / 32.7 kg/m2 / 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 Waist Circumference / 37 in. / <35 for women Hb A1c (diabetes screen) / 5.3% / <5.7% I'm not far off, but honestly, I know I could be more fit than what our insurance premiums dictate. My goal is to be able to complete a half marathon before I'm 26 (giving me a little under 13 months until my next birthday), and a dream goal of participating in a triathalon before I turn 30. Unfortunately, there's no Couch-2-Triathalon app. Hopefully, working towards these goals eliminates fixating on numbers above. For starters, I recently sprinted/jogged/walking the Color in Motion 5K two weeks ago in San Diego... in Vibrams! I'd like to get that same "YEEAAHH! I COMPLETED SOMETHING!" feeling again and again. As for things I bring to the NF table: I enjoy sharing my day and listening to others share theirs... I'm extremely talkative on the interwebs, but in real life am quiet and enjoy listening to people. This often is mistaken for being anti-social... it's just my inner nerd being introverted, 'sall! I'm open minded to the point of being gullible sometimes, but this makes for a fun workout partner that likes focusing on the goal without judging. Anywho, now to start sifting through the boards and finding the "starting line"... let me know where I should go first!

So I've been on nerd fitness for awhile. I would read the articles get really pumped and then promptly go back to the life style that got me to 325 lbs. In the last couple of months I went through a really rought time and had to take a hard look at myself, and I didn't like what I saw. I decided to stop waiting for next time and start with this challenge. My Main Goal To lose weight and fit into a size 18. The reason I made this goal the way I did is because I like to track my weightloss by how my clothing feels and not be to worried about what the scale says. I plan on measuring my legs and hips and arms just for my own curiosity. Mini Goals 1. Walking to work everyday. It's about a mile and some change one way. I can do it in about 30 minutes right now but my goal is to each week shorten that time. 2. I will eat smaller portions and begin phasing out processed food I am a super sizer from way back. I have to learn that just cause they put it on your plate dosen't mean you have to eat all of it in one setting. 3. I'm going to do the beginners workout 3 times a week I'm a firm believer in letting your baody work for you. Muscle burns fat, why wouldn't I start building lean muscles. Plus I get really geeked when I see a new muscle that is starting to be defined.

Saw this 6 week challenge and I'm up for it. I only saw it yesterday, so starting today! Main Goal - weight(mass) loss Currently I am a size 14-16, aiming for 10-12 (this is AU/UK sizing, not US dress sizes) I am 5'5" and 165 pounds on a good day.. my weight has been hovering here now for 6 months after a 10 pound loss over last xmas break .. I know, weird right? Fitness Goals - 6 times a week 2 pt sessions a week 2 gym classes a week (spin, aerobics, yoga etc) 2 walk/run sessions a week (namely using Zombie 5k) Life Goals - deal with stress Learn to meditate - starting at 1min a day Sleep 6+ hours Be aware of what I'm eating, not necessarily tracking, just being aware of emotional eating/stress-food triggers Motivation - Healthy, better shape, TTC in the near future. Ok so I've broken this down into little mini goals but with the one aim! If i remember i'll post some photos and measurements .. Feedback appreciated!

I'm a 18 year old dwarf (short and stocky) female entering into my senior year of high school. I've been trying a bunch of drastic changes in order to get in shape, but very few things have stuck. I tried to set a goal for myself to bike 400 miles, but I well off the wagon. Then I got through about two weeks of insanity before I couldn't take any more. I believe my problem is trying to change to many things at one time. So I'm going to set some realistic goals for myself. I'm striving for my level 50 status of a beastly assassin in the best shape of my life while eating healthy, but still happy. I really want to do parkour, but I always doubted myself because I'm over-weight and short. So I'm going to start of slow and give myself a realistic goal and use my super ego, Angel's Fury, to keep my going. My first goal is to jog for 20-30 minutes, three times a week for a month along with trying to ease myself into the paleo diet. I eat pretty healthy compared to most, but I still have issues to work on like binge eating and cutting out the processed food I do eat. After that I want to add in strength training to start building up my muscle strength and do that three times a week as well. My time sensitive goals are: 1) Be able to jog two miles without stopping by the 16th of next month 2) Get a mile time under ten minutes by my birthday. A month and a half. 3) Be able to do two reps of the parkour circuit by my birthday. 4) Be able to do one pull up by my birthday. I'm not going to plan beyond this right now so I don't feel over-whelmed (which happens easily) and once I get closer to my birthday I can start to set more goals for myself. I'm looking for an accountabillibuddy if anyone is interested. Rewards so far I want to make myself a t-shirt with my superhero emblems on it and I'm going to do that after one month of jogging. Second reward for two months of jogging with training is going to be some five-toes because I have some arch issues. I want to make sure I'm committed to this before I buy 80 dollar shoes.

Sooo here I am again. Last time I tried I succeeded, well okay that was over the last two months... But now that I have dropped 10 pounds I want to lose more, and I figure 6 pounds in 6 weeks sounds about right. My goal- Drop the stubborn weight and hit 125 pounds. My three changes- Add more exercise, up it to 3-5 hours a week rather than under 2. This also incorporates finding a cheaper Dojo because I don't have the money for the ONE dojo near me. Only one sadly so I need to find a better one. Less sugar. I have got rid of 45% but some stubborn desserts will not leave D: Set up a routine. Get more sleep, and get up in the mornings. Exercise earlier than later and start the day off better. Do the work that needs to be done, be productive. Yeah so that's my goal this time.

Just what are they, exactly – and how do I use them to reach my weight loss/body fat reduction goals?

So, I’m at the oldest age I've ever been and I figure it’s about time I get my act together. My Main Quest: Drop one clothing size. My Three Incredibly Specific Goals: 1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Technically, I can’t measure how much sleep I truly get, so I’m measuring how much time I spend in bed each night (not doing any other... ahem, activities.) A – 8.5 or more hours B – 8.0 – 8.5 hours C – 7.5 – 8.0 hours D – 7.0 – 7.5 hours F – 7.0 or fewer hours 2. Eliminate processed sugar from my diet. A – Look at you! You didn't eat any sugar today!! B – One teeny, tiny little treat C – You’re pushing it sister. And not it a good way. D – Really? Did you actually NEED all of that? F – Nice. You’re headed right back down that stupid path!! 3. Learn how to safely lift and start doing it. A – 10 sessions with a personal trainer + 10 sessions on my own B – 8 + 8 C – 6 + 6 D – 4 + 4 F – Sat on my can watching Big Bang Theory reruns. My Life Side Quest: Pass the GAIQ exam. My Motivation: I’m sick of feeling sick. My digestive system is a wreck. I've done a lousy job of taking care of myself and it’s way past time to reverse that trend.

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MISSION: Look *amazing* allowing me to feel amazing contributing to overall happiness. MOTIVATION: Happiness. The ultimate answer. GOALS: Eating good things is most of the battle - 80% no grains; do 2 weeks of 80% no dairy as well as an additional quest / experiment Eating the right amount of good things is also most of the battle - 5 days a week stay under target of 1520 calories / day (track this with MyFitnessPal); on other 2 days/week, do not go over 2100 calories (should be under my daily calorie expenditure) Exercising is the other big part of the battle - Work out 5 days/week; at least 2 body weight workouts/week; at least 2 interval workouts/week OTHER LIFE GOALS: Meditate - 3x/week

Hello rebels, thanks for reading and for any advice you may have! This is my first post and I'm excited to join the community. I am a 5'8" 30-year-old woman who started out a year ago at about 182 pounds and not exercising at all. A year into my fitness journey I've lost nearly 30 pounds. I now work out regularly (whereas before I wasn't exercising at all), track calorie / food intake (whereas before I was eating tons of junk and not tracking), and for the past couple of months I'm 70-80% off grains. The challenge I'm having now is figuring out how to set ambitious, motivating (as well as specific and measurable) goals for my new, improved, healthier self - specifically, I'm looking for a BIG AUDACIOUS GOAL that I can achieve over a period of 3-6 months. I am still losing about a half pound to a pound a week of weight, and I've changed up my exercise routine so that I'm strength training (Steve's basic bodyweight workout) and interval training rather than simply running / jogging, which is what I started out with. I'm fairly happy with my day-to-day lifestyle and with seeing the incremental progress I'm making along the way... I weigh myself daily, take pictures weekly, and track my workouts so I can see improvements in strength. But I need a BIG AUDACIOUS GOAL - something to aim for over the next month, three months, six months... I like to be a rebel with a cause! When I began this past year, I had the somewhat ambiguous goal of getting down to 150 pounds (which I've nearly reached) and the very specific, ambitious goal of running a half marathon in November. For August-November I was very motivated by training for the half marathon (with my primary goal being weight loss), which I successfully completed. Now, though, to be honest, my goals are basically to look great -- and that is not at all measurable and is therefore not very motivating -- and to be able to go to almost any gym class and feel 'in shape'-- again, not measurable. I'm not sure what weight goal makes sense (I'm almost at 150 and I could definitely still stand to lose more weight - I'm just not sure how much). I'm also not sure what fitness goal makes sense -- I'm moving away from long distance running to HIIT and bodyweight exercises, and I'm happy with that change, but for me it's just not that motivating to try to go from being able to do one circuit of the basic bodyweight workout to three circuits... The half marathon goal worked well because my primary goal was weight loss, which it supported, and it was ambitious and measurable and it was clear what I had to do to get there -- over a period of 3-4 months. At this stage I'm still primarily looking to lose weight but also to become stronger (mostly for the sake of appearance - again, being honest here , and I'm not sure where I should be aiming to be in 3-4 months. I've thought about a triathlon or a marathon, but I don't think that training for a triathlon - or for any race - is very well-aligned with what I actually want to achieve. So all you nerd rebels -- what kinds of goals do you set for yourselves? How do you set goals when you've reached a new stage of fitness? What do you suggest at this point? Even though I haven't technically hit a plateau, it feels like one mentally and I really want something to push towards. Thanks so much! Looking forward to your input!

Yay 1st challenge! I currently live in China, which has provided me with some interesting hurdles for my diet and exercise. I am hoping that getting involved with a community of others who aren't all the size of my thigh can help me stay motivated and reach my goals! Goals: 1. Lose 15 lbs. I have about 100 lbs. I want to lose, so I figured averaging a little over 2 lbs a week is doable at my current weight. 2. Drink 8 cups of water each day Of the numerous previous diets I've been on, I know my water intake is key. I have already taken a semi-proactive step towards this, but I want to really get all the H2O in every day. 3. Incorporate yoga in to my workout routine 3 times a week. I really enjoy yoga, and I have a few "weightloss" yoga dvds that are a good workout and strength building, which surprisingly despite all the sweat kind of relaxing. 4. A R T B O O K I started an artbook almost a year ago now, and I have roughly 75 pages left until it's complete. I am going to set out to fill in 1 or 2 pages every day.. which should result in me finishing the project come 6 weeks!

(You can just skip this. I mostly write this for my own amusement ) The dark-blue maned Pegasus awoke when the aroma of food aroused her senses. She tried to open her eyes, which felt heavy and wanted to almost keep her in a deep sleep. After regaining function and able to open her eyes, she looked around and noticed that she was lying in bed with a thick blanket covering her body. The mare was confused, wondering if this was real or if she was dead and it was something that would help her pass on. Breezy yelped when she heard the door click and start to open, revealing a light brown Pegasus with a dark brown mane. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just coming in to check on you to see if you were awake." She said with a warm smile. "How did I get here?" Winter asked, still a bit confused about how she was in the bed in what seemed like to be a wood cabin. "My husband had been trekking the woods for some trees to get some more wood for the fire. Thankfully he went a different route than normally and found you, he rushed you back here as soon as possible. After trying to get you warmed up and into bed, he went back out and left you in my caring hooves." The light brown Pegasus said. "Wow...uh...thank you, very much." Winter Breezy said, a bit in shock about how she had been rescued when she thought for sure she was going to die out in the cold. "I've made some vegetable soup for dinner, I could bring some to you since you're probably still exhausted." The mare said as she was about to leave out the door. "NO! I mean, no, I'd rather get out of bed and enjoy some soup with some company instead of eating alone." The dark-blue maned Pegasus said, smiling a bit at the light-brown mare. "Oh, that's no problem at all. I'll get the bowls of soup ready right now." She said, turning around and leaving. The mare made a surprised gasp, but then laughed lightly and quietly said something about 'they're being active again.' Winter Breezy continued to lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling with her forelegs stretched out, breathing out a huge sigh of relief. 'I don't know how...but I managed to make it. I almost gave up on everything, but by some miracle I managed to live still. I'll be sure to help this couple out to thank them for their hospitality and for saving my life.' After a few minutes she carefully got out of bed, almost losing her balance a couple times but managed to steady herself. She made her way towards the door, and quietly shut it behind her. (I think I'm getting a bit carried away with the beginning "stories" for my challenges ) Okay! I was late for the last challenge, but it wasn't a complete bust! And I'm really happy about that! Onward with my goals for this challenge! Goal 1: Stay on track with my workouts. (Get off your lazy flank and MOVE IT!) This goal is top priority so I'm keeping it until it sticks! I know I should try and just workout 5 times a week, but I have a part of me that will get annoyed with that, so I'll just stick to trying and attempt to workout every day. If I feel to exhausted or something goes on that messes with my schedule, I'll be sure to fix it with some yoga +2 STR, 1.5 DEX, 1.5 STA A+: 42 days A: 41-39 days A-: 38-36 days B+: 35-32 days B: 31-29 days B-: 28-26 days C+: 25-22 days C: 21-19 days C-: 18-16 days D+: 15-12 days D: 11-9 days D-: 8-6 days F: 5-0 days Goal 2: Eat at least 2-3 servings of vegetables a day. (Eat your veggies to gain your strength back) It's easy for me to fall off track wtih this one, because I'm very lazy when it comes to cooking. Even if it's only to steam veggies on the stove. But I'm going to make sure I have my veggies divided up so I can just dump them into the collander over a pot of hot water so they can start steaming. They usually take 25-30 minutes to steam, so it's best to start it at least 1/2 hour before lunch/dinner. +2.5 CON A+: 42 days A: 41-39 days A-: 38-36 days B+: 35-32 days B: 31-29 days B-: 28-26 days C+: 25-22 days C: 21-19 days C-: 18-16 days D+: 15-12 days D: 11-9 days D-: 8-6 days F: 5-0 days Goal 3: Try and get at least 7 hours sleep. (Rest up little mare, you have a busy day tomorrow) I'm horrible when it comes to going to sleep on time. I really hope to try and change that around. I normally wake up around 6:00-6:15am since I wake my mom up at 6:30 (though she says she always wants 15 minutes...*sigh*). So I'm thinking of changing my schedule to 6:30am and waking her at 6:45am. So in order for me to have at least 7 hours sleep (I'd have to make sure I'm in bed an extra 1/2 hour early), I would have to be in bed around 11:00pm. I'm hoping this will work out and I'll be able to maintain this! +2.5 CON & 2.5 WIS A+: 42 days A: 41-39 days A-: 38-36 days B+: 35-32 days B: 31-29 days B-: 28-26 days C+: 25-22 days C: 21-19 days C-: 18-16 days D+: 15-12 days D: 11-9 days D-: 8-6 days F: 5-0 days Level-up Goal: Declutter/Clean the "junk room"/house (Helping the Pegasus couple I owe my life to) This goal is familiar, amirite? Hah, this time I want to make sure I get it done for real. I'll try and take down the junk room and I'll keep on trying to tackle down the house! > +2.5 WIS A+: 42 days A: 41-39 days A-: 38-36 days B+: 35-32 days B: 31-29 days B-: 28-26 days C+: 25-22 days C: 21-19 days C-: 18-16 days D+: 15-12 days D: 11-9 days D-: 8-6 days F: 5-0 days *Bonus Goal: Meditate at least 5 minutes a day. (Breathe in and out young filly) I have always wanted to try meditating, but never had the chance to. But I'm in the P-v-P challenge http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/topic/29072-meditation-for-life/'>Meditation for Life, so I'll do my best for this challenge! A+: 42 days A: 41-39 days A-: 38-36 days B+: 35-32 days B: 31-29 days B-: 28-26 days C+: 25-22 days C: 21-19 days C-: 18-16 days D+: 15-12 days D: 11-9 days D-: 8-6 days F: 5-0 days Phew! I wasn't sure if I'd get this done or not! Took me about a few hours to get my thoughts all together for this! But this is everything I hope to accomplish for the challenge! I hope I have the number of days right ;;;; Good luck to those of you reading this! Hope your challenges are all successful!

Hey guys, I was keeping a battle log on tumblr, but the only people who viewed and liked my page were those awful tumblr blogs with photos of anorexic girls that have links to fat-burner supplements (lame). So, I decided to return to NF to post my daily work-outs and food logs. I'm currently trying to eat mostly primal, although I'm also counting calories at the same time (about 3000 a day). Here's my current training schedule: MONDAY - Strength and Conditioning w/ Heavy Bag work (Noon) TUESDAY - Stronglifts 5x5 (NOON) and then Technique and Light Cardio(PM) WEDNESDAY - Strength and Conditioning w/ Heavy Bag work (Noon) THURSDAY - Stronglifts 5x5 (NOON) and then Technique and Light Cardio (PM) FRIDAY - Strength and Conditioning w/ Heavy Bag work (Noon) WEEKENDS - OFF By "light cardio" I mean, it's mostly pad work, which is pretty aerobic in nature, and then skipping rope, a little heavy bag, and then a bodyweight cardio finisher. I just started 5x5 and I'm ending week 2. I've never done barbell work before, so it's fun and new. Although, I'm probably strong enough to be using most of the week 10-12 weights, I'm really trying to be diligent with my form and safety and keeping it light. TUESDAY -- TECHNIQUE Man, my right hand was landing so hard on the padwork last night. Every punch was snapping and popping. You could hear it throughout the whole gym. One of the boxers who was hanging out after sparring asked, "Jimmy, when'd you learn how to punch?" "My name is Joey," I said, "And, I don't know." Once and a while, I have no idea why, my punches are just so much harder and have way more pop. It'll go away. It's like borrowed punching power. I don't know if it has something to do with relaxed muscles or my technique is just good for some reason. I even lifted weights that day, which generally makes you stiff. I dunno! Also, yesterday I ate primally the whole day. I ate about 3000 calories. 3077, actually. My macros were: 200gs of protein, 203gs fat and 134gs of carbs. The best meal of the day was post-boxing when I had a chicken breast, sweet potatoes with coconut oil and a baby spinach and Bosc pear salad topped with feta! I'm surprised I got in so much protein, I usually find it hard to get more than 130-140 in a day. I'm still considering adding a protein supplement, like hemp seed or something. Any advice on protein isolates? 180-200gs of protein is my daily macro goal, so I managed to get it yesterday. At any rate, I weighed myself yesterday morning and I was 248 (but a lot of that was sodium from a bad dinner at my aunt's -- I'm usually closer to 238-240). So, if my weight in a few days is like 235, I know I didn't lose 10-12 pounds of fat at all, just water. Anyway, enough rambling! This entries will be more short in the future. Thanks for reading, Joey.

The wonderful life of being healthy, it's a far fetched and almost unrealistic goal for many of this earths inhabitants. The inspiration felt as you lie in your bed at night, saying over and over that tomorrow will be the day when you wake up and make a change. You research weight loss on google, trying to no avail to discover a secret, an easy way out. But when you see the horror stories that come with the supplements and pills, you finally realize that the one way you will look good in that now to small bathing-suit is pure fitness. Maybe you make the one mistake we all do our first time, you just try to change the exercise. You make a detailed plan, one which has you exercising at the gym or at home for an hour every other day, but after a week as you expect to see a perfect person in the mirror, the inspiration rushes away and with it takes a piece of your expectation. You start looking at other people, comparing them to yourself, thinking maybe you don't look that bad, maybe you're body is fine. You delude yourself. Then in a month or two as you watch your slim friends splash at the pool while you stand there in a white t-shirt and boy shorts, that wave hits again. I want to be skinny. I want to be skinny. You repeat. I want to be skinny. But that's not the way to start out. Maybe you spend years of this routine, failing each time. You lose one pound and it's like heaven on earth until the next week you're up by two. Or maybe you do what I did. You wake up one morning and you say to yourself enough is enough. You're sick of the cycle. You're sick of hating the way you look. You set your alarm for the next day to 6:00. You wake up and jog through your neighborhood. You throw away all the cereal and candy and sweet things in your house and replace it with fruits and vegetables and meats. You watch what you eat, you mark the calories and fat and carbs and you stay true to your limit. You get rid of that scale in your house. The only time you ever look at your weight is when you go to the doctors. You drink 8-10 glasses of water and you exercise along with it. They say 80% of weight loss is diet. I say 100% of weight loss is willpower. You can change your life. I had never before eaten as well in a month as I did that first day I woke up and cut the crap. I lost 5 pounds in 8 days. And I honestly don't care. As long as I am doing my best to make my life a healthier and better one then I am happy as a clam. I hope this helped some people out there that were as conflicted as me. I am 5 foot 8 and I weigh 130 pounds. I am not their yet but everyday I am working towards a goal which I haven't even made yet. Before I was 142 pounds and unhappy. I felt like I was the heaviest person in the world. Now I feel light as air and happy and everyone has noticed a change. If you want to make a change here are some great methods and websites that can help. 1. http://www.livestrong.com/ Count your calories and water and exercise. Not only does it force you to look at what you eat but it also takes time. A great motivator is convenience. Is that cookie really worth taking all that time to figure out the calories and nutrition info? 2. The Eatery app. This is the same idea as the calorie counters. 3. http://www.bhg.com/recipes/ This website has some healthy and delicious recipes. 4. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM1Nde-9eorUhq-teaWlgUA Without access to a gym, these exercises are easy but really work you. 5. Smoothies. If you are a salad hater like myself, add spinach and kale to smoothies. My smoothies are simple and easy, half a banana, a handful of strawberries and blueberries and a little water. Then just add a handful of your two greens and you can't even taste them. A teaspoon of powdered sugar isn't too bad, if you are a sugar addict like I once was then I would do that until your taste buds adjust. The point is, make a healthy change. And do it now. Don't say next week or tomorrow just do it now. And when you get those cravings just go with them, a healthy oatmeal cookie or a square of dark chocolate never hurt anyone.

As I'm typing this now, my heart is beating faster than normal and it enrages me. Literally have been staring at the screen, trying to talk myself out of doing this but here I am typing away. Actually if it wasn't for friends and family pushing me, I wouldn't be posting this in the first place. Apparently being told "you're being selfish by not sharing it" WAY too many times by WAY too many people makes me feel guilty, and can't have that Why the fuck do I care so much? I worked too damn hard to not show it off, right? Ugggghhhh!!! So here's some perspective, back in high school and years afterward was when I weighed my heaviest. Granted I didn't start my weightloss until much later, but of course I despised getting my picture taken (like most of us) so my senior pictures are the only reference I have as far as before pictures. I FUCKING HATE LOOKING AT THEM!!!! No, seriously, if I didn't have to worry about my mother, I'd rip them all up to shreds. Sometimes seeing those pictures reminds me that I'm still that person, that FAT person. Then when looking in the mirror, I still see her, "Oh Fat Megan, there you are, how horrible it is to see you again." But alas, after years of struggling with losing the weight and medical issues, getting fed up with no results, then trying one last time, I made the lifestyle change. Reflecting now, I feel ashamed about the person I was then. How in the hell did I live life back then? And now, like I did back then, all I want to do is "cover-up" the part of my past. Forget it ever happened, block it from my mind, and move on. I never want to be that lazy ass person again. Scratch that, I WILL never be that lazy ass person again. Well, I don't want to write a novel here (not a writer anyway), so I'll get to it. Here are my before and current pictures (definitely not "after", not done by a long shot) P.S. I apologize for my language, this is a touchy subject for me Also I'm wearing my favorite T Shirt in the picture, "Fight the Dead, Fear the Living" Can't wait for October!!

Hello again, everyone! Last time I started on the last week of the challenge, so this will be my first full challenge In honor of this, and for the fact I'm going to graduate from Stanford during this challenge (June 16th woot! ), I really want to push myself. Last challenge I started 80-20 Paleo, and so far I'm sticking to it. Now I'm setting some new goals: Goal 1: Jog/Run for 2.5 mi or 50 mins (STA: 4 | DEX: 1) I've never done a marathon in my life. I hardly ever run since I'm mildly asthmatic and my legs are angled differently. However, I feel that I use those reasons as excuses to not run ever. Now I want to build up some endurance. I'm going to be training to jog for 5k this summer using an app named Runkeeper starting on Sunday. It's gong to be my first time ever training to run, and my ankles are weak, so I'm nervous. According to the app, I should be able to run 2.5 mils and/or be able to walk/jog for 50 minutes. so that will be my challenge. Wish me luck! Goal 2: Remaster math mission 1: Algebra (Wis: 2) I've always been good at math, and I have taken calculus before. But I haven't had to take a math class in about 3 years, so when I took the GRE (and did decent, thankfully) I noticed my math skills are exceedingly rusty with many holes. Since I need to be quick with math for epidemiology next year, this is a problem. As a life goal I'm going to remaster math starting with Algebra. I will be using Kahn Academy in addition to old text books to practice summer, therefore I will use the Kahn Academy Algebra lecture to measure myself. If I finish the lectures with a full confidence in that level of math, then I succeed. Goal 3: Level 3 of the Angry Bird Workout (STR: 3 | STA: 2) I think this speaks for itself. Since I reached level 2 last challenge, I want to get to level 3. The rows and push ups are the most challenging parts for me, but I'll push at it. Goal 4: Reach intermediate Shakti Yoga (CON: 2 | WIS: 1) So I'm using a Yoga app on my computer (yet another app!?!?), and I am starting off with the beginner mode of Shankti Yoga. Yoga has always been difficult to me, but I want to get better. I'll succeed at this challenge if I am able to successfully graduate to the intermediate level **I'd also like to add: I told my parents that I would give them $20 each if I didn't lose 20 pounds by August 1st, which is when I move to Baltimore for grad school. So I really need to be on my stuff!!!!! If anybody has any advice on weight loss, or would like to cheer me on, I would really appreciate it. Since I don't have a job right now, I really need to keep that $40!!

Previously I was a very active person who was committed to the Paleo diet and personal growth. The last six months I allowed myself to escape accountability and fall off course. I am so excited to start this challenge and regain the healthy lifestyle, weight loss momentum, and leveling up journey that I started a year and a half ago! Where I am today- Eating habits: No planned meals that include pure garbage and empty calories. My meals are filled with processed foods, an obscene amount of sugar, coffee, and worst of all foods that I am allergic too. Exercise: Zero strength training/zero cardio but I still maintained horseback riding 3 times a week. 6 week goals 100% Paleo diet and allergy free-I will do this by being prepared. Grocery store shopping twice a week and pre making meals the night before.Quitting coffee- Week one (one coffee a day), week two (one half caf a day), week three (one decaf a day), week four (green tea only)Workout 5 times a week – Get up every morning Monday-Friday at 5am to work out before work.Stop eating in front of the TV-I will sit at the kitchen table for all meals where I cannot see the TV.

During this six weeks I guess my focus is going to basically be mindfulness. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy three months ago and I am unhappy with the progress of my weight-loss; it dropped much more quickly after my first. I have lost quite a few pounds but still need to lose 15-20 more. I am not focused on a particular number I just want to find my 'happy' weight: the weight at which my body stays comfortably and I feel confident in my body. I have tried many diets from Paleo to veganism in the past, but I have never been able to really feel satisfied. I think about food too much and over-eat. This bad relationship with food distracts from more important things such as my children. So, for the next 6 weeks I will work toward the following goals: 1. Mindful Eating: I will practice only eating when I am truly hungry. It will be hard for me, but I know it will get easier as I learn to identify what 'true hunger' feels like and learn to work past cravings. When I do eat, I will focus on eating slowly and listening to my body. I will try to stop eating at around 80% fullness so that I do not over eat. I also want to keep my diet based on 80% REAL food and the other 20% can be filled with whatever I have been craving. 2. Meditation: I will meditate for 5 minutes a day and add a minute a week until I work up to ten minutes a day. I am hoping this will help me in eating mindfully and also being more mindful throughout the day. 3. Yoga: I already do some form of exercise at least five days a week but I want to include more yoga on a regular basis. I have bee very sore and stiff and I think this will help me feel much better! I will do yoga for thirty minutes at least three days a week while keeping my body weight work-outs only two days a week. Hopefully at the end of this challenge I have lost weight and changed my relationship with food for the better. Hopefully I will be able to notice these changes through less stress related to food, a better mood (which is usually negative by the end of the day) and physically through measurements as well as the way my clothes fit. I will retake my measurements every Friday. (I will also take photos, but I will not be posting those! My current measurements: Weight: 154.5 Waist: 34 3/4 inches Hips: 40 1/4 inches Dominant Thigh: 23 1/2

I am now 75% of the way to my long term weightloss goal. This morning I weighed in at 164.8. Started at 195 and my final goal is 155. 10 more pounds to go!

hi fellow rebells, my name is fearlesscreek and this is my first challenge. i have a feeling its gonna be awesome!! starting point / the source: weight: 108,0 kg (237 pounds) height: 1,78 m (5´10´´) measures: waist: 98,5 cm bum: 110 cm bust: 103 cm bizeps: 35 cm calves: 44 cm neck: 38 cm running: able to run 3 x 10 minutes with 2 minutes walking in between. eating: clean, unprocessed food, few carbs but waaay too many calories goals for my first challenge / running towards awsome! i will be able to run 6k until mai 27. to reach this goal i will do every run of my 5k training plan unless injured. then i will do my first 5k ( AVON Frauenlauf Berlin) on mai 4th. after that i will rest for 3 days and then start training for my first 6k (Zehlendorfer Volkslauf Berlin) on mai 29th. by mai 27th i will have run 6k straight once. 6k run without walking = A+, 6 k run with up to 3 walking intervalls = A, 5 k run = B, 4 k run = C, not finished run = D, not started run = F i will eat 80 % clean unprocessed food and log it daily in myfitnesspal aiming to lose some lard. to reach this goal i will not go over my recomended 1760 calories / day. i will eat no food that comes in packages, but will allow dairy, oats and wholewheat. if i have to have fastfood i will only eat doner kebap but stick to my calories. 0-3days fail = A; 4-8 days fail = B; 8-12 days fail = C; more than12 days fail = F ( 5 CON) i will stick to a weekly budget. i am pretty broke right now !!! therefore i will review my financial situation each sunday and decide how much money can be spent during the upcoming week. i will not spend more than the amount i decided on. no fail: A; fail 1 week = B, fail 2 weeks = C; fail 3 weeks = D; borrow money = E (2 WIS 1 CON) i will have a short playdate with myself 6 times during the challenge. to reach this goal i will try out new physical activities that make me sweat ´n smile. like, i always wanted to kick ass like steve on a playground, try bikramyoga, do some weights on the roofterrace...whatever it is - i have to do something (new and exiting or just fun) 6x for at least 30 minutes. all playdates done = A; 5 playdates done = B; 4 playdates = C; less than 4 = F (1 STR 1CHA) i have joined the team "superheroes" ( spreadsheet acountabilitybuddies) and my wonderful sidekick is e-adora, who gets to read my boring food entries on mfp! *thanks girl!* looking foreward to meeting many of you! fearlesscreek

Kamek's starting stats: Height: 5'9 Weight: 240 pounds Race: Freckled but not a ginger Skills: Oversized legs good for car pushes and making it difficult to buy jeans Fitness Goals: 1. Go to BJJ 3x a week 2. Lift Heavy 2-3x a week 3. Lose 10 pounds to get to 230 (Currently 240) Life Goal: - Aside from one free hour a day, only use my computer for school assignments (this has more to do with correcting my posture than avoiding wasting time). For about the last year, I've worked out at home with a 35 pound KB and bodyweight, usually doing interval circuits. I also boxed for about five months until a reoccurring wrist injury forced me to stop, heal and start BJJ. But, I've already noticed how hard my back, core and neck are working when grappling and I want to avoid "snapping my shit" so to speak. My goal is to build a strong body with structural integrity. So, I'm going to start a slightly amended Starting Strength program. Instead of doing Bench 2x a week, I'm going to add heavy dips. And for my neck and grip, I'm going to add farmer's carries/holds 2x a week. I'll probably be posting a lot in the form check forum soon. I have an appointment to tour a nearby gym on Wednesday. WORK-OUT: MONDAY) Squat 3x5 Bench 3x5 Pull-Up 3xF Farmer's Carry 3x90 seconds Neck Exercises 1-2 sets of push-up progression 100 burpees WEDNESDAY) Squat 3x5 Overhead Press 3x5 Deadlift 3x1 Neck Exercises 100 Burpees FRIDAY) Squat 3x5 Dips 3x5 Chin-up 3xF Farmer's Carry 3x90secs Neck Exercises 1-2 sets of push-up progression 100 Burpees As far as BJJ goes, my plan is to go, soak it up, roll, and make sure I get there at least 3x a week. If I'm particularly beat up, I'll drop a heavy lift day, not BJJ. I also started writing down all the techniques I'm learning in a book since there's a lot more stuff to remember than jab-right cross-left hook-roll under-left hook. ... Although, I'm sure after six months of grappling, I'll probably be craving to hit a heavy bag or do focus mitt drills. I'd really like to be able to compete once I get skilled enough, but I know I'd have to start going like 5x a week if that becomes a real goal. As for losing weight, I'm going to try my best to stay to a whole foods diet, avoiding wheat and sugar -- mostly paleo, but I'm going to eat dairy like cheese and real, high fat yogurt, as well as peanut butter (I'm still not convinced 100% organic peanut butter is full of anti-nutrients and bad for me). I may use a calorie counter since the last time I went paleo, I under-ate for my activity level by about 600-800 calories -- I just wasn't hungry most of the time.