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I ended up watching Batman V Superman and Snyder's Justice League this weekend for a combined total of 7 HOURS of movie-time. Shit's exhausting. Anyways, figured I would make my challenge and do some cleaning up around here. Last challenge was ending on a low note: I have this feeling like the good vibes are hard to find/make around NF and I had this catch 22 that I was feeling: if I post about good things, I feel guilty because I know so many people are doing badly. If I post about bad things, I feel like I'm adding to the echo-chamber of depression that I'm actively trying to fight against. I was assured that I should post regardless and that it help so that's what I'm going to go. My challenge is the same this entire year: 1) Workouts - When covid was getting scary and gyms were closing down, I didn't use it as an excuse: I decided to look up some dumbbell workouts at home. I've gone from bodyweight or 7 pound dumbbells to using 30, 45, or 50 pound weights. And for Christmas, I got a 60 pound dumbbell. I work out 4 times a week so it's pretty obvious that I should get 1 Strength point per workout. 2) NF - With the changes on the forums and the fact that I've been dragging ass for a while, I think I need to bump up this as a priority. I've overhauled my schedule to include way more frequent posting/checking threads. I feel like typing up things is hand dexterity, so each time I'm on NF, I'm going to give myself 1 Dexterity point. Also something that I neglect terribly is any sort of stretching. I know I should do it. I know it's supposed to aid in building muscle and yadda yadda. And YES I have bad back pain daily but I never seem to work on it and I NEED to. Since that is body dexterity, that also will count towards a point so if I don't post on NF, I can substitute it with a stretching routine. 3) Whole30 - Eating this way always make me feel better and the thing is, the longer the streak I do; the better I feel. As soon as I fall off the bandwagon, I feel fucking AWFUL so what makes sense is to, you know, never have a break from eating this way. Every day I eat this way improves my overall health, so I think I should get 1 Vitality point per day. 4) Study/Arts - I already read the LCSW practice exam stuff but I don't want to get rusty if, somehow, magically, I'll be able to take it sooner than expected. Rather than be caught off guard, I want to get back into studying a little each day. I also have some artistic pursuits that I would like to do again and if they are viewable, I'll post pictures. I'm pretty sick of playing videogames and watching twitch/youtube. I want to create something. I feel like these are both wisdom-related so I think that every time I do either thing, I should get 1 Energy point. --- 1) Workouts I started ramping up a little more by adding some more cardio into the mix as last challenge kept going. 2) NF was posting less as the challenge continues because of the aforementioned issue. 3) Whole30 stayed about the same - with some slight fuck-ups but nothing seriously bad. A couple glasses of milk or some cheese in a meal was the worst I did; and I haven't had any candy/sugar/junk since Christmas and plan to keep it that way. 4) Study/Arts was increased by a LOT as I've been studying in blocks. I've been able to concentrate for 1-4 hours and read through the study book and I'm about halfway through it. I checked yesterday and there weren't any test dates up yet for me to choose from but I'll check again tomorrow. I don't want to say the specific date just in case it doesn't go well but I'm studying my fucking balls off. I'm trying every challenge to be a little more efficient so I'm hoping that by the end of this year-long challenge, I'll have these 4 goals mastered.

*put awesome intro story here* (will put link if I do write this month, there is scenes forming in my head but quite don't have it down yet- one day will hold a Narrative). Can feel the celebration of the first harvest... Literally in the wind. I love this time of year, I realize Fall just brings wind of magic and hope (perhaps why the Fall semester is easier than Spring for me?) So perhaps the perfect time for me to complete a full Whole30! Last month I had done a no fast food challenge... Had only cracked twice with Subway and Chipotle. While having allowed myself to go to down to earth coffee places and co-op/natural food stores outside of grocery stores. The last two of last challenge I was able to start up again on the forums for my 4th NF Anniversary! Despite my weight having gone up a bit over the years, I am happier and in a better place than I was when I first came on. For a long time now I know my relationship with food has been not healthy (most people can understand). It hit me harder when I started comparing my romantic relationship with my boyfriend last June when I was hitting a personal limit of frustration. Despite the frustrations, and I was ready for him to be done too. When I gave us space, he reached out and agreed on his own faults and asked to have time with me (I was betting on a month, he did it within a week). A relationship he wanted to work on, with no games just to have a happier relationship. For me this is the first romantic relationship I've ever had, and next month is our first anniversary... When I looked at my favorite foods of McDonalds and other sweets. I realized that I was going above and beyond to get my sugar fix, however I usually was left with nothing but an angry sugar crash. When I gave up fast food, I tried looking at every meal to see what I enjoyed. Many frozen meals due to my fatigue and not wanting to cook. I noticed also meals I once loved both cooked and bought, tasted like bad dates. My taste has changed due to exposure of Nigerian food (real variety of spices in every dish, along with new flavors of food that are bitter and savory). That even my comfort food has been lacking. For some reason I heard a whispering of Whole30... ( @Teros own challenge was a high influence) It came about. I started planning for August 1st. Realized on my NF Anniversary that I was nose diving in amazing sugar pastries, that I all enjoyed however had a week left to go. And starting on the first was a bit more stressful than I preferred (getting it done in one go). Now since the 24th and having to restart once. Today I had officially completed the first week! I am relying on Whole30 hot dogs, and need to work on getting some cooking. I had found I can make yummy salads through my own pickings, while want to look at more one pot recipes. I want to cook more due to fiances also, $5 pack of hot dogs are high on sodium and a bit expensive. The CHALLENGE! Nutrition: Whole30, Follow the rules, no desserts or candy either or compliant baked goods and even baked goods. until I hit day 30.When I hit day 25 I can start looking at the next plan (but first let's finish one!) This is to help push the restart on my gut... If completed rewarding myself with a guilt free gaming day. Fitness: A:Stretching 5 mins daily, must after work. Bonus on my days off. This summer I work at a public zoo as Maintenance (janitorial and setup for events, I usually walk 5-10 miles a day with different type of strength activities...). Was like a boot camp for the first two months, body is keeping up a bit (plus know strategies on how to make it work). Been doing leg stretches because I noticed my lack of flexibility and my feet tightening significantly. B: School Plan, I'm currently looking into a janitorial job to help keep activity up for the school year but also want to keep getting stronger. I will have access to outdoor trails, the gym, a pool and random classes my school offers (and may announce sooner than later). I know I will be looking for more outdoor stuff to keep the sun on my skin until gets cold, but I do have more chances. Spiritual: Meditate Daily, try to get 5 mins in a day of walking meditating. I want to keep up all my different techniques, and will work on continuing with my healer weekly (or biweekly). Life: A: Paperwork, Need to restart my Medical Insurance. A trail of paper work I need to complete but have partially done since last challenge. Plan is to get my part done by the end of this challenge (live in a big county for state insurance so this could take awhile). Goal is to be back in therapy by the end of the year. Also need to apply to Schoo job (high chance I'll get in a Janitor job for a cleaning company due to seeing my mother enjoying the care from the company- and being blood connected to a favorite worker will more than secure it. B: YNAB, Daily check of YNAB. The fail this summer was a lack of savings, but I haven't had a second job since last summer and had a bought a new car last February. The future goal is to live off my own money (had been borrowing from boyfriend and mother most of the year... now to try to get my stuff together). C: School, Get school stuff started. Turn in my end date to the zoo, update my Saturday job at the museum when I start working at every week. Make sure I'm taking a class within my goal, start looking for books and so on. School is coming probably faster than I think. NF: Stay active in the forums, post at least weekly (a win if daily or more). Stay connected with at least 3 people through the entire challenge.

WhitebeltBrowncoat Respawns Hi all, It's been a while since I have done one of these challenges, and the first time doing one with the Rangers. Here's a bit of background about me. I just turned 34, am married, and have an 8-year old Mini-Browncoat. The wife and I have decided that we need to get healthy. I did a handful of challenges with the Monks, did one with the Assassins, and now thought I would give the Rangers a try. Major Goal: Lose 60 Pounds Right now I'm tipping the scales at 245. Not the heaviest I've ever been, but getting close. My goal weight is 185. I was active throughout high school and college (swam, played water polo, roller hockey, and was a gym rat at the climbing gym), but after college, life got in the way and sports and activities have dwindled to nothing and the weight crept on. No better time than now to change this. Here is how I'm planning on doing this... Since you can't outrun your fork: The wife and I are going to start Whole30. This isn't going to be easy. Early preparation is going to be key for us to complete this. The plan will be to break this out by week and have a full meal plan done. That way we can prep everything in advance. We aren't starting Whole30 today, but it will be during this challenge. I'll let you all know when it does begin. Declutter the house: We have too much crap around the house. We finally made a space to exercise, but we really need to get rid of all the extra crud. Finish Cleaning the Office, Bedroom. Also, come up with a good cleaning schedule for the house and stick to it. Exercise: Simple and sinister — I got a 16kg kettlebell for Christmas, but haven't done a whole lot with it yet. I am going to do the Simple and Sinister routine three times a week. I jumped in a little too enthusiastically a couple months back and tweaked my shoulder doing Turkish Get Ups. This time around I am going to approach these more cautiously. I am thinking that instead of doing all 10 getups with the 16kg, I should start with a lighter weight; a 1-gallon water jug (~4kg) to start, then a 3 gallon (~11kg), then the 16kg kettlebell once everything feels good. Miscellaneous Life Goals: Get better at brushing and flossing. Brush twice a day, floss once a day. I've been avoiding going to the dentist because I know I will get scolded for not brushing and flossing as well as I should. Thanks for having me here. TLDR: GOAL: Lose 60 pounds STEPS: *Whole30 Meal Plans/Start Whole30 *Simple and Sinister 3x per week *Finish Cleaning the Office *Finish Cleaning the Bedroom *Create Cleaning Schedule *Brush 2x and Floss 1x per day

I am a little late to start this challenge, but I sort of started it yesterday... when I bought the e-Book of the RBG Fitness Routine. If Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg can do it at 85? Damnit, so can I. But baby steps, yeah? I'm starting a shortened version twice a week, 30 minutes, as I don't have the time to do more right now, but yeah, it's a cute book, and why not? Which brings me to.... TIME BLOCKING. As I get closer to my trip to Japan, my time is more and more valuable. I have two major puppet builds to do this month, a day job to keep on top of, and learning Japanese throughout. So I need to make a nice obvious easy to follow time blocked schedule and then I need to STICK TO IT. Wish me luck. But I need to EAT to have the energy to do all this, so I figured I'd try a vegan/vegetarian version of Whole 30. I've been vegan off and on, and was thinking to keep that up, but I might being in eggs from the local farmers here, as they are local, good for me, and cruelty free. It depends how I feel about eggs at the time, I guess. So far I've been starting my day with frozen fruit, kale, protein powder, and chia blended to death smoothie, lunches seem to be lettuce wrap based, and dinner I've been making insane fusion tacos that are kinda brilliant. I will mix things up, but I'm going to try to do Whole 30, but the vegetarian version (so lentils, peanuts, tofu, that sort of thing are okay as protein sources.) That's about it, besides massively studying Japanese. Which I'm doing alright with. I am going to start using tutors to talk to in June and July, as I leave end of July and need to be able to base level function in conversation. That and I'm making a delightful puppet to accompany me, and I will share him with you all when he's done!

This challenge is mostly a continuation of the last challenge for me, since I came in late and the things I was working on are still in progress ^^; There are some modifications though. Main Quest - Grasping the sword (getting up and fighting back against my mental and physical issues) Sidequest 1 - Daily yoga - I have my yoga set for 11am right now, which means I need to be up a bit before that to eat something (before you ask - I work 3:30-midnight, hence the weirdness of my schedule. I'm trying to roll back my timing so I'm up earlier and in bed before 4am) and I want to roll this back slowly over this challenge to between 9:30 and 10am. Oh boy. Ultimately I'm hoping to get enough of my muscle tone and movement back to be able to confidently get back into martial arts, and starting parkour again this spring. Bonus points if I get 2 runs in in a week now that the second gym at work is up and running again. SQ1 Tracking - 1 point/session of yoga, aiming for 7 points/week 1 bonus/grace point for 2 runs Sidequest 2 - Food tracking - I'm on Whole30 until the 15th, after which I'm going to try to keep a close eye on my intake of convenience and junk food and make sure I'm cooking for several days at a time so I have cooked food available that doesn't involve a drive thru. SQ2 Tracking - 1 Point/1 day food tracked (LifeSum), aiming for 7 points/week. 1 point lost for each weekday trip through a drive through / fast food spot Sidequest 3 - Community building - both for my own accountability and to help others in this community, I want to make sure I'm getting out in there and encouraging others <3 so I want to make sure I get at least 10 comments per week on threads that are not my own. SQ3 Tracking - 1 point/comment on a separate thread - can't be 10 on the same couple of threads ^^; Aiming for 10/week Lifequest - Organization - since the Bujo, schedule, and my house organization have become entwined, this is just all getting lobbed together on my challenge. LQ Tracking - 5 points for getting one room done over the week - aiming for 5 points/week Point scale - 29 points - A+ yaaaaay! 25-28 points - A- - not terrible, but could be better 20-24 points - B - ok, we're going to work on this a bit >20 points - I need to take a look at what other factors are causing avoidance and stress, and get back on track. I'll be editing this sometime later to give everything a more measurable way to track progress, I have to go to work right now (Edited to add trackability)

Hello again, all! I'm back for another air-installment to try to build awesome habits. Last time around, my challenge was simple, but I still bit off more than I could chew. My new job, an online course (just finished up!) a surprise Whole30 with coworkers and some other challenges really threw wrenches into my system. Not great! I'd like to do this challenge again (even though I did alright last time!) to really solidify these habits and build on them. I'll also be emphasizing daily morning rituals. When you're taking care of an Air Temple, you've got to start the day off right! Equinoxe's Airbender Challenge: Part II Mindful Study: Morning Practice Start the day with 15-30 min of morning meditation at 5am. I have found that reading in the evening is better than starting with reading in the morning; I get into a groove, and don't want to stop! That's better to save for when I don't feel the time pressure to get out the door for work... Mindful Moving: Morning Exercise Pretty self-explanatory. I've been ramping up my exercise routines, but want to aim for more frequency rather than harder workouts. My biggest challenge will be making time for exercise every day, instead of getting a head start at the office. (My #1 excuse for skipping a workout) But now that I have the Movement Space set up, I want to use it! I'll be focusing on yoga and weights/rowing, alternating every other day. Mindful Eating: Eat (and drink!) Like an Airbender Alright, this goal will be separated into two parts: First part, finish my vegetarian Whole30 with my coworkers (done the last week of October). Second part: Continue eating primarily whole-foods plant-based through the rest of the challenge. I've ID'd some great foods that seem to do really well for me, and I want to favor them. (I'll probably get more specific about this goal when the second stage rolls around) As for my mindless snacking, I've been eating a LOT of nuts over my Whole30, which has actually been making me feel pretty ill. Instead of snacking, my plan is to reach for herbal tea! That seems good enough for now. Let's keep training! Boom!

Fonzico woke up to a surprisingly balmy October day. She stretched up, rising on her tippie toes to greet the sun - "where have you been, my friend?" Turning to Hyzer with a sly grin, "what do you say, boy? Time for an adventure?" I fully admit, I've been taking advantage of my hubby and letting him do the lions share of the dog walking lately. Which is insane, as one of the reasons I wanted a dog was to have a walking companion, since hubs doesn't really like to walk unless it's to get somewhere. Especially since the days are now getting shortly (quickly!) I'm really going to need to fight the laziness. So, the adventures of me and the puppers is going to be my theme this time around. Target One Acquired: Complete the Whole 30! I started on October 10th, and will finish on Nov 8th. I have a bridal shower/bachelorette party on the 11th, so that weekend I will not be worrying about food choices, but my plan is to get back into it the following Monday. Maybe not for an official 30 days again, but really try to keep this as my way of eating - I've slipped back into old habits much too quickly after previous ones. I don't want to think of it as being "done" anything. 1 pt for each Whole 30 day. Week Zero counts. 3 pts for November 13th being Whole 30. 5 points for weekly meal prep A=55 pts B=45pts C=35pts D=23pts <23pts=I did not finish the Whole 30 so super fail. Target Two Acquired: Workout! I have started going to kettlebells again, because my favourite instructor started teaching again, and also it's at a time I can actually make it to. It's awesome... but it's only once a week. And I've been super lazy lately about supplementing it. One point per workout... again, we're counting week zero. A+=12 A=10 pts B=8 pts C=6 pts D=4pts (A+ means I get a prize... TBD.) Target Three Acquired: Walk the puppers. Every. Day. He needs two walks a day, so if I'm walking him once, that means it's a fair split. Also it's good for me. I'm going to try to get some pre-work walks in - part of why I've been able to slack on this is that hubby has been working from home, but that will be coming to a pause soon, so that means pre-work walks will soon become a necessity. Also, I can totally bank walks on this one (IE 2 walks a day = I can take a day off) A+=45pts A=35 pts B=30pts C=25pts D=20pts Target Four Acquired: Get the house in shape. I've been trying to "purge" this beast for forever... with minimal headway. Also, I am hosting the aforementioned bridal shower, and I want my place to look like a damn show home (okay, that's not actually possible, with the whole shabby boho design philosophy I've got going on here, but you know what I mean...). Priority will be the public spaces, but bonus points for getting to other rooms. 1. Organize and cleaning dining room. 3 pts 2. Clean deck/balcony area. 3 pts 3. Declutter mantle area. 1 pt 4. Organize side table drawers, and clear all surfaces in living room. 4 pts 5. Do something about the lizard stand. 1 pt 6. Clean ceiling fan. 1 pt ------ That's what needs to happen before the party, for sure. Obviously baseline cleaning as well, but the above stuff should only need doing once. 7. Tidy coat closet 3 pts 8. Tidy linen closet. 2 pts 9. Clean/tidy/purge craft room (ughhhh it's so bad...) 7 pts 10. Purge/tidy kitchen cabinets. 5 pts A+=30pts A=23pts B=18pts C=13pts Really, less than a C is a fail here.. So, I've been really trying to contemplate my big "why" lately, and I think it really comes down to wanting to feel pride about myself. I mean, I AM proud of a lot of things - I'm proud of the work I do, I'm proud of my art, I'm proud of the kind of wife I am... but I'm not proud of my body, of some of things it can't do, and of how it looks. I know that a lot of this is vain, but if I'm being really honest, it's true. Especially right now, as I am a bridesmaid in two weddings next year, for which we are going dress shopping next month, and one of which is in Mexico=swimwear. I just want to feel good about myself, and also with how I look in the photos! So anyways, vain as it is, that is my motivation right now. And dammit, I'm going to do this! ("This" meaning feeling good in a bikini.).

This challenge I want to focus on my eating. The last few months I’ve been pretty bad about home cooking, coffee and sugar. Because I’ve been so lazy about food, I go the easy route which is pre made foods or snacks which tend to be sugary treats. I know that diet it essential to getting healthy and losing weight and it’s something I always struggle with. It’s time for my yearly Whole30! Whole30 400 pts at Completion Start 8/13 - End 9/11 Complete 30 days of no Dairy, Sugar, Grains, Legume and Alcohol. Try 4 new vegetables. Accountability : At least 15 Pictures of the foods I eat Review recipes I try and share them here At least 1 sentence update a day for how I’m feeling Continue with previous August habits Health = Cleaning 10 Mins a day Floors/Counters/Mail/Trash/Laundry Mana = Water or Tea 6 cups + Strength = Exercise 3 workouts a week 4 yoga sessions 4 gym sessions Stamina = Sleep In bed by 11pm & Up by 6:30am Wisdom = Finances Pay bills on time Create weekly budgets Constitution = Food Home cooked meals Whole30 Reduce Snacking (3x a day)

It's been a long time... Too much has happened in the last...18 months to even try to condense it all. To sum it up; put on 10kg, became sedentary, have a very stressful job. Time to fix things! Quest One: Lose weight - My final goal is to get to 60kg. I'm currently at 72.4kg having lost 2kg since rejoining this site - Whole30 Weekly shopping lists & meal plans - I want to make Wednesday a shopping day and food prep day because it's my day off Practice a Whole30 diet 5 out of 7 days, to keep it sustainable longer term Quest Two: Make time for me - I often feel switched on at all times, like I don't have any down time, I need to make more time for me! - Cycle to my parents Linking in to weight loss too, I'm a big cyclist; mountain biking and road cycling! It takes me 30 minutes to cycle to my parents, I should do it more often, and give myself an hour to just be mindful Quest Three: Remove work stress - I'm a pharmacist, with my own branch. I have a manager, but I feel lately our roles overlapping, it's too much for me right now. - Stop getting involved in patient conversations unless asked! - Learn to delegate - Stop answering the phone! I feel like my quests overlap a lot, the cycling will not only help me take time for myself but it will help with my fitness too! I'm going to keep cycling in general, plus going to the gym at least once a week, but they don't make up part of my main goals for these four weeks

Basically this: Whole30 (of which I am already on day 4) and reading It Starts With Food Things to do instead of sitting on the couch all day like I do every summer (thinking of a list kind of like @juliebarkley's random encounters from her last challenge, I'm still trying to come up with a list of things) Practice clarinet again (I've been over a month off and I need to get my chips back in shape for ClarinetFest) Bible reading (because Lord knows I don't do that enough) Planned things: ClarinetFest Optometrist appointment Landmark self expression and leadership program and the project associated with that Churching, especially since Landmark is keeping me from being able to attend Young Adults group. Finally paint my room! And put up shelves! Dogsitting Put together a "dream board" to put up in a very prominent place to remind myself of what I want my life to be and then maybe work toward it (would contain pictures mostly)

I have been MIA from here for around 18 months! The last time I took part in a challenge I had just become a pharmacist, so I was working 60 hours/week, plus trying to plan my wedding, my dad was having health scare after health scare and I'd just moved house. Since then my job has settled down, I'm comfortable at home and everything is okay with my family. I've also put on 10kg since my wedding. I'm ready to re-boot, and be accountable. I've been a part of Noom coaching for around 8 weeks now, so I'm half way through, I've also got a new gym buddy (though she's working at Glastonbury festival right now), and I'm rediscovering whole30 Going shopping tomorrow using my Whole30 list, then I'm going to post my meal plan for the week here! Also going to post about workouts I get in, and weekly weigh ins If I can keep up with this, then I might have a go at the next challenge after my holiday in July

Last year was a rough year. This year I had planned to make a comeback, then I overcommitted and my schedule has been really busy. I've been waiting for too long and I don't want to do it anymore. I've tried a few different ways of working on my 2017 Roadmap despite my schedule with varied success. This time it is going to work. This is the last challenge with the crazy schedule and I want to position myself for an epic challenge next time around. I'll be working on 2 things and 2 things only - Food and Fitness Food - Whole30 I'm taking the plunge. I've been curious about trying it before but wasn't sure I could do it. I know I can do it now. I eat close to paleo already but my habits are littered with too many small variances that I don't even notice anymore. My habits are my worst enemies. They add up to barely maintaining my weight. I am hoping to kickstart some weight loss but most importantly I am hoping to get a refresh on my food habits so that I can get back to 80-90% paleo next challenge. This will start Wednesday of Week 0 so that the last day will be the last Thursday of the challenge. Fitness - Athena's Playbook I've struggled to find and make the time for fitness. I've managed to find small pockets of time but with no clear direction or schedule for fitness I haven't been able to use it well. Darebee to the rescue. Athena's playbook is a general fitness 30 day challenge that seems to fit the bill perfectly. It incorporates upper body, lower body, abs, cardio, and yoga. I can schedule the easier days around my schedule and as long as I at least do level 1 each day, it's a pass. I can do more if I have the time but it's not required. I will be taking Tuesdays as a rest day since it is the busiest day. I will start immediately on Monday and should finish at the very end of the challenge. Skipping a day is allowed if necessary but it will have to be made up to pass.

Early in January I had committed to starting a Whole 30 on February 6. This would be my first whole 30 and my second foray into paleo-ish eating. After running a slow-bulk over about 8 months, with great results, I had built my weight up to a level I was not totally comfortable with. But mostly, my reason for starting the whole 30, is that my nutrition habits had gotten out of control. Things I had previously “quit” were now a regular occurrence back in my diet… Mainly sweets. Diet sodas, baked goods, chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. February 6th was determined as my start date because I had a powerlifting meet on January 28. I didn’t want to alter my diet and affect my performance prior to the meet. Starting after gave me sufficient time to recover from the meet and prepare for the whole 30. Results: I had weighed in at 151 lb the week prior to starting. After 30 days I was weighing 145 lb. I could also tell my waist was significantly smaller, and tummy flatter, although I did not take measurements. It was particularly difficult for me as I was hit with the flu and out of commission right during the middle of the whole 30, so many of the things people typically experience, I think were lost on me due to being sick (“tiger blood” feeling). However, I did see other benefits. I realize many of these are subjective with no real quantitative data to back them up, but here are some of my non-scale victories I experienced: My skin improved. I experienced less blemishes and blackheads I had less bloating and gas. My bowel movements were easier/more regular. I always had some sort of stuffy nose previously, needing to blow my nose a handful of times a day. This has mostly gone away since getting over my cold. I am sleeping more soundly throughout the night and having an easier time waking up when my alarm goes off. I am experiencing less mental fog. I’m having an easier time focusing on tasks, my attention span has improved, and I feel I’m more productive. I am less reliant on caffeine to get me through the day and don’t find myself needing a 2pm caffeine pick me up because I’m no longer having a mid-day slump. I am spending much less on food because I’m eating out a lot less. I have reintroduced gluten and dairy. I’m noticing some adverse effects from dairy (bloating, constipation) so I will likely use dairy sparingly from here on out. I have yet to reintroduce legumes or non-gluten grains. Otherwise, most of the victories are sticking around so far. Challenges: Eating out was definitely a challenge. I ate out I believe 4 times over the course of the 30 days and it was a P.I.T.A. every time. For some restaurants, they have nutrition information available online so it was easier to pick ahead of time something compliant. Otherwise I found myself being that person “What oil do you use for cooking? Is there any dairy products in that? Do you have any sugar or honey in that dressing?” etc. If you can’t avoid it find 2-3 restaurants you know will be ok and stick to them over the 30 days. For me that was a local diner that could cook my breakfast food in olive oil and would serve me a side of fruit instead of toast, Chipotle (carnitas, salsas, lettuce, guac), and HuHot, sticking to compliant ingredients and sauces. Added sugar is in FUCKING EVERYTHING. Seriously, having to read labels was insane. Obviously you aren’t eating as much packaged food, so it becomes less of an issue, but for things like salad dressings, canned tomatoes, bacon, etc. You know what else is in fucking everything? SOY. Tea bags sometimes contain soy lecithin for pete’s sake. And CORN. I purchased almonds and they had corn maltodextrin as an ingredient. Whyyyyyy???????? So yea, avoiding those 3 ingredients in things I would think would be raw was a challenge. Seriously, if there is a label, read it. Lessons Learned: My sugar dragon is still not tamed. I still crave sugar regularly, just, not as bad as before. I will likely complete another whole30 or modified whole30 again soon to further banish the sugar dragon. I didn’t realize how much I relied on “healthy” processed foods… e.g. protein bars, protein shakes, fruit and nut bars, jerky, energy teas, diet soda/zevia, etc. I’m still struggling to reframe my mindset about getting enough protein without needing to rely on these foods. Especially difficult for someone who doesn’t love meat that much and used to get a lot of my protein from non-meat sources (whey shakes, cottage cheese, eggs. One can only eat so many eggs in a day….). Also, had to eliminate my use of supplements during the 30 days, BCAAS and creatine, specifically. I don’t need alcohol. Like at all. I know I’ve spoken about struggling with this in the past, but I have yet to reintroduce it and I’m fine without it for at least another few weeks. I have no qualms now about going to a bar or restaurant and ordering a fizzy water with lime wedge. Seriously though, I think eliminating alcohol and sugar were the hardest, but most beneficial to eliminate. Meal prepping and planning each week was HUGE to my success. Each weekend I made a list of 3-4 recipes and planned out a grocery shopping list (including breakfasts and any snacks). Grocery shopping was made much easier. And then I prepped usually breakfast for the week and 2 meals on Sunday, with additional recipes prepped on usually Wednesday or Thursday. Each recipe I prepped enough for 3-4 meals each. Tips for anyone else considering doing a whole30 Meal plan. Meal plan. Meal plan. Pick a breakfast and 3-4 lunch dinner recipes for the week and either prep them 1-2x/week or when you need to for dinner. Having healthy meals on hand was crucial for me to avoid decision fatigue or tempting situations. You don’t have to follow my plan exactly, but figure out something that works for you. Make a list of healthy snacks and keep some on hand. In your car, gym bag, purse, office, at home etc. Fruit, nuts, trail mixes, raw veggies, avocado, whatever. Make sure you eat enough fat! If you’ve never done a lower fat or keto diet before this will likely be difficult for you too. Even though whole30 is not low-carb by design, you do eliminate many of your carb sources you were consuming before (grains, sugars, etc) with most carbs coming from fruit and starchy vegetables. For me I was seriously underestimating how many calories I needed and realized I needed to up my fat by A LOT to compensate. By the end of the 30 days, I was drizzling olive oil or coconut oil over just about everything. I would recommend reading one of the books by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig before starting. At a minimum look at the Whole 30 website. It gives you an idea of what you’re signing up for, plus you can find some great recipe ideas. Get a support system. I did this with one other friend so it was nice to have someone going through the same thing. But make sure you have at least one person who will SOLIDLY help you stick with it and work with you throughout the challenges over the 30 (when that donut craving hits hard!) Not someone who will let you give in.

I'm coming off the high of a wildly successful challenge, and I am so committed to making those changes last! I completed my 3rd Whole30 last round, and it was by far my most successful. I ate like a Queen, I got all my workouts in, I walked, I learned, I journalled. Now I need to find a framework for it all that works in my post-Whole30 world. I find the extreme strictness of the program much easier than exercising moderation - if cheating isn't an option, I won't do it. If it's okay to have just a little of whatever, drawing the line where I stop is SO much harder! So my focus is now on maintaining the good habits that I built to support good decision making going forward, instead of just making a complicated set of rules that I am just supposed to magically follow. Firstmost and Foremost: Diet. I want to keep eating very clean - I felt so good (so energetic, so happy, so NOT bloated) on the W30, and I don't want to give that up. But what does that mean? 1. (5pts/week)Weekly breakfast prep: Take the decision-making out of the first meal of the day. A big batch of protein + veggies will get made on the weekend. If it's there, I will take it to work. If I have to figure out what I'm eating for breakfast in the morning, it doesn't always end well. 2. (10 pts/challenge) Restock Freezer meals: This doesn't necessarily need to happen every week, but I need to have some easy backup food for when my plans fall through. Chicken patties, meatballs and soup have been successful here in the past. 3. (10 pts/week; -5pts for additional variances) Plan and shop for mostly compliant dinners: I have a handy dandy recipe app (Paprika) that I have been using to plan dinners, and then it will automatically generate a shopping list. 3 times per week, this dinner can include legumes OR non-gluten grains. (I take leftovers for lunch, so these things will be eaten again the next day as well.) 4. Don't put cheese on everything! I'm going to aim for 4 non-dairy days per week. Dinner one day through lunch the next counts. (-5pts for each day above 3 with dairy) 5. Macros! Bonus 5 pts per week if average carbs are under 100g, Protein is over 80g, and Calories under 1600. EDIT: 6. I forgot to address wheat. Not gonna lie, I miss bread. I love it so. My short term goal is to not make myself any meals containing it, but to allow it if we eat out (which happens very rarely, so that's not like a carte blanche or anything. And I don't mean fast food, I mean a proper sit down restaurant meal.) 1 freebie for the challenge, then -5 pts for further indulgences. *While I am not technically making these in to goals at this point, I want to be very aware of alcohol and evening snacking. I am feeling pretty okay with not drinking, and I want to keep going for now. I'm okay with having a drink if I really want to, but not just for the sake of it. (Bonus points of 5 for each alcohol-free week.) For the snacking piece, I have rarely felt any desire to snack lately, and if I wanted more food after dinner it was because I was genuinely hungry, and then I ate some appropriate, filling food. I am going to keep up with this, and for this challenge, will just be tracking this item and we'll see how it goes. My logic is that if my daily meals are satiating enough, I shouldn't want to snack. So if I do, I need to recalibrate my other meals.* Okay. Phew. That was a bit of an essay. Hopefully I'm not overcomplicating things, but I think it touches everything I need it to. A : 70pts B : 60pts C : 50pts D : 40pts F : <40pts +4CHA Secondmost and Midmost: Workout. Time to ramp this up a little. 2x workouts per week - formal gym dates (with sister). Body weight and/or dumbbell workouts, with a little cardio mixed in. 1x something else per week - whatever! Yoga, bouldering, and kettlebells all count. Walking doesn't. A : 12pts B : 10pts C : 8pts D : 6pts F : <6pts +7 STR or DEX or END decided upon at the end depending upon mix. Thirdmost and Betwixtmost: Walk. This is a yearlong goal, as I am aiming to get 3,650,000 steps this year! I'm a little behind already, so I'm gunning for 71,250 per week A : 285,000+ B : 255,000+ C: 225,000+ D : 195,000+ F : 194,999 or less. +2END Fourthmost and Aftmost: Talk. I started taking American Sign Language classes last month, and the first level ends Feb 16 and the second starts March 7th, meaning that I will have 4 classes during this challenge. Critically though, I need to get more practice in. There is a casual, student led conversation group on Mondays that I will attend, and I will do some other kind of practice online (watching youtube videos, practicing sign and fingerspelling recognition etc) at least one other time per week. (2 extra times on the weeks with no classes.) A : 10 B : 8 C: 6 D : 4 F : <4 +2INT

Nothing new or unusual to see here, but I have pretty clear motivation to keep my eating and working out on track this month. I completely dropped off the last challenge, *sigh*. Would like to document my efforts this month, despite joining three days late I've been working on these things this month. I may or may not continue adding Brooklyn 9-9 gifs despite lack of relevancy. Overarching Quest: 25% Body Fat Haven't made a lot of progress with this, my weight drifted upwards in Q4 of 2016. But doing the W30 is a good re-start. Mission #1: Complete the Whole30 Started this January 3rd, happily bf is doing it with me this round! So the surfeit of cooking labor is alleviated by his assistance, specifically with dishwashing. I'll put in another post on how it's going so far. The biggest challenge is going to be our trip to Cali for the Spartan sprint... Mission #2: Train for and complete Spartan Sprint After the marathon last year, November and December were spent recuperating and doing a lot of yoga. I'm getting back into the gym, in preparation for our race January 29th. I was dumb last week and overdid it, inducing a little tricep rhabdo -- and then Thursday I came down with a cold. Today I'm finally feeling better to start getting back at it. Since it's so close to the race I'm going to focus on burpees, grip/hang strength, and hills. We're doing the race with a team, and I don't know that anyone feels/is fully prepared -- so we're just aiming to finish together. Mission #3: Decrease TV watching This is back again. I started thinking about how I manage my time and rest on Monday, after a small group discussion about the importance and prioritization of rest. What I will allow is TV that actually contributes to feeling happier. Shows: Brooklyn 9-9 (because it makes me LOL) and Dr. Ken (because my cousin is in it) -- since I'm pretty current on those, it's only 1hr/week. No more Netflix/Hulu watching the bazillion hours of entire show seasons. Movies with bf are allowed -- it's not like we watch more than one at once anyhow. Let's do this.

Last Challenge got derailed by a fun combo of depression, major illness, and General Ennui (worst military leader *ever*). Hey, new year, new me, new "screw you health issues, you can't mess with me"! So, here's my Challenge goals: Goal 1: Whole30 Complete the Whole30 that I started late for Jan (because I had bronchitis and didn't want to do something new and different until that was sorted). So, it goes through Feb 4. This is the first time I'm trying this, and I'm wary yet committed. Goal 2: Yoga Part of my health woes involved cracking under the pressure of stress. So, got the goal of at least one yoga class per week, two if it works with my schedule. Goal 3: Just Do the Stupid Cardio I love running. Running is my joy and my main form of stress relief. And, I have a foot injury that's kept me from running (probably plantar fasciitis, though that's a "Doctor Internet" diagnosis). So instead of doing alternate cardio, I've sulked like a baby. I need to get back to the gym and just do elliptical, bike, rowing machine, even (god I hate it so much) swimming. No cardio makes Anathema blobby and sad, and if my preferred form is off the table for now, gotta find alternates and not get all pouty. Level Up Your Life: Workplace Efficiency I spend way too much time dicking around at work. I have a job where being on Facebook and browsing news sites is actually work-related. But then i go down a clickhole of funny articles and cat videos and then suddenly it's 5pm and I'm still behind. I am going to allow myself 5 minutes per hour to skim through personal stuff, then back to work. My work is evaluated on results, not time spent, so it's easy for me to waste hours, and then work nights or weekends to get caught up. One more think piece on American politics or one more funny blog post isn't worth it, I can catch up on all that on the weekend if I really want to. Bonus Goal: Sleep Schedule Left to my own devices I would probably sleep 16 hours a day. Slight exaggeration, but only slight. I need to get back to a reasonable sleep schedule. It won't work every night due to various scheduled things (mainly swing dance night most Wednesdays), but the goal is in bed by 10pm and up at 6am. Small amount of reading in bed allowed, but not much.

Use It AND Lose It! Challenge theme is a play on theory Use It or Lose It (if you don't use or continue to practice an ability, you might lose it). I want to use my gym memberships and time well, I want to continue to practice my handstands and muscle ups; but I also want to LOSE all those holiday pounds I gobbled up... Diet 1. Complete a Whole30 (Jan 2nd to Jan 31) - not tracking food as per rules but will keep food journal for accountability. +1xp per each day journal-ed. My husband and I always do a dry January so I knew this would be a great time to do a Whole30. It'll be my third time so i know what I'm doing and what to expect. Starting stats: 127lbs 22% body fat. Goal is to get body fat back down to 18-20% Fitness 1. Yin Yoga. 1x weekly. +1xp per practice 2. Crossfit. 2x weekly. +1xp per practice 3. NF Handstands. 2x weekly. +1xp per practice 4. NF Rings. 2x weekly. +1xp per practice 5. Continue journey to Mordor. 1x daily. +1xp per practice. It looks like a lot but it's really only two quests. Walking daily and exercising daily. Sort of a two-a-day fitness plan. For accountability I will keep track of my NF workouts on related NF pages but also for each I will keep track in my journal. Life I want to be able to say this... 1. Do something crafty 1x weekly (or more!!). For accountability I will post a Polaroid sticker photo of my craftiness in my journal (got an instant print digital camera for Christmas that I need to be using...) and/or post photo here on my thread. +1xp per crafting evidence posted. and this... 2. Spanish class. 2x weekly. Not just show up to class but also prepare for it and complete homework. +1xp per class (prepped for, attended, and followed through on).

2017 and Yasha’s keen Some big things happening this year (to be fair towards the end of the year, but still). Mr and I have decided to go ahead with the tentative plan and get married September 1st 2017 on our 10 year anniversary (we’ve been engaged 2 years already, just without a concrete ‘date’) and then as our Honeymoon/travel extravaganza we are hoping to spend between one and two months in the USofA (and a little pop in to Canada) roadtripping around visiting internet friends and feeding the travel bug. Wowsers. SO. I want to get a bit more serious about training and eating and budgeting and planning and all those things which will need to get done by then. I want to be able to walk and walk and walk and not get puffed out and have to go back to the car. I want to rock that Honeymoon bod’. I want to do it without going into mega-debt. As such I will be cracking down trying to make some big progress now (as I expect once we hit the ground in ‘murica we will want to eat all sorts of cheesy, fatty things). So on to the goals for this first month of the year~ Whole 30. Every day of January (except the 31st) Starting in zero week Mr and I will be embarking on a Whole 30 (which seems to be pretty much Paleo with the addition of white potato). The remaining days of the challenge will probably be used for the ‘reintroduction’, ten days of slowly trying the things which were out on the Whole 30 to see how they impact on the body. Because this is a mostly Paleo I expect to be hitting Freggies with ease, but if I feel like I’m eating nothing but eggs and meat I’ll refocus on including the freggies. I will share the pictures of any awesome delicious things I cook (as well as any total disasters). Exercise. 10,000 steps a day and gymming 3xweek. The ROAR classes start back on the 16th Jan, so between now and then I will either go to the gym and do the back workout given by the PT, do ZombiesRun, or go for a swim, regardless I will be aiming for 10-a-day steps and three ‘other’. I gave myself a fitbit for Giftmas and I’m finding its tracking capabilities are encouraging me to push just a little harder to try and hit that target of 10 thousand. BuJo. I’ve started a bullet journal and would like to keep up with it for this whole challenge, at the moment it’s relatively plain, so I would be OK with sharing it, if it starts to get down to the nitty-gritty of life (more than my mirror-list basically) I may pull it back to just acknowledging whether or not I did it. That's it! All achievable goals with no reason not to succeed. Watch out 2017, I'm coming for you...

Man, I just love the new year! It's like a brand new notebook, with margins unscribbled. It's like a fresh field of snow with no foot prints. It's a bright Saturday morning when you woke up early and have no plans. In short, it's pure, unadulterated potential. Right now, I have the potential to become an absolutely amazing version of myself, and DAMMIT I'm going to realise that potential THIS YEAR. Full stop. This challenge is stepping stone #1 towards that Fonzico. Nitty gritty: Goal Number One: Complete the Whole 30. Jan 8 - Feb 6th. Incidentally, we have a big Ukrainian family feast coming up on January 7th, so naturally the perfect day to start is the day after, which just happens to coincide with the start of the challenge. Week Zero will be all about the prepping, and for the challenge proper, it's just breathtakingly simple. Follow the program. There is no fail option here, so it will simply result in: +3CHA +2INT Goal Number Two: Hit the gym. My sister and I have started going to the nearby community gym. It's not the fanciest thing you've ever seen, but it's close, inexpensive and so far we've been really enjoying going. We take turns planning our workouts, and just get it done. We had a talk last time about upping the intensity too. There are also drop in classes there which are included in our membership, so I want to start trying those out too. A : 8+ B : 6+ C : 4+ D : 2+ F : 1 or less +3STR +2END Goal Number Three: Get walking. Okay, so call me crazy.. but I want to give myself a year long step goal of 3,650,000 steps. Yep, 10,000 per day ALL year. Holy crap. I'm already behind. Anyways, in order to support this goal, I'm going to get 285,000 steps during the challenge. A : 285,000+ B : 255,000+ C: 225,000+ D : 195,000+ F : 194,999 or less. +2END Goal Number Four: Learn American Sign Language. Whoohoo! This is something I've wanted to do for a long time... and now my work is paying for me to take Level One and Two classes for the next 4-ish months! So excited! All I have to do for this goal is attend the classes, which, like the Whole30 goal, does not have a failure option - aside from extreme illness, there is just no excuse not to go. Classes are Tues/Thursdays from 6pm-9pm. I will attend 8 classes during this challenge. +2INT Goal Number Five: (yeah, Yeah, I know, that's a lot of goals) Bullet journal. I started a Bullet journal a few months ago, and have been kind of half-assedly using it since. I want to actually fully utilise it. Goal is 5 days of week of writing SOMETHING in it. A : 20+ B : 15+ C: 10+ D : 5+ F : 4 or less. +1INT

I'm back where I belong with my beloved Assassins. I have a renewed understanding of my long-term goals and the motivation to achieve them. Let's Go! Simple and SINISTER Challenge Goal #1- Tighten up my diet Keeping with the Simple and Sinister theme I'll be doing a Whole30 and tracking my food every day. E.V.E.R.Y Day That's no sugar, no grains, no legumes. Goal #2- Get Stronger Follow the Simple&Sinister kettlebell workout. 4x and week plus 2 additional workouts of my choosing. Yes, 6 workouts a week. Goal #3- Recovery 4 Cups of water/herbal tea Foam roll after every kettlebell workout Life Goal- Gratitude/Positivity End every challenge update with a list of things I'm thankful for or daily accomplishments.

About me: Hokay… so I have been a part of Nerdfitness for almost 5 years (!!!). I have mostly been a lifter and paleo person, but since my move to Alaska and pregnancy and new motherhood all really threw off my routines and habits. I haven’t been around as much this past year, but I’m determined to change that. I’ve been in Alaska for 3 years, my husband is military. But we are fortunate enough to be staying here for another 5 years! I love to hike year round, so this place is perfect for me. My kiddo is almost 11 months old, and a little hellion! I also have a german shepherd who I do obedience competitions with. My overarching goals are to get stronger and lose the baby flab. If I lose weight, awesome, but I know better than to think just seeing a certain number on a scale is going to make me happy. I want to look and feel fit, and gain back the strength I lost while life has been so crazy and hectic. I also want to be developing good routines, because in July, Mr. Princess will be deploying overseas so I will be taking care of things at home solo. Current stats: Weight 163.8 BMI 29 Body fat % Waist at Belly Button 38" Natural Waist 35" Hips 42" Calves 15" Arms 11.5" Neck 13" Goals #1 Lifting with NROLW and Core Program #2Whole 30, No exceptions https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5ztkZUPLqzJddYbi38QTKfObn3jcT3ATUg753sYjFc0YLX51M6-uzrecHoLRIptE04iSPTIXS7ilfbwGQalVSzRhs1yIeQfD7sLfQycUCUNyG-uzXQfNSGDzMuUjvu6-EmSIWXr3 #3 Home Routines Meal Planning Dishes Laundry Bathrooms Here's to a beautiful, whirlwind of a 2017!

Doing my second Whole30 because I’ve been eating like a major asshole this year and that needs to stop. I also want to help my head live a migraine free life. I’ve not had a steady workout in a while so I want to start doing that again as well. This challenge will be based on points and if I pass I’m going to treat myself to new workout pants and socks or a new pair of running shoes. Which I’ll be able to afford since the whole30 limits eating out. Points Points - 30+12+4+280 = 326 Max Points w/Bonus - 30+8+12+16+4+8+280= 358 Points to pass= 250 Whole30 : START 9/24 - END 10/24 0 week will be for Meal Planning 30/30 points w/Bonus points for Meal Prep on weekends & trying a NF recipe each week (8 extra possible) Soda Free since 8/30 Complete 1 NF Academy Quest a week : 4/4 points w/Bonus points for added completed Quests (Up to 8 bonus points no more) NF Bodyweight Workout (+ warmup & cooldown) 2A & 2B & 1 day of Cardio (+ 10 mins after stretch & work cardio doesn’t count) : 12/12 points w/Bonus points for added workouts (16 extra possible) Dailies : 10/10 points a day : 280/280 points Overall PM: Get to Sleep - In bed by 10pm Sun - Thursday - In bed by 12pm Fri & Saturday AM: Make Bed & 20 mins Yoga AM: Weigh in and Measure AM: Go over To Do list AM: 10 mins Meditation Break Read 30 pages Take 30 mins to be creative or create Prep Lunch for next day Prep Outfit for next day 5 mins walk

Honestly, I'm not really sure about doing a challenge this time. The challenges just seems to have lost some of the spark it once had to me. Also just in general, motivation/moods/adulting has become pretty hard. Part of this challenge is just getting through it, some of it will be trying to find that spark again. Since I stopped doing mud runs, my motivation for working out has been lacking, and not sure where I want to go from here, but I need to find it. (although Pokemon Go has helped the last 2 days) Also a goal of posting on NF every day, either an update on mine, or a post on someone else's. Move every day: Can be getting 10k steps in, yoga, Kung Fu. Some sort of movement that is outside what I get in a normal day. (normal day with fitbit tends to be around 3-5k) Read every day: I really want to get back into reading more, and I have book club books I'm behind on. At least 10 mins a day. Need to finish Ready Player One, and Girl on the Train (Book club book) Nutrition: No buying anything that isn't Whole30 approved. Although we aren't truly doing the Whole30 until September, no reason to not start eating better again. MFP Tracking Optional. Goal of at least 64 oz of water/tea a day Adulting: Do one adulting thing a day. This can include but aren't limited to: Wash/dry/fold/put away laundry Empty/Reload dishes Swiffer floors in 1 room Vacuum 1 room Wipe down/clean bathroom Finish wedding thank you notes (to be done ASAP) End of month- Budget

I'm much more of a Meg than a Hercules, but this summer is a great way to change that! I fell off the map here at Nerd Fitness when I became really ill back in March, and now I have pretty much recovered! I was recently diagnosed with lupus, and the symptoms have mostly subsided aside from a couple bad days a month. However, as of Tuesday, I will be in a high-stress teaching bootcamp of sorts, and I get my first classroom in August. I need to get back into good food and exercise to keep my body together and hopefully mitigate any return of symptoms that are induced by stress. Due to the fact I won't be paid for training this summer, I am looking for a workout plan that I can execute at home and (if I'm lucky) at a regular gym, including pool access. I am 5'1 with about 43% body fat at 157 lbs (yikes!). On Wednesday, the day after I move into the dorms, I will start the Whole30 challenge, as a wide variety of foods will be prepared for us and I don't have to worry about overhauling my non-existent pantry. That will begin to take care of the diet side of my summer challenge. I try to avoid long bouts of running due to the high impact on my knees and ankles, but I do enjoy long brisk walks and the occasional jog. I really enjoy swimming, yoga, and resistance band training. I do not care for cycling, though I will do some at the gym. Mostly, in addition to losing the body fat, I want to build muscle, so I am looking at resistance exercises and other strength training stuff. I'm pretty familiar with many exercises, but I tend to just try to do everything at once and end up with all-over fatigue. I would really appreciate some advice for building a solid weekly plan that is routine and fairly consistent with a little variety/choice. Thanks!

I just started with NFA and was reading through the Nutrition section. I am 19 days into Whole30 and feel great. But I am wondering about the leveling up. Do I really just jump right up to Level 9 because I've been on Whole30 for over 2 weeks? It eliminates all of those food groups right off the bat, so there is no gradual phasing into this lifestyle of eating.