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"Quiet friend who has come so far, feel how your breathing makes more space around you. Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength. Move back and forth into the change. What is it like, such intensity of pain? If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine. In this uncontainable night, be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses, the meaning discovered there. And if the world has ceased to hear you, say to the silent earth: I flow. To the rushing water, speak: I am. Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29 Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower by Rainer Maria Rilke Greetings and Happy Holidays fellow Rebels. As some of you know, life has been wild crazy busy for me lately but for good reasons. While this is always a difficult time of year for me personally, I am determined to rise above dwelling on past traumas and instead focus on upgrading my mind and body as I turn this new page in my life. My challenge will be similar to my last one with a few minor changes. Since winter is approaching and cold weather is already upon us, I am returning to my Wim Hof training. I'll be squeezing it in with my morning meditation practice. I am also intermittent fasting again but not in the same way as before: I will eat if I feel hungry (as in stomach actually growling), but if not then I will hold off until I am hungry. So here are my challenge goals: PHYSICAL GOAL: Lift heavy objects as often as possible and move in ways that bring me joy. This includes cinderblocks, logs, stones, kettlebells, weights, and my own body whenever the opportunity presents itself (yoga, Darebee workouts, etc.). The key is to have fun moving again and to lift mindfully, focusing on specific muscles/muscle groups and specific movements. NUTRITIONAL GOALS: I will eat mindfully, selecting foods that nourish my body and don't leave me feeling blah after eating them. From the Harvard School of Public Health: "Eating mindfully means that you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make. This helps to increase gratitude for food, which can improve the overall eating experience. Mindful eating encourages one to make choices that will be satisfying and nourishing to the body. However, it discourages “judging” one’s eating behaviors as there are different types of eating experiences. As we become more aware of our eating habits, we may take steps towards behavior changes that will benefit ourselves and our environment." This will also include eating only when I feel hungry and not because I'm bored or because I think I'm hungry. This requires me to listen to my body and be mindful of my hunger. MENTAL/SPIRITUAL GOALS: I will re-instate my morning practice which will now include Wim Hof practices. I will meditate twice daily (morning contemplative meditation and evening gratitude meditation). I will read and post one poem a day, as well as write a poem of my own every day. I will read at least ten pages of a spiritual development book daily. I dropped the ball on the "poem a day" goal last time, but I struggled because life was so busy. Now that I'm finished with my Master's degree work, I should have the time to read and compose some poems. MORNING PRACTICE: 0400 wakeup prayer/contemplative meditation scripture reading breath work (Wim Hof) cold shower

Okay. I missed...a challenge? More than one challenge? I don't know. It's been a busy six weeks. I'm proud of myself for mostly keeping up with workouts, and keeping up with hydration and sleep. And writing a ton. But I'd like to get back on the wagon. Things aren't going to get simpler anytime soon, but I want to be doing better on my goals. I want to be less reactive. I want to focus on my own goals and move those forward. It's way past time to update my goals for Q2 2019, so here you go: So, since last we talked, the gaming con I was co-planning happened, it was awesome. My poetry Patreon launched. And probably some other super big things happened. Between now and the end of June (WAIT WHAT, THE QUARTER IS HALF OVER WTF) I have a few big things I want to get done: My partner is starting grad school. We're gonna buy a house. Plus dozens of small but still big things: I'm getting certified as a master naturalist (wat) I'm DM'ing some D&D adventures, for like, money? THAT'S NOT INTIMIDATING AT ALL I'm taking on the leadership group of an OSS community group and that's great but again NOT INTIMIDATING AT ALL. The house purchase is starting to feel...semi-urgent as roommate relations have been deteriorating faster than they seem to recover. I'm bummed about that, but just trying to use that as motivation to get the house sorted out. SO. ANYWAY. That's the landscape. Now for the quests. Q1: Workout three times per week. I've been doing a fair amount of yoga and sometimes walking, rather than the bodyweight stuff I was doing, and I'm hitting 2x week pretty often. I want to get back to 3x per week. Q2: Swap tea for DDP twice per week. Caffeine is nice, Diet Dr. Pepper is not as nice. I'd like to try swapping it out for something a little healthier. Q3: Take at least one step toward home ownership each week. This can mean: Calling a realtor, going to open houses, talking to a mortgage person, doing research. Looking at houses on realtor.com doesn't count. Q4: Doing at least one hour of writing, three times a week. I have this time blocked off, but I frequently don't make it for the whole hour. Time to be a bit more focused there. There's a lot demanding my attention but writing is my rock. I feel...okay about this challenge. I think salads were causing freakouts and then I wouldn't update and then a terrible spiral would begin. Sorry for vanishing on y'all. <3

Challenges during this challenge: I'm going to a big old conference for work, which is great, but as we've all seen before, is really tough on me (man I feel like I *just* went through this). I'm tabling at my first zine fest!!! YAY! The day after the conference! BOO! I'm launching a Patreon with an accompanying daily poetry project. Family reunion, too. This challenge will be ripe with opportunities to be over-tired, self-critical, and stressed, so I'm emphasizing self-care: Time spent outside, sleeping, eating veggies, drinking water, reading excellent books, maybe even playing some video games?! All those things. No backlog work. LET'S DO THIS! Quest: Workout 3 times per week...plus one extra. I've been hitting three a week pretty regularly, and I feel sometimes like I could fit in one more. So, I don't want to go up to four times a week, but I *would* like to get an extra one in. Quest: Salad 4 times per week. Still need to make this habit stick. Quest: Set up my relaxing chair outside on the patio and sit on it at least 5 times a week. BREATHE. GET SUNLIGHT. FEEL CALM. Quest: Lights out by 10:30 pm every work night. I'm lights out by 11 right now, so this extra half hour should be okay. As usual, conference week will have its own rules. Since the first quarter of the year ends half-way through the challenge, I also revisited my goals from the first challenge of the year: Feeling okay about these goals, for the most part. On the challenge after this one, I'll be re-focusing on the backlog stuff and will post a new set of Q2 goals. I am not riding my bike much, which bums me out. Not sure how to get that happening more regularly again. I think warmer weather will help. For those tuning in, I'm a nonbinary/genderqueer/woman chronic overachiever type who mostly does body-weight workouts at home, plus occasional forays into other workout types. I also write a bunch (poems, zines, novels) and am going to be launching a Patreon in April. I am headed to a big OSS conference in April, where I'm speaking and doing other terrifying things, and I am also planning a small tabletop game convention for May. Big couple of months. (Thanks, RogueLibrarian, for the idea of a summary!)

Forgot to post this earlier! The following Home, Health, and Financial sections will be the foundation for all my goals and challenges for 2019. Below is just the same text from the first challenge that will pretty much follow me throughout the whole year. If you are new, you can start with the spoiler. Also forgot February is a short month...some Feb. goals may bleed into March. FEBRUARY GOALS HOME: MK Cloth: Make room/spot for all items in one room, go through each category below and separate into items that spark joy, items that need to be discarded, and items to be donated. Once separated, either put away, discard (get it out of the house) or donate. Once that is done, move onto the next category. Bags Shoes Accessories HEALTH: Workouts: So Washington State's winter came to visit and decided it wanted to stick around longer than it normally does. It's overstayed it's welcome. This also means I need to come up with a HIIT workout I can do at home. 4 HIIT Workouts: 0/4 Jan Soda Goal: 42/31 FINANCIAL: On-time Payments Budget Pay Bills - Online and In-person 2-3 days prior to the due date MARCH GOALS HOME: MK Paper: I have a lot of paper. Papers currently in use Papers needed for a limited period of time Papers you need indefinitely HEALTH: Veggies for lunch! Honestly, I've been reluctant to have veggies lately. Mostly because I'm lazy and veggies require effort. FINANCIAL: Start Emergency Fund 1. Save at least $50 2. Create a yearly extra's spending list. This amount will be the yearly amount I need to always have on hand or at least available to pull from for my extra spending.

So I am going over the things that I want to improve upon this year, and it seems I can't just stick with something which is what I really need to improve but I am going to take a new approach and just focus on small fixes. Things I want to improve: 1. Overall Fitness and Health 2. My ability to be ladylike 3. My savings and budget 4. My organization/home This challenge I am going to focus mostly on 1 and 3 with a small bit of two rolled in. This challenge I will not buy any crap on amazon/online, no clothes, no projects, no STUFF. This will help me get my CC's paid down because while I am fine financially I could be better. This challenge I will track my calorie intake and protein with a goal of 1500-1700 calories total and 130 grams of protein daily. If I have a super intense day I can add an extra 200 calories of carbs, but the work must be accounted for as well. *March 7th and 8th are freebie days because hockey game/mini getaway. - This may also change up after 2 weeks if I need to add/subtract based on weight loss and calories burned on average. This challenge I will take a decent walk or hop on my max trainer every single day. I am more than welcome to have other workouts, but I also tend to get super hungry when I train hard and I am trying to stay away from that monster. On Feb 27th I have a "Buns and Braids" class to help with my ladylike goal, once this is complete I will practice what I have learned 3 days a week. It's a bit far into the challenge to be a steady goal but I did want to write it down. Extra Credit: Post 5 things on Poshmark for sale, all proceeds of my sales will go toward CC/Other debt. *will flash this challenge up a bit once I get home and can hunt for gifs *FIXED

New year, same exact catchphrase goals as always. Okay, so first, the exhaustive abridged version of my goals for Q1 2019: tl;dr: Lots of writing and exercise, cleaning up some backlogged projects that I never want to think about again. I added a new category this year (sustainability) because it's something I want to think about and act on way more often. It used to be rolled into my "community" category but it didn't get enough attention. Okay, so given that those are the things I want to achieve at the start of this year, what do I need to do to get there? Q1: Workout 3 x per week. (health) I did hit my goal of 120 workouts last year, on the nose! That was an increase over the 2017 goal of 104, which I also hit on the nose. I'm feeling a bit intimidated, but that's been true every year. 3 workouts per week = 156 workouts, so I still have 24 workouts as wiggle room. I'm excited about this goal. Q2: Salad or veggies 4x per week. (health) I upgraded 1x per week over my last challenge. It's starting to feel pretty easy but I would like it to be EVEN EASIER. This week I've made two pretty weird salads and they both came out okay. Q3: Work on novel & KS rewards for at least a few minutes, five days out of the week. (writing) I *hate* rolling goals together into one like this, but I've been doing this successfully for a while now. So I think it'll still be a pretty effective goal. Q4: Set aside one working period per week for my backlogged projects (underlined up in the yearly goals, misc. areas of focus). I have a lot of projects I want to get done, but I struggle to put time aside to actually *work* on them....meaning I end up waiting til they become urgent. Which is bad in its own right, and then some projects *never* become urgent and just lurk over my shoulder like a creep. I AM DONE WITH CREEPY HALF-ABANDONED PROJECTS FOREVER. Priority: Gaming con work, OSS project, Blogs, Backlogged design project, 403(b)/pension research

Hello everybody , I am a male 18 years i started working out from 10 months i lost 5.5 kg from 78.5 to 73 and i gained some muscle mass with private coach then i stopped for a while and from about 5 months i returned to the gym but i didn't continued as i didn't have a trainer,Now i am 77 kg and i want to go back to the gym and i decided to follow online workout but i can't determine which will be good for me and my body and i am overwhelmed by this many workout and also many splits i don't which to follow. I will be grateful if you can help me thanks in advance.

2018 marks the year that I came back. I came back to the NerdFitness challenges, and I came back to be a much healthier version of myself. My biggest failure, was to gain all my weight back so fast. October 7th, 2014 I was 257.3 lbs (my lightest). September 21st, 2015 I was 385.2 lbs. 127.9 lbs gained in less then a year's time. I floundered over the next 2 1/2 years or so, only getting to 367.6 lbs at the beginning of 2018. My Day 1 back at it. I wanted this to me my defining year. The year to help erase that horrible failure of a year. So far, I am doing it. I haven't dropped as much as I wanted so far this year, but I am almost to that 100 lbs barrier. I am damn proud of that. It hasn't been easy, and I have struggled with keeping up with my challenge goals. I've let things slip for one reason or another. I looked back at this last year of challenges. Most are very similar. I have tried building some up from a slow start. This challenge, I am going all out. I am bringing my mega challenge in with a bit of everything I have done this year. Only my to do list isn't making a spot on the list. Time management will be key for me here. I've already been mentally planning out the days/hours that I will need to accomplish everything. I really want this challenge to end up being my best of the year. With a little luck, maybe I can get to that lowest weight ever mark. At least by the end of year anyway. I plan on continuing this challenge the rest of the year. Goal #1 - Keto eating, with a deficit Yes, I am once again having a Keto goal. I will be doing IF as well. 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM is my eating window. Last challenge, I played around with hitting deficits. The goal was to hit >500 calories each day. Most days I did this, and a few I did get >1000. So this challenge, I am stepping up to >1000 Calorie deficit. My other goals will work into this. The more work I do, the more I can eat Keto + IF + 1000 calorie deficit = 5 points per day. 35 points per week Goal #2 - Read, and Sleep Yeah, this has been a constant in my threads all year as well. I have struggled, and still struggle to maintain a good balance here still. So this must remain in to help get me going. Computer off at 10:30-45 PM. Then I read. Reading done and off to bed by 11:30-45 PM. I give myself a few minutes for the transitions. Reading by 10:45 PM = 5 points In Bed by 11:45 PM = 5 points. 70 points per week. Goal #3 - Walking with a chance of running Last challenge I really was upping my step goals. The last week I was getting in 10k most days. So this last challenge, the goal is for me to hit 10,000 steps each day. Part two of the challenge is to start my C25k app again. The plan currently is to do runs on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 10,000 steps each day (Sunday rest day) = 5 points per day. Running done Tue, Thur, Sat = 5 points per day. 45 points per week Goal #4 - Workout! This right here, has been a problem goal all year. Each time I have tried it, I have failed it. I need to try again though. I am going to keep it simple. Squats, Barbell Rows, incline push ups, and door jam negative pull ups. Workout days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I might throw in some alternate workout at a park. Same basic exercises, just no dumbbell rows there. Next year, I want to be able to do a pull up. So working this in will help me move that direction. Workouts done Mon, Wed, Fri = 20 points per workout. (I really want this done) 60 points per week Goal #5 - Posting to Nerdfitness, and Blogging I have majorly slacked in this department, and I want to get doing it every day. My other times I had this in the life goals and didn't grade it. This time, it gets points. I plan on having some time each day, just so I can post here, and make a blog post each day. NF posts made = 5 points per day Blog posts made = 5 points per day 70 points per week Goal #6 - Take the Linux course Awhile back, I did a partial Linux course. It really sucked, and I didn't finish it. This time, I am doing the free course from edx.org. https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-linux It says 8 weeks to finish. So I don't expect to finish by the end of the challenge. I do however expect that I will work on it some each day. 1 hour per day at least = 5 points 35 points per week. This challenge is kinda nuts. It's against the rules, but I kinda like it. I feel like I really want to try to push this one. To add another wrinkle into this all, I started to apply for some work. Money is tight, so we could use extra income. One place is a 12 hour shift 3 days one week, 4 the next. Not sure what hours, but it will wreak it all haha. If I get a job, and it interferes, I will just have to rework the problem. Must continue forward! Measurements Start/Finish: Weight: 265.1 lbs / Points: Week 1 - (11/26 - 12/02) - 310/315 - 98% Week 2 - (12/03 - 12/09) - 250/315 - 79% Week 3 - (12/10 - 12/16) - 0/315 Week 4 - (12/17 - 12/23) - 0/315 Bonus round! Final week of the year - (12/24 - 12/31) - 0/355

Second verse, same as the first: 1. Go for a walk twice a week. 2. Salad lunch three times a week. 3. Finish one of my cross-stitch projects. 4. Work out twice a week; ride my bike once a week. For those of you who followed along last challenge, you may notice that *nothing changed at all*. After the trip (which was awesome!) I'm feeling a need to re-establish these patterns after a successful challenge last month. I have so many things I'd like to add (Writing! Decluttering! Going to a PT to see about my knee! Fitness classes!) but I've been down that path before...and down that path lies burned-out traaki. If this is going swimmingly, then maybe I'll add in another goal. But for now--this is it.

Nightcrawler_Bamff Rejoins the X-Men (Take 2) Nightcrawler: Me Rogue: Unknown (but AMAZING!) Photo: Burump (Instagram) Goal: Get back to within 2lbs of my Weight Watchers goal so I can start going to meetings for free again and stop paying for the online tools. This was the goal for the last challenge, but I fell off the wagon and ended up at the same weight I started at. I am currently 6lbs away from this goal. How: 1. Weight Watchers: WRITE IT DOWN!! I'm figuring out that if I eat something that isnt very Weight Watchers friendly, I end up counting the day as a loss and continue making poor choices for the day. That ends up impacting the rest of the week too. If I track it, I am less likely to let that affect the rest of the day or week. I am planning ahead for three days that I will not be tracking - friend's wedding and two going away parties...*read that last part in a cryptic voice*...more will be explained soon!!) 2. Exercise: Work out at least three times per week. The last challenge, I tried to say specifically to go to the gym (NOT including gymnastics) three times per week, but my schedule ended up limiting that. My goal for this challenge is still to work out three times per week, but I can replace one of the gym workouts with gymnastics class if needed. 3. Work pantry: STAY OUT! This will not be a problem for part of the challenge (*use cryptic voice again!*) Interpreting: I am working on a continuing education program with my peer mentor and our goal is to do one lesson per week. I would also like to add in some extra practice. I think I can commit to 10 minutes per day, five days a week of working either into English or American Sign Language. If that ends up being too easy, I will tweak it during the challenge. Gymnastics: I will give weekly updates on anything fun that happens in gymnastics class. I just connected a front handspring and front tuck for the first time the last week of the last challenge, so lets see if I can keep it and if I can build on that!

Three days late and a dollar short, I'm here! Challenges for the challenge: * End of year always has a bunch of wrap-up work I want to get done * Christmas is coming (oh god help me) * I'm realllllly tired and out of sorts after Thanksgiving. * I'm looking at some big life changes. ANYWAY we all know that December is a burning trash heap of stress, obligations, disappointed friends and family, disrupted schedules, unhealthy food choices and big expenses really great month so I'll just get down to brass tacks. Quest #1 (HEALTH): Complete 104 workouts by the end of 2017. At the start of this year, I committed to doing 104 workouts over the course of t the year (=2 per week). My count is behind on my spreadsheet, but I think I need to get 14 workouts in this month. If I get two done this week, and I keep to my new standard 3/week schedule, I'll do 105 for the year. This is more about maintaining the habit and hitting the goal than having the Best Workouts Of My Life, so I'm going to be flexible & charitable about what counts, so long as I'm active. 15 minute dance party? Sure. Walk at work that's longer than my usual? Sure. Quest #2 (WRITING): Complete the basic levels of my kickstarter rewards. Would I rather be working on my NaNo novel, or doing literally anything else? Yes, yes, I would. Instead, I will get the following rewards finished & mailed to their recipients: * Poetry cards * Handwritten poems * Poetry books I am using Asana as a project management tool. Just need to start setting time aside for this. Quest #3 (LIFESTYLE): Read 16 books. I'm at 14/16. I can get this done. Quest #4 (FINANCE): Put $5k in savings by the end of 2017. I will need to do one money date with myself to get my budgets in order from last month and this month. I think everything is on track for me to achieve this goal, but Black Friday + holiday shopping = money shenanigans for sure. BONUS QUEST: Write 250 words every day. Because it's fun and helps me stay sane. I really like how I've organized my year in terms of goals and priorities, and I'm excited to take some time at the end of the year to do the same big review/goal setting activity I did last year. This year was in large part about establishing some benchmarks for myself so I could decide if I want to do more, less or the same in the areas that are important to me--so even if I didn't hit the goals (damn you, one regular push-up!) I at least know more about myself and my goals. THANK YOU all for being here. As the end of November has been unravelling entirely, as I stare down the barrel of December, the thing I kept thinking was: I have to post a challenge. Something about being here, taking the time to put my plans together, checking in on my buddies (even if I'm not the most frequent commenter....), well, it all helps me keep focused and keep getting better.

Hey guys, Better late than never I always say! While yesterday threw a slew of distractions at me I got a perfect window today to post my second challenge and my first one in the Rebel group. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Ratynda and where my last challenge focused on a broad group of topics meant to get me to broaden my thoughts towards new opportunities, this one will hold a lens to my progress in what I've established and measure out progress in a more tangible way. As I got to know myself better, I started to realize what motivates me and what drains me, and this month I'll be taking steps to enforce or eliminate those respectively. So without further ado.... - Complete three structured weightlifting workouts a week, based on push/pull split. - Increase to the weight specified for the following lifts by the end of the challenge. - Bench Press: 110 LBS - Squats: 105 LBS - Deadlift: 100 LBS - Overhead Press: 25 LBS - Limit eating out to one lunch per week, with the rest consisting of pre-made food. - Limit Video Game play to three days out of the week. - Attend one class for a new type of physical activity that I have never tried With my workouts, I am finally getting back into the swing of thrice weekly splits, and with that I came up with a new program to try, In which I focus on progressing on the four big lifts listed above every week for a foundation of strength, then stratifying my workouts to different muscles under the push/pull category. For example I might start with bench Presses and Overhead presses one day, then target back and biceps with some rows, Lat pulldowns, and Bicep curls. I want to steadily get a feel for how quickly I can progress in my big lifts, so I went with some targets that I thought would be reasonable to reach but still a good challenge, with no shame upon failure to reach them. Of course, these weights do not keep bars into account. The next two goals are targeted at reducing two of my vices, spending money and video games. While sometimes circumstances require buying food out, after spending sometimes a whole week only going out to eat, I can recognize how easily that drains my wallet, where I should be saving for travel. Games on the other hand are innocent enough and something that I love doing, but I recognize that when I spend days in a row playing them when I get home, I end up not accomplishing much, falling behind on my sleep, distracting myself during workouts, and just generally feeling mentally negative and unhealthy. This will allow me to enjoy the games in a healthy amount that doesn't require policing exact time. With the extra time I have, I will be stoking my fire for physical activity and finding new ways to exercise, leading to my last challenge. It can be any class or structured exercise, as long as I have not already tried it before. My gym has a myriad of group classes that should be perfect for this goal. And that concludes my goals for this month! Short, sweet, and to the point. If anyone has any tips, suggestions, or feedback for me along the way, please let me know. Until then, lets get this challenge started!

Jonesy’s Oh, Bother Last challenge was a struggle to find the determination to follow through with my goals. This challenge I'm going to keep it simple. Me, keep things simple, yeah ok but I’m gonna try real hard. At least for the challenge. Haha Fitness : Workout 12 times Health : Meal Plan each week & eat at home at least 15 times Life : Make a reasonable to do list and accomplish at least 4 items Keep it Simple!

I am 45 yrs old a leo. Latina mixed I started out on this journey 415 pounds I got down to 165 .over the years I.have yoyoed with my weight I .emotionally ate.made excuses.used my dads death with cancer tore my.world apart and i used it as a excuse to eat ,failed relationship I ate. Food WAS my.comfort. I gained back into the 200s ..well with hard work dedication..im back in onederland. I also take care of my.mom that's partially paralyzed from multiple strokes.but.I need to take care of me too.self care..I cant take care of her if I.dont take care of my own health. Food= fuel no exceptions.Its not a hug or a warm blanket NOW its time to.rise and finish this journey. Power of three..this has worked for me. Clean eating Water Exercise 5 days a week. Diet..I.really hate that word, its a lifestyle change for me but my.plan is protective diet..a high nutrient vegan diet.there i said it diet lol I.make all my.own food pretty much from scratch Goals.. 1 month goal Work on getting in my.fitbit steps 10k No gluten ..I have ulcerative colitis Drinking green goddess aka green smoothie.Mon through friday Gym three days a week Meditation 2 month goal Work on strength and toning ..weight machines,kb Work on stairs. Continue meditation 3 month goals Release 20 pounds. I.say release instead of lose .losing means you can find it.I don't intend to find it again. Work on endurance I love to cook. And workout.ill be.posting workouts,my cooking experiments lol ..thoughts feelings and progress. Progress not perfection Time.to get.this party started its time to kick ass . .its time to finish what I started and keep improving.I believe there is no finish line My.goal is 135... Size 6 but that's just the beginning.than the real work begins..maintaining it..plus kicking ass every day. I.look forwarding to.making some friends here that we can support each other. I.love to.smile,laugh and enjoy life.. A good sense of humor a must.tou cant take life too seriously. .life is so short.make the most of it I have a cat named princess and she knows it..shes my baby. I like to.read..love to.dance.love.music.singing and listening to.it.its a great release. So now you know a little bit more about me. Let's do this guys! Yes im.talking to YOU..we got this!

Biography: Classified Name: Commander Valkyrie Shepherd Earthborn Sole Survivor: An orphan in an overcrowded, poverty-stricken city, I escaped a life of crime on earth by joining the military at the age of 18. During my service, I survived a harrowing mental and physical ordeal which left me the sole survivor of my unit, and mentally tougher than an Asari Matron. My struggles and achievements have created a duality of empathy and ruthlessness, which serves me well in my race to save the galaxy. Class: Soldier Specialization: TBD Spectre Status: Not Achieved Mission 1 Objectives: Prologue Workout 4x (Arms, Legs, Endurance, Conditioning) Track food intake 7x Water 100 oz 5x Bonus XP: Each Macro Hit/Day Total Available XP: 15 Mission 2 Objectives: Gather The Crew Workout 4x (Arms, Legs, Endurance, BW Workout) Track Food Intake 7x Water 100 oz 7x Total Available XP: 18 Bonus XP: Each Macro Hit Mission 3 Objectives: Become A Spectre Workout 4x (7-Minute Workout 3-4x, Cize or other BW Workouts) Track Food Intake 7x Water 100 oz 7x Total Available XP: 18 Bonus XP: Each Macro Hit Mission 4 Objectives: Specialize Workout 4x (Arms, Legs, Endurance, Conditioning) Track Food Intake 7x Water 100 oz 7x Hit Macros (1 point per macro achieved) Total Available XP: 46 Mission 5 Objectives: Final Battle Workout 4x (Arms, Legs, Endurance, Conditioning) Track Food Intake 7x Water 100 oz 7x Hit Macros (1 point per macro achieved) Total Available XP: 46 Bonus Side Mission: TBD Mission XP Total 1 /15 /143 2 /18 /143 3 /18 /143 4 /46 /143 5 /46 /143 Side Missions Paragon(Charm): GtG pushups 3x2 Daily (Progress to 5x2 if it's too easy) Renegade(Intimidate): Burpees(plank) x30/daily Paragon Charm Total 1 /5 /33 2 /7 /33 3 /7 /33 4 /7 /33 5 /7 /33 Renegade Intimidate Total 1 /5 /33 2 /7 /33 3 /7 /33 4 /7 /33 5 /7 /33 Rewards: 85% Compliance With Mission Objectives (121/143 XP): TBD 85% Compliance With Side Missions (28/33 per mission, or 56/66 for both): TBD Methods To Make Up Points: Paragon: Plank 2x1' per set missed (I.E. if I did 1/3 GTG sets, I need to do 4x1' planks to make up for it) Renegade: Jump Squats 5x1' per day missed General: I'm not sure, any suggestions? General Challenge Explanation Each "Mission" is a week in the challenge. I sort of loosely based it on the progression of the Mass Effect game to take me from the first mission to the last mission, with the main things included (becoming a Spectre, specializing, that sort of stuff). This week has been chaotic,what with my dad in the hospital and all. It took me a ton of time and brain power to get this challenge set up exactly how I want it and I spent a silly amount of time on my logo and tracker, but it looks pretty cool so I'm happy haha...I think my obsessive personality decided getting this one just right was a good coping mechanism for stress haha. This week I'm starting officially today, and not penalizing myself for missing stuff the previous few days, but I will count whatever I did accomplish (like tracking, or if I somehow managed to hit a macro) See how I do that? I am a goddess in my own galaxy, I make the rules! =p Saturday, Mister is coming to visit (YAY!) ! So I won't be tracking macros for weeks 2 and 3, just trying to keep the habit going more than anything with tracking and working out. I will probably be doing the 7 minute workout while he's here. Then for weeks 4 and 5 it's full speed ahead, do all the things! I absolutely had to have a Paragon/Renegade element to my Mass Effect challenge! I'm going to try Grease the Groove for my pushups- I'm going to do push up negatives (just the lowering/eccentric part) 3x2 every day (it seems so small and pitiful...but it's more pushups every day (and definitely more every week) than I'm doing now), and work on becoming burpee-proof by completing 30 burpees (planks, not push ups to start with) each day (in one go). If this GtG thing works, I'm gonna apply it to pull up negatives. I want neuromuscular gainz! My main focus for this challenge is on maintaining my good habits (tracking, working out 4x a week, water) throughout the challenge, and especially while Mister is visiting, achieving my macros on the other weeks, and performing perfect practice (say that 5 times fast) when I workout.

Hey fellow Rebels, I am new to the forums, but have been with NF for over a year now with some minimal successes. The FB group is really helpful, but I decided I needed to try something new this year so I joined the forums as well. My main goals are to gain strength and endurance, possibly with a little bit of MMA and meditation/yoga. I am a huge Star Wars, LOTR, DC/Marvel, Harry Potter, and Disney fan and many of my inspirations come from characters in those fandoms. I also really admire Detective Kate Beckett from Castle she is such a badass! My non fitness related goals are to learn to play piano, learn a new language, get consistent with my aim and precision at the shooting range, and get a private pilot's license. i am currently in training for a Tough Mudder Half in March this year. It is great because it is in line with my overall goals and I think it will be really fun to complete this event with a team. My character page for NF can be found here -Blue Phoenix

Breaking from my DragonAge Challenges to refocus and find a little of what I’ve lost. I used to have a nice foundation and starting point but those have scurried away from me. I also want to find some way to incorporate some of the NF Academy quests into a challenge. I’m sure I can add in some of the mindful stuff in. I contemplated joining the druids this go around but I love the assassins. Going back to basics with quests revolving around the 5 senses. Using some of the information from www.chopra.com/. Plan is to focus on the 5 senses and use them to help me refocus. I have no real idea what I’m doing, so this will be a whole new experience for me. I will make a list of the things I want to accomplish and throughout the challenge I want to complete at least 3 from each sense category. I’ll most likely add more items to the list as the challenge goes on. Wish me Luck! Sight - Remodel HQ Touch - Body Hearing - Music Taste - Balanced Nutrition Smell - Aromatherapy

It would be nice if we could see how close we are to beating a specific boss battle. That way, if we fall, we have a better idea of how long we should prepare before attempting the battle again.

Battle Log 1 Measurements: Weight = 96 lbs Waist = 27in Neck = 12in Chest = 31in Biceps = Left= 9in Right= 9in Hips = 33.5in Thigh: Right= 18.5in Left = 18.5in Calf: Right= 12.5in Left = 12.5in Goal Weight is 115 - 120 lbs Oddly my right and left sides are the same size. At least I won't have to worry about a dominant arm or leg (: Calorie Intake: Goal = 2445 per day I have 1 week calculated on by fitbit app no point in adding in a whole week on the first check in. 5/7 days with the right amount of calories. I'm proud of the accomplishments I have done so far. Going from 1 meal a day and never drinking water besides once a month usually if that xD Who know's how I am still alive. Unhealthy as hell but I'm working on it. I will also be adding any recipes that I've tried out that I think are good. If you have any yummy recipes you want to share i'm all ears; I get bored with tastes easily and always have to have flavor or I just won't finish eating it. The paleo diet was made for me I love me some veggies(: Water: Goal = 64 oz or 8 cups per day 3/7 days ): This is one thing I definitely need to work on even if I have set reminders on my phone while at work. Workouts: Basic for now until I gain strength A= 3 rounds total Step Up - 5 reps per side Bodyweight Pushup - 5 reps Pull ups- 8 reps Finish With: Side Plank - 2 sets of 40+ seconds per side B= 4 rounds total Assisted One Leg Squat - 10 reps Assisted Straight Arm Support - 15+ second hold Wall Slides - 8 reps Finish With: Bar Hang - 2 sets 30+ second hang C= 4 rounds total Start With: Jump Rope Singles - 3 sets of max consecutive reps Lateral Jumping Squat - 6 reps Bodyweight Pushup - 5 reps Assisted Chin Up - 8 reps Finish With: Hanging Scapular Retraction - 2 sets of 10 I mix up my own thing in between workouts If I'm not satisfied with how much I've done. Always pushing harder (: I will be working on barbell bench press, flat-bench dumbbell press, rows, etc. later on; once I've accomplished my basic goals for gaining strength. Not drinking water and never eating can do that on your body. I miss how I used to workout with my dad all the time. I was a lot healthier back then; lol my dad was in the military so he didn't take no for an answer when it came to working out. R.I.P John Wayne Johnson; I will be visiting him this memorial weekend. He will have been gone 1 year coming up this august. That's all I have for now; Time for some dinner.

Hello my fellow Nerds! I just entered this Rebellion today (well, I did get the Emails for a while, but...) and thought it might be handy to have a third place to keep track of my days. First would be my Fitbit (Alta), second a piece of paper I use to write down my daily things I got done, and third this. So, let's start with today, 11pm: 1. I'm at 15.100 steps for the day, putting me at 10.7 Kilometers 2. I ate about 2000 calories (stupid cake I couldn't resist, damn hormones...) 3. I drank about 2.150ml 4. By now I've burned 2.714 calories (putting me 311 over the recommended daily goal, stupid cake) 5. I attended my Fitness-kickboxing class which went on for an hour and is my newest thing. Was only my third time but I am totally in love with it. 6. Slept 8 hours and 40 minutes last night, so that's good. 7. Oh! 163 Active Minutes Just the class and Walking. Sounds like a good day, except for the food. Stupid chocolate cravings. Thank god it should be over tomorrow or on Thursday. Time for a nice, hot shower now

I walk away for a few weeks.... what the hell happened to my forge?!? Ohhh yeah.... kind of didn't put anything away and left things to fester Time to clean this up!!! So, I ghosted out right after the start of the last challenge, didn't have anything to contribute, left you all high and dry, and for all that I'm sorry Time to get back on track. The last month has been a considerable change for me and now it's time to get things organized, get things cleaned up, and get things better around here. Goal One: Heating Things Up In The Smelter I need to get the home fires burning hot and strong again!! I think with the adjustments that I've made to my life that I've let the fires burn down (more specifically my metabolism) and it's time to get that going again. Best way to do that.... get that exercise going again. I'm looking to do three workouts throughout the week. Whether they be walking the neighborhood (weather permitting), using the Xbox for exercise, or getting to bodyweight workouts, things must be done to stoke the fire and get them burning strong! Goal Two: Sharpening Things On The Grindstone I need to get things more refined, sharpened to a razor point. What better to sharpen than my cooking? Now that I'm in a situation where I am at home more often and less actively going towards fast food places for meals, it's time to start working on more things that I can make that will be both healthy and fulfilling for my body. Going to shoot for one recipe a week, something that I've worked on, made, and tested. Extra credit for making something that can be batch cooked. Goal Three: Hammering Things Out On The Anvil Once pulled from the fire, an object isn't shaped until it's been hammered out over the anvil. No, this isn't a goal for getting hammered every weekend (I'm too damn old for that crap ) but it's for building better habits for myself. This goal is still a bit of a work in progress, more soon. Life Goal: Stretching Things Out On The Skinning Rack This goal is a little more outside the box but none the less just as necessary. After the chaos, I've had to go through quite a few things and I have realized that I've got a lot of crap, physical, not so much emotional anymore. So what I plan with this goal is two-fold: One, to rid myself of some of the items in my life that I don't need and Two, to clothe myself in things that are more supportive to me (both physically and emotionally). Now, it's time to use some elbow grease and get this place cleaned up!!

So hey there fellow Rangers. Last challenge, I flaked out a bit in the end. I was a little sick, but really I have no excuse. I did have some positive momentum, and I want to continue to build on that. This challenge will provide me with one big obstacle. The Family Vacation. There will be a couple of days of travel. Most likely, I'll have to write those two days off. Probably something like 7-8 hours of driving February 13th-20th will be vacation time. That week, I will modify my goals. I want to still keep on track, and be able to enjoy the time off. We are heading down to Carlsbad, Ca. There will will be minutes away from Legoland We have 2 days passes. Monday the 15th will be the first day there. Not sure when we'll hit up day 2. We also plan on hitting up Disneyland one day. I need to check in on the new Star Wars things there! Goal #1: Eat even more veggies! So last challenge I did well getting in 1 veggie a day. This challenge, I am upping it to 2 meals a day. This will be an every day challenge. 2 points per day for grading. Goal#1 vacation modification: I will still try to do what I can to follow this goal while I am away from home. So this means stocking up on things to eat there at the house we are staying at. I am going to do the best I can when eating at the theme parks. Will still grade, but move to 1 point per day. Goal #2: Do something everyday! I want to continue to work on the same workouts I did last challenge. This time, I am adding weight for one of them, and upping it to 3 full sets of each exercise. I also want to walk each day. I may attempt to start to get running again, but I want to really get in the habit of doing something each day first. 3 workouts a week, and walking each day. Sundays will be my "off" day, but I have other plans for that day 1 point for workouts, 1 point for each day of walking. Goal #2 vacation modification: The days we go to the theme parks, I should get plenty of walking in. I still will do workouts, only I need to modify them a bit. I won't bring weights with me, so I need to skip some workouts, substitute a different workout in, or attempt to use things as weights to left. Milk/water jugs etc. I will plan for bodyweights, and adjust as needed. 6 non travel days during vacation, so I will score a point per day for exercise. Goal #3: Time to work on a routine! This goal is going to involve a few things, but the overall theme is to help me get into a routine to get up and get my workouts done. This might have to span a few challenges, We shall see. I am not setting a time to be in bed. I am setting a time to be away. So each morning, I will be up at 7am. Then I need to get in my workout and/or walking done. I want to add more, but for now, this is what I will focus on. Each day will be worth 1 point. Goal #3 modification: Not too much to change here. Workout days, I still get up and workout. Other days, I will just focus on getting up at 7am. It depends on the days agenda for walking. Will still score 1 point per day here. Goal #4: It's time to get some projects done I might have a bit of trouble with this goal. Looking at my calendar, I see I really only have one full weekend, and one 1/2 weekend to work with. Still, I press forward There are a few projects around the house, that I just haven't gotten too, but desperately need to get going. 1 point for each task. Go through my bowling balls. The idea here, is to see which balls I might want to keep, then figure out what to do with the others. I need to get the specs done, and pictures taken. that way I can sell them to buy more bowling equipment haha.Clean up the backyard. We have some recycle things in the back yard, and time and sun have broken bags. There are lots of cans and bottles to be picked up, and taken to recycle.Go through my computer stuff. Time to e-waste things I don't need, and get my desk and computer area fixed up. I'm tired of having to look through all the tubs to find things.Clean up the garage. This isn't that bad. It's mostly some boxes we had down from Christmas. there is a little bit of cleanup to be done too.Goal #4 modification: Nothing I can do for these while I am away The real test will be to see if I can get them done, even with vacation in there. Ok, that pretty much sums up everything. I'll be making sure to take plenty of pictures, and trying not to buy all the things Grading: Week 1 (1st-6th) - 22.5/27 - 83% Week 2 (7th-12th) - 0/26 Week 3 (13th-20th) Vacation week - 0/22 Week 4 (21st-26th) - 0/26 Goal #4 completed - 0/4 Challenge point total - 0/105 Measurements: Location - Before/After = Difference Neck - 19.96 in / Chest - 57.67 in / Waist - 61.77 in / Bicep (L) - 18.11 in / Bicep ® - 17.4 in / Forearm (L) - 14.21 in / Forearm ® - 14.21 in / Thigh (L) - 32.08 in / Thigh ® - 32.08 in / Weight - 371 lbs /

My main life quest is to improve my body composition. In order to achieve this, I need a solid foundation upon which to build a more balanced life. My goals for this challenge focus on improving habits, routines and creating a more healthy way of life. 1. Walk! STA+1 CON+2 I have already got into the habit of walking in the evenings (avec dog) but on weekdays I sit at a desk, looking at a computer screen for 7+ hours per day and I need to take proper breaks. I will buy a timer, bring it to work, and at some point in the day I will get up and take a 5-min walking break. So look out Mordor, here I come. A = 30 or more 5-min walks B = 24-29 walks C = 18-23 walks F = 17 walks or fewer 2. Gym! STR+1 DEX+1 STA+1 CHA+1 I last worked out at the gym on 30th June 2015; then summer happened, holidays happened and this all contributed to one big gym hiatus. The hiatus has to end. I will get back to the gym and do stuff. I will have to restart gradually but I will restart. A = 18 or more workouts B = 12-17 workouts C = 6-11 workouts F = 5 workouts or fewer 3. Sugar! CON+2 WIS+1 CHA+1 I regularly consume excessive amounts of sugar, mostly in the form of chocolate, biscuits and desserts. Cravings get the better of me, causing me to mindlessly devour any sugar in sight. I will keep a check on my sugar intake and reduce the amount of added / processed sugar I consume. Naturally occurring sugars (in fruit and vegetables) are allowed for this challenge. I will treat this as a "hard hat" challenge for the whole 6 weeks, meaning I will not miss 2 or more days in a row and I will either pass or fail. Pass = never miss 2 or more days in a row Fail = miss 2 or more days in a row 4. Declutter! CON+2 WIS+2 Building on my last challenge to get organised, it is difficult to achieve a good level of organisation in life when things are cluttered. A cluttered living space leads to a cluttered mind and body. The clutter has to go. I will rid myself of 126 bits of tangible clutter over these 6 weeks. That’s an average of 3 items per day. These items will be sold, recycled, donated or gifted to friends. Actual rubbish does not count. If something is put aside for gifting or donation it will be out of the house within one week. A = Got rid of 127 items or more B = 84-126 items C = 42-83 items F = Got rid of 41 items or fewer. Starting stats: (using my home scale which I am sure is wildly inaccurate but at least will be consistently inaccurate) Weight 86.9kg Fat 33.6% Water 48.4% Muscle 31.4% BMI 30.1

Heyla guys!! I missed you!!! A LOT! Had surgery on my herniated L4-5 disk in June. After 9 months of pain and 4 months of a long hard recovery I feel like I am ready to get back to it hard now. I have been slowly introducing more and more to my daily workouts and have learned a lot about how what my body wants to do right now. AND learned that I have lost SO MUCH ground. I have gained around 50-60lb back.... I have lost flexibility especially in my back and legs I have lost strength in my back and legs I have lost endurance with everything. I still have to be careful with high impact moves like jumping and running I am sucking hard at eating right. Fallen back into bad habits of portion size and junk food I am having a hard time getting my butt back in gear Medical bills having me strait up freaking out. STRESS Boooooo OK!! Now that the blah blah boo hoo session is over time to talk about the good stuff I have learned! I have lost that much weight and more before. I CAN DO IT AGAIN! I started this journey not being able to touch my toes. I can do that now AND will do it with proper form now. My strength is far better than when I first started this journey. It will build up again. When I started this fitness journey I could barley walk a couple blocks before being winded. I am far beyond that now. I miss running but will love that I am able to walk w/o back pain. I am thankful I can workout now. For too long I couldn't do much of anything without detrimental pain. I am happy for what I can do. I have learned so many lessons about how to eat. It is time to get back to the basics. No fancy menus with macros just going back to what NOT to eat. The rest will come. I had been forced by my body not to workout for months. I can now and I WILL! Money will work it self out. Plans are in the beginning stages and we just need to hold on until we can get more stable. Stress will come and go. How I deal with it is up to me. I can let it eat me alive or help drive me forward. Time to fall back to home base and respawn. I have lost a lot of levels but I'm ready to gain them back and more!

Every assassination is about three phases: Planning, Execution, and Extraction. This challenge is all about refining what I've already got: a good Assassin fitness program, and strong archery skills. I want to improve each of my phases: For the Planning phase, I want to focus on my home, family, and sanity. For the Execution phase, I would like to get more accurate with my bow, preferably out to 30 yards. I'm a pretty good shot at 20 right now, but it's harder and harder to be accurate at greater distances. Lastly, for Extraction, I'm pretty well rehabbed from my chronic ankle injuries, and now I want to increase my distance running. In order to keep it up, I want to maintain my flexibility to prevent injuries, and this means stretching. 1. Planning: I will cook a healthy meal at home three nights a week for my family, record my food and exercise in MFP, and plan one family activity per week. I will also meditate for 5-10 min six days a week. Cooking: 3 Sessions, 6 weeks, 18 sessions total. 17-18 = A, 14-16 = B, 11-13 = C, 8-10 = D, <8 = F. +2 CHA MFP: 6 days, 6 weeks, 36 completed entries total. >33 = A, 28-33 = B, 23-27 = C, 18-22 = D, <18 = F +2 CHA Meditation: 6 sessions, 6 weeks, 36 sessions total. >33 = A, 28-33 = B, 23-27 = C, 18-22 = D, <18 = F +2 WIS 2. Execution: I will practice archery at least once a week, with three volleys (3-5 arrows) at 30 yards in the sighting in range before hitting the 3D target range. The first shot is the only shot that counts, though, so I'll record that first shot with a photo every time I go to practice. Archery: 6 sessions total, 6 = A, 5 = B, 4 = C, 3 = D <3 = F. +3 DEX 3. Extraction: Right now, I'm running about 15 miles a week over three sessions, give or take a mile or two. I want to keep that up, and make sure that I stay healthy. This means running ten or fifteen minutes, and then stopping to stretch for a few, and then stretching afterwards, within three hours. I'd also like to increase my once-per-week long run. There won't be a schedule but I'd like to make an eight mile run before the six weeks is out. Running: 3 sessions, 6 weeks, 18 sessions total. It doesn't count if there isn't any stretching. 17-18 = A, 14-16 = B, 11-13 = C, 8-10 = D, <8 = F. +2 STA, +2 CON Bonus: 8 mile run completed: +1 STA, +1 CON This schedule doesn't take into consideration any cross training, lifting, cycling, hiking, hunting, scouting, backpacking, etc that I might be doing in the mean time. All that will still go on, I'm just not counting it.