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Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge.. World 1 was my first extended stay through 22 challenges. I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a new direction for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in a Boss Fight slaying some mighty big goals. In World 3, I continue to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease and crooked spine causing all types of pain in my back, hip, legs, neck, and shoulders. Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I maintain my spine and back muscles to slow down the advanced aging. I'm not planning to be playing rugby or football again in this lifetime, but I'm not giving up hope on the possibility either... Rebellions are built on HOPE! I'm just going to keep on L-I-V-I-N, fight the good (and healthy) fight, and level up my life! Challenge Lesson: "I am One with the Force and the Force is with me." There aren't many quotes that can so clearly define a Jedi, but this is definitely one of them, spoken, repeated, and chanted by Chirrut Iwme throughout Rogue One. Chirrut is a Guardian of the Whills which is a religious order of monks and protectors of the Temple of the Kyber who preach about the Force to pilgrims visiting the holy city of Jedha. Chirrut is not a Jedi, though in the novelization of Rogue One he achieves a level of Force sensitivity to pull off a couple amazing feats. That level of Force sensitivity comes from his deep commitment to serving the Will of the Force evident in his chanting of the quote. He is not gifted in Force talents like the many Jedi, Sith, and Force-users seen throughout Star Wars, but he has a deep understanding of the Force being an energy field which connects and binds all things. He has deep beliefs that even if he is not gifted, that he can still feel and interact with the Force through being calm, focused, and committed. Commitment, Understanding, and Belief are the foundations for any religious or spiritual person seeking to connect with supernatural beings or forces, whether for prayers, enlightenment, or forgiveness. Chirrut follows the Will of the Force to be enlightened and asks the Force for protection in a few instances. I could go into the details of how Chirrut appears to actually be protected by the Force to serve a greater purpose in bringing balance to the Force (in delivering the Death Star plans to a farm boy on Tattooine), but deconstructing the Star Wars movies is not what I like to do with these lessons. Instead, my goal is to apply the quote in context to the real world for Jedi like me. For anyone seeking to accomplish a goal, Commitment, Understanding, and Belief are the foundations to build on. Commit to it by making it a priority over other matters, understand the resources, obstacles, stakes, consequences, and rewards for the goal to develop a plan, and believe that you can do it which may require you to take a leap of faith. I am One with the Force and the Force is with me. I am One with Life and Life is with me. I am One with my Goals and my Goals are with me. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 3 Level 9 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. DEX +1, STA +1 Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 300 min total, 80 weekly. STR +1 Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 400 min total, 100 weekly. STR +1, DEX +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 720 min total, 150 weekly. *Belt test on January 28th, so I loaded an extra 120 mins to account for it. DEX +1, STA +1 DIET: Weight Control - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. Track lunch portions, especially. Track "fasting" after dinner nightly. I'm looking to continue to cut down on snacking and desserts after dinner. I need to ensure I have a calorie deficit or I won't continue to lose weight. CON +2 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete (or dedicate at least one hour to) 260 Tasks or Projects, with at least 65 each week, from any of the following areas (minimum for challenge): Toastmasters Communication Practice (8), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (8), Toastmasters Speech and Training Development (8), Mentoring (6), Charity Work (10), Jedi Training (8), Self Preservation (16), Reading (16), Church Work (14), Job Work (10), Business Projects (10), Dishes (20), Laundry (16), Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming (20), Other Chores (20), Yard Work (8), Animal Care (30), Home Renovation (4), Auto Maintenance (4), Family Activities (8), Adventuring (6). WIS +3, CHA +3 INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($160 carried over) REWARD 1: For each week I complete 70 or more tasks, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE 1: For any week where I complete less than 65 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD 2: $5 for each Business Project hour: setup 2018 Extra Life donation page write/plan/record a 2018 Extra Life Kickoff Video get involved in Extra Life Baltimore Guild and Cecil-Con recruitment booth revisit Wizard Laser Tag (look into Recoil game app and tech) for Epic Nerd Camp draw up plan for Jedi website investigate VHS-to-DVD conversion CONSEQUENCE 2: Lose $10 for each week without a Business Project hour. REWARD 3: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training lessons. $10 for each completed IJRS lesson. Need to get back to the formal training at IJRS. CONSEQUENCE 3: Lose $5 for each week without working on a Jedi Training lesson. REWARD 4: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner. Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking. CONSEQUENCE 4: Lose $2 for each day without fasting. Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any meal. REWARD 5: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $2 for each day without a small, healthy lunch. BONUSES: Life: $5 for healthy grocery shopping (once a week only) $5 for healthy meal prep (once a week only) $2 for each Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance task. Workout: $5 for 10 or more sprints in one workout. (once a week only) $5 for running more than 3.5 miles in a workout. $5 for running below an 8 minute mile. (once a week only) $10 for running below a 7 minute mile. (once a week only) $5 for running 2 miles in less than 18 minutes. (once a week only) $10 for running 3 miles in less than 30 minutes. (once a week only) $10 for running more than 40 minutes. (once a week only) PUNISHMENT: After January 7th, lose $10 each day with weight above 152.5 lbs. Giving myself some time to get my weight back down, but I feel so much better when I have been below 152 lbs.

I'm going to be restarting this challenge, I completed the first two weeks successfully but tracking it completely slipped my mind! So therefore instead of using the original schedule scheme i was going with, this restart gives me the opportunity to follow the actual challenge program! 4, then a rest and 4 again! Let's do this, Mandalorian style. OYA! Main Goal: Gain strength, build upon mental toughness, Improve diet, Become Mandalorian. Epar Yai'yai [(Eat Richly nourishing) 30pts] prepare and cook healthy meals for b-fast, lunch and dinner. (Some Paleo meals. Meat, carb, Veggie. Bonus if carb is a veggie) Full night sleep. 7+ hours Shop healthier on the first shopping cycle( Which will last me two weeks). Limit/ no junk food. Eliminate fast food. (bonus for healthy alternatives) Atin'la baar [(Tough body) 30 pts] Complete the first two weeks of Arnold's Blueprint. Post progress & accountability logs Stretch, roll, and warm-up daily. Off saturdays light cardio/hike, stretch, yoga or tai-chi x2 Ramikadyc [(Warrior Mindset) 40 pts] Learn 40 words in the Mando language Do things that suck/ build mental toughness. Commit to workout. Volunteer for the jobs no one wants at work. Build finish upper armor sanding and forming save $100 for the month

LIFTS for the workout all reps were in this order 30, 12, 10, 08, 06. Posting weight lifted in place of the rep for each individual movement Bench press reps: 95, 115, 115, 135, 135 Incline bench: 65, 85, 85, 95, 95 Dumbell flyes & Pullover (superset): 25, 30, 30, 35, 35 Chin up (wide grip 4 sets x max effort @30lbs off on assist machine): 15, 10, 08, 10 Bent over barbell & two dumbbell row (superset): 95, 115, 115, 135, 135 leg lifts on back (arm over head): 25 x 5

Theme for 2016 During a Solstice ritual with a couple of friends, I had a very clear image of a driving a stake into the ground. Attached was a leather thong that bound my ankle to the stake. I knew the image referred to a story I read many years ago of a Native American warrior, but I could not remember the details, only that it was an act of total commitment. Once again, the internet delivers: Attached to each dog rope was a picket-pin [used to tether horses]. The pin was driven into the ground as a mark of resolve in combat. When a Dog Soldier was staked to the ground in order to cover the retreat of his companions, he was required to remain there even if death was the consequence. The Dog Man could pull the pin from the ground only if his companions reached safety or another Dog Soldier released him from his duty. From "Cheyenne Dog Soldiers," by Richard Grimes I'm kind of glad I didn't remember the details of the story! The more I read about the Dog Soldiers the more respect I have and the more intimidated I become. Nevertheless, I am holding to my intuitive vision and planting my stake into the ground.Focus and Motivation No doubt this will be a challenging year. To in some small way embody the ideals and values of warriors of that caliber will be a tremendous stretch, one in which I hope I can use them as inspiration and example without faltering or giving any disrespect. I see my primary focus this year as being COMMITMENT. My primary motivation to get healthier (on all levels) and stay that way, is to be present for my family, friends, and associates. With the above in mind, and knowing that there are many changes coming to Nerd Fitness, I am keeping my goals simple and succint. I suspect that many of what would normally have been side quests will fit better into the coming "Epic Quest" system, and I am sure that DarK_Raider and Rurik are hatching mini-challenge plans and any number of other surprises for the future... Challenge Goals1. Go the Distance Average of 15 miles per week, for a total of at least 60 miles for the challenge. Going for easy level of difficulty still, just focused on increasing mileage for now. Carefully, steadily. 2. Wait and Watch for the Enemy; Stand Your Ground Squat 10 mins per day, 6 days per week, 6 hours for the challenge. This is to stretch and release tight muscles from sitting at a computer for so much of the day. Stand for increasing times each day I work at GP, starting with 10 minutes of every hour. This one is a tracking goal, not a total time goal for this challenge, at least until I know how much my bum leg will take per day. I purchased a new stand for my computer that lets me easily turn my regular desk into a standing desk. I plan to install that as soon as I return to work and add standing to my daily routine for the last 5 weeks of the challenge. 3. Eat to Win Lose 4 pounds during the January Challenge Do this by eating healthy foods - lots of fruits and veggies, moderate amounts of whole grains, small amounts of meat, and very little processed food, drinking lots of water, and getting plenty of sleep, fresh air, and relaxation. 4. CyberWarrior Learn - Complete the cyber security course I am taking. Practice - Participate in at least one exercise through the AZCWR (Arizona Cyber Warfare Range). Share - Organize and promote the upcoming Code Sisters Cyber-Security Workshop. Not sure if I am going to build a story around this or not. I think I will wait until after the 4th to decide that, once I see the new features on Nerd Fitness. Hoka hey! (Yes, I know that's Lakota/Dakota, not Cheyenne, and it doesn't mean what Hollywood thinks it does... But it makes a pretty good war cry.) Let's go kill this challenge!

As the header says, this challenge is about commitment. I've taken a look to what I've done this year, and I see an on and off pattern, specially with exercise. It's true that many times bad health was involved, but I also see that I kind of use it as an excuse to postpone a restart. So, from this moment, I commit, I'll put exercise first for the next 4 weeks (yes, 4 weeks, that's correct. Am I a rebel or what?). I will only be excused if I have to work extra-hours off my schedule or if I feel sick (but I won't!). This means that there are other goals, but they come in second place and some of them are there to help the exercise goal. So: Goal 1. Being active. I'll allow myself a rest day, full rest day, but the other 6 days some kind of exercise must be done. I think in such a way I'll see results and that will encourage me to follow through. I hope my morning routine will help too (goal 2). First week: Establish the routine of walking a mile every morning (it's part of the morning routine). DONE! Go for a run at least once. Better if twice. DONE! 1 strength workout. DONE! In fact I did TWO! Second week: A mile a day. DONE! Go for a run at least once. Better if twice. Two days of tap practice at home. DONE! 2 strength workouts. DONE! Weeks 3 and 4: A mile a day. Or more if I've got time. Week 3: DONE! Week 4: DONE! 2 running days. Tap practice at home. Week 3: DONE! Week 4: DONE! 2 strength workouts. GMB Integral Strength. Week 3: DONE! Week 4: DONE! Workouts, both strength and running, include Focused Flexibility. What about tap? I am not sure whether I'll be able to take lessons this year, my schedule is not clear yet. If I can't go, then I'll try to practice at home now and then. Neighbours are going to hate. Points: 2 STA points max. for completing all the running workouts. 2 STR points max. for completing all the strength workouts. 1 DEX point max. for tap practice or lessons. Goals to help with exercise: Goal 2. Establish a morning routine. If I don't give myself the opportunity to think and chose to be lazy, maybe, only maybe, I won't be. The routine will organize my morning from waking up til it is time to go and prepare lunch. I want to create the feeling that tasks are somewhat linked and one leads to the next, so there's no room for procrastination and/or laziness. The routine starts with no snoozing in the morning and moves through meditation, walking, breakfast, reading, tidying up, music practice and exercise and many other little tasks, like taking my vits or feeding grumpy cat. If I don't waste time and follow the schedule I will have around 1 hour free before lunch to do whatever I want (like checking NF threads?). First week: DONE! Second week: DONE! Third week: DONE! Fourth week: DONE! Points: 2 WIS max. Goal 3. Eating. Tasks to be done: meal planning. Breakfast DONE!, lunch DONE! and dinner DONE! find a place that would supply me of bones for making broths; I only prepare them when I buy a whole chicken, that's not enough. And I want to try beef stock; DONE! put on fire the candy-bread kiosk on the ground floor; or maybe not, not everybody would understand my decision... keep on reading “Nourishing traditions†and think what I want to apply of what I read there; SOAKED DOUGH BREAD (done!)/MUFFINS (done!)/SCONES AND FERMENTED VEGETABLES (done!) stay away from sugar and bread: 3 days on the first week DONE!, 4 the second DONE!, 5 the third DONE!, and finally 6 the last one DONE! . If I get there, then I could try the following challenge to stay at 6-7 clean days. The better I eat, the more impact my exercise routine will have in my body. Once more, commitment. Points: 2 CON points max. for completing the suggested tasks (0.5 points each). Goals unrelated to exercise: Goal 4. Music practice and stage fright. Either “The hibbiee-jibbiees†or the “Sonata Appassionataâ€, or both, will be uploaded to soundcloud before the trimester ends. This way I'll have to commit (that word again!) to everyday practice and won't let stage fright aside until concerts season. Points: 2 CHA and 1 WIS points max. To obtain when one or both pieces are uploaded to soundcloud. Goal 5. Personal projects. I'd like to work on “Metabolic regulation†and “Hobbitinn†regularly. I won't decide a fixed schedule for them because they are part of leisure time. I hope my morning routine will establish well and help me find some moments for this during the week. If not, I'll work on weekends. Also, they can go in my “rest breakfast while reading†space in the morning, though I don't usually feel awake enough for that (maybe the previous walk in the fresh morning will put a remedy to that). 1 Metabolism regulation chapter per challenge (unless it is a difficult or long one, then half) and 1 paragraph of Hobbitinn every week. Points: 1 CHA max. Goal 6. Autumn is cool too. I can't go out everyday or hike the whole weekend now (why not, indeed?) but I'll try to plan some activities to keep enjoying being outdoors. First week: 2 activities. Second week: 1 activity. No activities during weeks 3 and 4 Wrong! Went to the Cervantian fair at the end of week 4! Points: 1 STA and 1 WIS points max. GOAL IN THE BACKGROUND. ANXIETY There are a lot of goals here. I have to go to work, too. Anxiety can appear. Probably will do. So, as I did last year, if I feel anxiety starts to pile up -because it's too much, because I have some trouble at work, because whatever- challenge stops and only the anxiety related activities go on. That includes my daily habits of relaxing, breathing and resting, and meditation, walking in the sun (so not necessarily right after I wake up), and aerobic exercise. Anxiety peaks. First week: none. Second week: one. Third week: three. Fourth week: three. Anxiety attacks: First week: none. Second week: none. Third week: none. Fourth week :none. Each time I realise anxiety has piled up and I get to stop it before it goes too far, I get an extra 0,5 WIS point. That's it. I think that's what I need. Now let's get the job done! SECOND 4-WEEKS CHALLENGE: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/70900-commitment-zenlara/?p=1673956

Thought I'd post something in here by means of introduction (duh). Just spent ages writing the first post of my Daily Battle Log thread, so I'm just going to recycle it here as an intro. Sorry if that's too annoyingly lazy. Bises x The Situation Two years ago I started a Daily Battle Log and didn't follow it up with a single update. Not one. Obviously, that didn't go quite as planned. No point dwelling on the past though, because two years ago is not today, and today I'm ready to commit to change. The past two years have been full of positive change: I finished school, got a job, discovered tumblr (rather belatedly), moved into my own apartment, fell in love. I've also been accepted for the final selection process for an amazing IT school in Paris. It's called 42 and it's nerd heaven and I'm going there for a month-long entrance exam in September. I feel like everything's finally come together and I'm ready to embark on real life. The only thing holding me back is my lump of lard excuse for a body --- in two years, I've gained 15kg. As of today, the situation is as follows: Weight: 78.4kg (173 lbs) Height: 170cm (5 foot 6ish) Belly: 102cm (40 inches) Thigh: 68cm (27 inches) Very out of breath walking up two flights of stairs to my apartment. While I do go to a weekly dance class, I am embarrassingly incompetent and feel like death before the warm up is even over. Poor skin due to poor diet, poor adherence to doctor's orders, and never getting any sun because I'm always inside. Goals While my physical appearance is certainly less than ideal (in society's terms at least), I don't want to focus on working towards an aesthetic goal. My main concern is the things that my body can't do in its current state. Therefore, my general long-term goal is to have a stronger, healthier, faster body, that can sing, dance and run up stairs without gasping for breath like a dying whale. I am young, and I want to feel young and do young person things. With all this in mind, I've come up with a list of fairly simpe things that I want to be able to do by September. My month at 42 marks the start of a whole new adventure, and I want to go into it healthy and capable in mind and body. By 1st September 2015 (99 days from now) I will be able to do the following without feeling like I'm dying: Run 5km Hold a 30 second hand stand Do 30 push ups Hold a 120 second plank Cycle to my nearest train station (12km of hills) Swim a length of a local swimming lake The Plan Every week for the next 14 weeks I will: Run for 30 minutes twice a week Swim for 30 minutes once a week Cycle for 30 minutes once a week Do a basic body weight workout three times a week Have one rest day a week Every day for the next 99 days I will: Practice handstand training for 10 minutes Eat 2 portions of lean protein and 3 portions of healthy veggies Drink at least 8 glasses of plain water Take all my medications Spend at least 30 minutes outside Go to sleep by 11pm I will gradually increase the nature and intensity of each workout, but I will keep the frequency and duration constant to keep a routine I can stick to. When I am away from home and cannot swim or cycle I will replace it wth a run. I will track my commitment with a chart on which I will mark off each completed daily and weekly requirement as they are completed. I will write a short daily log by 10.30pm every evening, and post weekly summaries to reflect on my progress every Sunday morning by 10am. I will take photos and measurements every Sunday morning to keep track of my progress. For every week successfully completed without missing any of the daily or weekly requirements, I will reward myself with a healthy lunch out with a friend. For every month successfully completed I will reward myself with a weekend camping trip with a friend. If I don't miss a single requirement over the whole 99 days I will reward myself with a weekend in Paris. If I successfully fulfill each of the 6 goals by September, I will reward myself with a new haircut. I guess all that's left is for me to go and be healthy for the rest of the day, and check in this evening with my daily log. À bientôt, Mimi

Hi everyone! My name is Becca and this is my first 6 week challenge. I joined the Academy a couple months ago and love it so far, I'm currently a level 5 assasin, but I've decided I need a little kick in the pants to stay committed and motivated with my goals and I think this challenge will really help! I've decided to work on my weaknesses for this challenge since they usually get overlooked since I hate feeling weak and don't particularly like doing things I'm not good at. That will all change soon! I'm very weak in my core, flexibility, and at resisting sweets so this challenge will revolve around that for me. My main quest: Be a stronger, healthier, leaner version of myself that can do cool gymnastic type stuff with my body and be a great climber too. 6 week challenge goals: 1. Be able to hold an L-sit with good form for 10 seconds. A=10 seconds, B=7 seconds, C=5 seconds, D=3 seconds, Fail if I can't hold one with good form at all. 2. Do a little yoga everyday. A=42 days, B=35 days, C=28 days, D=21 days, Fail if any less than 14 days 3. Limit myself to only having a small sweet treat once a week, replace all other cravings with fruit. A=6 sweet days, B=8 sweet days, C=10 sweet days, D=12 sweet days, Fail if I have more than 14 sweet days. I'm excited to start the challenge and see what happens at the end of these six weeks! Good luck everyone! I forgot about rewards! If I do well with this challenge I'm gonna get a bunch of stuff to represent the people who helped me do it! If I get an A I'll get all of the below. If I get a B I get a NF sweatshirt If I get a C I get a NF t-shirt If I get a D I get a NF sticker pack I also decided no matter how poorly I do If I actually stick with the challenge for all 6 weeks I'll get some new loose leaf tea just for the hell of it cuz I love tea

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself. This past year I got back into fitness, working out, and eating clean. In Jan 2014, I lost 20lbs in 90 days (pic below) and gained significant muscle and strength through P90X3, supplementing with a little running here and there. Happy to be a part of the community and look forward to offering my two cents! Jason jfrofitness.com

So that was my first introduction to the forums. At this moment I am struggling to find motivation (or inspiration?) to get my shit together, get rid of all distractions and excuses and just start one step every day. I can't stand people that complain about how fat they are, how they should be doing a lot of things to get stronger, healthier or fitter. Today I feel like that. One of the things that I think is very very important for me is to learn how to break everything into small steps. As I have said before, I have tried just about everything but never stuck with it, and that is my weakness. I have no will or perseverance to keep on my track. This week I've come to say to myself that it's just what my body is asking for, just arrive at home and play a video game or watch a series. I would really like to hear from someone who has overcome this scenario. What made you change your perception about getting up and doing it? I'll be leaving the office pretty soon and hopefully making it to the gym later tonight. Will let you know tomorrow in the right forum about it. Regards, Daniel

This will be my battle log were all diet and fitness progress will be tracked across all challenges. I will edit this initial post as I define and update my goals and changing focus. MOTIVATION: To be a Master of my own body weight and an example of health to my wife and kids. Measurements: Weight: 206 lbs Waist: 39" Gut: 43" Thigh (Left): 24.5" Hips: 41.5" Training Regimen: Convict Conditioning - New Blood Program 0 to 1650 Swim Challenge Diet Goals: Target Daily Net Calories: 1500 Target Weight: 190 lbs Fitness Goals: To master my own body weight. Life Goals: Minimize all distractions at work and maximize productivity. To make major progress every week towards mastering my career and passion.

Hi rangers, hope you don't mind me sneaking in and shadowing y'all for this one - I've come across from the druids based on what I want to achieve this time. 1. Attend crossfit three times per week during the challenge and thereafter. I've only just signed up and the next class I attend on the 6th will be my second wod after ramp so it's pretty new and still a bit scary [sTR5} 2. which brings me to my second goal which is kind of a mashup of things I still need to refine but mostly stop being scared of things that aren't scary. I need to take responsibility, stop procrastinating and making excuses which all just cuts me off at the knees. I need to think about this still, but it's about committing fully I guess [CON3, WIS2] 3. running/cycling - as I've been sick and there's a storm here I'll say the first week I only need to run 5km or cycle to work (10 kms) at least one time, but from week two onwards I need to run at least 5 km building up to 10km by week 6 at least once a week, and cycle to work at least two times per week (ideally 4 times depending on crossfit). I'm going to work on my speed here too as I've never really tried to see what I can do in that sense. Weather dependent there should be weekend adventuring also [sTA3, DEX2] 4. (non challenge lifequest) I've just started this week to learn about programming so each week I will spend at least four hours dedicated to this without distractions etc. (see 2.) I'm hoping that four hours isn't enough so I may make that more

EMS 6.0. COMMITMENT. Time to be like the pig...in a sense MAIN QUEST: 20% BODY FAT 100% AWESOME Hey sexy fit nerds! It's new challenge time - yey! My last challenge was pretty good, but what held it back was my lack of commitment. Some weeks were amazing, some complete pants, and what was frustrating was that I could see that what I was doing in the amazing weeks was working, but still failed to keep it up! I know that a low carb Paleo-ish diet really works for me, my body fat levels drop, my muscle increases and my athletic performance is outstanding (I have the 500m row and deadlift PRs to prove it). So this time, the challenge is: commitment com-mit-ment [kuh-mit-muh nt] noun 1. staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left #1. I don't eat bread or sugar. These are my two biggest nutritional vices. It is time to tackle the big stuff. I've kicked the sugar monster before, not for as long, but I'm confident I can beat this. NB: I am allowing honey (yes I know its sugar!) but only with my Greek yoghurt and in my post training smoothies. I am also still eating fruit. Bread, as read on Nerd Fitness Academy, is calorically dense and nutritionally empty. Bye bye bread. My diet will be a combination of my PTs plan, and recipes from this site and the Academy. I might allow myself the odd cracker, but other than that it is no carbs (aside from veggies), lots of protein and dairy (I don't seem to have a problem with this, but might drop it next challenge and see what affect it has). This is a simple cold turkey approach, as I've found from past experiences that this works best for me; I can't do moderation. Moderation to me means, 'you've started now, quick, eat it all before someone steals it!' #2. Work, play, rest. In that order. I have become a lazy idiot lately and have got my priorities a bit muddled. Daily work to do lists. Food cooked and planned. Clothes/bag packed the night before. Then , and only then, can collapse on the sofa, in the smug haze of productiveness and efficiency #3. Sleep. Makes everything easier. Bed by 11pm on work nights (11:30pm on Tuesdays) A simple goal carried over from last challenge. It really works, but I need the accountability - its not yet a habit. SIDE QUEST: ATTENTION. RACE! Get on the erg. I have decided to enter my first indoor rowing race in Cardiff. It's just under a month away, 07.12.2013. I am rather scared. But, with Steve's motivational words ringing in my ears about spontaneity and the like, I've decided to go for it. It is a mainly a race against yourself, against the machine. Worst case scenario - I row worse than my current PR. Not really so terrible. I do need to do some serious training though, a minimum of twice a week. Ok, there we go. Time to make a decision. Reset my mind and body. Make a commitment, and stick to it. Here's to the journey NB: Grading to come.

Sept. 19, 2013 Day 1 of P90X Have you ever pushed yourself so hard during a workout that you had to vomit and poop at the same time? I did. Although I'm not exactly proud that I had to cut my exercise routine short today, I am proud that I finally took the first step to getting my physical health in order. My workout for today was the "Chest & Back" routine. It's primarily composed of push-ups and pull-ups. Those are two of my favorite exercises, so I had a lot of fun until my insides wanted to be my outsides. My mistakes were Not properly pacing my exercises Half-assing my warm-up Eating crappy food right before I got startedAfter making odd cat noises and doing my best not to turn into a Barfmander, I decided to lie down. Not a beautiful start, but it's better than what I did yesterday (i.e. nothing). Here's to a better tomorrow.

Hi all, I'm a lurker but this challenge is coming at the right time for me, so I'm delurking. I've got a pretty chaotic life, and for years I've been thinking "I'll lose weight when...", or "I'll start looking after myself when..." and of course whatever it is never happens or there's something else in the way. However, I have made progress with my fitness over the last couple of years; I've been doing a few different things in terms of weight lifting and built up quite a lot of muscle, and I successfully did the C25K last year, thanks in large part to a pair of minimalist running shoes. Now I am finally starting to feel that I might at some point be a runner, though I'm tending more towards being a Ranger than a Scout as I get bored if I run too far, even with a talking book, and in any case I really fancy trail running. I've also just taken up geocaching which is something else Rangery. I feel that it's time to take it a step further, though, and I've had a couple of revelations that have helped me understand where I'm going. For one, I've finally realised that I'm not the unsporty type that I've always thought I was. Which was obvious, really; when I was left to my own devices as a kid I'd always be riding my bike or climbing a cliff or swimming or dancing, but I HATED team games. I was a school refuser, only in my case I loved school, I just hated PE lessons. I've also been thinking about my motivation for making changes and it essentially just comes down to being fed up with not making changes. I'm fed up being fattish (probably 10kg and 10% bf excess). I'm fed up not being able to stop eating - bread in particular. I'm fed up waiting for things to happen so that I can start having a life. I'm fed up not being in control, and wasting enormous amounts of mental energy comparing myself to other people, pigeonholing them and thinking "she's thinner than me". And it occurred to me - I've done LOADS of stuff in my life. Lived in 3 separate countries and in 40-odd addresses at the last count, I can speak 3 languages, I've started my own business which is getting to the point of doing pretty well, I drove a 7.5 tonne truck across Europe in the worst storm for 40 years, I've put on techno gigs, renovated two and a half houses, I've worked in IT support, sold property, dug potatoes (in a greenhouse - in the summer!), cleaned hotels... I've got an MA in Archaeology and a rescued cat with a very strange backstory. So it's not that I haven't earned the EXP. It's just that I've hoarded them as though they were GP, refusing to allocate them to going up a level in case... what? In case something else came along and I might need to use them for that? I'm 45, this is the only life I'm going to get and I need to start living it now! In fact, that's my motivation. OK, well that's come out a bit small, but anyway, it's there. So my first challenge to myself is to do the following: Main goals:1. Lose 3 kg2. Manage one real pushup 3. Get 8 hours' sleep a day. Comments on the above:1. Starting weight 72.3 kg, but I'll check that again on Monday morning. 2. I've never done a real pushup in my life. I'm pretty good at inclined ones, but I *still* haven't the strength to do a proper one. I think it's now down to core strength (lower back in particular) rather than shoulders, and I've just come across some good core exercises by John Sifferman, so that should help. 3. This is going to be the toughy. Given that it's currently 2.31 am, I've been up since 7 am and I'm being kept out of bed for the second night running by the brain dead residents of the small village where I currently live this is going to be impossible, but if I am at least in bed for 8 hours that's going to be an improvement. Working for myself has meant burning the candle at both ends with a vengeance. Life goal:Get my fecking website finally sorted. I've had the domain name for more than a year and done nothing with it, so it's more than time. Anyway, I can hardly keep my eyes open any more, so I'll think about grading these tomorrow and hope that exhaustion will take the place of peace and quiet in helping me sleep.

Goodness gracious, guys. It has been almost exactly a year since I joined the NF forums and participated in my first 6WC. I really haven't felt great about my fitness regime since 2012, though. I haven't been sticking to the routines I create, and I have really been struggling with both professional and personal aspects of my life. Starting in March, it seemed like everything in my life went wrong. Shitty job, which I quit, followed by a stretch of unemployment that drained all my savings. On top of that, my depression, which I've talked about before (recently watched this video, which I highly recommend), kicked in, and kicked in hard. I was nonfunctional. It was really bad. But I got some help, and I'm better. But this year has not been going according to plan. So where does that leave me now? Well, it's hard to say. I have great days, and I have shitty days. My job situation is still weird (working part-time at two bars, and looking for other work) But I'm still here. I'm still creating. I read over my first 6WC, and remembered how important it was at that time to feel in control of my life, to assert mastery over my domain. Which I was very successful in doing, in some ways. What I have realized since then is that in order to really have control, you also have to know when to let go. In order to expand, you have to contract a bit. I can't control everything in my life. And I cannot control myself, all the time, to the degree that I expect of myself. And that's okay. This Challenge: I want my body to look and most importantly, FEEL, as tough as I know I am. For some reason I have been thinking a lot about Lara Croft recently. The reboot game was apparently awesome, I have not gamed in years though, so I can't speak to that. But I remember how when I was a kid, I would play Tomb-Raider....but only the intro levels. The game terrified me. So I would run around the intro and demo level, exploring and jumping off things, but never really putting myself at risk. I was afraid. That I would fail. Well, that approach does not cut it anymore. If I want to be capable of the things I want to do both personally as an athlete and professionally as an actor(and stunt-person? Thinking about it...), I need to be stronger and faster, but most importantly, I need discipline, so that I can work through the fear. I need routine. I bet she has some pretty mean spreadsheets. So, my Main Goal for this challenge, is to create a long-term fitness plan that will push me and challenge me, that I will stick to, and that will help me finally build the muscle and the endurance that I have always desired. It needs to be flexible and well-rounded; so that I can adjust it depending on my smaller goals. My currently workout schedule looks like this, and I've been doing it for about two weeks. I'm going to keep this really simple. CURRENT WORKOUT SCHEDULE: This is roughly what I've been doing; sometimes switching which days I do what on, depending on my mood/soreness. I want to switch the order that I do things every week or so, so I don't get bored. Monday: Run Tuesday: Bodyweight Circuit (upper body focus) Wednesday: Climb Thorsday: Bodyweight (lower body focus) Circuit Friday: Climb Saturday: Run Sunday: Climb/Full Body Bodyweight Circuit There's no rest day on there; will probably alternate running and rest days, or sometimes combine run and climb days. GOALS: MISSION GOAL: Create sustainable and flexible fitness routine with a focus on upper-body strength building. 1)Do every workout. Simple. Schedule workouts on Sunday or Monday. Do them. The only ones I have flexibility on are climbing; because I can't always get to the gym. If I miss a climbing trip though, I still do the bodyweight workout or run. RECORD EVERY WORKOUT in spreadsheet / challenge thread. This is crucial. Sub-goal: Reduce 5k time to 33 minutes; I have to figure out what my current time is on flat surface(I've been running in the park which is a lot of up hill and un-even terrain); if I beat this time inside the 6 weeks, reduce to 31 mins. Sub-goal: Continue to work on v1/v2 problems, attempt some v3s. 2) Do 1 Glorious Shiny Pull Up I've done some really sloppy half assed ones. Work on form; if I accomplish this inside the 6 weeks, I will increase my goal to 2. 3) EAT EAT EAT Make sure I get my caloric intake for muscle building; rough Paleo (exceptions: rice, potatos, some dairy). Trying to find consistency in my diet; recently I upped my caloric intake and I can feel the difference. Basically, eat when I'm hungry and eat frequently. Prepare snacks for work.Going to edit this goal this week once I figure out a more structured eating plan. STATS: I'm also going to update this thread later with points; realized I tracked points in my first challenge, but not since. I think it will help me stay on track. It's funny, at the start of past challenges, I have felt all fired up, filled with optimism and motivation that is usually short-lived. I burn out. This time around I am less wide-eyed idealism and more grim determination, but I have a few things helping me out. -My roommate! Check out his first ever challenge thread and show him some love. Great dude, great athlete, and is super positive and gives me tons of support. -The fact that it's been a year since I committed to living healthier. I owe it to myself to make these changes stick. -My life goals demand that I do this. If I can't commit to these habits, I might as well throw in the towel and be content with mediocrity. Screw that. I've also flaked on so many challenges that I feel embarrassed starting another, so much so that if I don't finish this one it will make it that much harder to start the next. Not gonna do that to myself. -My progress. I'm bouldering v2s now. What I love about bouldering is that it is so easy to track your progress. Feeling the difference when you climb week to week is exhilarating. -And my challenge theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HX74UhgMFA Good to be back. -Starbuck

Hi All! I know I'm joining late so I'll really only be here to watch your challenge and then officially join in on the next 6 weeks. I have selected (if I can) both Druid and Scout classes because that is my focus for my 3 most prominent goals. So here's what my stats would be currently: Level 1 Druid/Scout Race: Half-Orc (Wants to look or feel like a Half-Elf at least) Strength: 1 Dexterity: 1 Stamina: 1 Constitution: 2 Wisdom: 5 Charisma: 5 I currently lead a very sedentary life and work in the marketing and development agency for a nonprofit organization focused on HIV/AIDS. I would like to get into at least better shape, but preferably I would like to actually accomplish something for once. Truly accomplish. So I'm going to try and follow these three goals and I'm already a week in! Goal 1: Run a 5k without stopping/walking STA 3/DEX 2 (mostly because I am working on endurance and breathing here; not just speed. Currently I'm at 14:06/mile hope to get down to at least 10!) A = No Walk/Stop at all C= No walk/stop until half-way point of 5k F= Didn't even enter the 5k Goal 2: Implement Yoga on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in between my C25K program training STA 2/Wis 3 A= At least do sun salutation routine on all of these days C=At least do 2 different yoga routines in a week F=Not do any yoga at all in a week Goal 3: (the hardest) Quit Smoking Cigarettes by June 30, 2013 WIS 5 A= Have no cigarettes and maintain the patch before June 30, 2013 C= Have at least half of my original amount per week (20/day) F= Continue smoking at regular amount per week These are my goals! So far I've started the quitting smoking today and it's going well because I've already been off of additive-containing cigarettes for a few months now and have my trusty patches and a small stress ball for my hands. Also, and I may post on this later, I have before this been tallying the amount of cigarettes per day on my arm and writing a word of encouragement each day, but I'll explain later. I'm committing these three things to my life and am not going to berate myself about food yet (though I will slowly start to get back on Paleo) or about my body image. I look the way I do and I am beautiful. I can't wait to Level UP! And I hope you guys are with me!! I'm with you!! Good luck to all of those quitting smoking as well! EDIT: I accidentally posted this in the general forum for the 6 week challenge. But am now re-posting here since this is my class. Sorry! Does anyone know how to cancel/delete the one I posted outside of this sub-forum? Thank you in advance!

Know that feeling when you realise that you've strayed so very far from the 'real you' that you almost give up and just accept where you're at? When you just stop looking in the mirror, buy clothes without trying them on, wear black and generally just stop trying. With a whole bunch of seemingly plausible excuses for how you got to this point? Well i've felt it, it absolutely sucks and it's got to stop. Despite a very active past and a background in elite sport, I have founded two companies in the past year and taken on a whole lot of projects which keep me computer-bound and as well as the professional awesomeness I now have, I also have an extra 30lb of fat on this warrior ass-kicking body. So it looks less than ass-kicking... and I work in health, and it's hurting the brand! I have a lot of personal and professional input I can offer others here (im a Physical Therapist, Pilates instructor, former elite mountain biker and adventure racer) but I'm actually scared and apprehensive about this journey this time. I don’t have time to do the training I used to do in the past- I’m going to have to be a bit more ninja to strip this fat, and rather than be the lone wolf, I’d love some support because my self belief here is a little shaky. I can rock the world in lots of ways, but this fat and this body… it’s a weird and foreign concept and im not sure how to get rid of it for good! My goals for the next six weeks: 1. Be active everyday (move for at least 30 minutes EVERY DAY of that six weeks, no excuses) 2. Drink 2L of water daily 3. Track my food intake with an app on my ipad and be truthful! 4. Find a business partner/ employee to share the professional journey I have started I'll put some photos up here tomorrow as much as I hate the idea- I cannot fail at this again and I cannot stay stuck in this!