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If you haven't followed my threads before, I am Brogo. I'm usually back and forth between the Warrior and Adventurer guilds. I typically try to lift like a warrior, but mostly I just eat like a warrior. That should stand out as indication that I'm overweight, and the bulk (pun intended) of my fitness journey has been failed attempts at weight loss. Lately, tho, I don't care about gainz. I'm really prioritizing my weight loss over everything else fitness wise. So I wandered back in here. I'm currently 257 lbs. I want to get to one-der-land. Just get me to 199 lbs. How am I going to lose this weight? I'm also seriously considering (another) career change to data science. I'll be (re-) teaching myself to code and learn data science methodologies through a courser certificate, and self-study using python 3 and anaconda 3 (hence the challenge title). Spoilered longwinded details... Goal 1, Keto: -> Maintain keto via a standard ketogenic diet (minimal carbs, no TKD or CKD) -> If ketogenesis gets interrupted, fast for 24-30 hours. Goal 2, Cooking: -> Keep current dietary restrictions (no meat, poultry, or dairy) until the end of the challenge. -> Buy at least one new ingredient each week, or try one new recipe. Goal 3, Running?: -> Go on a run once every weekend. -> Hit 6000 steps/day on my fitness tracker or lift weights. -> If I work <9 hours in a day, go for a run. Goal 4, Data: -> Continue work on Data Science Certificate on Courser:a by the end of challenge complete 4 courses. -> Practice and learn Python 3 (programming language) and Anaconda 3 (scientific, data analysis packages for python)

Jakkals skryf neer. For this year I have some basic goals: I need to get some control over my money. I wrote down nicely what I spend last year, and made a spreadsheet and everything but I should put in some more effort and get everything balanced every month. Gaining 5 kg over the year was not a good thing. I have to keep an eye on what I eat. Exercise should be a given on a Fitness forum. At present I can barely walk. My ankle got hurt during the first week of C25K the last challenge, and I still cannot walk right. And if I do all of the above my mental health should improve. I need to see a doctor, but since I do not have money that is not an option. But what I can do and have done in the past is meditation and journalling. So for this challenge: 1. Money Daily checking of accounts. I have got only two bank accounts and I have not logged into them for many months. I also have not read a statement in years. Create a spreadsheet. There are lots of ideas out there. 2. Exercise I have to do something every day. Walking the dogs is not good enough. This is a very wimpish sort of goal, I hope to get something to make sense sometime during this challenge. 3. Writing Write every day, and make a note of it in my diary. 4. Meditate Meditate every day and make a note of it in my diary. This is a little snippet of our town. I skipped through parts of it, but maybe some of you will find it interesting.

Introduction: I joined NF a week before the April 6WC started. At that point, I was five weeks into a new workout routine, and nine weeks into attempting to eat better. There are links to my introduction/origin story and my first three challenges in my sig below. Feel free to go rummage around in there. I’ve gone from 255 lbs at the end of January, to 232 at the start of my first 6WC, 223 at the start of my second, 211 by the third, and 203 as of right now. It’s a work in progress. There's no specific weight number in mind (yet - this might change as the challenges go on), but I suspect it might be somewhere around the 170-180 range. Life Quest: I'll lift this straight from challenge 1, it still hasn't changed. Dress like a proper grown-up adult man, in clothes which actually look good on me, and make my wife proud to be seen with me when I take her out. The general aim is to overhaul my entire wardrobe by the end of 2015, getting rid of anything which falls into one of the following categories: baggy, sagging or ragged. My specific aim is to get properly fitted for one good quality, tailored, (possibly three-piece) suit, and get a good photograph taken wearing it. I'm sick of being disgusted when I look in the mirror or see a photo of myself. The wardrobe goal is progressing nicely. There’s been two mass culls already. Okay, down to business. My fourth challenge, and my first attempt at a “themed†challenge. It’s my variation on the Walk to Mordor, adapted for one of my favourite books. I read it for the first time in 1988, when I was 15, and I’ve probably re-read it every 2-3 years since then. It speaks to everything I believe about determination and mental strength, and inspires me every time. It’s really just a loose wrap-around theme for my latest set of exercise goals, but hopefully it’ll help keep me inspired and focused when things get tough. I won’t spoil the plot, unless you open this: In the book, the Walk starts at the Canadian border in northern Maine and works south towards Boston, covering a distance of over 400 miles. I’m nerdy and obsessive enough that I’ve plotted out an approximate route using some of the landmarks mentioned in the book, and I’ll use that as a mapping to the mileage I cover in Quest 2 of this challenge and reflect it in my daily/whateverly updates. Really, it’s all just an elaborate excuse to allow me to roleplay and play make-pretend for a few weeks. So, the Quests… Quest 1: “Picking Them Up and Putting Them Down…†As with my first three challenges, the metric used will be Calories Burned in exercise. No daily targets as such, just achieve a minimum of 20000 over the 42 days. To achieve this, I can use the elliptical, exercise bikes, steppers, treadmills or go outside and walk/run, using my phone app to track. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STA, +1 STR, +1 DEX The Prize: A - 20000+ (Points x 1) - Completed Oct 20! Warning 1: B - 18000-20000 (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 16000-18000 (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 14000-16000 (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - < 14000 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 2: “I’m the Rabbit.†Tied into the exercise I do in Quest 1, I’ll also be tracking the distance I cover in miles. I’m splitting this out because it’ll force me to vary my exercise in order to hit the mileage targets. The elliptical burn I generally use in Quest 1, although great for racking up the calorie count (I do it at a high resistance level), oddly generates a comparatively small amount of mileage. If I want to hit targets for Q1 AND Q2, I’m going to have to up my game and do other things as well. There’s also a little formula in place for “outlasting†other competitors – every complete mile over 10 miles I cover each day will cause one Walker to drop out of the race, as will days with a burn of over 500 calories, and days with a deficit of over 500. That part isn’t scored, it’s just a fun little addition to my spreadsheet below. These are all just motivational tools to keep me going. Editing to add: I mentioned this during my last challenge, but the mileage count won't just be limited to walking, despite the theme. 400+ miles walking over one challenge won't be do-able for me, so I'm allowing myself cycling miles as well. Driving isn't allowed, though. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STA, +1 DEX The Prize: A - 400+ (Points x 1) - Current Progress Warning 1: B - 350-400 (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 300-350 (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 250-300 (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - < 250 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 3: “I’ll Dance on Your Grave, Scarface!†I will do 1000 bastardos within the 42 days of the challenge. No daily targets, just get the 1000 done Achievable Points on offer: +2 STR, +2 DEX The Prize: A - 1000+ (Points x 1) - Current Progress Warning 1: B - 870-1000 (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 750-870 (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 630-750 (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - < 630 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 4: “Dom L’Antio Loves You All!†A repeat of last time. Let's stay mindful of CI-CO, get a consistent deficit happening, and keep getting the body fat down. Ideally looking to have an average daily deficit of 500 or more by Day 42. The official metric here will be Days in Deficit, and tools used will be my assorted phone apps (for tracking my calorie intake and daily walking), the displays on the gym equipment, and my Mifflin-St.Jeor magic number. Achievable Points on offer: +2 CON The Prize: A - 40-42 Days in Deficit (Points x 1) - Current Progress Warning 1: B - 39 Days (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - 38 Days (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - 37 Days (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - <37 Days (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 5: “God’s Garden… is Full… of Weeds…†Continuing the effort to spend less time on pointless nonsense and become a better person, I will complete four books during this challenge. 1. "The Road Less Travelled" - M. Scott Peck - Completed Oct 13 2. "You're Not Doing It Right" - Michael Ian Black. - Completed Oct 3 3. "The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers" - Mark D. White - Completed Oct 19 4. "Lost In My Own Backyard" - Tim Cahill. - Completed Sept 17 Achievable Points on Offer: +1 WIS, +1 CHA The Prize: A - Completed 4 books (Points x 1) - Completed Oct 19! Warning 1: B - Completed 3 books (Points x 0.75) Warning 2: C - Completed 2 book (Points x 0.5) Warning 3: D - Completed 1 book (Points x 0.25) Ticket: F - Complete none (Fail. 0 Points.) Minis: #1: Two Truths, One Lie - Done! +1 CHA #2: To Do? TA DA! - Done! +1 WIS #3: Climb That Mountain - Done! +1 STR #4: Fall Comfort Foods - Done! +1 CON #5: Brave Up! - Done! +1 CON #6: Push It! - Done! +1 CON Motivation: The Suit is now in sight. I started this year as a 42" waist on my work trousers, a 19" collar shirt, and all of my t-shirts were XXL and even those felt snug. During the last challenge, I got into a pair of 34†jeans for the first time in almost 5 years. I’d said before that I would be happy with 34 or less for the suit, so at the end of September, I’ll head to the tailor and get measured up for it. Beyond that, the goal will be to continue refreshing the wardrobe. The suit will mark the end of the first chapter of this adventure in a way. I’ve already started thinking about what the next level will be for me. When I reach a goal weight, or a number I’m comfortable with at least, I’ll set out some plans. You will notice from the Spreadsheet of Infinite Justice below, I'm running this challenge Saturday - Friday, rather than the standard Monday - Sunday. I have a family wedding to attend on October 24th, so pulling this forward by 48 hours means I'll finish right before the wedding. Because, you know, cake and beer. Don't you judge me!

Getting straight back into it, since the downtime is cut to one week this time around. Whoooo! Introduction: I joined NF a week before the April 6WC started. At that point, I was five weeks into a new workout routine, and nine weeks into attempting to eat better. There are links to my introduction/origin story and my first two challenges in my sig below. Feel free to go rummage around in there. Anyway, my first two challenges went well, and now I'm ready to push on. I’ve gone from 255lbs at the end of January, to 232 at the start of my first 6WC, 223 at the start of my second, and 211 as of right now. It’s a work in progress. There's no specific weight number in mind (yet - this might change as the challenges go on), but I suspect it might be somewhere around the 170-180 range. Life Quest: I'll lift this straight from challenge 1, it still hasn't changed. Dress like a proper grown-up adult man, in clothes which actually look good on me, and make my wife proud to be seen with me when I take her out. The general aim is to overhaul my entire wardrobe by the end of 2015, getting rid of anything which falls into one of the following categories: baggy, sagging or ragged. My specific aim is to get properly fitted for one good quality, tailored, (possibly three-piece) suit, and get a good photograph taken wearing it. I'm sick of being disgusted when I look in the mirror or see a photo of myself. The wardrobe goal has been progressing slowly. There’s been one mass cull already, and another one will follow. Quest 1: …the Trail of Sweat As with my first two challenges, the metric used will be Calories Burned in exercise, only this time with a slight modification. No daily targets as such, just achieve a minimum of 20000 over the 42 days (last challenge was 10000.) How I achieve this will also be a little more flexible than before. It won’t just be limited to the cross trainer in the gym. I can also use the exercise bikes, the steppers, treadmills or even go outside and walk/run, using my phone app to track. This will hopefully prevent cross trainer boredom, which has been a potential issue. Again, going with the Spezzy Sliding Scale, rather than straight pass/fail. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STA, +2 DEX A - 20000+ (Points x 1) - Completed Aug 31 B - 18000-20000 (Points x 0.75) C - 16000-18000 (Points x 0.5) D - 14000-16000 (Points x 0.25) F - < 14000 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 2: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor The body hitting the floor will be mine. I will do 1000 burpees within the 42 days of the challenge. No daily targets, just get the 1000 done. Find a way, not an excuse. Achievable Points on offer: +2 STR, +2 DEX, +1 STA A - 1000+ (Points x 1) - Completed Sep 4 B - 870-1000 (Points x 0.75) C - 750-870 (Points x 0.5) D - 630-750 (Points x 0.25) F - < 630 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 3: Get the Fork Outta Here A repeat of last time. Let's stay mindful of CI-CO, get a consistent deficit happening, and keep getting the body fat down. Ideally looking to have an average daily deficit of 500 or more by Day 42. The official metric here will be Days in Deficit, and tools used will be my assorted phone apps (for tracking my calorie intake and daily walking), the displays on the gym equipment, and my Mifflin-St.Jeor magic number. Achievable Points on offer: +2 CON, +2 CHA A - 40-42 Days in Deficit (Points x 1) - Final Grade B - 39 Days (Points x 0.75) C - 38 Days (Points x 0.5) D - 37 Days (Points x 0.25) F - <37 Days (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 4: Read ‘Em and Weep Continuing the effort to spend less time on pointless nonsense and become a better person, I will complete the following FOUR books during this challenge: 1. The Road to Character - David Brooks - Completed Aug 12 2. More Than Ordinary - Doug Sherman - Completed Aug 7 3. Love as a Way of Life - Gary Chapman - Completed Sep 1 4. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head - Dan Harris - Completed Aug 21 Achievable Points on Offer: +2 WIS. A - Completed 4 books (Points x 1) - Completed Sep 1 B - Completed 3 books (Points x 0.75) C - Completed 2 books (Points x 0.5) D - Completed 1 book (Points x 0.25) F - Complete none (Fail. 0 Points.) Untargeted Mystery Quest: The Rabbit No scoring against this, but I’m going to log all of the mileage I accumulate from walking/running/cycling/gym, for use as a baseline as part of “SomeGuyFromScotland IV: I’m the Rabbitâ€. Sssshh. It’s a secret. Minis: #1: Thinking Deep - Done! +1 CHA #2: Be Brave - Done! +1 CHA #3: Leapin' Lizards! - Done +1 STA #4: Morale Boost - Done +1 CHA #5: Dining Hall - Done +1 WIS #6: Finish Strong - Done +1 STR Motivation: As before, new clothes. I started this year as a 42" waist on my work trousers, a 19" collar shirt, and all of my t-shirts were XXL and even those could feel tight. Progress has been made, and slowly the fat clothes are being shed. If sufficient progress is made by the end of this challenge, I may head to the tailor and take the first step towards the main goal, by getting measured for my suit. If I'm still a little short of where I want to be in terms of measurements (probably looking to get to 34" waist, 15/16" shirt collar, 40/42" chest, around there somewhere) , I'll get some new jeans and shirts instead. Progress (Completed September 6): As always, feel free to tag along for the ride. Your supports will be gratefully received.