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Friday Weigh Day: Current weight: 260.4 Goal Weight: 170 Pounds lost in total: 19.6

Hello friends! I am back! Life took some violent twists and turns - I lost my job in Berlin, I got rejected at a new job after a trial day, we couldn‘t rent a new apartment, my husband couldn‘t get a date for residence permit - it was no fun. Then we moved to Dresden. We did it because we predited getting an appointment for RP would be much easier here. And we were right - we got it in just three weeks. Besides, I got a job as a German teacher, yay! We live in a beautiful, sunny city and my husband is already allowed to work. He is also gonna receive RP in two weeks. Everything turned out well. Now as everything is settled, I can focus on my wellness. My goals: - do more back exercise: 20 min a day - find a fitness routine that doesnt hurt my back and do it 3-4 times a week - lose 2 kg. Unfortunately I put on weight because I was unable to do my workouts due to injury as I used to.

Jackdaw gets fit Ok, so finally I am gonna focus on what this forum was designed for: fitness! My main goal is pain relief, getting back in shape after injury and working on my posture. Exercise three times a day (15 min) I am gonna do Liebscher Bracht routine. It is focused on pain relief and improving mobility, but actually it is quite strengthening too, my core was super sore after the first few workouts. Stretch throughout a day Bracht has lots of one-two minutes exercises while standing, so I wanna implement it into my day. Besides I am gonna report about other fun things I am into recently. These days I am totally hardcore about learning Morse Code. I am already fluent with the alphabet. I am excellent at sending, but not so great at receiving. It’s very hard. My brain just doesn’t catch up with noting the sounds. I am working on it every day. I am practising with an Indian soldier (My life is interesting, huh?) I met on an app for learning Morse. Many people all over the world message there in Morse. It’s really cool. For quite some time, I’ve been fascinated about making electronic gadgets and had thought about trying it myself, but I never had time for it. I don’t need to learn German anymore, so I think it’s time for developing some new hobbies. I’ve got my eye on a an electronics course (together with tool kit) for beginners, so that’s what I am gonna do after we move - learn basic electronics and learn how to make the most primitive circuits. I am totally excited about it. It’s my dream to make a simple robot (one day) and a toy car. I am also searching for a new job. It hate the idea of working again. I’d like to stay home and learn stuff I am interested in forever. But on the other hand, if I work, it gives me lots of satisfaction I can feed myself. So quite conflicted here. In the last four months I moved four times. We’re just about to move again. We’re both jobless and the euro currency is bleeding our pocket quickly. I am having a job interview in a field I have no idea about (logistics) but they want someone who speaks Polish, English, Chinese and German fluently, so they invited me over. Life has been like standing on the edge of a precipice with one idea what is down there when I jump. Because of my anxiety disorder, I hate that situation, but in some perverse way, I love it too. I love life to be like an action movie. My new morning routine: 1. Get up early 2. Coffee & morning reading/writing diary in Chinese 3. A walk in a park 4. Job search/interview preparation 5. Morse Code practise

I was going to wait for two things before posting about my Epic Quest. The first was the new year, because that seemed the logical time to start a new adventure. But waiting for the new year is actually counter-intuitive for me. I don’t need to wait for an arbitrary date on the calendar, and I am not going to wait till September 29th rolls around again, as tempting as that would be. (It would be my Granddad’s birthday and extra special in that sense, as well as the date Aragorn meets the hobbits). This is my quest – to walk many miles, and along the way, find the person I felt myself becoming before the pandemic. The strong one who can travel across the world on her own, handle challenges that come her way, thrive in confidence and strength. I left my reservations, my awkwardness and lack of self confidence behind, little piece by little piece. I look at the photos from that trip and I see confidence. That woman didn’t care if passers-by thought she was nuts, posing with a big sword in her hand or waving the flag of Rohan across the Pelennor Fields (I forget it’s real life name, it’s near a town called Twizel though). She just did it because she was having fun and being true to herself. I can’t go back to Middle Earth yet. The world is still reeling, travel is not as safe or as open as it can be. And I’m beginning to understand that the location made it easier, taking me out of my everyday environment, but I need to thrive there too. Not just when I’m away. So, hence this challenge. The other thing holding me back from saying anything was me actually finishing it. I’ve done the calculations, worked out what milestones I want to use… but I need a little help from the nerd hive-mind. You see, I am planning to walk, run and row through Middle Earth, tracking my progress and hitting various milestones along the way, like weathertop, the wolf attack after Caradhras, Helm's Deep, etc. I am not, however, walking to Mordor. My path is that of a Dúnedain. Aragorn has captured my imagination since first I snuck my mum's copy of LOTR out of her bookcase to read in the bathroom at night. The films cemented him as everything I wanted to be and yet felt relatable. Someone wrestling with the weight of responsibilities, questioning his ability. And becoming one of the most well rounded ‘warrior’ characters I have ever seen in books or film. Leading by example, with friendships bound by love, fearless in battle, accomplished in healing, well rounded enough to allow his emotions space to exist and yet not being so overrun with them that they rule him. Now, I’m not after the throne of Gondor. But I do want that sense of confidence that comes from being exactly who you are, knowing exactly who and what you are and living it. I glimpsed it on my travels, and I want it again. My path then, is to follow the footsteps of the Dúnedain, from the moment Strider sees the hobbits on the Great East Road and follows them to Bree, to the moment Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, is crowned King Elessar of Gondor and Arnor. I can walk, run and row, because all three were large parts of his journey. I didn’t think that the Fellowship spent much time rowing down the Aunduin, but according to this website, they actually rowed 389 miles down from Lothlorien to the falls of Rauros. I am not however going to be including horse riding. Mainly because, for one thing, I do not know how to ride. I mean, I’ve ridden one once, in New Zealand ironically, and if not for the guides I had with me, that horse would have taken me wherever the heck it wanted to go! It was a wonderful experience, but one that requires a deceptive amount of skill. Learning to ride properly would take an awful lot of time and funds that I simply don’t have. So, I’ll stick to those three, and rowing will probably not feature all that much. Which leaves me with the milestones. I have an idea that, at various moments I think are key or noteworthy, I have an Event, some way to mark this moment of the journey. Some of that will be a challenge, like a hero workout, some of it will be more reward based, but still something connected to helping me grow, like a camping weekend, an archery experience day or new gear. But there are several milestones and I am needing ideas. Throw your best suggestions at me! So far I have: - Complete ‘Murph’ (without a weight vest). - Get my gait analysed properly rather than guess what shoe is best for me for running - Axe throwing and knife experience day at Nuclear Wild forest - Obstacle play day at Wildforest - Camping weekend with hiking - This 100km challenge… probably over 2 days because that mimics the continuous journey more and I don’t know I like the idea of walking in the dark and potentially missing a marker. My navigation skills are not quite up to a ranger’s standards yet! https://www.ultrachallenge.com/cotswold-way-challenge/ The Milestones I have chosen (subject to change, I’m already considering adding some more in): 110 miles – Attack on Weathertop 319 miles – Attack at the Ford of Bruinen; Aragorn and Glorfindel stay to defend the other hobbits as Frodo is sent ahead (may add in something for Rivendell. Aragorn was not idle here, but went out scouting for signs of the enemy with the elves) 647 miles – Wolves attack the Fellowship after the failed attempt to cross Cahadras 707 miles – Attack at the Chamber of Mazarbul. (Gandalf falls and Aragorn assumes leadership of the Fellowship approximately 1 and a ½ miles later) 775 miles – Aragorn stands in Cerin Amroth in Lothlorien, remembering his time there with Arwen. 1,178 miles – Uruk-hai attack; Boromir is killed, Merry and Pippin captured. Frodo and Sam leave and Aragorn decides to pursue the Uruks and rescue Merry and Pippin. 1,313 miles – After 3 days of hard travel, the three reach Rohan and meet Eomer. 1,473 miles – Reunited with Gandalf, they reach Edoras and free King Theoden from Saruman 1,592 miles – Battle of Helm’s Deep (whatever milestone I choose for this, it has to be Epic. I adore this battle) 1,648 miles – Confront Saruman in Isengard and reunite with Merry and Pippin 1,848 miles – Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli reach the Paths of the Dead and have to convince the dead to fight for them 1,906 miles – Reach the Stone of Erech, the dead follow. 2,431 miles – Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Aragorn loses one of his kin in the battle. 2,540 miles – Marching to Mordor, Aragorn reaches the desolution of the Morannon; heralds proclaim his coming as King Elessar. 2,572 miles – Battle of the Morannon. Despite the odds, Frodo and Sam succeed in destroying the ring and the tide of battle turns. Victory and the fall of Sauron. 2,640 miles – Army regroups and rests at the Field of Cormallen and Aragorn is reunited with Frodo and Sam, who are celebrated and praised for their great deeds. Banquets in celebration. 2,692 miles – Aragorn is crowned King Elessar at Minas Tirith. So – that’s my plan. Any ideas of suitable events, challenges, workouts or rewards for each, please say! It’s the only thing I feel I need to have in place before I start. (I am reward and milestone driven, I have to say)

I am on a journey to relieve my stress. Whether it is from life or from work. Here is my quests. Eating more healthier: working on incorporating more healthier snacks and healthier foods in my diet. Food tracking: tracking my food to see what I have to work on more More workouts: getting off the couch and working out more. In the gym or at home. Study nutrition and fitness: to gain more knowledge to make my journey more easier and one day getting certified. Digital detox more Doing more relaxing things: after a stressful work day. Coming home to do a stress relieving thing to forget. Doing these things will one day help me rediscover my love for the wellness field and help me manage my stress. Equipment. Wellness planner Bullet journal Pocket notebooks The hero's journal Healthier snacks Workout equipment Tablet

So I've been on hiatus for most of a year for a variety of reasons (good and bad). But it's time for a respawn, so I'm reaching out again to the support networks I have (the forums here, Connect on the WeightWatchers app, etc) to try and maintain accountability and get regular feedback on things. Yet to do: re-write my Life at Level 50 mission statement/goals (Work changed, and with it, the driving need to drown my frustrations in food and shopping). The previous battle log is here, if anyone wants to visit the unpleasant swamp of the past: https://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/83812-tokidoki-kittys-daily-log/ Going forward: - If not a daily log, at least a weekly one - Revisit and refine my goals regularly (and set them up in smaller, manageable pieces) - Improve my productivity habits / reduce my procrastination habits -- this goes for both work and home. - Address, treat/mitigate my physical pains (through diet, exercise, etc). - Financial success (large savings account) and freedom (no more credit card debt/recurring balance carryovers) - I want to go to Japan and spend a lot of time on experiences and shopping for tea and kimono equipment that I can't get in the States. Need money to do that. :/

Stagnation is Death Annals of a Bladesinger A haunting melody weaves its way through the quiet forest. An alien in her homeland with a mind touched by the hand of darkness, the elven wizard hones her dangerous dance, ever vigilant, ever mindful. She practices her art not just for the protection of her people, but to soothe her tormented soul with the meditative, otherworldly whistle of bladesong. Journey to Bladesinger Master 2020 Stats: STR 10 || DEX 11 || CON 11 || INT 15 || WIS 16 || CHA 12 2020 Level: Bladesinger Apprentice Goal Stats: STR 14 || DEX 17+ || CON 14 || INT 18+ || WIS 18+ || CHA 14 Goal Level: Bladesinger Master Bladesinger Apprentice - Trains under a Master. Must demonstrate above-average intelligence, and wisdom to be accepted into training for a wizard, must show some promise in dexterity to be accepted by a bladesinger master. STR 8 || DEX 10 || CON 8 || INT 14 || WIS 14 || CHA 8 Bladesinger Knight - Able to train and fight independently. Must demonstrate above-average mastery of dexterity, and very high intelligence, and wisdom. Strength, constitution, and charisma must be high enough as to not impede progress. STR 12 || DEX 14 || CON 12 || INT 16 || WIS 16 || CHA 11 Bladesinger Master - Can train an Apprentice. Demonstrates exceptional abilities in dexterity, intelligence, and wisdom. Above-average abilities in strength, constitution, and charisma are required to perform at this level. Goal Stats: STR 14 || DEX 17+ || CON 14 || INT 18+ || WIS 18+ || CHA 14 Bladesinger Leader - Can serve as leader to other Master roles. Demonstrates all the abilities of a Bladesinger Master, with higher charisma for leadership qualities. Goal Stats: STR 14 || DEX 17+ || CON 14 || INT 18+ || WIS 18+ || CHA 17 How to Level Scores based on max 20 system, current list only filled to requirements for mastery from current stats, does not include information prior to or past current and master stats Strength (STR) - Calisthenics and Iron STR 11: Plank 1min, 4x13 Pushups, 4x25 Crunches, 30/20 bodyweight squats, 2x20 tricep dips, 2x30 one-leg calf-raises STR 12: Plank 2min, 3x15 Pushups, 3x30 Crunches, 2x40 15lbs one-leg calf-raises, DB Bench 30lbs, DB Squat 50lbs, Deadlift 40lbs STR 13: Plank 3min, 3x20 Pushups, DB Bench 40, DB Squat 60lbs , Plank 3min, DB Deadlift 60 STR 14: DB Bench 60, DB Squat 75lbs , Plank 4min, DB Deadlift 80 STR 15: DB Bench 90lbs, DB Squat 100lbs, Plank 5min, DB Deadlift 100 Dexterity (DEX) - Flexibility, Agility, Balance, Coordination DEX 12: Eagle pose, Warrior III, Hands flat on floor in waist bend, Baby Crow pose DEX 13: Front and side splits, Crow pose, complete NF Yoga DEX 14: Crane pose, Wall handstand (1min), start martial art or agility training DEX: 15: Flying crow pose, 8-angle pose, dragonfly pose, unassisted handstand (1min+), 1 year of martial arts training DEX 16: Level 5: Dophin Push Up Challenge DEX 17: Black belt in a martial art DEX 18: 3rd degree black belt in martial art AND first degree black belt is second martial art Constitution (CON) - Stamina, Endurance CON 12: Complete a 5k in under 45 min CON 13: Complete a 5k in under 35 min CON 14: Complete a 5 mile run in under 60 min CON 15: Complete a 10k run in under 60 min Intelligence (INT) - Academia and Language INT 16: Personal Trainer Cert AND Health Coach Cert INT 17: Complete a Master's Degree program AND reading intermediate reading level for 2 forgeign languages INT 18: Complete a PhD INT 19: Research published in 5+ academic journals INT 20: Research published in textbooks and taught in classrooms Wisdom (WIS) - Generativity, Activism, Social/Environmental Awareness +Be a founding member or leader in a non-profit organization +1 Teach a skill to at least 10 people (OR) mentor at least 10 people +Teach a college course +Create a college or arts scholarship fund +Convert >90% of Beauty, Cleaning, and Meal Prep products to reusable/recycleable/eco-friendly Charisma (CHA) - Leadership, Social, Performance, Confidence CHA 13: Perform a leading role in a community/unpaid show (OR) 1k sub on social (OR) Manager 1+ employees (OR) Promote to SR/Lead position CHA 14: Perform as a supporting role in a paid performance (OR) direct a community show (OR) Manage 10+ employee team CHA 15: Perform as a leading role in a paid performance (OR) release a music album (OR) 10k subs on social (OR) Manage 50+ employee team CHA 16: Publish best-seller (OR) 10k subs to a blog (OR) 100k subs to social (OR) Run a business of 100+ employees CHA 17: Performance award (OR) 100k subs to personal blog (OR) 1mil subs to social (OR) CEO of 1,000+ employee business

Hello. I have reached a point in my fitness journey were I don't know what to do. I have always been very slender (5'8", 115lbs) I have started my weight gain journey consuming weight gain shakes both Optimum Nutrition Mass and sometimes Boost Plus and eating a moderate protein based diet. I do weight training (occasionally) and natural cardio (walking, cycling and stairs) I have noticed some weight gain as I am now fluctuating around 120lbs. Problem I am having is that some of the weight went to my belly and waist. I'm sure it has alot to do with the sugar content in the shakes. I don't want to have to lose body weight just to get a flat stomach as I am already too slender (bmi 17.48) Are there any tips to get a flat stomach while gaining body weight? I'd like more weight everywhere but not my stomach. I've added a few photos for reference. Some days are worst than others (sorry for clarity)

This challenge will be a boss battle for me. I'm tired of the Procrastination Monkey running my life. It's time to rise up & do battle. You can read more about the monkey Here and steps to overcome Here Monkey Tamers United Productivity Games The above links are where I'll be recording progress. For the Monkey Tamers post, if you click on the spreadsheet; you can see the gameboard. This post will be more of a diary entry.

The Hero of Time sacrifices sleep for the hope of treasure. Spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:

Coronavirus We start this challenge with a public information broadcast. The COVID-19 pandemic has already caused over 22,000 deaths, there are almost 500,000 confirmed cases, and it is growing exponentially. For selected countries, I'm going to post the growth-rate, for the previous seven days, and a four week projection of that growth rate. I'll update the numbers each Monday of the challenge. Daily growth rate Why is the growth rate so important? It tells us where we're going. Changes in the growth rate also tell us where we are on the sigmoid curve of the pandemic. Unless there's a steady decline in the growth rate, then we know we're still in the middle of this. As explained on the Sciencing web site, the seven day growth rate can be calculated with the equation g = 7th root of (C2/C1) where C2 is the number of cases yesterday, and C1 is the number of cases 7 days prior. It's the 7th root because we're dealing with a period of 7 days. For instance, the number of confirmed cases worldwide, yesterday, was 468,868. Seven days prior, on the 18th, it was 218,358. g = 7th root of (468.868/218,358). This gives us 1.115. Seven-day growth rates | Region | Cases growth rate | Deaths growth rate | |--------------+-------------------+--------------------| | World | 1.115 | 1.131 | | Italy | 1.111 | 1.141 | | US | 1.331 | 1.318 | | UK | 1.204 | 1.239 | | Netherlands | 1.177 | 1.296 | | South Africa | 1.295 | 0.0 | Projections You can get a prediction of the numbers at some point in the future by using the equation C1 = C0 x g^n where C0 is the number of cases (or deaths) at day zero (I'll use yesterday's numbers), g is the growth rate, and n is the number of days after C0 that you want to predict. | Region | Cases as of yesterday | Cases after 1 week | Cases after 4 weeks | |--------------+-----------------------+--------------------+---------------------| | World | 468,868 | 1,004,557 | 9,879,771 | | Italy | 74,386 | 155,414 | 1,417,375 | | US | 66,117 | 489,282 | 198,289.032 | | UK | 9,667 | 35,455 | 1,749,175 | | Netherlands | 6,431 | 20,124 | 616,622 | | South Africa | 709 | 4,331 | 986,733 | | Region | Deaths as of yesterday | Deaths after 1 week | Deaths after 4 weeks | |--------------+------------------------+---------------------+----------------------| | World | 21,209 | 50,206 | 665,998 | | Italy | 7,503 | 18,890 | 301,462 | | US | 947 | 6,543 | 2,157,652 | | UK | 465 | 2,084 | 187,693 | | Netherlands | 357 | 2,192 | 507,701 | | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | I haven't bothered with a 12-week projection because the numbers just become silly. Bear in mind that the 'Cases' mentioned here are only confirmed cases. A rough estimate is that 10 times as many are infected as have been confirmed. You can see that, at current growth rates, COVID-19 would sweep through the whole US population well within 4 weeks. You can also see that the US has the potential drastically to increase world-wide figures. Conclusion It's right that governments have compared this to wartime. This disease has already caused too many deaths and will cause a heartbreaking number more. There is only one way to change its course, and that is to reduce those growth rates. That will happen in one of two ways. Either the population will become saturated with infections, and the virus will find it more difficult to find an uninfected host, or all of us have less contact and the virus is presented with fewer uninfected hosts. You might have the disease and you wouldn't know it for about a week. You can see from the above figures just how much difference a week makes. I'll leave you with the following graphic: Stay at home and save a life.

What will our Lock-down Fitness Routine ?

The Hero of Time learns Zelda's Lullaby... and descends to the grave. Spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:

Hey, everyone! I'm curious what people are doing for their workouts. I only go to Muay Thai twice a week. What can I do to improve my stamina and strength? One routine I saw is run 2+ miles, jump rope 3 rounds, shadow box 2 rounds, then heavy bag 3 rounds. Should I try to fit in things like pushups, squats, situps, etc? I do my workouts at home, where I have a heavy bag, but I don't have a gym membership where I can lift weights or anything. Thanks, ninjas!

Hello everyone. I'm back. It has been a long while since I've been here on these forums. I've been doing NF Coaching, and I feel like that alone is not enough. I need to find some way to do better and get my life back. I don't like where I am or what I have been doing. I am not taking care of myself and I need to do better. I would really appreciate ya'll's support. I miss my NF family. Trigger Warming - Death and Grieving in spoiler. I'll also be talking about this quite a bit during my challenge because it is my biggest hurdle right now. So, that's where I'm at. I'm having real trouble with depression and trying to find the ability to remember that I want to live a healthier life style and want to live a fulfilling life. So, I'm reaching out to you guys and I'm going to be here to stay for a while. So, I'm starting this challenge in the middle. Better late than never. Considering I'm feeling kinda dark, and I just finished watching The Witcher on Netflix, that's what I"m going to use for my theme. Goal 1: Find a purpose (Big Why) Every Day I'm going to either list or remind myself of my big whys. I need to find my purpose and focus/meditate on the reason I want to live a healthier lifestyle. I need to get in touch with that and make it a priority in my life. Goal 1: Drink Water, not Soda I'm going to start drinking tea or water instead of soda. I'm going to start this by for the first two weeks not having soda for breakfast. I will get a bonus if I avoid soda for another meal of the day, but to say that I have completed the challenge, I'm going to do just substitute tea for my morning soda. Goal 3: Eat at Home I have been too lazy to do much of anything, let alone cook. I'm going to try and have at least one home cooked meal a day for the next two weeks. Doesn't matter if it's just a sandwich and some chips. It just can't come from a restaurant. I really appreciate all support and check ins from you guys. I need to do this. Thank you!

Most of Zero Week has been taken up by New Year. I'm not very prepared for the new Challenge, but I feel as if I should get my thread started. My previous challenge went quite well so I'm going to continue along the same lines. I'm going to do four quests because that feels about right. Quest 1: write more Flash Fiction In the Great Deku Tree, I wrote Flash Fiction with a word-count limit of 500 words. However, I've discovered, when submitting those stories for publication, that most markets define Flash Fiction as up to 1,000 words. That will become my new word-count limit and should give me the freedom to be a little more descriptive. I still want to write one story a week. However, I don't yet have new story ideas. I may define some ideas according to themes given by Flash Fiction competitions. I'm thinking about entering a week-long competition. All this means that week one may be given over to writing down ideas, but it will depend how much work I can do on this beforehand. Quest 2: complete at least half of the Blender 2.8 Fundamentals official video series This is the course I decided upon during my previous challenge and forms part of my epic quest to write 3D games. The series is 42 videos long and I hope to do at least one video per week day. Quest 3: increase the weight of my dumbbells to 10kg each If I can do this I'll then have to go out and buy more weights because this is all that came with the dumbbells. Quest 4: reduce the 'rest' periods of my interval training to 30 seconds I currently do 10 minutes of interval training on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This involves sprinting (on the spot, in front of Wii Fit U) for 30 seconds followed by jogging for 90 seconds. I repeat this until the 10 minutes are up. Tonight, I plan to reduce the jogging periods to 60 seconds. I'd like to reduce the jogging periods to 30 seconds by the end of this Challenge. If I can also increase the length of the interval training to 20 minutes, that will be a bonus.

I tried a free consultation at LA Fitness, but the woman suggested I needed to eat only 920 cal to stay at my current weight...I'm suddenly very confused about all the prior knowledge I had about nutrition! Here's a bit about me and my goals: I'm about 105 lbs, 5'3, about 20-21% body fat (lean body mass about 83 lbs), 17 y/o female. I try and work out near everyday, 6-7 times a week. I do a push pull leg split and do HIIT cardio some days as well. I split my weights and cardio days. I'm admittedly a bit scared of lifting heavy because I work out by myself and have a back injury. I really want to see more visible muscle, I feel I still have to lose some weight in addition to building muscle so I can a)get rid of some body fat b)see/have muscles. My goal is to look slim and lean. Right now I'm eating about 1400 cal per day which the LA Fitness woman said was good for building muscle, but I'm unsure with her advice. Is that too much or too little? What should my macro's look like? How should I approach weight lifting sessions, and around how long should they be (maybe a better question is how many exercises should I aim to do within one session)? I'm sorry if this is too specific but if I just had this information I feel I could see better results and have better energy levels. I'm so frustrated with feeling tired everyday and hating how I look. Any/all advice is appreciated, as I'm unsure if I'm approaching my fitness in the healthiest way. Thank you for reading!

Finance- Complete. Fitness- Attempt an aerial class. Jan 2015. Joined an aikido class. Great Big Backyard- Dinosaur Monument Glenwood Caverns Royal Gorge 2 14ers Great Sand Dunes 7/6/15 Cheyenne Zoo 10/9/15 Mesa Verde Red Rocks Pikes Peak Garden of the Gods Great Big Country- Evermore, Utah ECCC / Seattle Bourbon Street, New Orleans Boston Hawaii Aleutians, Alaska California Adventure at Disneyland, California 12/5/16 Zion National Park, Utah Disney World, Orlando, Florida Diagon Alley & Hogsmeade, Orlando, Florida Napa Valley, California Las Vegas, Nevada Yellowstone National Park Great Big World- Cruise the Caribbean. Dublin Greece Tokyo, including Disneyland and DisneySea 10/2018 Hong Kong, including Disneyland Shanghai, including Disneyland Perth Egypt Rome Venice Paris London Hobbies- 1 new cosplay item per Challenge. Work on poster cross stitch between projects. 1 new show per Challenge. Theatre/music/podcasts/comedy. QUARANTINE EDIT: online streams of theatre, music festivals (including ShakeItOut), Night Vale episodes, new Netflix stand up. 2 new books per Challenge. New/used shelf, graphic novels. Learn Japanese. 2018 Personal- Commit to alone time once per week. Take a joy ride, for more than 10 minutes, once per week. Get all desired/designed tattoos (3/6 to date). 12/2014, 3/2015, 11/2016.

MY FRIENDS, WHAT IS UP I've kinda taken a bit of time away from the forums in my last challenge - October's been a busy month full of commitments and fun and AWESOMENESS. TL;DR I'm still actively living my best life and after some time away - and away from everything to reset and recharge - literally tho', I'm currently spending a week at a little coastal New England cabin and it's PERFECT - I'm ready to slam the reset button on my goals and GET GOING AGAIN. More details to come but I wanted to get this post going 'cause I'm HYPE. Goals will SURELY include: - GYM TIME SHAAR YOU BUTTHEAD. I NEED to get back into this routine. 3 times a week, zero excuses. - Get outside! Log 3 adventure hikes this challenge before it gets butts cold out! - I have two open credit cards right now, and my goal is to pay them both down before 2020 hits. Bigger win if I don't have to use any part of a holiday bonus to do this. I want to be able to start directing way more money into my savings account and I've been super aggressive with my debt so far, I just need to stay on target through the holidays too!! - READ MORE. While I was away for a week I took my Kindle with me and started reading one of my favorite old books, Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite... it's so good, it totally digs my aesthetic of like 90's era queer southern gothic vampire culture (I know that sounds weird but I too am weird) and I want to re-finish this book and start another one! Goal is to finish this book and buy another one, and finish it too!! - MORE VIDEO GAMES! I haven't actually been gaming a lot lately - I know, shocker! - because October has been so busy! But now I'm back home and with much less commitment going into November so I want to stream some games and show you guys what I play!! I have a Twitch account at twitch.tv/loiire/ and will stream at least 3 gaming sessions over the course of this challenge. I'll announce ahead of time when I'm doing the live streams, but I'll also post the finished video on my thread so people can watch afterwards. What games will I choose?!!?!/1?! WE'LL SEE~ :3 Ok more later, ciaociao for nownow my pals~ <3

INTRO 'Olo, you lot! Welcome to my quiet little corner. I am Haniya (pronounced Hun-nee-yah) a Nerdy, Sporty, DND[currently watching Critical Role]loving, Comic book enthusiast with a penchant for arts, Video games, Books, Disney movies, music and Mystery Murder shows [Stranger Things, Sherlock, Killing Eve, The Umbrella Academy and Elementary anyone?] also Neil Gaimann because good omens is a fantastic show and is worth fangirling about. Today I have entered as a ranger to challenge myself. Hopefully, my experiment will help me build my habits and my body. I feel like my true self best fits in this sneaky, lean, strong and dangerously cool class because strength and stamina are the two things that I ideally want and we all wish to master. Hence, here I am and here I go! BACK STORY TIME: WE all know how our health is the MOST important thing in the world--physical, emotional and mental as well--especially when you've been obese half your childhood. Its hard to get back on that health horse when like half of your house hold isnt primed for it at all. Regaining my good healthy self has been a massive struggle, no less a bumpy roller coaster ride of high and lows. Well, I've been at it for quite a while with the NERDS--actually listening and enjoying the company of the people--thus, naturally, I come running back to thine fine health, happiness institute of fittitude! [Gedit] Even though i hate typing, i do try to update as often as I can. Well, anyways! I live in Pakistan (south east asia) where carbohydrate is as important and as common as air and I am not joking! OUR DIET AND CUISINE IS JUST FULL OF IT AND EVEN IF YOU TRIED, YOU JUST CANT SHAKE IT OFF AND IGNORE IT! BUT. I. WANT. TO. CHANGE. MYSELF. I DON'T WANT TO BE ADDICTED ANYMORE AND THAT'S MY MAIN MISSION HERE! BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY! I will go slow this time and not overwhelm myself as much as I am prone to so I'll just go over the basics of my mission. Cus. I. Can. And. I. Love. To. Sound. Very. Official. OH, SHALL WE MOVE TOWARDS MY BASE OF OPERATIONS?! *drumroll* OP 1: Take control of the wheel, agent! As the new agent of SHIELD, it is your duty to physically take care of what you put in your body. Filling in the shoes of Natasha Romanoff is going to be a hard job, recruit, so I suggest you take those shoes seriously and work hard! *There we go, guys. Big shoes to fill* So, clean eating and portion control is the key. Refined sugar and fried stuff is your ENEMY. IT'S YOUR HYDRA! You must defeat the bad side! *telegram* Recruit! We are not that cruel, you know, so we are allowing you a two day cheat treat. Aren't we cool?! Of-course, we are, we are SHIELD! OP 2: Find the lost Tomb of Rorustan You want to be the next Lara Croft? You want to go on adventures and move mountains like her, yes? Change the course of time and history like her? Then, you got to train like her! Her strong and Charismatic body took years and years of hard work and perseverance! Can you keep up? *CanI?* Journey to the lost tombs, human and bring forth power! My objective is to run and do body weight exercises (darebee and skipping rope) 3-4 times in a week with two days rest period. Walk for 20-30 mins daily. CAN YOU HEAR THE SPIRITS TALKING? YES! I DO! I CAN HEAR LARA CROFT! MASTER, I CAN HEAR HER WHISPERS FROM THE INSIDE, SPEAKING OUT TO ME (awksslipawaytoyonder) OP 3: Bend it like Korra! Before she was the avatar, Korra knew nothing of her powers and how to control them but with the help of her teachers and peers, she blossomed into the strongest being we know today! Want to Bend it like Korra? *Heck Yeah* then you must dedicate some time to your education; to learn and grow like the avatar. Daily one or two videos that'll inspire you or give you knowledge about the world and beyond. Study spanish: Duolingo and Memrise streaks, audio lessons from Pimsleur and YouTube video lessons. Dont forget to make notes in your notebook. Meditate to calm your souls. A clear and tension free mind is a happy mind! TAI CHI PRACTICE! Watch David Dorian Ross videos and practice along. New videos everyday to build your 103 long form practice. OP 4: "Be as flexible as Kamala Khan" SUPERHERO BY DAY, REGULAR GAMER CHILD BY NIGHT! Balancing your hero and human life takes a lot of work but you have to do this in order for the world to make sense plus, fun time is fun time! So, here are my humanly duties towards a good future:- Journal writing: habit tracking, Spanish progress and recording my days key features as bullet points to make my life easy Updating nerd fitness with my journey in the form of ratings A-F [A being super awesome and F Epic Wamp] and supporting new people and their journies! *POWER RANGERS, METAMORPHOSIS! Oh, wrong fandom* Read more books by adhering to the 50 books a year challenge: Give 1-2 weeks maximum to my current read by reading everyday for 20-30 minutes Focus on your hydration: Minimum 6glasses to up to 8 glasses. More water! LASTLY NEVER GIVE UP! Speaking of giving up, we all need some kind of push on our behinds, right? That's why I have certain ideals. Certain role models that I look for inspiration and motivation when I am feeling particular down in the ditch. These forces of good are there when i need them the most, to guide me through my epic quest I call life. Someone who I want to be: Inspiration Dice I have so many role models that I look up to! People who have proved to be gigantic and so bad arse--who don't need to be reminded of their worth! People who are amazing enough to inspire and motivate us all to follow our dreams and challenge our limits. They teach us that being kind, resolute, strong and brave--in the face of danger--is the most noblest of things you can do. So, so talented, so powerful and so stupendous. I want to be them and I am honoured to call them my idols: Lara Croft, Black Widow, Korra, Ellie Goulding, Aveline De Grandpre, Aloy, Merida, Captain Marvel, Avatar Aang, Dr 13 and Yasmin Khan, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Jim Kwik, Shuri, Okoye, Kamala Khan etc. I am not promising here but i will try to keep you guys up to date with my daily shenanigans and what-nots. Apart from that, I want to THANK you for YOUR precious time! And I might need you guys to help me with this challenge because my focus on them has been very rocky but I am ready to CHANGE MYSELF FOR THE BETTER! I SWEAR ON MY PRETTY LITTLE HANDS THAT I SHALL TRY MY HARDEST! *CUE RICK ROLL SONG* p.s: i love DND even though i am a complete beginner so talk to me about it or if you are looking dnd players then lets band together! I am all for an epic dnd session!

HIIT Workouts are best for the people who are looking to lose some fat and want to increase their metabolism. Exercise 1 : HIIT Running Workout Exercise 2: Unlimited Squats Exercise 3: Crunch Time Exercise 4: Burpees Exercise 5: Unlimited High-Knees Benefits of HIIT Training The best part of the HIIT training is that it can be done anywhere, the amount of rest you get is very high. And the result are just awesome.

NEW CHALLENGE TIME! Due to recent and upcoming events, I have to change my priorities for a while. The main reason for this change is that I’m aiming to move out and live entirely by myself for the first time in June. Other than that, I have a wedding at the end of March, my 30th birthday at the end of this challenge (YAY), and my coworker invited me to her daughter’s quinceanera in June (for which I need to buy a dress ). I’m sure more things will pop up along the way - I’ll have to take them as they come. With the shift in priorities, and having looked back on what worked and what didn’t last challenge, I’m doing a bit of an overhaul. Back in my early NF challenge days I used a point system, and that’s what I’m going back to. It gives me a little wiggle room to tailor minor goals to whatever my schedule is each week, while also keeping up with my main goals. All tracker info and updates will live in the post below this one. ><><><><><><><><>< Self care Dragon Journal: This will be staying the same. It can be anything from a few words to a few pages, I just need to get something out in order to manage my stress level. 4x per week. Declutter: I want to start my almost-spring cleaning. This includes going through clothes, re-organizing, decluttering, and purging stuff I don’t want/need/use. I’ve made a list of general tasks to complete in my tracker throughout the course of the challenge. Financial Dragon The goals: cut spending, save more, pay down debt, and sell anything I don’t need or want. Finances are going to be a big deal from here on out, so I’m making it the main focus. Spending/saving: I want to live on my own, and I’m stubborn enough to find a way to make it work. Sure, having roommates makes apartment living more affordable, but I’m genuinely sick of dealing with other people’s shit (can you tell I’m a little salty...lol). I get more stress from it than anything else, so I’m determined to do it on my own even if it means becoming a hermit and pinching my pennies. I’d also like to start on the path towards homeownership. In order to get on track for both of these, I need to see exactly where my money is going so I’m going to be tracking everything in a notebook. I’m not excited for this process, but it needs to happen. From there I can cut out unnecessary spending, be thrifty, and save, save, save the rest. Debt: Between the remainder of my car loan and two credit cards, the combined total of my debt is less than 10k. Not terrible, but not great either. I want to begin by paying down the higher interest debt that I’ve accumulated - the two cards. To do this, I can go one of two ways - 1) One card has a much lower balance on it, so I put more money towards it and pay that one off first. When that is done, I can put a larger monthly sum towards the other card. 2) If I can find a low or zero interest card to transfer both balances onto, then I’ll only have one payment per month instead of 2. Having the low or zero interest would be a HUGE help too, as I’d actually be paying the balance down. I want to look more into option 2, as interest is the real killer here. I’m going to do some research to see if that’s a possibility for me, and what options I have if it is. In the meantime, I’m going to work on option 1. Once these cards are done, I’ll go back to paying a larger sum each month towards my car until that’s gone too. Sell: Part of my self care goal is to declutter via almost-spring cleaning. In addition to throwing away and donating, I want to post any eligible items for resale online in order to make a little extra cash. Another thing I can try is to dig into my surplus of unused crafting supplies and make stuff to sell on etsy or wherever. Not sure how much luck I’ll have with that, but worse come to worst I’ll donate them. Health Dragon Diet: I’ll be continuing to cut down on soda this challenge as well. I’m not totally cutting it out yet, but that will come. Fitness: Workout 3x per week, though with less specificity as to what kind of routine I need to do. Last time around I wanted to stick with beginner bodyweight and/or kettlebell workouts, buuuut I don’t like to confine myself to a box. As long as I’m purposefully getting exercise one way or another, it counts. Misc. Dragon(s) There are a number of things I want to do outside of my main goals that I may not be able to do consistently every week or are only one-time events. Reading, photography, crafty stuff, updates, etc. They’re going here. Crafting: My mom asked me to crochet her some dish cloths, and I want to get those done before this challenge is out so I can ship them to her. Included in this category will be crafting things for an etsy shop or something of the like. Reading: I recently started a book called The Joy of Less, which is about minimalism and decluttering. I thought it would be a good thing to read while I go through my cleaning process. Photography: A continuation from last challenge, though I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with it regularly as I’d previously planned. I still need to find new editing software, but otherwise I’d like to get a few shoots in. Updates: Aiming for 2 per week overall, preferably on Mondays and Thursdays. I’ll try to be better about following other challenges as well; I know I wasn’t super on top of that last time.

Hey everyone! Welcome to the first challenge for the artist formerly known as Wolfpool!! SheriffWolfpool is more akin to the life I've been living over the last 7-8 months (and it's my Xbox gamer tag name too ) so it only made sense to change it. Life for me has been....busy to say the least. My wife, the lovely Mrs. @PrincessMononoke, is only a mere 2 months away from giving birth to our 6th child! And before you say anything....Yes, I understand what causes kids... and I LIKE IT. We are very excited to meet our little one but we don't know the gender yet-we won't find out until birth. It's funny how this drives some people bonkers, lol! My guess is a girl, but maybe that's cuz I want a girl? I'll be just as excited if we have a boy, though. Shoot, we already have 4 of them lol. What's one more? . The names we have picked out are: Girl: Beatrix Viola aka Trixie Boy: Phineas Ryan aka Phin And if you've known me for any length of time, you know my love for unique names. My 4 boys are: Racer, Declan, Orin and Jamison. I'm a long time NF vet and have been a Rebel since 2012. Loooooooong time! September of this year will be my 7th Nerdversary lol. I've had a lot of ups and down over these last 7 years but I haven't lost sight of who I am and what I'd like to become. Mostly, I just want to be a great dad and husband and continue to lead my family along the narrow path God has set out for us. But, I also want to be fit and limited by very few things. I'd like to think I've grown wiser over the years and have a better understanding of "how to do things", but every day brings a new challenge and every day I'll be ready. I want to start as basic as possible. This means: no fluff and no overdoing it. I tend to have this innate desire to make my challenges "shiny" and chalked full of pics, gifs and everything else in between. Oh, don't worry, there will still be all that...just with less intensity. And, speaking of intensity...that is my goal: INTENSITY + CONSISTENCY = RESULTS! This simple formula is the key to all my diet and fitness goals. Actually, this could be the formula for life goals as well! However, just because the formula is simple doesn't mean the implementation is. You can be intense in your workouts...but if you're not consistent, then the intensity is wasted. If you're consistent but don't ever push yourself, then the consistency is wasted. This has been me...basically since I injured myself in 2016. I'm tired of it, honestly. I'm tired of being inconsistent. THE PLAN CONSISTENTLY workout 4x a week. Focus on: Ground Based Compound Movements (i.e deadlifts, power clean, power snatch) Unilateral Training (i.e one arm press, one arm row, pistol squats) Calisthenics (i.e pull-ups, static holds such as handstands, push-ups) Isometric Training (tension) Training vs Exercise TRACK all workouts. Log EVERYTHING. DRINK a metric ton of water MOAR emphasis on sleep Total Stat Points to Earn: +4 STR +3 DEX +3 END +2 CON +2 WIS +1 CHA I'll still dabble in other things, but I want his RESPAWN challenge to focus solely on getting back into shape. I'm hoping that by focusing on one primary goal that I can also focus on other's threads. I want to be there to support you guys and gals like you've always supported me . #StrongAlone #StrongerTogether Wolf

I am seeking help, from fellow nerds, as I start back on a new fitness journey. I am not wickedly out of shape but I am getting older and have a family history of bad backs, herniated discs and back surgeries, along with other heart related issues. So I feel I need to start changing course and moving in a more suitable direction for my health and hopefully steer clear of the problems of my ancestors. I don't want to lull you with a story but I am a very tall man who had the metabolism of the gods and I could eat everything and I did eat everything but it just wouldn't show. now I am closing in on 30 and I am starting to show a gut, my back is sore on a regular basis, and I am tired most of the time at work. Being tired and unable to focus has also taken a toll on my cognitive function and I feel like I have become less sharp as a result. All those eating habits from my early 20's have not slowed down. Now that I finally am in that job which I love, it's now the best time to turn this all around. But I need your help, your wisdom, because I have tried again and again to start something but always feel I fall short. I have gone to the gym and been unable to stick with it long term. I have rationalized not going to gym convincing myself that body weight exercises were the only pure form of exercise and then not following through with that. I have decide to not gym at all for fear the lifestyle would take away from (insert geeky activity here). I go through cycle and cycle of having bad back pain stretching solidly for a few week it going away then not stretching again until after a month of the back pain returning. So my one big ask is...will you help me?

Hey everyone, I wanted to hear some input on this thought that's been on my mind. I wanted to know if you guys would pay for a health and nutrition coaches if they didn't charge too much? Or would you pay a good amount if they can get you down or up to a desired weight based on what you like to eat?