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... 'Cause the holidays are here. Wraps? Get it? It's a PUN Y'ALL i know shaar give it a rest ANYWAY For the final challenge of 2023 (that's only 4 weeks instead of 5) I'm going to continue setting some ground rules and foundations for what I want to start achieving next year. I feel I'm finally at a point in my life where I can actually start striving for more again and start challenging myself, something I haven't felt in a LONG time, and I'm excited to get on that train and have some BIG ASS PLANS. But first I really need to make sure my groundwork is set for success. This challenge will consist of two things: THING THE FIRST Continue to get intentional movement days under my belt each week. Last challenge was 4 days, but this challenge I'm going to up it to 5. I know I have the resources and time to implement this habit now, the biggest one being getting out of my own way and just DOING it. No more of this it's too cold out bullshit, or I feel lazy bullshit - I have a whole ass gym two floors below me (it's in my basement) and, remember shaar, intentional movement can be as easy as (and as IMPORTANT as) yoga and mobility. I'm aiming for a nice mix between boxing and lifting with an active rest day or two of walking and mobility work. I will continue to grow my discipline with myself and not shortchange future shaar by doing this EVERY WEEK. THING THE SECOND Living a mostly sober lifestyle has been AMAZINGGGGG for me. Granted I feel I'm at a point in my life where the timing is very right to make this decision, but the impacts of better sleep, less brain fog, and less inflammation and overall achiness have been huge immediate benefits. But! I still enjoy drinking every once in a while when it is planned and moderated right, and I feel last challenge helped me learn that and help realize and implement it. Since the holidays are here, I am allowing myself three drink tickets over the course of this challenge! That's three nights of drinking, whether it be out for an event, socially, or at home snuggled up and playing whatever dumb game I've discovered lately that brings me joy. (currently: the talos principle, because it makes me feel like a genius - so far) .... wait nevermind this challenge will consist of THREE THINGS. Eheheheh THING THE THIRD this is the wrapping up part right here Each week I will post a master list of things I am going to work to get done before the end of the year. This can be anything from practical things like finish cleaning out my pants drawer, or reorganizing the pantry, or framing and putting up the art I've bought, to little fun things like trying the greek place downtown for lunch I've never been to, or taking a walk on a snowy day and getting some pictures of holiday lights. I really want to get a lot of these lingering tasks done and dusted before the new year so I can put that focus 100% on me and my goals, so I figured I'd combine the "must dos" with some fun "want to dos" to make it a little more fun. Zero week counts for me! So I'll post a mini list tomorrow. OK! That's my little old challenge to end out this year! Aaaaaaa HYPE TIME YEAH LET'S GET ITTTTTTT

Wowie wow wow last challenge of the year AND my 50th - yike I’ve been here for a hot minute, huh? This challenge when completed, will be number 50 for me. And that’s just the ones I’ve successfully finished, not counting the pile of half-assed incomplete challenges where I’ve fallen into a void hole or something. LEVEL 50 IS PRETTY BIG! As always I’m so grateful for this community - for all of YOU - for always being here and being so supportive. Nerd Fitness has really seen me shoulder some of the hardest times of my life and somehow come out screaming on the other side, and I credit a lot of that to the support I’ve found here and the fitness and wellness that’s been a big help in keeping my head on straight. If I can repay even a little bit of that it’ll be my absolute delight. ❤️ So, THANK YOU for helping me get here! I've also taken a big liberty and edited my ENTIRE opening post - thanks to Rangerbrain and everyone's DND characters popping up of late, I finally decided to sit down and not only write a character sheet for Shaar, but to retool my goals just a smidge to align with her classes. I've written for Shaar LOTS in the past, so it was an easy transition into an actual character format. And while I've written MANY character sheets in the past for my own creations, anything DND-related is so out of my wheelhouse, so this is all a bit of my own liberties (and my own fandoms) here. :3 Without further adieu... » Shaar kom Starkru bardic time-mage; of the furious heart, traveler 'twixt the stars Race: Human l'Cie Alignment: Chaotic Good Stats: STR 5 | STA 4 | WIS 7 | CHA 9 | CON 6 | DEX 3 Appearance: Shaar is short of stature, clocking in at a huge 5'3", but don't let that fool you; you know what they say about little dogs having the loudest bark? Yeah, that generally applies here. Long dark hair is often pulled into a high ponytail, various small braids woven into bits of it, adorned in kind with an assortment of small feathers and beads at their tie-offs. Jaw-length bangs frame a pale face that nine out of ten times is harboring at least a ghost of a smile, if not on her lips then lingering in forest green eyes. She is generally clad in dark colors as per her preference; layers of fur and leathers that seem comfortable and well-worn enwrap her small form, a pair of charcoal over the knee boots topped off by a light hooded cloak draped across her shoulders, fur-lined and dotted with various bone pieces and feathers along its hem. Despite her egregious nature she prefers to dress diminutively, save for a few special notations - her right wrist bears a gauntlet of sorts, a distinct covering of delicate bones settled in a single layer atop her forearm, all fitting together a bit too neatly - a single ring rests comfortable on her right ring finger, a set of pewter-cast swallow claws clutching a bezeled moonstone - and an intricately stitched leather belt slung low across her hips, housing more than a few sheathed short knives, and a small pouch containing... who knows what. Personality: Charismatic to a fault, there is a reason Shaar is a bard first and anything else second. She is a textbook extrovert and 9 out of 10 times will be not only ready, but thrilled to strike up a conversation with anyone, anytime, about anything at all. A patron acolyte of The Fury, Shaar is also a very steadfast and tenacious individual and can be very forceful in her ideals and beliefs, or defending those she cares about or shows loyalty to. She is always very off the cuff, joking and casual in most any situation - if you witness her get steely and serious, you know shit's hit the fan. She's got a temper and often swears like a sailor, but for the most part her heart is in the right place and she tends to funnel her wild exuberance into mostly non-reckless behavior. Talents: bard; There are many darkened taverns, in far-flung areas of the world, where legends exist of a small girl effectively shit-talking alpha thugs to the point of rendering them speechless. This is the legacy of Shaar - not only demeaning bullies and adversaries into a pile of mush with her continuous string of curse words and putdowns, but also flipping that skill completely around to support and enliven her friends at the drop of a hat. Nothing brings Shaar more joy than being able to bring laughter to a friend or ally in their darkest hour - well, aside from trash talking criminals, naturally. time-mage; A traveler and shepherd of the stars, not by choice, but by nothing more than circumstance and necessity, Shaar has the ability to hold the fates in the palm of her hand. Existing in multitudes across worlds, the burdens she has shouldered and overcome have opened the doors of locked away and arcane abilities, allowing her a myriad of resources to not only entrap and hinder her adversaries, but to benefit herself and her allies on the field of battle as well.. l'Cie; Shaar is a l'Cie - a human chosen by agents of the world's gods as servants to fulfill a focus or greater task. She knows very little of her racial upbringing, save that she is a patron of The Fury and that she harbors quietly long-lost attributes of the time mage, a sect of people little known to her world. CHALLENGE GOALS Bard [ "Cool story, bro~" ] A bard always has stories - I want to be more present on the forums. I know this is HARD for me because I'm always going 500 miles an hour but I want to work to share more with you all over this challenge; more updates, more wild stories from my life (because I have a LOT), more interaction with you, my friends! ❤️ [ Provoking Cantrip ] Keep fitnessing, twice a week at the VERY least. Treadmill, lifting, see how your elderly-ass skeleton is feeling that day! And do it. Simple as can be. Time Mage [ Cosmic Deceleration ] My life is a textbook example of “man makes plans and the gods laugh” BUT, I’d like to sit down and hang some goals for 2021 that I’d like to strive for. I have a few ideas rolling around in my head already and a lot going on (AS USUAL) but it’d do me good to solidify that shit so I can hit the ground running - as always. It's time to look ahead and plot my course. [ Stellar Interconnection ] Y’all I feel OLD lately. My knees hurt. My shoulder gets in the way of *gestures vaguely at life*. My back feels like an old-ass oak tree. I know I can do better at this because I have in the past and duuuuh I also own a fair amount of GMB Elements. I know better in that everything in my body is connected and I need to set myself up for a good 20-30 minutes of stretching and mobility twice a week. Foam rolling, tennis ball on wall, downward dog, ANYTHING that gets my elderly-ass skeleton moving more than sitting at my desk all day. OK friends, that's all I've got! Let's finish this year out HOT and then show 2021 what we've got!! (Hey, it's almost like I'm a real bard, you know, the rhymes..... ehehe~ ❤️ )

Hello there, I’m //Min. I joined the nerdfitness community hoping to find others to journey along and celebrate with. My resolution for 2020 is to improve my physical health. Each month, I focus on one aspect of physical health to explore and build habits that will hopefully become second nature to create the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. It's a pretty organic process with constant tweaks. By the end of 2020, I aim to have routines build that will continue for the long term and help me progress forward. I will end this battle log at the end of 2020. If you’re doing anything similar, or just want to share, give a shout out. (ˆ_ˆ)v //////////////////////////////// 2020 HIGHLIGHTS REEL Jan // Dietary // Change body fuel General rules of eating three meals a day, increase protein (veg and non-veg sources) and reduce carbohydrates. My tastebuds changed and my body started rejecting higher concentrations of sugar. Also bought an Applewatch and weighing scale that measures body fat. Mental struggles in the second week but saw steady fat loss approx 400g per week. Feb // Exercise // Build muscle Hired a personal trainer, gym session once a week. Focussed on bodyweight and free weights exercises to build stronger body to prevent knee injury. Introduced to foam rolling. Fell sick mid-Feb for one week, however still saw same steady fat loss as dietary change going well. Started to drink kefir and increased veg and fruit intake from 3 to 4 servings daily. Mar // Hygiene // Improve external appearance Updated skincare, haircare and teethcare routine. Cut and permed my hair. Gym twice a week, once with trainer, one alone. Veg and fruit intake fluctuate between 4 to 5 servings daily. Weight loss, brighter skin and new hair got noticed by some people. Same steady fat loss and feeling lighter till near end month where I backtracked on dietary due to work stress. Apr // Massage // Increase blood flow I'm still clear as mud on this, so deciding to follow self-massage routines outlined in the book "Deskbound" by Kelly Starrett for "body maintenance" to enhance mobility. Veg and fruit intake maintained at 5 servings daily. Changed gym to daily morning 30 min exercises and evening 20-30 min dog walks. Did my 1st nerdfitness challenge. Working from home is helping my fitness level. Stagnation in fat loss. May // Stretching // Increase flexibility Refinement Fat loss still stubborn and barely moving so decided to refined previous habits of dietary (increased veg and fruit intake to 6-7 servings daily), exercise (changed to harder 30 min morn exercise, experimented HITT on stationary bike) and massage (trying to make this routine). I read up on heart rates - resting heart rate (58), heart rate recovery (30), heart rate training zones - and started some 5 min breathing exercises after workouts. Got better acquainted with Apple's activity app. In the progress of 2nd nerdfitness challenge. Jun // Breath // Increase oxygen flow Finally saw movement in fat loss and broke 70. Begun Tummno breathing exercises (a form of focussed meditation) 5 mins in the morning and evenings. Foam rolling became regular and more focussed. Dog walk became a social event. Stressed with work at the end month which caused some anxiety. Habits created from last few months all on track. In the progress of my 3rd nerdfitness challenge. *update 4/7/2020* //////////////////////////////// 2020 FUTURE REEL Other aspects of physical related activity to work on (in no particular order) that I intend to work on: - Stretch - Flexibility Sleep - Deep rest Medical - Resources Make-up - Image projected Sport - lifeskill (swimming / running / self-defence) Flow

Hiho, I’m //Min I just graduated from the last Level 1 challenge with success and would like to join the Rangers guild. I hope to cheer and celebrate along with everyone. Well met ~(＾◇^)/ For year 2020, I am reinventing myself by building habits for a foundation of a strong body and healthy life. I update my progress on that at my battle log. Recently, I’ve been motivated by a comic titled Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan), where the main characters fight for freedom from caged walls and man eating giants. I too shall fight for my freedom from the prison of an unfit body and mind. Freedom!! .·ﾟﾟヽ( `д´)ノ CURRENT STATUS As at the end of my last challenge. Dietary: I eat three meals a day, 5 servings of vegetables and fruit (mainly veg). Exercise: 30 mins gentle exercise every morning (follow youtube channel) and 20-30 min dog walk every evening. For flexibility, should I miss a day, I must continue the routine the next day, so at the minimum I’m exercising half the week. CHALLENGE DIRECTIVES To focus on increase movement to the muscles throughout the day and fuel the body right. 1. Dietary: Eat 6 servings of fruit and vegetables daily I don’t have enough fruit intake so I’ll add one serving of fruit to dinner. I’m going to try to have dinner before 7.15pm too. 2. Exercise: Push up progression at least 5 times a week I want some strength building and choose the classic push up. Currently I cannot do any push ups on the ground at all. (>_<III) I’ll start with wall push ups 50 reps, adding them to my 30 min morning workout or do sets throughout the day. 3. Massage: Self-massage at least 5 times a week (10 mins) I must try each day of the 14-day whole body routine prescribed in a book I’m reading at least twice. #2 and #3 will be the mental challenge for me to carry through: For exercise, I tend to want to do everything (add an intense cardio session, do every exercise etc) but I also tend to give up the moment the exercise gets too tough. So in the end, nothing gets done. To overcome this, I have to keep focussed and commit to the easier exercise I said I would do and ignore the calling to try other exercises. For massage, there is a mental block to drag myself to the floor to do them (floor required for foam rolling etc). When I do get there, I am impatient to focus on each massage point long enough to see effect. I’m still not sure how to get round this other then summoning all my mental willpower to do it. UPDATE SCHEDULE Once a week on my challenge directives. Occasional thoughts thrown in now and then.

Building Habits 2.0 It's time for refinement Quest: Lose 5lbs (SW: 282, GW: 277) Subquest 1: Food tracking: Track calories and 3 days not exceeding calorie goal - 1 point / day tracked - 1 point / day for hitting calorie goal Subquest 2: Water: Drink 2L - Drink 1L [ 1 point ] - Drink 1.5L [ 2 point ] - Drink 2L [ 3 point ] Subquest 3: Physio: Complete at least 5 assigned physio exercises 2 times a day - 1 point / day this is completed Shoulder stretch [1 min] Neck stretch [1 min] Bicep curl while laying on my back and arm hanging down. max 5lb weight. [10 reps] Stomach lay robot thing.... (on stomach, arm bent at 90 degree angle, rotate down, then back up slowly) [10 reps] Sitting straight arm non-curl? Arms start in curl position, instead of bending like a curl, bring arms up straight up to shoulder level.. then back down. [10 reps] While sitting in a chair, raise leg until leg is straight. Cross other leg over top as dead weight. Bring leg down slowly in 5 secs. [10 reps] Wall squat with medicine ball between legs [10 seconds] Life Quest: - Finish bathroom reno - Clean art desk - Deliver brother his tools [Week 2] - Attach mailbox back onto the wall [Week 2] - Get Haircut - Clean all dust out of basement from reno [in progress] [Week 1-3] - Work on shark painting [in progress] [Week 1-3] - Deliver dad his tools [Week 2] - Sort clothes - Organize ensuite drawers - Work on painting apple + horse - Fix upstairs fire detector - Clean dishwasher filter - Regrout upstairs bathroom - Add floor transition for M.Bedroom + fix office one - Add transition between bathroom tile and carpet in basement - Add weatherstripping to cold room door - Fix cement outside of basement bathroom - Carpet over the cement outside of bathroom - Caulk the vent outside of the house [Week 2] - Do taxes Week 1 Weigh In: 280.8lbs SQ 1: Food tracking (8/10) SQ 2: Water (12/21) SQ 3: Physio (6/14) Week 2 Weigh In: Didn't check after this crazy weekend SQ 1: Food tracking (7/10) SQ 2: Water (10/21) SQ 3: Physio (4/14) Week 3 Review Weigh In: 280.8 SQ 1: Food tracking (7/10) SQ 2: Water (9/21) SQ 3: Physio (2/14) My pride and joy <3 My motivation

(it rhymes~) *runs in like some kind of maniac* WOWJEEZ it's new challenge time already??!? Where does the TIME GO.... Hi guys, it's me Shaar, and here's where I'm at right now in my crazy chaos life!~ I'm at a new job and it's been rolling for two weeks now, and I'm starting to get settled into more of a routine and schedule. I've been thinking about my goals and while I wish they could contain consistant fitness, right now, I need to admit that just can't happen. With everything going on it's just not a current priority, and I'm okay with that. BUT, I've got a lot of big plans and ideas simmering in my little bard brain, and to get back to my unstoppable furyhearted self I've gotta do it the right way and start with building myself a solid foundation!! That's what this challenge will be for - setting a baseline with consistent habits that have definitely fallen by the wayside while I was unemployed/stressed/in the pit/etc. SO. My goals are as follows: 1. STAY HYDRATED. It's so dry here y'all. Cold northern winter air and oh hey I live on a mountain now cool, it's doing a number on my poor skin. I'm not used to this AT ALL and my poor dry irritated face is coping the best it can, but I need to drink more water. I can tell I'm not drinking enough, I'm thirsty a lot and my energy levels dip and ugh. My goal here is 60oz of water per day! 2. EAT (AND SNACK) RESPONSIBLY. Now that I have a real schedule again I need to make batch-cooking my lunches a priority. I've been doing this already for the past two weeks but I also want to expand this to include - buying smart snacks to stash at work, and NOT forsaking my homemade lunch to go down the street to Moe's or something. 3. STAY OUT OF THE CANDY DISH. Hrrrgghhh okay we have a candy dish at work and I've been eating candy out of it ok I ADMIT IT. They're so good though it's those little hard fruit candies with the soft filling. I will allow myself ONE (1) candy per day. NO MORE. 4. WRANGLE THE SLEEP SCHEDULE Here's a toughie, phew. Last week I had a hardcore insomnia streak during my second week of work and almost lost my mind. Things have evened out since then but I still find myself waking up at 3am a lot of times for no real reason other than ???? [insert any reason here really, it's all nonsensical]. I know my system will even out eventually but right now I need to get to bed at the same time every night. This may be subject to change, but right now my goal is for weeknights, to be in bed by 10pm and set my alarm for 6:20am. (Earlier in case of inclement weather.) 5. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS. EVERY DANG DAY. I just edited this because I'm at lunch and almost forgot my vitamins AGAIN jfc shaar get your shit together here Okokok I think that's all for now. I have more plans and ideas I can't WAIT to put into action but I have to be careful not to let my RangerBrain take over and, yeah. ONE STEP AT A TIME!! <3

I'm great at making plans. I am a charter member of the People's Front of Judea: But I still haven't lost 25lbs, I still hit snooze and rush out the door in the morning, I still don't get the dishes washed up... I have plenty of plans in place, plenty of strategy, I know what I must do and have the time to do it, so now it is time for me to 1) Wake up early and go to gym I already have my gym clothes already at the gym, I have the ability to set an alarm clock, I already have a plan... so I need to 2) Minimalize My Useless Shit I already have a weekly cleaning to-do list, I already have the ability to throw shit out that I don't need, so I need to 3) Mindfulness I already have my yoga mat laid out with all I need for practice, I already have the online membership for yoga classes, I need to Starting Monday, I will take action.

During the last challenge, I had a lot going on to distract me from my goals, because my wife was going through a health crisis. This time around, she's doing much better, but I know I have a big ol' work deadline coming up in late September, and it's likely that crunch time will impact my goals. I need to plan ahead to minimize the damage from that week. One thing I really want to focus on is living in the moment and enjoying the day to day business of life. I noticed, during the last challenge and during the stress of trying to take care of my wife, the house, and everything else, that my focus can really narrow down into "did I check off the item from my to do list?" That's a survival method when there's a lot going on, but I don't want to fall into a pattern of that. It's happened to me before, especially during periods of high work stress. Weeks can pass, and I hardly notice any of them because I'm too much in my head. In the end, all I have to show for it is some checked boxes on a piece of paper. I want to combat this by being mindful and seeking out the small enjoyable moments throughout the day. Drinking a coffee, having a conversation with a friend, petting my cats... even just enjoying the view of the sunset while I'm driving home. (It was just that which put this thought into my head a few nights ago.) With that in mind, here's my goals for the mid-term: I want to lose weight, and build an exercise habit that will eventually translate into gaining strength and muscle. I want to get outside more, and gain the functional endurance and flexibility to do pretty much whatever activity I desire. I want to have more time to do things I enjoy. I want to have a consistent sleep schedule that leaves me well-rested. The specific challenge goals that are steps towards these results: Fixing my sleep schedule: I seriously need to improve my sleep schedule. It's gotten very out of whack during my wife's recovery. Due to a weird quirk of my circadian rhythm, it's extremely easy for me to lose a consistent bedtime. (My rhythm is set to about 24 hrs and 45 minutes, as near as I can tell. No idea why. I have to work to reset it every day with light therapy and melatonin, or my natural sleepiness and wakefulness cues quickly shift to nearly nocturnal. It can effect when I get hungry, too, but that's usually easier to correct.) I know from past experience that setting a strict bedtime and wake up time and forcing myself to stick to it is the best way to create a schedule that fits with my job and other goals. For this challenge, my getting-ready-for-bed time is 10pm, and my must-be-in-bed time is 11pm. My wake up time is 8:30am. This should allow me to be at work by 10am, which means I can leave at 6pm most days. So that should give me more time for working out, and other enjoyable evening activities. If I stick to this 5 days out of 7, I will award myself 1 prize token. 3-4 days out of 7 gets 1/2 a token. I will have looser tolerances (about half an hour) towards the beginning of the challenge, but as it progresses I need to be more precise about when I get to bed and when I get up. The ideal is to follow this schedule every day of the week, always. Walking daily after lunch: The trigger for this action is returning from eating out with coworkers, or finishing my lunch and throwing away any trash. The walk doesn't need to be longer than 2 laps around the building, but I want to make it a habit that I do every weekday. For now, I'm not going to worry about the weekends - though I can make up a missed day on the weekend if I want. Each week that I do this, I earn 1 prize token. If I only do 3 or 4 walks that week, I can still earn 1/2 of a token. Working out 2x per week: Three times a week turned out to be too much to start out. This time, I just want to do the 1A and 1B work outs once each during the week. I'm going to target Monday as the first day, and Thursday as the second, but other days are acceptable as necessary. Each week that I do this, I earn 1 prize token. If I only do 1 workout that week, I can still earn 1/2 of a token. No diet soda: I should not drink any diet soda during the challenge month (9/17 - 10/14). If I succeed in this, I get two "prize tokens". I am allowed 2 "slip-ups", and after that I lose 1/2 of a token per diet soda ingested. Which means that if I were to drink 6 sodas total, I would get nothing. I'm also going to check my progress on this half way through, and get the first prize token at that point if I haven't messed it up. EDIT: So far, I have used one of my two "freebies". I got 1 token for the first 2 weeks. Track Food and Water intake: Although this is a pretty good habit for me at this point, I obviously need to keep doing it. And I would like to reward myself for being consistent. So if I track both for the whole challenge, I get a bonus prize of 2 tokens. Much like with the diet soda, I'll let myself miss 2 total days without penalty, then start detracting 1/2 token for each missed food or water record. Like with the soda challenge, I'm checking in at the 2 week mark and getting the first prize then. EDIT: So far, I have used both of my two "free misses". I got 1/2 a token for the first 2 weeks. Outdoor Adventure: As usual, I want to go somewhere I normally don't and explore around. EDIT: Went to the beach on Sept 23. It was a little chilly, but very nice! My prize for doing this is 2 prize tokens. Bonus challenge: Organize and put away important papers! This has literally been on my to do list for two years, and my desk has been unusable for that long due to the mountain of papers on it! If I do this during the challenge, I get 1 prize token. It looks like a lot, but only the first 3 things are things I'm really struggling with. In keeping with my over-arching mindfulness goal, I'm hoping to find the joy in each of these goals. It's not just a checkbox to tic, but something to enrich my life. For example, I'm inspired by Tobbe to log food by taking pictures of it (and making it look appealing in the pics). Walking can be pleasant now that it's not boiling hot outside. Hopefully even working out can end up being an enjoyable experience. My intention is not to add to my stress by upping my expectations around each goal. Instead, it's a mindset I'm trying to cultivate.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Winston Churchill “Ends and beginnings - there are no such things. There are only middles.” In the Home Stretch - Robert Frost ================= This year I’m fully embracing the battlemage archetype in order to better pursue my two main quests: Re-enter university, and this time be fully prepared for it. Build race fitness, create a body that can handle anything thrown at it. But we can’t just leap right in and start swinging swords and throwing fire about the place. No, this battlemage is tired and beaten and completely out of motivation. I’ve been working to build discipline, and so far progress has been questionable as during the last challenge I didn’t have a clear idea of just what it was I was striving towards. I haven’t really had any clear idea of where I was going for a while now. But that has changed. I know where I’m going. I may not know quite how to get there, but I know how to start, and I know that as I go on the next step of my path will become clearer to me. I am a person who has a routine to improve her mental health and help build discipline. I am a person who tracks her food intake so as to get a better understanding of how to fuel herself. I am a person who runs come rain or shine. I am a person who is the master of her own body. [sidequest] I am a person who walks daily for physical and mental benefit. With that, I enter a whole new stage of my life. Chapter three. Nowhere near the end, but definitely not the beginning, not anymore. There is solid ground beneath my feet, the fog on the path ahead has lifted a little, and I find I can move forwards with a confidence I haven’t felt in a long time. [Edit for zero week] Funnily enough, I didn’t intend to start this challenge until the 1st, but the build up to Christmas was fairly horrific. Retail Christmas is not a fun time to the year. As a result I’m feeling fairly beaten down and will need all the accountability I can get to stay on track with my prep work for kicking off the challenge properly. Mostly this involves cleaning up and organising my flat. Again. I find it very difficult to actually maintain this, especially when my mood dips. My work schedule for zero week is as follows: Monday and Tuesday: off Wednesday: Midshift Thursday: Backshift Friday: off Saturday: Backshift Sunday: Open This means I have three full days to dedicate to the task, two days where I can put in at least a couple of hours (mid/open days), and two days where work consumes all and the aim will be to take care of myself first and foremost. I’m not setting specific goals for zero week, but I will post daily updates to track my domestic rangering progress.

The last challenge went worse than the one before that, I almost never did what I was supposed to except by happenstance... I've been feeling very blah through the last challenge, and I think that's a lot of the reason why it went so poorly. I've been just plain exhausted most of the time, and it's hard to get motivated to do all these little things when all you want to do is sleep. Not sure if that's going to change any time soon, though the sleep-related habit might help with it, but I've got to find a way to do it anyway. My challenge will officially start on Monday the 27th, since I like measuring my week from Monday to Sunday, but I'm going to have a To Do list for the weekend before. Some of it is to prepare for the challenge, namely getting my journal ready to keep track of what I need to do and what I've done, but there are a couple chores I've been putting off too. The Pre-Challenge Weekend To Do List Fill out my journal for all 4 weeks of the challenge, plus zero week at the end Clean my room: Put away clean laundry Put away magazines and dispose of old ones Vacuum Throw out unnecessary clutter, sort necessary clutter and put it somewhere Dust Clean my car: Throw out accumulated garbage Clean the inside windshields Dust the dash etc. Cook food Buy a few larger glass containers Habit Goals 1. Physio and Stretching/Mobility This is a goal of mine almost every time I make a challenge, and I almost never fail to fail it. I've had ongoing hip issues and have not been dedicated with the physio assigned to me to help fix them, and so can't really judge if it's helping or not. And every time I feel like I'm getting in a good exercise groove, something gets tweaked and I have to take a week off to let it heal, and it's never serious, but it sets me back, more mentally than anything. Daily physio and a maintenance routine will help me keep up with other habits (like running), as it will hopefully remove any excuse to not do it (such as minor injuries and general aches and pains). And waiting until the end of the day when I work the late shift is not an option, at least for the physio aspect, I have plenty of time in the morning. 2. Meal Prep I sometimes do ok with this, and sometimes not. I've found that I really need to meal prep 2x/week, doing it all on the weekend isn't viable (or rather, doing a whole week at one time isn't viable, things get boring and/or funky by the end of the week and it makes it easy to go off plan). I also need to figure out some different protein options, specifically for mornings. I got real tired of the chocolate protein shake, and have found myself skipping protein altogether, which makes getting enough in a day a bit tough. It needs to be lower in fat, so eggs won't do (egg whites maybe but I'm not a huge fan and likely won't take the time to cook them in the morning). I also need an alternative to chicken breasts, I'm just so sick of them and I find even when I only cook a couple ahead of time I end up throwing some out. Suggestions for this are welcome. I also need to get better are packing meals the night before, so I don't have to rush as much in the morning. 3. Logging Things I have a fitness log to fill out for my police application, and it's easy for me to skip it for a few days then fill in a bunch of days at a time. As long as this is only a few days, it's not that big a deal, but it's better if I log it daily. I log my food in MFP, and am doing fine with that, but it's infinitely easier if I pre-log my day. Having everything logged in ahead of time helps me keep on track and avoid temptation, and will help with my goal of more variety, since I don't have to try to wing it and hope it fits. So I'll take some time before bed to plan out my day, and make sure I've got at least 1 fruit and/or vegetable in every meal. Most importantly, I need to remember to check my journal every day! It's going to have everything I need to get done on any given day written in it, so if I remember to look at the journal I have no excuse for forgetting a thing. 4. Sleepy Time This is another goal that's perpetually in my challenges and which I perpetually am bad at: going to bed on time and getting up with the alarm. The former is usually ok most of the time, the later not so much. I'm hoping some of the meal prep stuff will help here too, since the more I get done the night before, the less I have to do in my sleep-deprived state in the morning. Workout Goals 1.Cardio I will run 3x/week. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings before work, and on either Saturday or, more likely, Sunday. Tuesday and Thursday will be a treadmill workout, I've been doing 3 intervals at 7.0mph and increasing the time I go for at that speed, with ~1min complete rest between (usually I walk around the room a bit and have some water). Once I reach 3x8 minute intervals, I'll start increasing the speed. Once I'm up to 8.0mph, I'll go back to increasing time, and on and on until I can pass the beep test. The weekend run will be long, preferably outside, but on the treadmill in inclement weather is allowed. Starting at 5k, looking to work my way up to 10k (probably won't happen within the challenge but that's my ultimate goal). 2. Pushups I need to increase my pushup numbers for future police-related testing. My plan is to do 50 pushups on run days. I'll do them in as few sets as possible, with the goal to increase the first set by 1 rep each time.

Howdy, guys! I’m back for challenge #2 of my respawn! Last challenge went all right, but needed some tweaking for the second round. Goals are staying roughly the same, or within the same vein, and I’ve made things a bit more interesting. Not only do I have an actual theme this time around, but I’ve also done some gamifying! This challenge is wholly inspired by Cowboy Bebop, which is one of my all time favourite animes (right along side Ghost in the Shell). This show came about in the late 90’s (early 2000’s for the US), and was quite progressive for it’s time. I used to stay up until ridiculous hours just to watch it in my early high school years. As I never got around to watching every episode back then, the BF and I have been going through the series over the last week. I’ve grown a new appreciation for it, and it saddens me that I haven’t found anything modern that even comes close to being on par as it (if anyone knows of any, let me know!!). Well, without much ado, lets get this thing started! Cowboy Bebop Intro

Maybe referring to the upcoming move as a cataclysm isn’t the best of starts, after all there is no Deathwing coming to tear my world apart, but right now that’s how it feels. My life will be upended, and I will have to build anew. And that’s great, but the build up to it is so far more stress than I’m able to properly handle, and trying to tell myself that it’s ok, that it’ll be fine, is not making things any better. Stress is my dragon, it is having an increasingly negative impact on my life, and I need to get it under control before it gets any worse. And that’s what brings me to the druids. For this challenge I’m keeping things as simple as I can in an effort to regain my calm. The Goals 1. Meditation - Daily. I’d like to figure out a time that works best, and I’d like to try out a few different variations. 2. Declutter - Also daily. No matter how big or small, some part of the mountain of stuff I’ve accumulated has to vanish daily. Ditch or donate, it doesn’t matter. Apart from anything else, it will make moving across the country easier. 3. Sleep - Eight hours per night. The only exception is to be when I’m scheduled to work an opening shift after a back shift, an unfair and underhand tactic work uses which leaves me roughly nine hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next. 4. Stretching and burpees - Another daily one. Stretching is to be done on rising and right before bed. Burpees are to be done throughout the day, and the amount of burpees done must always exceed the number of burpees done the previous day. 5. Walk - My current mileage is between 11 and 16 miles a week, depending on how many days I’m scheduled to work. My aim is to bring this up to 20 miles per week. >>> Sidequest: Stress Relief - Anything that takes my fancy, really. However anything I pick up must be continued for the duration of the challenge, otherwise I’m not really going to get much of an idea at how good it is for relieving said stress. >>> Sidequest: Socialise - Post daily, no matter how small the update. I’m going to utilise a technique I found particularly effective during the last challenge, and that is that I will post by 8:30am every morning (on my days off and when I’m working back shifts, that is). I’m not sure what the penalty for not doing so will be yet, but last time just saying I’d do it provided sufficient motivation to get me out of bed on time. And that’s it. Simple, fairly loosely structured, and hopefully effective.

Last month was bumpy, but this battlemage isn’t going down without a fight. I spent a little too much time drifting in and out looking for motivation, and that was not time well spent. It’s a waste, just waiting around wondering when I’ll feel like doing x, y, or z, or wondering when I’ll find the time to do a, b, or c whilst actively wasting said time doing nothing. And I know that unless I give myself a major kick up the ass it will never be properly fixed. So we’re bringing back intense scheduling, otherwise I am going to do nothing. That is the sad and uncomfortable truth. Sure, stubbornness and determination have kept me alive and have kept a roof over my head, but motivation comes and goes as it will, and to fix that I need to convert a part of that stubbornness and determination into discipline. I need it. And here’s the thing: I’m working on a very real timeline. In just over a month from now, on March 14th, I will be turning in my notice on my flat. That gives me two months. May 14th will be the day I leave Fort William. At this point I don’t know if I’ll be leaving to a new permanent residence, or if I’ll be leaving to face temporary homelessness, crashing on sofas and living in hostels until I find something. I don’t know. And that means so much has the potential to go tits up. How do I counter this? Discipline. So let’s go. Goals Quest line: Spartan > Becoming the most physically fit and healthy version of myself in an effort to conquer the Spartan Sprint Stage One: Mobility > Daily. End of. > I have time slots for three yoga sessions per week. However, things do not always go to plan, therefore the goal is to do at least one every week. Three per would would be fantastic, but I’m not about to beat myself up if it doesn’t go to plan. Distance > Daily walks. Alternate distances depending on weather and time constraints. Alteration Quest line: Spartan Stage One: Basics > Three meals daily (meat and two veg, potato or pasta if needed to fill out calorific requirements) > No chocolate/cake/sweets > One protein shake daily > One litre of water daily > One cup of coffee on waking/one cup of decaf before bed > Tea limited to no more than three cups per day Mercantile Quest line: Move > Prepping the flat to be ready for a move whenever it may come. The packrat beast needs to be banished once and for all, which means I need to be ruthless Stage Two: Crackdown > It’s last call and everything must go, or something like that… Time to bring that ruthlessness into the picture and really, truly strip myself of everything I don’t need. > Packing up a few boxes is probably going to be beneficial. I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that the amount of books I’ll get rid of is minimal, so I can start there. Restoration Quest line: Rock solid mental health > Becoming an actual person again, one who can adapt to anything Stage Two: Regimentation > Weekly schedules created and stuck to, end of. > Keep in with the practices established during the January challenge Zero Week Survival Here I was expecting to be on for a week or more of long, long days of jury duty, and it turns out it got cancelled (not gonna lie, I was so happy when I found out. I'd had anxiety belly for a good few days leading up to making that phone call and this has cleared it right up). While this is great in that I can actually enjoy my week off work, it also means I need to scramble a new plan of action to ensure I don’t end up sitting around doing nothing. MONDAY Planning day (100% complete) > Create this plan > Select a physical skill to be the focus of the challenge as a whole (pull ups, which means it’s time to step my game up majorly) > Make a menu/shopping plan > Shore up self-care checklists TUESDAY Clearing day > Every single bin emptied, every scrap of rubbish and recycling to exterior bins > Electrical items to be ditched sorted into one place > Go through paperwork, sort into file or burn pile > Clean out fireplace WEDNESDAY Shopping day > Get food and household goods. Price is key. I have all day so it doesn’t matter if it’s multiple trips in and out. THURSDAY Shopping day two > Inverness trip for work essentials. Must check on weather forecast and traffic reports and allow myself plenty of time as conditions on that road have been bad recently and the last thing I want is to be marooned. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Specific schedules to be created by Thursday evening, Week One schedule to be amended to include the Sunday that will no longer be taken up by jury duty. There’s a fair amount going on behind the scenes in regards to how I’m planning to fill my time. I’ve got language practice goals that I want to hit, I’ve got a rough estimate of the amount of time I’d like to spend on honing my lock picking skills, and a few others thing that I’d like to submerge myself in once again, but I don’t want to make goals out of them purely because I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing myself into enjoyment. ...unlike forcing myself to build discipline with my eating and exercise habits! Maybe this works, maybe this doesn’t. The thing to remember is that I’m doing this for my own good, and should I power through and make it work, future me will be so much happier, and present me will even feel that too.

Hello, hello. I have been a member since 2012. In university I had a routine that kept me consistent and motivated to workout. Now that I've been in the real world (aka working for a living) I am finding it much harder to keep a consistent and sustainable routine. Would love a partner to help keep me accountable (and I am happy to help in return). Hiking is my favorite but I also dabble in yoga, running, bodyweight and gym workouts (part of my struggle to be consistent). Would also love someone who will geek out with me. Star Wars and Dragon Age are always personal obsessions favorites Few additional details: 25 year old female, US (Eastern Time Zone) - Relatively "in shape" aka I am inconsistently active. Animal lover. Extra extra credit for any fellow animal lovers (especially fellow dog owners)

Over the past few months, I slowly disappeared from these forums. On the one hand, I lost the motivation to work on my goals, and on the other hand, my psychologist gave me so much "homework" that I did not have time to post and follow everyone anymore. Now that the homework is dwindling down and I'm seeing the results of not having goals, it's time to come back . Nowadays I'm stiff all the time and my body image is plummeting, so it's time to build up good habits again! This challenge, I want to focus on regaining consistency and mobility. I will be climbing twice a week and bike commuting everywhere, so I get plenty of general exercise. I'm currently following a "no cookies, no chocolate"-diet to lose some of the 3kg I gained over the last half year, but I won't focus on that this challenge. Goal #1: Do yoga 3 times per week Long, short, intense or relaxed, it's all fine, as long as I do something three times per week. Goal #2: Do 2 strength workouts per week My strength training needs to become more consistent again. When the weather is good, I'll go to the brand-new "bootcamp" park on campus, when the weather is bad I'll go to the gym. Gym workout will consist of lifting weights, while the outside workout is bodyweight work with some fun skills on the numerous bars or ground. All three workouts below take approximately 30 minutes. Goal #3: Do some mobility exercises in the morning 5 times per week The exercises should take approximately 5 minutes in total, and at least include shoulder dislocates, cat/cow and dynamic downward facing dog. Life goal: Play clarinet 5 times per week To improve my clarinet skills, I need to keep practising. When I'm tired, I tend to skip my practice, which is bad. On a bad day, it's okay if I just play easy songs and be done with it, as long as I play something.

Last challenge started out with the best of intentions, but life doesn’t always recognise that and sometimes will punch you in the gut, just because. After that it’s easy to roll over and decide that maybe now isn’t the right time to get back up, maybe it’s best to wait until life has focused on someone or something else. ...but such a time does not exist. The best time is NOW. I’ve tried pushing through with different methods, and despite having many failures, I’ve also gained a better idea of what works best for the different mindsets I find myself in most often. So I’ve simplified things down to the bare bones in order to minimise the stress that goal setting can have on me, and I’ve worked out a points system for it all that I can keep track of easily. MOVEMENT Do SOMETHING every day. Maybe I have a long shift and only have time for ten minutes of circuits, or maybe I have a day off and time for a full on workout. Maybe I’m feeling happy and motivated to work on deadlifts, and maybe I’m upset or anxious and would feel better taking a walk. As long as something gets done every day. Three points will be awarded for ‘full size’ workouts, a combination of bodyweight and weighted work, including warming up properly, cooling down and stretching, and work on the foam roller. Two points will be awarded for ‘regular size’ workouts, which will be counted as something that hits most of the above points, but not all. For example, warming up, working on deadlifts, then stretching afterwards. One point will be awarded for sporadic movement throughout the day, like that ten minute circuit session mentioned above, or a grease the groove approach to pull ups or pistol squats, or a few sets of push-ups here and there. No movement, no points. ***EDIT: In a slight adaptation to the above, I'm adding in a couple of small essentials that should be done daily: Mobility work: Use one of the NF Yoga mobility mini-sessions. They're all ten minutes or less, so it's not a massive time commitment. Grip work: In this case, dead hangs. Basically what I've been doing most days of this week. Every time I go past the bar, I hang from it for a while. My grip strength is shocking, and not in a good way. NUTRITION I was getting back on track in the food department, and then my fridge and freezer went kaput. Unresponsive landlord is unresponsive, so I’m making the best of it for now. It means that tins are my friend, I have to get creative with any accidental bulk cooking I do (which happens a lot), and I need to find new and interesting ways to keep the right kinds of food in my diet. Three points for three meals. A protein shake will be counted as a meal at breakfast time only, and is best accompanied by some fruit or other snack. Two points for two meals. One point for one meal plus consistent grazing. Trying to avoid this, although it’s happened a few days since the fridge went. I feel crappy after days where I haven’t eaten properly, so I can only imagine what is happening to my insides. A no point day is not an option. MIND I am first and foremost responsible for looking after myself, and that includes taking time out to do something enjoyable or nothing at all. I’ve recently changed jobs, and although I’ve only had two shifts at my new job there is a noticeable difference in atmosphere. Throughout those two shifts I’ve run into several pub regulars who have all, without fail, commented on how much happier I seem. I’d like to keep that happiness. Therefore I will take thirty minutes every day to set everything aside and do something purely for me. Three points for the full half hour. Two points for up to twenty minutes. One point for up to ten minutes. No time, no points. Although with my new shift structure there really is no excuse for not having time... REWILDING I am happier when surrounded by nature, and yet I don’t include enough of it in my life. This isn’t going to be a points goal, but I will aim to do something every day. It can be as simple as watering my small collection of plants, opening the curtains to let the daylight in, or sitting out in the garden for a little while. It can be going for a walk and turning the music off for a while, foraging for edibles in the glen, or setting up a riverside camp fire to cook a meal. So long as I’m making an effort to do something, that’s what counts. The rewards part is something I’ve not quite figured out yet, but I’ve got plenty of time to think it over, and while it is nice to get something tangible out of it all, it’s not the most important thing. The important thing is that everything will be logged here, and I mean everything. What I ate, what I did, and should the worst happen, what I didn't do and why. ***EDIT: Rewards System I've done some sums and have decided that the maximum number of points I can earn in this challenge is 243. That's accounting for full nutrition and mind points daily, a full size workout every second day, and a workout every other day. Based on that I've split things up very roughly, figured out what will both motivate me and further my progress, and have come up with the following rewards: 0-120 = The knowledge that I tried my best, and next time will do better! 121-174 = Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (the nerdier the better). 175-200 = The knowledge that I'm getting a grip on this healthy living business (fat grips). 200-243 = A congratulatory pat on the back (plus a shiny sandbag). I debated the consolation prize thing, but in the decided that if I didn't even get halfway then there's no point. The t-shirt reward will do nothing to further my progress, that is motivational enabling that's come about purely because I've got my eye on a few different ones, and want an excuse to buy one. Grips are self-explanatory and varied grip training will help massively for bouldering. The sandbag (which does not have to be shiny!) is for training variation. That way I can train inside, or just as easily take it out for a walk.

Here we go again. Challenge goals for the next 4 weeks: There are a few things that need to happen in the next few weeks. I need to keep steadily losing weight (without obsessing over it!). I need to keep the daily exercise habit rolling when school starts and "life returns to normal". As I said on my last challenge: these points of movement, they arent big. 30 min walk, 15-20 minutes yoga routine, 5-15 minutes workout at home or a 20-40 minutes workout at the gym or at the physical therapy place. They aren't big 2h sessions, they are "get started" tasks. It's like lifting, I imagine, you lift the empty bar to practice the movement "without load" so to speak. Similar thought is behind these goals, there is classes at the gym I could do, hour long classes, and eventually I want to try out lots of things and find something that engages me and is fun and challenging, but for now: No more Reasonable Reschedule. Do the Monday workout Monday, and so on and so forth, plan possible obstacles and contingencies each Saturday before the week starts. Nutrition. Less leeway, stick to the budget, keep notes, always. Balance. Mother, wife, house keeper, shopping monkey, appointment juggler, don't lose yourself. Keep breathing, stay connected to Source, keep up on the Domestic Rangering, have a cup of tea and a break in the pm, nap if necessary, but not longer than an hour, get to bed in time to be rested in the am, hubby's late shift be damned. That's the goals for now. And Journey Quest, because on the 18th this month the kickstarter for Season 3 starts and I'm SO PSYCHED Life goal: Get ready for the race. September I plan on running the Dirty Coast. My PT, and I trust him, said 75-80kg is the weight I need to reach to start running and not hurt myself. I can get there, I know it, I've lost a lot of weight in the last 9 months, question is: Can I lose it fast enough to have enough time to train up for an 8 km obstacle race? Mathematically it sure is possible, but that is numbers, numbers are easy, it's the getting myself to stay within my margins that'll be the interesting thing. Monday I'll weigh in, as I always do, but I am in the vecinity of 92,5 kg. 25lbs to go in the next 20 weeks, during which I'll also be starting specific training to eventually be able to get past that blasted 2m wall as well as the pile of tires and the low crawly cold water places... leaving me with 14 weeks of 10K training. I tend to write too much, sorry guys. Here's the short list: EDIT I always forget to fill these out in the later weeks

For January I invoke my namesake the Roman Goddess Terra (AKA: Mother Earth and Gaia) DRAFT - but I wanted to get something posted ASAP!!! Create an amazing foundation! Mother Earth is a giver and provides us with so much, but she must take care of herself first! Exercise: BJJ >> 2-3 times a week. Conditioning (strength) class >> 2-3 times a week Foot care/yoga >> daily Skiing or walking will happen when the weather allows Other health related goals: Mostly Paleo eating with MFP logging. Sleep aim for 7+ hours per night Do something just for me... The craft room needs an overhaul so I can be productive in it!

I sat out the last challenge and didn't keep up on the habits i had been building. I have noticed a decline in my levels of strength and fitness. I'll be keeping this quest simple and treating it like i did the first one here. This will be about getting me back into good habits, getting back to the levels of strength and fitness that i previously reached and getting back down to the weight I had reached by the end of the last challenge (I managed to put on 16lb in the 7-8 weeks I was gone, oops). I wasn't completely lazy while i was gone, I did do some work on other goals. For the last week I have been getting up at 5:30 so i could start my day off writing, as i struggled to complete tasks if i left them to late at night. This week my wife and I signed up for a gym (I hadn't gone to a gym in probably 14 years). We have gone twice this week and my muscles are still sore, so for this quest my main focus will be on going to the gym regularly. 1 - Gym sessions, at least 3 times per week. I would like to build up to going more often and having sessions that are just cardio (using the treadmill to replace my outdoor runs over winter). 2 - Stretching. I haven't planned anything out yet, so this could take any form as long as I work on becoming more flexible. At least 3 sessions per week. 3 - Writing - First thing in the morning I write. i started off doing 20 minutes, but now aim for a minimum of 500 words, but preferably go over that. Every day 4 - Meditation - After writing I sit quietly and meditate for 10 minutes. Last year I was meditating in hour long sessions, I would like to build up my meditating time again (but don't feel the need to go that long). For now I'm happy with 10 minute sessions. Every day 5 - Positivity - The last thing I do before getting ready in the morning is set up a positive attitude for the day. I use a self talk script from Zigziglar.com, use my own affirmations, write down some things I am grateful for & write out my goals for the coming year For the past few days I have also been watching happy/uplifting videos on youtube. Every day (The uplifting videos aren't part of it, but are a happy bonus). 6 - Calories - 1,800kcal daily limit. On days I exercise i add the calories burned into my tracker and allow myself to eat more, if I feel i need to, it helps me not feel deprived and means I can go out for a walk anytime I'm hungry, if I'm already close to my limit, so it also encourages me to be active. Every day My wedding anniversary will be in the middle of this challenge, so I'll be giving myself that day off from my limit, I don't plan on using it as an excuse to pig out, but i don't want to be counting calories in any meal we eat, just give myself the freedom to enjoy it. I don't have a points allocation worked out, I'll just see what I feel i deserve by the end. I'm usually a pretty harsh self critic, so won't give myself points where i don't feel I earned them. No theme this time.

Journal of a Beginning Sailor Senshi It takes a long time and many challenges for a regular girl to realise that she has the power take her destiny into her own hands and make of her life whatever she wants it to be. To understand that with regular practice, dedication and faith, she can be strong some day, strong enough to defeat powerful enemies.

Hi! I'm Kakomani, at 187cm and 75kg. I used to practice full contact karate from 2004-2011, and have been climbing and bouldering on and off ever since. As I'm developing and getting to know my body, I realize that I really just love movement in general! I still climb when friends invite me, it's just not a focus anymore. What else? Oh yeah, I use gymnastics rings for strength training. So this is technically not my first challenge - I started one back in early 2013, but forgot all about NF due to a family crisis. I've kept training though! My main quest is to keep becoming a better mover, as simple and complex as that! It is a lifelong quest, and hard to keep track of in the short term, but fuck it, that's what it is. Challenge goals! 1. Get straight leg head to toe - This is no trivial feat. I am now on day 2 of a brutal program of ballistic stretching to get it done. I will do this every day, allowing for 1 rest day per week. I don't know when the head to toe will happen, but I'm guessing near the end of the challenge. If it comes sooner, I'll keep to the protocol to see how much further I can go. If not, I'll keep working it after the challenge. Goal: consistency (6 days a week) Measurement: A = 36 days and got head to toe, B = 36 days, C = 30-35 days, anything less = fail Grading: Well, seeing as the first challenge gives 1 point per goal after the starting stats, if I don't fail, it goes to DEX 2. Get the scap and grip up and running again - I had tendinitis in my elbow, so I've slowly built up some pulling strength since October. Continuing that work, I am hanging every day for 7 minutes total, again allowing for 1 day off, not because of rest, but because life can get in the way sometimes. Also, I'm on a SSC with my front lever training, so that'll remain static at 4x16s adv tuck throughout the challenge. Goal: consistency (6 days a week) Measurement: A = 36-42 days, B = 30-35 days, anything less = fail Grading: if no fail, +1 CON 3. Open up my handstand - The only way I can hold a freestanding handstand for more than 5 seconds is if I planche it significantly, and then it's usually around 15 seconds. Working with my lovely wall, I'll get more time in the open shoulder handstand. Goal: 10s open shoulder HS. Measurement: A = 10+ s freestanding straight HS, B = 6-9 s freestanding straight HS, less = fail Grading: if no fail, +1 DEX Life goal: get into the groove of life I'm moving to a new city for uni, after having done a year of national service and then travelling for 6 months. Needless to say, It's been a while since normality! If I have a habit of doing the basic stuff, i.e. keeping a clean apartment and performing well, it'll be easier to do everything else as well. Goal: build the habit Measurement: A = clean kitchen, clean bathroom, tidy living room and good performance at all times, B = a few (1-5) hiccups in the previously mentioned points, C = several (6-10) breaches of habit, more = fail Grading: if no fail, +1 WIS Notice the lack of strength goals. This is because the first 2 weeks of uni will have a lot of socializing (drinking) which will probably slow down progress on that arena. Priorities, eh? Being realistic, I made this challenge about consistency and habits On Monday, I'll post a pic of the current state of things for goals 1 and 3, for later comparison. Did I forget something? Edit: I did indeed! Attributes and grades! Also added some info in the introduction. -Erik

Hi folks! While I'm not a noob when it comes to nerd fitness or 6-week challenges, this is my first time posting on the rebellion forums - cause I seriously need some support! A little about me? I'm Aussie, aged 28, fun-sized (152cm/5ft) and moderately overweight (92kg/203 pounds). In the last year I've been trying to loose weight (cause I was getting married) and I actually managed to PUT ON 10 kilos! In the last six months I've been told by my doctor that even though I'm perfectly healthy now - if I wanna have a baby in the future, I should drop some kilos. So after five months of trying to conceive (with no luck) I'm deciding to instead focus on me! Main Quest- End the year 25 kilos lighter (I think that's about 55 pounds) Goals to get there: 1) Weekday workouts - 3 x Beginner BW workouts (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays) and 2 x yoga sesh (Wednesdays and Fridays). I keep starting the Beginner BW workout and love it, but lose momentum after time - hopefully six weeks worth will make it more a habit for me. I also really wanna improve my flexibility and reduce my anxiety after months of baby-making stress - hence the yoga. 2) Food Fast - Avoid fast/ junk foods, which have been my 'too lazy/tired/ emotional' plan B at way to many meals. I really want to take on the mindset of 'food is fuel' and reserving treats for special occasions. 3) Step away from the Idiot boxes - no more than 2 hours in front of TV/ computer/ Ipad a day (oh this one is gonna be tough!) 4) Fun Fitness - 2 x Weekend 'active' activities which I enjoy and get me off the couch (A bike ride, bush walk, dancing!) 5) Technique improvement - I really need to get better at basic body weight movements - so this 6 week challenge I'm looking to perfect the lunge and push-up. Lunge wise - I have an existing injury in my left ankle, so my stamina is pretty poor and I tire really easy from that move. I can't do a full body push-up and I really want to be able to. Push-ups on my knees or with an elevation are what I'm working with for now. Life side quest: get back into playing the piano. I recently had the chance to and realised how much I love it. Only problem - I don't have a piano at home, so I'll need to find another way to access one. I'm starting the challenge next week - from Sunday the 19th, and as I said before - really could use some accountability! Hopefully knowing I'm not alone in this will keep me going

Yes, it's my second full challenge and I'm already having a rest, after going way off target with my first challenge! SO LAZY, YES?? That's right, I have no discipline to give to health, fitness and diet. No discipline, no willpower, no motivation, no inspiration, no knuckle down and do the work-ness, no just do it-ness, none of it. But wait! All is not lost! This challenge, I am making my overarching goal to ENJOY BEING ALIVE (since I don't do that very often). And I'm making it food and fitness related! (That's right, I said FOOD related!). As your intuitive-eater-in-residence, I declare my first bit of the mission: 1. EAT WHAT YOU LOVE, LOVE WHAT YOU EAT In the past few days, I've been trying this on for size again, and I'm getting back into my groove with how awesome this really is... Yesterday, I realised that I really wanted carrot and apples with houmous. And with nobody to tell me that these foods are "good" or "healthy" I realised they didn't automatically taste of deprivation, but are actually bloody amazing! Pink lady apples and carrot sticks and houmous are on my list of Awesome Foods I Love. This morning I had a sausage sandwich for breakfast. I really enjoyed the breakfast-y smell of it, and a bit of BBQ sauce. Our new nutty bread is nice, but I like brown too. White usually tastes like I would imagine wet cardboard to taste, so I don't like that. I wasn't hungry for hours, then I wanted a small maple & pecan cheesecake (300 cals in case you're wondering what I define as a small cheesecake). The first half was beautiful, the second half was OK, I left a tiny bit (deliberately - more on that in a minute!) and I took about half an hour to eat the whole thing. It's OK for me to enjoy all kinds of foods, I get that now. A few hours later I was hungry again so had a bit of breaded lemon sole. I usually have loads of Mayo with it because I think that's what I want, but a bit of analysis led me to realise that I only put the Mayo on it to cool it down, because I hate my food burny-hot... So I waited 10 minutes for the fish to cool down and had it on its own. It was delicious! I've been obscuring the lovely taste of how many foods with what is essentially egg and vinegar and fat dressing? Wtf. And just like that, I don't really like Mayo any more. Maybe in a sandwich. I don't know, I'll wait and see. I remember when this happened to me with ice cream, it was a happy day, lol! It's a few hours later now and I'm still happily not hungry, and I enjoyed every single thing I ate today. I guess I might have knocked back around 1200 cals or so? That's low, but I've had a lazy Sunday and my massive exertion for the day was going out for a pint of milk. Other days are different! So, from being afraid of the food missions, to doing the food missions in my own way! Expect words. LOADS OF WORDS. About the foods. All the foods. Expect analysis and lots of it. What the food smelled like, the packaging, what mood I was in, who I was with, what I'd done that day... Etc. About that other thing: I'm leaving a small bit of food behind each time I eat something. It doesn't have to be a huge amount, but I've unearthed an unhealthy and irrational fear of wasting food or leaving it behind. I don't know where it came from, but regardless, I don't want it. My body is not a bin. And the only way I'll ever stop wasting food is by figuring out what portion sizes work for me, and I'll never work that out if I always think I have to eat EVERYTHING that's there. So I think that by the end of this challenge, I won't be 195lbs any more. I want weight loss, but it's not the goal. That's the thing with me and goals. I can never look directly at them. +5 CON if I eat what I love, and love what I eat, 30 days out of 42! Joined the Mindful Eating FTW! Accountability thread, because as I remember it, this way of eating is something that takes reflection, and talking it through with others really helps. I still can't believe I found a mindful eating accountability thread... too much awesome for words! 2. WALK MOAR I decided at the end of my last challenge that 2500 miles of walking would get me into a ballpark of getting shot of the approximate 70lbs of fat I want to get shot of, all other things being equal. My baseline is pretty sedentary apart from my job, which I'm hoping to be out of soon anyway , and back on a daytime schedule. So I'm not counting that. Goal is as stated. Walk more. Nice and nebulous and non-SMART (Yeah, I'm breaking the rules here because the rules work but I make them not work by sabotaging myself). I started at 2500 miles on 10 Feb. I'm down to 2456 (I think) and only counting anything outwith my normal routine using the runtastic app on my phone. Been ill since Friday 20th and at work so no long walks since then, and because of a uni deadline on Weds 25th I probably won't go far until after that, but should get back into it with a 4.5 mile walk to work on Thursday afternoon Up to +5 STA depending on how far I get, and how much it feels like an awesome, enjoyable, habitual addition to my life by the end of the challenge. Doing PVP - Walkers this time round! My first PVP. I trust that I'm taking a relaxed enough attitude to this whole challenge to keep my confidence up through the competitive aspect of the challenge. 3. MINIS!!! No mini in week 1 because of the uni deadline. Weeks 2-6 i'll dream up minis that take my fancy because reasons. +5 other points for minis depending on how I feel at the time. Edit: Starting measurements etc from 23 Feb 2015! Weight: 193.4lbsScale Bf%: 48%DoD Bf%: 41.6%Scale H2O%: 37.2%Lean mass: 100.6lbsChest (upper): 40.5Chest (lower): 34.5Waist: 37Hips: 43Neck: 14.5Right upper arm: 14.5Left upper arm: 14Right lower arm: 10.5Left lower arm: 10.5Right thigh: 29Left thigh: 28.5Right calf: 18Left calf: 18.5

So it’s been, what, about four and a half months since my last challenge (and probably my last general appearance on the NF boards…)? Most of that was on kind of purpose. Things were bad and there is only so much I can handle at once. And then there was that thing where for the whole of January I had something that I’m halfway convinced was the plague. That pretty much took everything I’d managed to build up during December, mentally, physically, and otherwise, and smash it into pieces. It’s taken me a little while to get going again, and now that I’m a good way towards having a solid foundation built, I figured coming back to NF would be a step in the right direction. At the very least, it’s a slightly more public way to keep myself accountable and a way of socialising that does not revolve around uni or work. Oddly enough, in spite of how terribly the year started, things are on a generally upwards trajectory. And that is where this challenge comes in. I feel like I’m in a good place to pick up the habit again, and I actually have some pretty solid goals for a change. Mostly they’re habit building, which is what I need right now. Bigger goals can wait for now. One: Active Routine (+2 WIS || +1 STA || +1 CON) I have a schedule. This schedule is flexible. This schedule is not only important for ensuring I keep myself active enough and do my workouts when I’m supposed to, but it is also important for household tasks and the like. Right now I've got three spots for the bigger workouts, five for yoga, and two for getting my ass outside and either walking or biking (if, y'know, I fix the bike... again...). Similar to where I was at before, but I'm quite conscious of these being far shorter workouts, all things considered. The point is to do something and then I can work my way up to a full scale battle plan. This goal sounds ridiculously easy, but actually working up the motivation to stick to it and do things even when I’m in a crappy mood is particularly difficult right now. January’s illness, among other things, brought out the worst of my depression, so I’m still trying to pick myself up after that. Routine will help, or so the story goes. Two: Hand Balancing (+2 DEX || +2 STR) I miss the challenge. For this one, I’m not working towards anything in particular right now (although I will say my pendant pose is pretty solid). Wrist strengthening will be a priority, and I’ll be experimenting with different yoga balances as well as handstands (and headstands, just because). And all of this will be happening three times per week. Three: Hot Food (+3 CON || +1 WIS) At least one cooked meal per day, at least three fruit and veg per day, do not put fizzy drinks in my body unless they’re mixed with alcohol (and don’t do too much of that either). ...yeah, things got pretty bad and my diet went to hell. I didn’t want to eat, and when I did it was a quick fix and a light one at that. It got to the point where my body was unbelievably weak, and a couple of weeks ago I pulled myself together enough to make a concentrated effort to fix what had gone wrong. So. One cooked meal per day, even on days when I’m working stupid hours. At least three portions of fruit and veg per day, because fruit satisfies sugar cravings, veg is awesome, and I am in fact anemic again. That needs fixing ASAP. Everything needs fixing ASAP, but taking baby steps is a good thing right now. Four: Extra-Curricular (+2 CHA || +1 WIS) I’ve recently re-started things that I previously enjoyed doing, which is a good sign, but motivation is still a little thin on the ground so they’ve been worked into my schedule as well, after a fashion. I’ve spoken to my former housemate, A, and he’s said that he’s more than happy to give me guitar lessons in return for dinner. So I’m trying to make this happen at least once a week. Also, a little practice every day, even if it’s only fifteen minutes. I’m learning sign language. I figured, hey, I’m going deaf, so why not? So far it’s just Youtube videos, but it’s better than nothing, considering. That’s going to be a daily thing as well. Recently, in part due to the requirements of one of the uni modules I’m doing, I’ve taken to going to kayak rolling sessions at the pool. I can’t roll a kayak. I’m actually scared of rolling a kayak. I’m going to continue until I can roll a kayak. Thursday mornings for that one. I’m also working on trying to get back to Crossfit on Thursday evenings, but first I have to sort out my work rota and try and imprint on my boss that saying I can’t work on certain days means that, hey, I can’t work on those days. And there we have it, a sedate challenge for a time where baby steps are required. You know, this time it doesn't even frustrate me. I'm not sure if that's because my job has worked wonders on my ability to control these things or because I've been in a fairly good mood for the past few days or even because it's better than having given up. ...talk about starting on a positive note

Yup, I did it. I officially crashed and burned. As my arbitrary post in the Respawn forum said, I finally died from the long, slow death that is the curse of all soldiers: that strange mixture of cockiness ("I'm a soldier; I do PT every morning! I'm a calorie-burning machine!") and denial ("I only eat fast food because my schedule is so crazy and the DFAC food is horrible!"). Fact 1: it is entirely possible to out-eat your workouts. Fact 2: it is entirely possible to believe Fact 1 is not applicable to you. Bonus Fact! It is also entirely possible to rationalize total lack of gym time by substituting any number of other frivolous activitiies! But enough bemoaning my demise. Time to reboot and start a NEW character!!! I'm a serial start-over-er in my games anyway; I suffer from a bit of perfectionism"noted" and a somewhat short attention span"noted", so I'm easily frustrated or bored if I make too many mistakes or step away from the game very long - or play it too long, as the case may be. That all sounds very terrible, and probably creates a lot of questions about my love of video games, but the flip side is that I love being able to learn from what I did wrong hoarding up new knowledge and making my new character even BETTER than the last one! Other serial restarters know what I'm talking about: there's nothing quite like being on your 6th character reincarnation at level 3 and having all the crap/being well on your way to having all the crap that your earlier character had (finally!) at level 21. You just feel..... smug! So this is my restart, and here are my goals (aka, "How I plan on using all this awesome experience I now have in failing to bot through all that previous sucky grinding"): 1. 5x5 Stronglifts. I never used a weightlifting program in the past, which was awesome at the time because I got to do a lot of experimenting.... but that childish method of 'run around and poke it with a stick to see what happens' would just be a waste of time at this point. I've worked out the quest progression line now, and I'll go through levels faster if I stick to the path. As noted in the previous paragraph, I'm both a perfectionist and a "- SQUIRREL!!!!!" which is why I've chosen this program. Simple enough that it's easy for me to be both anal about and to stick with: it's difficult even for me to get distracted inside of 3 exercises! 2. Calorie recording. I'm very good at counting calories. I'm very bad at trying to eat/drink within a limited number of them. But I make awesome dietary choices so long as I'm aware of them, which is why I've already begun tracking them in my phone. Example 1: Coworker brings in donuts to the office? No, thank you! I'm already wincing at the very idea of having to enter that in! Example 2: Second plate of dinner (because my husband is an amazing cook, and I am a willing and widemouthed meal participant) - extra helping of deliciously grilled (yes, you read that right) garlic bread or deliciously grilled kebabs? Hmm, let me compare here.... Yup! Kebabs it is! 3. Drink water. Duh, right? It's practically the Army's mantra - screw that bullshit, limp-dick "Army of One" slur no matter what's happening at any given point, you're 99% guaranteed to hear the phrase "Drink water!" at some point. But it's not just a reminder to hydrate (which I really need to do, seeing as I'm in the desert now); it's a way of reminding someone to "figure it out and get on with it". I have a LOT of new things going on in my life right now, and a whole bunch more on the horizon for next year that I need to start preparing for yesterday now. This means I have a looooooot of opportunity to make excuses for not focusing on goals 1 & 2, and some of them are going to be genuine reasons to skip a workout or forget to log a meal. But this 6WC is about habit building more than anything else for me - so I NEED to "drink water". Edited to add: Conquer the Caveman! Learn and practice the Caveman Squat until I convincing enough to lure in a sabertooth cat So there they are, my 3 goals + Side Quest! My hope is to log on to NF every day to update here, but I'll be happy if I just manage to keep on track with my goals on my end. I'll likely be logging my workouts on Fitocracy (linked in my sig) and my meals on my phone (because it's stupid-convenient and damn near impossible to forget). But I'll always try to make my posts entertaining, I can promise that much! And I'm a HUGE lurker of other people's threads, so don't be surprised if I have more activity around the site than here. Time to be a leaf on the wind! (Sans impalement)