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It's me. Hi. It's a new challenge and I'm ready to Begin Again. During the last challenge I focused more on weight loss: tracking macros, running, and drinking water - and long story short, it worked! I broke out of the 180s plateau and lost about 4-5lbs during the challenge. So Is It Over Now? Of course not, I still have a long way to go trying to reach my End Game of weight loss. But focusing so narrowly on weight loss was starting to feel like Death by a Thousand Cuts. It's time for a Change... so I'm going to Shake it Off. This challenge, I'm telling cardio and macros, "You're Losing Me," and concentrating more on strength training and simple calorie counting. Basically this is me trying to build a better relationship with strength training, to enjoy it instead of just tolerate it. I also want to Speak Now about working on my mental health this challenge. My State of Grace is to actively work on cultivating happiness. Part of that is being more productive at work (because fighting against executive dysfunction gets me Down Bad). The other part is nurturing activities that don't feed on cheap dopamine like facebook and fan fiction. I want more phone-free time: whether it's time spent creating, with my kids, or enjoying The Outside. 🫶🏻 GOALS 🫶🏻 Don't be Delicate Exercise 4x a week (M/T/T/F) Strength Training first, program details here Followed by a 20 min run or 40 min walk Intention: Build muscle and increase amount I can lift while maintaining some cardio for weight loss Mastermind my Food Intake Stay under calorie budget on LoseIt daily Aided by eating low-carb, high-protein but not required Intention: Keep focus on weight loss through simple CICO Water Hits Different Drink 8 cups of water a day Continued from last challenge Intention: Continue to build the habit of drinking enough water Work like a mad woman 6 Pomodoros every work day (work for 25 minutes with a 5 minute break) Light work like checking emails, slack, or Asana doesn't count toward goal Intention: Improve focus at work, get more actual work done, and feel rewarded by productivity flow You Need to Calm Down Chose an enjoyable, non-phone based activity for at least 30 minutes a day Bonus points for doing more than one activity Ideas: - Reading a book (not fan fiction) - Creating something or engaging with art or hobbies - Taking a walk or hike - Visiting with friends - Playing with the kids - Any pastime people enjoyed doing 50 years ago Intention: Kick the cheap dopamine habit (aka doomscrolling) and spend phone-free time pursuing pleasurable slow-paced activities 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 So Long Live the challenge we've made - and remember, it's a shiny new NF Challenge, so baby just say YES.

2023 was a good year: I got a new job, I got married and I found out that I really like kettlebell sport. My life is steady, I'm happy with my weight and I'm progressing nicely with the bells. Still, I wanna challenge, since it is January and it is the season of new goals and good intentions. My sports-calender currently looks like this: Jan 13: snatch competition Feb 18: full KB competition Mar 24: powerlifting meet I'm looking forward to all of this, since the people at the gym are awesome and these competitions are very wholesome. The KB training is all set, I just show up twice a week and all is fine. For the powerlifting, it is time to start training again since I did not really do that for quite some time now. Goals: 1. Do all the powerlifting lifts at least once a week, with exception of deload week. For example squats + bench press on Wednesday after KB training, deadlift on Sunday after KB training 2. Work on posture at least 3 times per week. My shoulders are rolling inwards, and it is causing some pain at my collar bone. Not sure yet what I will do to correct it. Something with pulling exercises and stretches. My hips could also some work. Suggestions for specific routines are welcome, although I prefer to keep the sessions short to keep them accessible. 3. Incorporate vegetables at lunch one workday per week. I'm working hard for my muscles, I want to see them at some point as well! My typical lunch is sandwiches, so hopefully adding some vegetables will make them more filling.

Hello fellow Rebels. A lot has been going on in life, most of it good, all of it overwhelming. I'm going to be a grandpa (it's a boy) My family and I were in the local newspaper because we adopted out fourth and fifth children on November 1st (the first day of National Adoption Month) I'm hosting a poetry recitation competition at the school where I teach, as well as sponsoring the Drama Club I've signed up for (and completed) several 5k races and have remained a middle-of-the-pack runner without injury I grew out my mustache So yeah, life has been pretty great lately, just busy. I'm sticking to my past goal since they haven't yet been achieved (although I'm getting closer and closer to the sub-30 5k time). And of course I will be channeling movies and characters that inspire and motivate me along the way. I recently re-watched "Bullet Train," which is still amazing. Tangerine remains my favorite character. So... STRONGER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will have increased my physical strength by at least 25% as measured by an increase in number of reps to failure of kettlebell single-arm overhead press. HOW: I will pick "heavy things" up and put them back down for at least 20 minutes, three days a week; this will include mostly kettlebell training with some "greasing the groove" using resistance bands, random heavy objects, and my kids. Training will look like this: Sunday: Benchmark (single arm overhead press to failure, count reps; 30 minute run, note distance) Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Strength training Tuesday/Thursday: 30 minute run + "grease the groove" Saturday: Long trail run FASTER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will be able to run a sub-30 minute 5k as measured by a 5k run. HOW: I will run for 30 minutes at least two days a week, with a distance/endurance run at least one day a week and sprint/speed intervals at least one day a week. SMARTER: GOALS: By the end of the challenge, I will increase my daily use of Duolingo; I will increase my daily reading habit by at least 5 minutes a day; I will learn at least one new thing daily. HOW: I will set a reminder to complete at least the daily requirements to achieve a 30 day streak on Duolingo I will set aside at least 30 minutes of reading time daily I will use apps such as Humane and Kinnu to learn new information, as well as the NPR app and podcasts. CALMER: GOAL: By the end of the challenge, I will improve my mental health by reducing my angry reactions to stress. HOW: I will use a meditation app to increase my meditation/contemplative prayer practice from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. I will write down what I am grateful for and create daily affirmations using the 5 Minute Journal app. In moments of stress and frustration, I will apply a relaxing breathing technique (short inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth). I will listen to music that elevates my mood.

After some personal battles combined with the start of the school year requiring me to adjust my routine, I am ready to get back at it... for real this time. My goals for this challenge remain the same as the last, although some specifics have changes. I will be channeling great warriors, both mythical and real, as my guides, such as Kratos, King Leonidas, Geralt, Achilles, Beowulf, and more. STRONGER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will have increased my physical strength by at least 10% as measured by an increase in number of reps to failure of kettlebell single-arm overhead press. HOW: I will pick "heavy things" up and put them back down for at least 20 minutes, three days a week; this will include mostly kettlebell training with some "greasing the groove" using resistance bands, random heavy objects, and my kids. Training will look like this: Sunday -- Benchmark (single arm overhead press to failure, count reps; 30 minute run, note distance) Monday -- Five rounds of: 200 meter run kettlebell clean and press x 2 each side goblet squat x 5 two-handed kettlebell swing x 20 rest 2 minutes Tuesday -- 30 minute run; record time Wednesday -- 5-10 rounds of: 30 seconds one-handed swing with left hand 30 seconds rest 30 seconds one-handed swing with right hand 30 seconds rest Turkish get-ups Thursday -- 30 minute run; improve previous distance Friday -- 15-45 minutes of: clean with left hand press with left hand one arm front squat with left hand one handed swing with left hand park the kettlebell, recover, repeat with right hand Saturday -- Distance run on trails; mark distance and pace FASTER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will be able to run a sub-30 minute 5k as measured by a 5k run. HOW: I will run for 30 minutes at least two days a week, with a distance/endurance run at least one day a week and sprint/speed intervals at least one day a week (see 200 m run above). SMARTER: GOALS: By the end of the challenge, I will increase my daily use of Duolingo; I will increase my daily reading habit by at least 5 minutes a day; I will learn at least one new thing daily. HOW: I will set a reminder to complete at least the daily requirements to achieve a 30 day streak on Duolingo I will set aside at least 30 minutes of reading time daily I will use apps such as Humane and Kinnu to learn new information, as well as the NPR app and podcasts. CALMER: GOAL: By the end of the challenge, I will improve my mental health by reducing my angry reactions to stress. HOW: I will use a meditation app to increase my meditation/contemplative prayer practice from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. I will take 30 minute mindful walks to help clear my mind. I will write down what I am grateful for and create daily affirmations using the 5 Minute Journal app. I will practice a relaxing breathing technique (short inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth) and apply this technique in moments of stress and frustration. I will listen to music that elevates my mood.

Hi guys, I have a confession to make: I have a tendency to consume a lot of self-help books and podcasts, but then doing nothing with them. Eating that frog, atomica habits, getting things done, etc., I have read them all at some point in time. I didn't do anything with it mostly because I don't have super concrete goals, and hence I had no idea what to use all those ideas for. I'm pretty happy with my life right now: I just got married to an amazing husband, I have two cats and a good job, plenty of hobbies and my physical health is great. My mental health is up and down as always, but there is not a lot I can do about that (hi autistic brain ). Anyway, I have some vague ideas about what I would like more in life, but nothing concrete. Think of things like "declutter house & design/get new living room", "feel more athletic" and "do stuff back for society/environment". Do I really want to do those? What would it look like if I achieve them? What is most important to me? Anyway, recently I finally stumbled on a self-help book that starts with goal-setting, and the general tone of that goal-setting really clicked to me. It's basically making a 5-year plan with different granularity, where the next month is super concrete and the last years are really vague. I want to try this out, and hence this challenge. There are 7 chapters in getting to a roadmap, and there are 5 weeks in this challenge, so I have slightly more than one chapter per week, which sounds doable. On top of that, I want to make it a habit again to use my bujo in the morning, and to do some yoga every week. I really feel better if I do yoga, even if it is as little as 10 minutes. Things that will happen but not be tracked are KB workouts, strength workouts, hikes, maybe bike rides to work and other fun physical activities .

Listening to this song makes me happy. I watched the video before posting, and it's an awesome vibe. And my goals: 1) Eat 120 grams of protein a day; This works well for me, I plan on continuing it Also; Eat according to my values ( joy, thankfulness) eat slow, pause before getting more food 2) In the morning, sit by the window with the blinds open while reading Bible Bonus: sit outside Double bonus go for a walk 3) Drink 22 oz. of water before morning workout Bonus; Drink another 22 oz during day before dinner- I'm still working on the 22 oz morning goal, so this is still a bonus goal, but I want to try and see if I do it. If I get overwhelmed I will remember to focus on hitting the main goal 4) Strength Military Press 20lb 5 sets of 7 4 sets of 8 (adapted to fit workout plan) Goblet squats 25lb 4 sets of 8 The last few workouts, I've done 3 sets, and once I could do that well, moved up in weight. This time, I'm going to add sets and get more volume in. My plan: I was going to do a 4 day plan; 2 days arms, 2 days legs , with core exercises in the mix. But, I was feeling overwhelmed because of yard work that needed to be done. It makes sense to focus more on the weights in the winter, and less in the spring and summer when I just naturally move more. So, I think I'm going to do 1 day legs, 1 days arms, a full body day with maybe some supplemental arms stuff, and then on the fourth day do a sprint workout on the rower. The spring workout can be done quicker than a bodyweight workout.

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells. I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. (W) I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. I use a 5K training plan that I’ve used in the past, 3 days of intervals and 1 - 2 of strength/cross training days, I may graduate to the 10K and half marathon plans this year, I may not. I just want to keep moving. ( R )I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. (E) I found a ‘diet’ plan, the Dr. that came up with its target audience is post-menopausal women. It’s really a combination of several different things like IF, Low Carb/Keto, and Macros. The common denominator is calorie reduction, of course, unless you burn more than you take in, nothing is going to work! My biggest issue is I get tired of trying to figure it all out and do a lot better when someone just tells me how and when to do it, so I’m putting this on easy mode until I lose the weight! So far I’m down 11 lbs. (S) I want to hit at least 7500 steps a day, once this becomes habit I’ll raise it (T) Tracking the things that I eat with an app makes hitting macros and the calorie goal easier, this is in conjunction with E, even though I can eat and not track, doing both is better (L) I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo, because this country scares me and I may want to move abroad one day. I also want to learn to play guitar, since I have one collecting dust in my room and it will not learn to play itself. There are plenty of free videos on how to do this on YouTube. Learning something, at least once a week (Duolingo goal is daily) will count towards this. (E) Extra things that make life worth living, 5k’s or more that I may do, motorcycle rides, FL trips, and life events will go here. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I plan on posting daily to make sure I'm on track where I need to be The Plan... Workout - Intervals/Kettlebells Rest - Sleep (7 hours a night) Eat - Stick to macros and don’t make excuses to eat the unhealthy things Steps - Hitting my 7500 steps a day goal Track - using Cronometer Learn - Duolingo, other stuff Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life Update - Daily Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ My mental health has taken a serious beating since 2019 and the events that happened there, it's not anything I care to rehash but D and I have been talking about our feelings surrounding that time of our lives. It's not been easy, I do feel it will be worth it though. Seriously considering therapy for the first time in my life, but not certain if that's a step I'm going to take or not yet. New Stuff: Yes I carry goals over from one challenge to the next, for those that stick around for multiple challenges (I love you, seriously, thank you!) New stuff will always be at the end of the first post About the title, granted, I haven't really watched wrestling since the 80's (who remembers the VonEriks?) but I do remember it's about pining your opponent...this is me trying to pin my goals down so I can start seeing more progress. Weight loss has stalled, I really want to get back on track with this. It's discouraging because I feel I'm doing most things right, but nothing happens and it makes me want to give up. Last challenge I started seeing a therapist, she calls me out and gives me homework and I believe it's helping.

For Christmas, I received a new kettlebell and a pair of dumbbells! I asked for a 15 lb. kettlebell. I already have one, but wanted two of the same weight. I just got back from a spur of the moment mini vacation to San Antonio, and my head is still spinning a bit, but I decided to just put some of my thoughts out there. My ideal goal is to think it through all carefully, and roughly plan out some goals for the entire year, but that hasn't happened. So, here is my not perfect, but still doing something challenge. I may adapt it a bit later. 1. Fitness I wrote my own program - a first for me. It is more lifting weights than I have done before , and I'm excited. My plan is to have Monday be leg day, Tuesday arm, Thursday whole body. I'd also like to do some Literal Immortality workouts, some rowing, and walking. I'm not scheduling that. Part of it is weather dependent and time dependent. 2.Weight. I'd like to lose some of the extra pounds I've put on. In times past, I super focused on it, and calorie counting worked for me. But, now that just turns into a rebound of eating all the things. So, I'm trying something new. 1) Continue with the skills I've worked on before- eating slow, using my senses to enjoy me meal, having no distractions with snacks, balanced plate 2) Upping my protein a bit. I'm pretty good at this, but I'd like to see the effect on my hunger, if I focus on getting protein. The plan is to eat 40 grams at breakfast, and the day's total to be 120 grams. Some days it may be a bit more , some days a bit less. I can track on MFP, or in my head, whichever seems to be working 3) Measure: Twice a week take measurements. Some of the weight I've gained is muscle. Yay! Taking measurements helps me to remember this, and have a good way to track beside the scale. Weigh myself_ ideally every day, so I can see the trend, but at least days a week. I need to keep track of these measurements in Onenote 3) Last Year I read James Clear's books Atomic Habits. He has some great ideas, and at the end of each chapter, he gives some assignments, I want to do some. I'm not putting down a specific goal here, because I'm not sure how long it will take. But, at the end of each week, I want to be able to post on here that I have done something. 4) Re doing the guest room. I've been working on making my guest room pretty, and I'd like to do some on that this challenge .

Life has been a lot. I realized a few months ago that, while I haven't felt miserable or unhappy, my current trajectory isn't great. I can feel my mental health slipping and some bad habits returning. However, two specific things have helped re-direct my mind towards my goals for this challenge. First, my daughter bought be a kettlebell for Christmas. It sort of started as a joke. She texted me and asked, "What do you want for Christmas?" I responded that I kind of wanted a kettlebell, not really being serious. Her reply: "I can do that. What weight?" So I asked for a 35lb/16 kg, what the Russians refer to as one "pood". My daughter ordered the kettlebell early, so for the past few weeks I have been training with it using a plan known as Simple and Sinister, designed by Pavel Tsatsouline, a man often credited for starting the kettlebell craze here in America. I'll explain S&S more in a later post. Second, I saw an ad online for the Discipline Equals Freedom Reset, hosted by Jocko Willink's leadership organization, Echelon Front, and Jocko Fuel. While I know Jocko and his military brand of motivation isn't for everyone, I admire the man and am often motivated by his message and his story. Short background: I was in Marine Corps JROTC in high school and would have enlisted if not for epilepsy. This may explain why I respond well to someone like Jocko. So, without further delay, below are my goals. They are modified to nearly mirror the goals of the DEF Reset Challenge: Objective: Develop and/or strengthen healthy habits within my life. Set achievable goals for each category. Use the DEF tracker to track daily/weekly progress and report here. This challenge is a 4 week challenge. In addition to daily challenges, there will be weekly challenges that will focus on two daily challenges per week to be posted on social media and to be entered into prize drawings. GOAL 1 — UP BEFORE THE ENEMY: 0415-0430 wakeup GOAL 2 — GET AFTER IT Morning run or walk (at least 2.7 miles) Kettlebell workout (Simple & Sinister) GOAL 3 — PRIORITIZE AND EXECUTE Identify the top three things to accomplish each day and then execute! GOAL 4 — HYDRATE OR DIE Drink at least 120 ounces of water per day GOAL 5 — FUEL Keep it simple: Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants; avoid boxed, processed foods (i.e. "fake" foods) GOAL 6 — SUGARCOATED LIES No blatant sugar (cookies, candy, cake, ice cream, sugary drinks, etc.) GOAL 7 — BACK TO THE BOOK Spend at least 20 minutes a day on personal development (reading, journaling, etc.) Meditate/pray at least 10 minutes a day Write at least one poem a day GOAL 8 — REMEMBER Write down at least 1 thing I am grateful for each day BONUS (as challenged by Jocko): 100 burpees in less than 10 minutes or 10 minutes of burpees WEEKLY CHALLENGES: WEEK 1 — UP BEFORE THE ENEMY/GET AFTER IT Post a photo/video of how you are getting up early and/or completing your daily physical activity, use #DEFReset, @echelonfront, and @jockofuel to enter to win WEEK 2 — PRIORITIZE AND EXECUTE/HYDRATE OR DIE Post a photo/video of how you are accomplishing tasks and/or hitting your hydration goals, use #DEFReset, @echelonfront and @jockofuel to enter to win WEEK 3 — FUEL/SUGARCOATED LIES Post a photo/video of how you are sticking to your diet and avoiding junk food, use #DEFReset, @echelonfront and @jockofuel to enter to win WEEK 4 — BACK TO THE BOOK/REMEMBER Post a photo/video of how you are spending time on personal development and honoring those who sacrificed for us, use #DEFReset, @echelonfront and @jockofuel to enter to win

The One Week Challenge Version There’s a whole lot of rebuilding that needs to be done around here. Your body, mind, and spirit are all one. Rebuilding my physical state will improve my emotional state and give me mental clarity. I’m going to focus on Dan John’s Armor Building Complex - warmup + a complex of 2 KB cleans, 1 overhead, and 3 front squats with double 16 kg kettlebells. If I have time and energy I’ll finish with 2-hand kettlebell swings at 24 kg. Armor Building Complex article I’m going to copy & paste this challenge next time. TIA for your support. Peace Out my friends.

It was the last days of the harvest season, when the sun was still golden on the aspens and birches, still brilliant as it flickered over the red maples and the solid brown oaks, lighting up the last sheaves of the wheat fields and cornfields that still swayed and rattled, dry and raspy, in the brisking breeze. Winter was coming, its first chilly whispers biting at the edges of dawn and dusk, but it was not here yet, and the world was still warm and inviting in spirit even as the temperatures sank and the light darkened. I smiled faintly and felt a flicker of pride in myself as I carefully arranged dark red chrysanthemums in a couple of hand-me-down baskets on my crumbling front stoop in the last of the golden evening light. The womanly arts of homemaking had never come naturally to me, and autumn was the season when I most keenly felt my fumblings with decorations, hospitality and delicious hot meals. But, no matter what the wintery whisperings of my own mind said, I wasn't failing at everything. I could still bring beauty and happiness in my own ways. I was - cursed? gifted? - with two powers, two identities, if you will, that I attempted daily to carry in balance. On the one hand, I was the Silver Archer: A Lightbearer, one who, with the power of light and words and encouragement, could heal hearts and bodies. My power came from the Silver Bow - a gift given to me by the skilled wordsmiths and encouragers who had come before me. When my blood ran golden-white with joy and warmth, I could do great works of peace, love, service, and friendship; and with the Silver Bow, I could fire those words like arrows that shot across space and time. On the other hand, I was also the Dark Elf, a title I still didn't care to confess to most people I knew. My other power was that of ice. Of fear. Fear, and anger. With this power I could wound, harm, and destroy - and, I could also protect. When my blood ran icy with fear, it was a heavy weight that was nearly impossible to hide or restrain without pulling away from the rest of the world. But it also gave me a strength to sense others' fear, to protect them from danger, to light the way through shadowy valleys that my imagination had traversed like a well-worn path through my dreams or midnight awakenings. And somehow, in between those two things, the light and the dark, the heat and the ice, the joy and the fear ... I was also just ... Sky. A small half-elf, pale and plump, wife of my beloved Eamon, the broad-shouldered blond paladin. Once a servant in the great university on the mystic Temple Island, I now worked at writing and distributing bulletins for the Chief Scientist's small office in our city. It was modest work, but I enjoyed it, liked my colleagues, and especially liked bringing home a bit of extra money to contribute to our little household. The sun dipped below the horizon and I sighed, turning to glance at the little timepiece on the wall in our cottage. So early and already almost dark. Winter was the hardest season for me - the long, cold days and nights made my small body ache, and the long hours of darkness made it harder than ever to resist the silvery whisperings of icy fear and sorrow in the back of my mind. Still, as I took one last look at the mums and went back inside to warm our dinner, I set my jaw and pushed my unruly strand of white hair back up into the rest of my blonde braid. The sun isn't the only source of light, I thought quietly, selecting some carrots and potatoes, and part of my task as a Lightbearer is to seek out and reflect that light and joy wherever I can find it. For myself, as well as for others. Winter may be coming, but there are plenty of bright and happy things to find if I'm willing to go looking in the darkness. I grinned at myself and dragged the heavy cast iron pot out to boil water. Yes, you pretentious philosopher, that counts for hearts, too. Even the Dark Elf has beauty and brightness to offer, and if you're willing to go looking in that side of yourself, you might be surprised what you can find.

Eddy Merckx and The Man With the Hammer by Jan Cleijne

Some may say I need to be committed, I say if it includes my own padded room that doesn't sound so bad! I have reached challenge number 70...not all of these challenges went the way I planned, not all of these challenges resulted in me leveling up, All of those challenges have resulted in learning something, even if it's what doesn't work for me. I'm a pretty typical type A, I prefer to do things myself, have a difficult time asking for help and sharing my feelings...the older I get the more I realize this is not always healthy. I work from home, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. I've been a workaholic as long as I can remember, mostly because of past experience and not wanting to have to count on anyone for things I need. D (my wife for those new here) and I have had many conversations about this. She understands my feelings because she's the same way, but we also know the importance to our relationship for us to be able to depend and count on each other. This is a very long winded way of saying that we need to remember to step away from work and have some fun, riding our motorcycles are a huge part of this for us for right now our every 4 week trips to FL also count towards this. The Plan... Cardio - 8,000 steps a day (includes 30 min on treadmill), and one kettlebell workout a week Update - Post in thread three times a week. Track - Sleep (7 hours a night) and Food (deficit per tracker) Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life events go here Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ I have a Terrain Race planned in May that I do not want to embarrass myself at, I'd also like to get rid of the 35 lbs. that I put on since the last race I did in Feb 2020.

Hi! I'm KB Girl, 33 years old (34 this month), mom of 2 kids (5 and almost 2), dietician, small gym owner and kettlebell sport coach (and sometimes athlete). The last 2 years have been rough (post partum depression, long covid, lockdown related burnout) but I am doing better and better, of course with ups and downs. February is going to be a busy month with a competition this Sunday, lots of birthdays including my own and lots of post-lockdown catchup activities. I learned from last challenge that I shouldn't take on any new projects, but working on my sleep is still a high priority. I also need to get on top of some things I've been hiding from that stress me out (both work and private stuff), hence the frog stomping title. My bujo should help with this, it disables hiding. My new custom build KB rack- when all the KBs are home these are full (some are visiting with people in quarantine so they can train online with us). A new thing; build an evening routine (to make sleep gainz) While I have a good bed time routine it has occurred to me that my evening routine is lacking. On days I'm tired I'll just crash on the couch and scroll through my phone- which does not make me happy. When it's time to go to bed I will still feel like I have things to do so I feel that I can't go to bed yet but I'm also too tired to do those things so .... I scroll through my phone some more? yes. Very smart, I know. When I'm done taking the kids to bed I will clear the high table, grab a drink and work in my bujo* (*fill in my trackers, gratitude journalling, check+update my to do lists, wish list and deadlines, prep for tomorrow) Then I will decide what to do with the rest of my evening Bonus points for doing more cleaning and/or hotspot clearing More bonus points for screen free evening activities OR useful screen use (like sorting photos or learning to video edit) Things to keep up with that I will also track; The personalised zone missions and daily cleaning habits Exercise magic (strength 3x a week, kettlebell class on Friday evening, extra cardio work once a week and 3-5 walks/hikes a week) Reading to the kids, dance parties, extra hugs, vitamin D Bonus fun: We've started in our garden and community plot by building some raised beds and a compost heap and pre-sowing beans and spinach. There are loads of things to do and really this is Jaap's project, but I want to try to keep up and contribute. make a spread in my bujo tracking what we've sown and what needs to be sown next and anything else useful make (kid-free) space for Jaap to do his thing and join him with the kids whenever possible

I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again: something has got to change. That’s up to no one but me. As 2021 draws to a close, I find my body in a state that my back is starting to act up again in a big way (which happens when I hit a certain body fat percentage), 80% of my closet doesn’t fit, and I feel suuuuuuper heavy and unresponsive in my yoga classes. This is no bueno. The good news is, I 100% know how to fix it. Like, that exactly - minus probably the pasta, in my case. Nutrition Thinking back to all the nutrition protocols over the years that have worked best for my body, paleo was the clear winner. I think what worked for me there was the protein consideration (making sure I at least hit that one metric before all else), the consistent working out (20-30 mins/ day 5-7x a week), the focus on getting enough greens, focus away from carbs, focus away from processed foods, and the lower amounts of alcohol (zero, actually). I haven’t had the desire to be but so strict with myself over the past couple years, so I’m going for a hybrid here. Protocol Guidelines 80g/day protein When in doubt, more veggies Bread only when it’s going to be actually worth it - not just because it’s in front of me (killer fresh naan? Yes. Crappy sandwich because I’m bored, no). Rice at a restaurant: after the main and a few sips of water. Alcohol limited to 2-3 drinks per weekend If all goes to plan, this should naturally put my calorie consumption back down to where my body seems to like it (around 1200 calories), and if I’m focusing on protein first, carbs and fat should sort themselves out. If not, we will reassess. I may reassess to add green smoothies back into my life if I can hit my protein goals otherwise, but will be starting out at least with 20g-ish breakfasts. I’ll look for a good protein powder, too, because I do miss my green veg hit in the mornings. I’ve also got a new toy - an air fryer - and will be experimenting with that. I’ll be taking y’all along for the ride with pics and menus. Movement I’m still loving my 4x a week yoga classes with walks to and from, and will continue on with that. I’ll also be adding in simple kettlebell workouts on Thursdays at first but a day or two aside from that as the weeks go on. Edited to add: My schedule just had a little shake-up, and it looks like I’ll be able to block in a first(?) second(?) kettlebell session on Tuesdays on weeks I don’t meet up with my girlfriend in person. Other Crochet projects Crafter Box project Closet clean-out Kitchen reorganization Protein _____ Breakfast Lunch Dinner - Movement Yoga Kettlebell - Other Crafting Organization Closet Clean

Happy New Year, y'all! Wishing you and yours peace and prosperity in the coming year. For those of you who are new to the Monastery, hi! I'm Kishi, your humble GL. Glad you decided to stop on by. I'm a martial artist with ~13 years of harder contact practice: mostly striking via karate as done in a K1-kickboxing style with some relatively recent forays into standing and ground-based grappling, as well as Dutch-style kickboxing. I've tried a bunch of different training modes and methods, most recently landing on a mix of calisthenics and kettlebell work because, hey! We're in the middle of a pandemic! Staying away from people is kind of my jam these days, inasmuch as I can (especially since I caught the thing the last challenge. Don't worry, I was lucky; I came through it fine and I was incredibly well-cared for). Since my life is pretty great and I'm not big on challenges and novelty for their own sake, I've taken to focusing on just one thing, because I find that earnest focus on one thing has a ripple effect, both as you work to accommodate it and as it in turn changes you. Last challenge was about getting rest, which meant managing time and productive output, and this was very good. My one thing for this challenge, then, is going to be my writing. The situation right now is as follows: I work an office job that isn't letting me work from home for a whole host of bad reasons that I have no power to do anything about. This presents many problems and inconveniences, not the least of which is that I have a novel that I'm honestly pretty obsessed with. I've done a lot in terms of documenting its structure and planning it out in a way that works for me, but one of the downsides then is that I'm reliant on these documents to actually get the job done. I can't access them at work, and I've been using that as an excuse to not write. But, just because it's been that way, that doesn't mean it has to keep being that way. So, what is the one thing I'm going to change? Well, the thing that's been holding me back the most from writing is lack of access to my documents. But in truth, there's nothing saying that I can't just transcribe the relevant bits onto notecards or something and then carry them with me so that I know where I am. The goal, then, is to return to a daily writing habit. One page per day. I'll be going out tonight to pick up some note cards and jot down the relevant bits I need for tomorrow. And, uh, I guess we'll see what happens. Day 1 of this challenge, in the meantime, is already marked by some complications. I went to do New Year's Eve at my sci-fi friend's house, where I normally go on Tuesday nights. His wife had a head cold out of nowhere, and she got back to me on Saturday saying she tested positive for COVID. This is a whole can of worms. Maybe she had it and maybe she didn't since she apparently took a home test and my understanding is that they're prone to false positives in the event of a regular head cold. CDC guidelines say I need to quarantine for 5 days and then get tested, but the language has recently been adjusted so that if I "can't quarantine," that I can continue to go to work and just be really strict with wearing my mask. Either way, I'm going to have to bring it up with the boss and see what she says; my pessimistic streak is telling me that she'll want me to come to work, so I'll be free to work but not to engage in recreation like I wish and that just sucks. But tomorrow is sufficient for its own troubles. I still have work to do today; I'll update again when I get it done.

Work. Workout. WTF. I am finally, thankfully, working again. But with that comes a lot of, well…. Everything. I don’t have a 9 to 5 sit at a desk job. It’s a standing, moving things, making food, and dealing with lots of people face to face job. With a seemingly constantly changing schedule. The unofficial goals of this challenge: don’t let anything burn down, don’t make anyone disappear, and don’t mouth off to the wrong people. The real goals: wash my face, have breakfast prepared, and update my dry erase wall calendar when something changes. Also to keep following September’s exercise plan. More details to come.

August is usually pretty miserable when it comes to the weather. It pretty much just totally sucks. So I need to take care of myself so I don’t turn into a puddle. Or a fried egg. Both are pretty unappealing fates. Looking back at my last challenge, it was really successful. So I think I’ve found a system that fits me nicely. The basic concept is to ramp up the goals over the course of the challenge. And to utilize a cork board I have over my headboard, with my tracking sheet as the focus of attention. It has stickers! Going into this challenge, I’m adding in a ranking system, plus a stat system I first introduced last fall. The ranking system classifies things as a goal, habit in training, or habit. A goal is a new or modified goal. A habit in training is a goal I succeeded at from my last challenge. And if I keep succeeding, it graduates to being a habit! My stat system lets me group the things I’m working on into five different categories. It streamlines things in an app I use to help me track. Plus it’s cool. Mostly it’s just cool. And fun. The stats are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Sanity, and Charisma. Now, on to the actual Things! Which I’ll be starting during zero week. So, now. I have two habits in training, taking my AM and PM pills (Sanity), and staying hydrated (Constitution). I did very well on these last challenge. So, I need keep doing them every day so they become ful And then I have my new goal: washing my face. I’m going to build this up to doing it every day. I’m starting with twice a week. And then add one to that each week. Finally, there’s my Training Program. I’m not training for anything specific, but that sounds better than workout schedule. It is a challenge goal, but it’s written as a monthly schedule, instead of following the actual dates for the challenge. So, to round out July, I have a kettlebell workout on the 26th, 28th, and 30th. And on the 30th I decide if I want to move up in difficulty, or keep it the same. Moving into August, I’m adding in walking (Constitution) on Sundays. And the kettlebell workouts (Strength) will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. With a work in progress plan for what to do when I have a week long migraine. And I think that’s about it! For anyone that doesn’t know me, here’s a few things about myself:

Hullo! Short catch-up blurb since I missed two challenges; recovery from ppd/covid/whateverthehelliswrongwithme is going with ups and downs but mostly in the right direction! it has helped IMMENSELY that our un-locking-down finally reached reopening of our gym. It has also helped a lot that my mom had her first vaccin shot and will get her second next week.. and me and most of my friends+family have at least booked appointments. I think the good weather is also helping, even though the pollen are definitely trying to kill me I very nearly bailed on joining this challenge because the introspection still turns gloomy, well worn brain path I guess? So F that, I'll use this challenge as a way to re-train my brain. Think coachy thoughts to myself; No, I'm not where I thought and hoped I would be, but I bleeping survived! Yes I get that there are a million things to fix in this chaos of rebuilding and that it is hard to know where to start, so just pick something! In fact, how about instead of trying to fix the hard things, your weak points.. how about we double down on what's going well already? No matter how bad things were, I've been training. Lets level that up! Main lifts (at least) twice a week For me that's deadlift, squat, pull-ups and jerks. They can take many forms, but track and make sure you're adding weight/reps/whatever. I've been doing these, but really half the time I'm just putting in some reps, just maintaining, not making a conscious effort to improve. Time to get STRONGER! 100 kettlebell snatches everyday If I'm ever going to not suck at snatch then I just need to put in the reps. So let's lower all barriers and remove all perfectionism. Low weight, 100 reps, takes 5-6 minutes. (I'm not going to make every single day, but shoot for the stars 'n all that yknow) Daily miles Cycling or walking/hiking, I don't care. Sun and green is good for me. It can be just a stroll around the park or cycling into town for an ice cream or 3 hour hikes, it's all good. This one I should really be able to get every day. Do some woo-ing The title I came up with made this pop in my head- and why not right? It's spring. It makes us happy. And it could use a boost. First year of a baby's life isn't a great time in your sex life anyway, but all the stress and blaahhhh hasn't helped AT ALL. I'll make a plan. Get the other party in the mood. Slow woo-ing. I'll actually update on this, but I'll avoid tmi in fact it'll probably be more about small acts of service, y'know, doing some laundry, making sure he has lunch to go, making us a cup of tea after the kids have gone to sleep x) maybe even make some effort with my hair xD

I love the movie Princess and The Frog, and the character Tianna Tianna's dream was to own a restaurant. She knew that in order to reach her dream, she would have to work hard. Work hard goals 1) Make a master list of things I would like to accomplish this challenge 2) Each week;write out a small list of things I want to complete that week; 3) Each day; write out a list of things to do that day Reward: Weekly 80% completed on tasks earns .5 points on Constitution Work Hard Strength Goals 1) At the end of the challenge I will like to be able to clean and press the 30 # bell 3 times. Right now I can c&p it 1 time To achieve this goal, my plan is to follow the Enter The Kettlebell program, cleaning and pressing the 25# kettlebell 2) At the end of the challenge, I would like to level up on my L-sit. To do this I need to do 2 sets of 5 L-sits, with good form. To achieve this goal, I will work through the exercises in the NF L-sit tutorial Reward; 1 point for strength if I lift the 30# bell 2 times, 2 points if I lift it 3 times (with good form) 2 points for flexibility if I level up on the L-sit Prince Naveen; Tianna needed Naveen to remind her to stop, play and take time to enjoy the goodness of life. Summer is a nice slower pace. I want to take time and enjoy life.Sometimes I need to schedule it in. So , I'm going to make a point of having some of my lists be play things. Other times, I will just use my freetime to play a bit Tianna loves to cook.I do to. Yesterday,I made some dairy free strawberry ice cream, that was amazing. I want to play around a bit with ice cream recipes this summer and find some favorites Geocaching! I've gotten away from weaving , so that would be nice to happen Reading,and laying in the sun reading= heaven having my friends over for scrapbooking Other stuff: Going to be doing more yard work. Also, big project this challenge is finishing the bedroom redo. Going on walks. Not trying to lose weight. Not going to even try to be particularly concerned with the weight. Trying to come at it from a positive mindset. Eating veggies, some carbs, and a good amount of protein makes me feel better. Also keeping up with the water And adding in some magic, hopefully I will accomplish my goal Quest goals to be done by challenge end invite friends for scrapbooking party paint trim get 80% of guest bedroom list completed clean deck trim rhododendrons if time start getting rid of ivy Week 1 quests paint trim help with wedding reception look at closet organizers -forgot about this. bonus- if time trim rhodies a bit 2nd week goals look at closet organizer find a place to geocache for next Monday clean deck week 3 repeat week 2 quests Week 4 closet organizer- in progress email friends scrapbook list for backyard projects

After a depression & no motivation break, I’ve returned. Yay me! A little bit about me first. I’m a gamer who enjoys music, hiking, and photography. I would love to learn parkour and snowboarding. I’m a non-binary asexual person who is on the autism spectrum. My two biggest weaknesses are that I’m a perfectionist and vain as hell. And I struggle with depression and C-PTSD. This is a 3 goal challenge, designed to build up to what I want my actual goals to be. #1: Build up to exercising every other day. I’ve written down the days I plan on doing an at home kettlebell workout. The 4th, 8th, 11th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd. It roughly translates to progressing from twice a week to every other day. Or something like that. It makes sense visually on a calendar. It’s a beginner workout that I was doing the last challenge I was here. So I already know how my body deals with it, and that every other day won’t physically be a problem. Mentally, it might get a little rough. #2: Take both of my meds every day. I have a morning medication (mood stabilizer), and a nighttime medication (anti-depressant). This should be relatively easy. I just easily forget to take them no matter what “sure fire” methods I’ve used to make it easy just do it. For my first challenge week, the goal is 3 times a week. And then 5 times a week. And finally the last week is every day. #3: Hydrate myself. And being hydrated is drinking however much Plant Nanny 2 says I need. Which right now is about six 16 oz cups. I’m counting everything I drink, except any alcoholic beverages. And how many days is exactly the same as the take my pills goal. 3, to 5, to 7. I’ve set up a cork board in my room to track everything. There’s a couple papers with the days/numbers written down. And I get to put a sticker when I do a thing! Because stickers are awesome, And yes, I’m starting today.

Im back with good news! The MRT pics of my brain came back and Im healthy! No multiple sclerosis, no early dementia. just a healthy brain in a fairly healthy body. lets celebrate, people!!!!! June is also midsummer night ( 21.) and my birthday ( 25.) plus summer holidays are beginning on the 21. here as well. uncork the bubbly! goal one: exercise for 15 to 20 minutes every day. you can choose between yoga, stretching, bodyweight circuit and kettlebell circuit and walk around the block. just do one of these daily during afternoon/ early evening hours. ( the hikes with the dog are a habit now, no need to concentrate on these). goal two: drugs. 2 glasses of wine max/day ... also reduce smoking gradually every week. starting point: 25 cigarettes a day, then one cigarette less every week. goal three: start duolingo again. this time try Italian. 5 to 10 minutes/day. goal four: find work project. I am broke af and need to do something small everyday to end up with a plan for an additional income after the summer holidays. Students are not enough. I started reaching out to contacts and have to decide what to do and apply for funds pronto. happy to be back!!!

Is challenge time, yes? Very well, then. So this looks like another clean up challenge, and I've not done those very well in the past, so it's worth asking why I came back to this. I would answer that things are different this time and that I've got more investment in cleaning things up. After completing the GMB Elements program, I got into Vitamin because I wanted to focus more on bodily control versus some of the other stuff. Vitamin is best understood, really, as a 'intro to tumbling' course. I like it a lot. But it requires a lot of room, and a lot of my space is taken up with useless objects that have really been needing to be disposed of for a while now. In order to facilitate this, I'm allowing myself a reward if I get the thing done: a double-end bag. Astute observers will note that this is not the double-end bag I linked to last time I mentioned anything about this; the reason is that I found a local outfitter who does this kind of thing. I've bought from them in the past. They have good-quality product and I like to keep the money local if/when I can. Only catch is, a double-end bag requires a lot of space to work because of the way it bounces and moves, and I'm going to need room to move around it, so. The only way the reward makes sense is if I complete the challenge, but it's also something that I want. So... yeah. So, I'm going to have to clean things up. But there's more to cleanliness than just the physical thing itself. There's also cleanliness in sleep and cleanliness of mind, among other things, and these are things I need to work on too. The set-up, then, is as follows: 1) One Box Of Stuff A Week Exactly what it says on the tin. I think I could probably do more than this - and I may have to, even - but I want to make compliance as clear and as simple as I can. In service to this, there's a sub-goal - keep my kitchen sink clear of dishes. I can do this on the daily, and have been for about a week or so, and I'm surprised at the itch it builds to actually get things done. I say, as I do absolutely nothing else. 2) Bedtime by 01:00 This is a longer-term goal. With 1/2 vaccinations done for me and with my loved ones being vaccinated or else exposed to the point that they're apathetic, I'm going to be able to return to the mats in a meaningful way sooner rather than later. I'm going to be returning to the MMA place I was going to before. They've changed their schedule somewhat and they're allowing for no-gi grappling in addition to the gi stuff and the striking stuff. Only catch is, it's early - like, 18:00 as opposed to 19:00 or 19:30. I don't get out of work now until 18:00, and I won't be able to do anything about that for a while yet. But, I can get to bed earlier, and I can get used to being up earlier too. Worst case, I just get some extra sleep. 3) Meditate 6 Minutes A Night 5 minutes was dope. 6 will be doper. And, that should do it. I'll log training here as well, because why not? I've been keeping up with the Apple A Day kettlebell program, and in order to keep my sanity, I've allowed myself to start rolling a D8 to figure if I'm doing 1 or 2-arm swings that day. My longer-term approach is to eventually work in kettlebell snatches and Dan John's Armor Building Complex, but the hold-up right now is that I haven't got the point in Simple and Sinister where I'm doing TGUs with the 8-kg bell yet. That's the neat thing about Simple and Sinister - you get a good base of GPP and also get good at the fundamentals of kettlebells, so it can be used to limit yourself to stuff you can actually reasonably handle. This is something I need help with too. And, uh. Yeah. I think that should actually do it. In life news, I'm looking at trying to do the work of building a Tenant's Union around here after my landlord decided to get rid of my (admittedly shitty) neighbor under sketchy pretenses. Because she doesn't deserve that, and also, it's a gatdang pandemic. Should be interesting.

To continue with the acronym… Those that have been following for a while know that in 2019 I was doing really good hitting my goals, so I went back to see what I was doing then that was working so well. I've been more lax this year on the food aspect (thanks Covid) With D cooking her fair share making a detailed plan is a little more difficult, but that's only one meal a day every other week so it shouldn't derail me as much as I've been letting it. Making sure I stop eating when I'm supposed to is the biggest challenge with food, since what I eat is generally good. We've started something new with this, we both were tired of creating menus, shopping, and cooking (even though shopping means ordering online) We decided to each purchase our own meals (usually frozen, sometimes just veggies and protein) every two weeks on Tuesday we rotate who makes their tacos, and make enough for two weeks and every Friday we order from a local pizza place that makes a cauliflower crust so amazing you can't tell that's what you're eating! Doing this has helped immensely with portion control and I've lost about 5lbs so far. I've also been tracking just to stay aware of what and how much I'm eating. I'm doing better at making sure my workouts happen, I have a treadmill and workout equipment at home, there is no good reason for this not to be a priority, until I feel comfortable going to the gym again. (I live in FL, my governor is an idiot, this will probably not happen soon) Reminding myself how good I feel and not letting my brain make excuses are helping...my much needed motivation is I have a birthday cruise to prepare for and I need to be in shape for season. Running around a ballpark is probably not going to be easy with a mask on, so cardio is important! I may not be running around a ballpark this year, we'll find out this challenge (probably week zero) Workouts are still a priority though if I get another job my schedule may have to change a bit. Sleep is essential for these goals as well, I struggle to get 7 hours a night, not because I go to bed late or get up too early, it's because sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and my brain won't shut off! Updates need to happen to hold me accountable, and extra stuff needs to happen because I have a tendency to hermit away, and they say all work and no play...but I'm anything but dull The Plan... Cardio - Three interval runs/bicycle rides/HITT Workout, and one strength training a week. Update - Post in thread three times a week. Track - Sleep (at least 7 hours a night) Food (eat when hungry, stop when full, track to be mindful) Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and any other random stuff goes here Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️

New challenge time everyone!!!!!! I only just clued in today...no one told me 18ck made sure to tell me :') lollll GOALS MOAR WALKING 🐴 1 walk per week MOAR KETTLEBELLS 🐴 2 KB workouts per week FOOD CONTROL ACTIVATED 🐴 Track full day of calories 🐴 2000kcal goal per day (+/-300) 🐴 90-115g protein daily I also plan to work on the Spring Cleaning Mini Challenge for decluttering and I joined the Weight Loss PVP which runs until June 7 for accountability. And that is it for my challenge!