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Hi! A friend of mine uses a natural supplement called bee bread (naturally fermented bee pollen). He contends it is very potent and beneficial for any kind of sports and a few academic researches I've found seem to support his thesis. I consider trying it as well, but it is not exactly cheap, so I am still doubtful.Has anyone tried it themselves and if yes, what are your experiences and opinions? It also undergoes natural fermentation in hives, so could it supplement a paleo diet? Thank you.

June 1, 7:39 am Today is the day that I woke up eager to start the reset and upgrade of my life. My Motivational playlist playing, my inspiring pictures flashing on my background, water bottle within my reach and my energy eager to go. 20 body weight squats 10 push ups 20 walking lunges 10 dumbbell rows (using a gallon milkjug) 15 second plank 30 Jumping Jacks The beginners Workout. I only did one set, and that's O.K. I am getting my body ready for more sets in the very near future. After the workout. I like the idea of taking a set of photos on the 1st of the month and possibly the 3rd. Progress and what not. Current size- 260 ( But I have to start somewhere.) Pant size- 20/22 One of my short term goals is to see the other side of 240. Long term is to see how I look at 200. And it can be done! Allons-y!

Hello, my name is Patrick and I found Nerd Fitness while at work. I love the philosophy behind treating life and fitness like a video game, and because of my experiences in Asia and fascination with the spiritual I'm torn if I should go down the path of the Monk (I'd love to learn Taekwondo and there are several dojos in my city) or meditate to become a Druid (I've always been fascinated by yoga and tai chi and wanted to get more in to them). I'm definitely not adverse to strength training or weight lifting, but am not yet ready to take the plunge and join a gym just yet, I want to clearly define what kind of weightlifting routine (the beginner's exercise routine on this site is great, I've already used it a couple of times) and what my specific fitness goals are before finding a decent one. I am 5'10 currently around 192 pounds and want to get down to the 155-165 range. I have around 25% body fat and want to get it down to at least 15%. Any advice or guidance - both to meet my fitness goals and how to get the most out of this forum and community - would be greatly appreciated! Nice to meet you all!

Hello! I am of the alchemical persuasion (i.e. I am a chemist). Also, I am new to the paleo / primal lifestyle! For me this mean lots of reading, and the one thing I keep coming across which I cannot understand is phytic acid. Mostly because I was interested in the no beans / legumes part of the primal lifestyle. Can anyone share some science based articles about phytic acid? I've read several of them which are on the 'paleo' websites and they leave me with a sour taste in my mouth. Also Scopus and ENTREZ searches haven't really shown me very much. To be clear, I don't want this to sound like I am hating on paleo/primal. It is clear from talking with folks that it works, I just want to understand the logic (if there is any).

Hi! My name is Cheyanna Miller and I'm 18 years old. I'm a hobbit, it's as simple as that. I'm 5'3 and 245. I love food. My goal is to lose 100 pounds overall, but my short term goal is to lose 15 pounds in the next six week challenge. Another goal is to cut out all soda and sweets from my diet. I am going to be starting the Paleo diet to help put my diet on track. I want to be an Assassin. It's going to be a lot of hard work and dedication, but I am ready for the challenge! 👊

Everyone falls sometimes. Take it from me. Six months ago, nothing could harm me. I was rocking 50 pull ups and 200 pushups a day and have the least % body fat in my life-- then I switched my workout the maintained my muscle mass. Since the beginning of the last challenge, I kept losing weight. I was forever hungry. Then I kept losing muscles, my strength, and my mind. Relationships fell out of places. Even my best friends pulled away-- my work was on halt. I sat in front of computer several hours a day and got no work done at all. The worst was my heart. My heart wanted to leave my chest, and it had tried. Turned out I have inherited a genetic disease called Hyperthyroidism. The lucky 1% of the world who have this disease will lose a lot of weight for no reason, become irritable and emotional. And without treatment, I'd have a heart attack. But as my beloved Eastern literature has taught me, you can survive your deepest falls. You just have to be washed up somewhere and nursed by your [attractive gender] bystander who will bring you back to health and inspire you to fight again-- with highly chance of becoming the character's love interests. Unfortunately I have no said nurse by my side-- but I have a very able bodied doctor bringing me to somewhat stable health. I am ready to be back in this game. And in my sickness, I salvages some positive aspects out of it. 1. I learned that health is the most important part of your life.: One thing out of balance, and the castle come toppling down over you. Balance is extremely important 2. I learn that a person can't command [insert deity here] I might workout and be health careful and stay on the innerpart of the sidewalk, and I would be hospitalized eventually. Sometimes things happen by chances and it's not anybody's faults. You just have to pick up what's left of life and move on. 3. I got rid of one toxic friendship, and know who my real friends are. During the sickness, I have less tolerance to bull, and I made some pretty good decision. A friend had been toxic; they had talked a lot about their problems (about how their romantic encounters treated them, mostly,) and never asked about mine, and when I couldn't come up with the expected response, they struck where it hurt. I had been in this friendship for 12 years, and I am glad I am free from it now. In the other hand, an 8-year friend who I found self-centered at times turned out to be very caring and understanding. I misjudged the person, and I feel good to finally see them as good friend they are. I got a lot of supports from my roommates and my bosses, and I couldn't be luckier considering the situation. I also found supports from NF people. Especially you, Teirin, you ROCK! Anyways, I'm blabbering too much. This is how Phytomancer recovers from the fall: Goal: Body: Create my new character - Go back to the Mario Kart Routine (Pushups, pull ups, and Squats as many as I can for 3-4 days a week) - Go and enjoy Muay Thai - Walk at least 6 days a week. Food: Get the right potions (I resorted to baked goods and candies a lot when I had the disease) - Greens everyday - 3 dessert a week - Paleo 3 meals a week Mind: Stay positive and creative. - 30 minute academic writing 5 days per week - 30 minute creative writing 5 days per week - Write down grateful thoughts each week here. Bonus: Finish this Challenge. Good luck everyone, and thanks for reading!

Hello Everyone! So I was around last summer, and lost base. So here I am. Starting over. A bit about me: My name is Taylor. I'm in my fourth year at Purdue University, and basically my life is planes (along with all my fandoms... Dr. Who... Sherlock..... Harry Potter..... Game of Thrones... lots of stuff). I stress eat. I bored eat. I basically just eat a lot. So I'm in this for the long haul. I'm trying to really take my time and get healthy. I need lifestyle changes. I weigh more than I did last summer, and am in even worse shape. But here it goes. Main Quest: To graduate from college (Spring 2016) happier and healthier than I started it (Fall 2011). Three specific sub goals: 1) Reach NF Diet Level 3 a ) Two weeks tracking all food I eat b ) two weeks minimizing (eliminating) liquid calories c ) two weeks with at least one healthy meal per day, and protein at every meal. 2) I am going to spend at least 30 minutes at the gym, 3 times a week. 3) I am going to reflect 1x per week on how I feel about my body, and life in general. I am also going to work on a point system to determine how I did on the challenge. But that is still in the works. I will post it here as soon as I get it going. But I'm ready to get started! Let's do this.

The Story: After the spy mission in Seven Kingdoms, Phytomancer learns that he needs to find the locations of rain gardens, the shrines of the rain god Viruna, hidden in 4 modern US cities, then learn the secrets of its magic. At the same time, the potent mantra will tax his energy. Like other magics, the power of the gods are secret to humans, and if a human yeilds this magic without training, their muscles will turn to willowy grass and their stomach will swell. (No-- his stomach already begins to expand like a balloon!) Slowly, he will turn into a potbelly monster, rendering the knowledge of the heavens useless. That, Phytomancer must fight. The mantra also does not mix well with grains, bread, and sugar. These food will slow him down in learning the secret words, and it will speed up the monster transformation process. He must train for power, for endurance, and for energy. He must select his food carefully. He must spread the word of Viruna. The Goals Strenght: Strenght training at least 3 times a week Endurance: Cardio 30 min at least 3 times a week Food: Grainless (except rice) 5 meals a week less than 1 Sugary drink a week less than 3 Sugary desserts a week Have green leaves everyday Have less than estimately 1200 kCal a day Sidequest: Spend at least 2 hours a day 4 days a week studying the magic of Viruna (Write/edit that paper about rain gardens I should have finished last month) Measure waistline and take photos every 2 weeks. (Extra: A burpee counts both for cardio and strenght!) And then I hope for the best!

Samaiya finished feeding the baby and laid him down for his nap so that she might straighten up the house. As she worked, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She stopped working and faced it fully. She appraised herself with a mix of nostalgia and remorse as she realized that the last month of work had come to make hardly any difference. Granted the last week or so she hadn't been as vigilant in her training. "You are just not one of those lucky ladies who bounce right back, are you?" She whispered to herself. "Don't be so hard on yourself." Samaiya jumped as her husband suddenly popped up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked at her through the mirror. "You just had a baby six months ago and you've been doing great this past month." She hugged him back. "But I could do better." "I think you are beautiful the way you are, I still don't see why you are insisting on going on this quest of yours." "I told you before, I'm doing this for Vincent. I want him to grow up and with the right habits, unlike I did. And what better way than to teach him that you need to work hard for the best results." She looked at the paper she pinned to the top of her mirror for a daily reminder. Samaiya was definitely going to work harder to meet her goals. She was going to start her quest and soon, she just needed to work a little more to prepare. She eyed her stomach again. First things first, she needed to drop a dress size or two, or she was never going to fit into her questing gear. She remembered fondly the days when she was a size six, though that was very long ago indeed (even before she got pregnant). She hoped she would be that size again one day, but she knew that would be far in the future. "Then why not just go? Why take more time to prepare?" "Because I need to bring Vincent with me. They have you flying the Zeppelin for days at a time so I cannot leave him with you. And if I need to bring him on this quest, then I need to be sure that I am ready." With a sigh, she patted her husband's hands and went back to work. All the while, Samaiya's mind buzzed with all she would need to do. First she needed to focus on eating right while she was questing. She was starting a paleo diet here at home so she would know how to eat while on the road, and this time, if she was going to cheat it would be with healthier food at least. It was time to give up the sugary drinks and salty chips, That way when it was time to set out she wouldn't miss them as much when she wouldn't be able to cheat at all. She wanted to grow a garden to make the vegetables more accessible, but there was no time. Her quest starts in August, and that was hardly any time at all. Samaiya knew she also needed to work on building her strength, and what better place to start than her core? In town, she was part of motherhood group that had started doing a 30 day ab workout routine that built in reps with each day. She had already started it on the first of the month with everyone and she was determined to finish it. However she was planning on continuing it once everyone else had finished. She needed to push her workout into July if she was going to build her core muscles to where they needed to be. However, she probably wasn't going to keep increasing at the rate they planned to for the month. That might be too much too keep up with. Lastly, Samaiya knew she needed to work on her flexibility. She couldn't even touch her toes anymore and that was pitiful for an adventurer. So she decided that everyday she worked out, she would also do a full stretch routine. She didn't know exactly what yet, but she would do her research in town to find a good one. Maybe one of the ladies in her group might know where she might find some useful information. Pleased with her plan, she looked around the humble home that she would soon be leaving. It seemed like her cleaning never got very far before she was distracted by something. Even now, she was spending more time thinking about the future than actually straightening anything up. She supposed she should also work hard to make sure that her house got clean and stayed clean. Samaiya hated household chores, but when she left it needed to be spotless and what better qualities were there than organization for a quest? It was decided she would spend the day cleaning up and from there on she would keep it clean in here. With a smile, Samaiya got straight to work on her plan. Very soon her life was going to change, and Goddess help her, it was going to be one for the better. An embellished version of the truth, but is that not the definition of storytelling? To summarize: My main goal: To lose weight and be a size 6 (this is a very long term goal) My missions: Eat a Paleo Diet (with cheats being of a healthier variety) [Worth 1 CON]Finish my ab workout (as detailed here) and continue it through the challenge [Worth 1 STR]Establish a stretching routine to be completed on workout days [Worth 1 DEX] My side quest: To clean the house and keep it that way [Worth 1 STA] Why am I still in Level 1 Rebels? Because I not only started late last challenge, but I feel I could have done better. Starting Stats: Weight: 168.2lbsBMI: 27.99 (Overweight)Body Fat: 27.47% Waist: 31.5 inHip: 45 inSize: 12 My Embellished Truths: My husband is a reserve pilot for a commercial airline. He does leave for days at a time a lot of the time. I changed it to a Zeppelin in the style of WoW. My quest starts in August because that is when we are moving from Texas up to Wisconsin, but also because that is when I plan to move to a guild and really start working hard on the fitness aspect of health.I say I need to bring my son Vincent with on my quest because as a stay-at-home-mom while my husband is gone for days, he does affect the amount of time I have to dedicate to things like meal preparation and exercise.'Goddess' does not in anyway reflect my religious beliefs nor do I think they are pertinent to anything NerdFitness related so I will not be discussing religion with anyone. It was simply meant for the storytelling aspect it provided. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for checking out my challenge, I hope you gained at least a small amount of entertainment from it. Also I'm open to what stats others think my goals should be worth. Let me know what you think. ~Samaiya p.s. Sorry the pictures are so big, I tried to crop and resize them, but photobucket is being difficult.

So, I've tried a new "diet" regimen to jumpstart my progress. I've stalled in my motivation, and needed a kick in the tush. Mon/Tues, Thurs/Fri = Strict-ish paleo. No dairy, no grains. Sugars from fruit/veg only. I will eat peanuts, though. (Not peanut butter, unsalted peanuts in a nut mix for example). Sat/Sun and Wed = Free, healthy eating. A little pasta is okay, as are things like cheese and milk in my coffee Here's my reasoning: I don't believe in setting myself up for failure. Committing to 24/7 paleo is currently not realistic for the state of my willpower. I literally lasted SIX HOURS last time. 6. Hours. My parents are big cookers, and the weekend is when we do big family meals. They've been great at choosing healthier options, but no rice/pasta/etc would be too much to ask. Also, on Wednesdays my company orders in lunch for everyone. Free food. And it's always amazing. I can make healthier options, and there's no way I would be able to resist. I would smell that curry and totally fold. The result, week 1 - I dropped two pounds. Keep in mind, I did not work out at all this week (my play is in tech week and I literally have no extra time). So, I am dancing a little in rehearsals, but not much. And I dropped 2 pounds! That's awesome. What are your thoughts? Does anyone here do intermittent paleo?

It was on 4/2/2014 that I became a member of the nerd fitness family. When I started I weighed 83kg and I was overweight for a guy who is just 5'5''(165cm) tall, I simply had enough of being out of shape and promised myself that I was going to do something about it. Back then I could barely even do a push up and my CV fitness was horrendous. After spending quite a few hours exploring the vast amount of free resources nerd fitness had to offer (and still does); plus some more research reading literature recommended by nerd fitness and its wonderful members I set myself a routine. I adopted the paleo diet, got a gym membership and stuck with it. The first week was probably the toughest of them all, DOMS kicked in and sticking to my diet was also really difficult for me as I had a very carb-heavy diet for all my life really. However, after about two weeks I saw my weight on the scales going down, this was probably one of the most motivating things that I have ever experienced in my life. From then onwards working out became fun for me, I looked forward to every single workout that I was going to do. Fast forwarding to today, I can do 10 pushups, 3 chinups, I learnt how to swim and am improving it, deadlift 100kg and I aim to improve all of these figures. I currently weigh 72kg and am feeling better and fitter than ever. Targets: I aim to get my bodyweight to the mid-high 60s, be able to do 100 pushups and 10 pullups. I also aim to improve my running and swimming (CV fitness in general really) and last but not least keep putting on lean muscle. I really can't describe how grateful I am to all of you guys here in nerd fitness. Your success stories helped inspire me and still drive me to work as hard as I possibly can. Special thanks to a guy called Scooby1961(youtube), his workouts really helped me build strength and provided me with a vast amount of helpful knowledge and encouragement. That's all from me for now, have a good Easter holiday all. May the Force be with you!

I am planning on starting the Paleo "diet" on Sunday (I need to wait until after payday to go grocery shopping.) I have grass fed beef for free, my family owns a farm. What else should I get at the store? When I go, my cabinets are going to be pretty much bare so I need to stock up.

Im not trying to lose weight, or bodybuild. I just want to look good, while feeling good. And im doing the looking good part, but i eat terrible, so i was thinking about paleo or intermittent fasting. whats you guys opinion?

Ok just have a question Re: The Paleo Diet. My 1st goal: Eat a Diabetic healthy diet to get my Blood Sugars back in check. I was just wondering if anybody out there has already combined the two and what success (or pitfalls) have they had. Also anyone who has any ideas or feedback on the matter please give it. Thanks in advance, Probie

HER JOURNEY BEGINS … The calm before the storm always starts with a classic story around a fireplace. While my home doesn't contain a fireplace, I have an unhealthy addiction to candles that could turn into a hefty fireplace if all burnt at once … so let us use those whilst I tell my story. I'm digging that cheese-ball introduction. Hello all! My name is Infinitely North, but you can call me Stacey. I'm a first timer to the Nerd Fitness Rebellion from the great white north of Canada. I found Nerd Fitness only a week ago, so I'm rather thrilled at my spectacularly awesome sense for timing. Below is the information I've put together for my quest. I haven't written a post or held my own thread since my Gaia days (or go-gaia for those of you who also per took in the early years), so excuse me if I'm a little rusty. Quick jist about myself; I am a 23 year old, graphic designer who enjoys hunting and fishing. I'm quite the sharp shooter, but lets be honest … ammunition will run out, so I'll need to out run the zombies. * MAIN QUEST To lose weight (main focus for this challenge), then begin developing a Spartan-esque physic (long term goal). I'll focus more on running during the spring/summer challenges - as I mention below, there is quite a bit of snow outside at the moment so outdoor running is rendered difficult. Therefore, I will start my zombie survival skill set with losing the spare tire around my abdominal area. SMALLER QUESTS • Cut down on refined carbohydrates and begin research on the Paleo lifestyle + Increase STA + Defined when notice of wheat belly is shrinking • Eight is the magic number - eight glasses of water, eight hours of sleep + Increase WIS + Defined when energy levels are up and weight begins decreasing • Follow the Rebel Level 1: Rookie workout plan minimum three times a week + Increase STR + Defined when weight resistance increased and strength increases * I will also be testing out the Zombies, Run! app, but due to the foot of snow currently outside, this might not be a feasible idea. SIDE QUESTS LIFE QUEST Set everything up and prepare for launch of side project. FITNESS SIDE QUEST Hoop dance everyday for at least half an hour (one day off per week). REWARD Purchase a Fitbit of some sort after Christmas. If I receive a Fitbit, purchase the Rebel Strength and Running Guides instead, plus an iTunes spree on some new music for Normetta the II (iPod Shuffle). GRADING SYSTEM CUT ON CARBS/RESEARCH PALEO DIET A - No binges on carbs aside from designated cheat day. B - Less than five carb binges throughout the challenge. C - One carb binge days a week. D - Two carb binge days a week. F - More then three carb binge days a week. EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER, EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP A - No missed days of EIGHT throughout the challenge. B - One missed day of EIGHT. C - Two missed days of EIGHT. D - Three missed days of EIGHT. F - More then four missed days of EIGHT. FOLLOW REBEL LEVEL 1: ROOKIE WORKOUT SCHEDULE A - No missed days of the workout schedule throughout the challenge. B - One missed day of the workout schedule. C - Two missed days of the workout schedule. D - Three missed days of the workout schedule. F - More then four missed days of the workout schedule. SIDE PROJECT LAUNCH PREPARATION Pass or fail. HOOP DANCE EVERY DAY FOR HALF AN HOUR Pass or fail. MOTIVATION To earn my stripes, then show them off. "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul." Invictus by William Ernest Henley

I thought that since a lot of people are wanting to live a Paleo lifestyle. It would great if people could share cooking websites that they've found. http://paleomg.com I've tried a few of the recipes on this website, and they simple but delicious.

For the next six weeks I am going to focus on prioritizing my health with the goal of running my first 5k Nov 23rd. To get there, I will run three days a week, strength train three days a week, and stretch after warming up and cooling down. (In the past I have made excuses for skipping stretching,). Most importantly, I will stop saying yes to various activities, commitments, whatevers that take away from the time I need to focus on my health!! Yahhooooo Let's Dooooo Thiiiiiis!

I've been loosely following the paleo diet for probably 3 or 4 months now but I'm coming across some consistent problems (lets call them enemies) that I'm having trouble slaying. I was hoping for some feedback from anyone willing to weigh in. Before I get into my opposition, I want to give a quick background, I started at 297 lbs., currently I'm 220. I love junk food and I hate the feeling I have after eating it. I also really enjoy the paleo diet as well. I want to enlist in the Marines and this is my main motivation for losing weight. I recently joined a local MMA gym and plan to utilize that to the fullest extent but understand I can't outrun my fork. So lets get to some monster slaying. My biggest enemy is my cheat day. I'm super lax about when it is exactly and once I start my cheat day, it often becomes a cheat weekend. When I find myself indulging too much I become ashamed of myself but also try and understand that I make mistakes. Now what I don't just brush off is the consistency in these mistakes I am making. Even though I've seen great progress it isn't enough for me. I don't find it unpleasant to restrict my diet such as six days of paleo and then one cheat day, it is the variable of the cheat day that I have trouble controlling. My second nemesis standing in my way is the actual paleo diet itself. Not to seem contradictory to what I just said but the simplicity of the diet is my biggest downfall. I subscribe to the Tim Ferris way of doing things i.e. (80/20, six day diet then one cheat day, no liquid calories, same meals over and over, etc.). With that in mind, the one thing I really want to do is make a cheap meal plan that is the same three or four meals a day with maybe some sort of small snack that I can fill in the time between my meals that is also paleo. Well that's all I have so start swinging your swords fellow rebels. I really look forward to what you have to say. Thanks for reading.

Well, here I go with my first challenge. I work in an ER so I don't have the usual hours that most people do with the added bonus of super stress and long work hours. (Holidays, what holidays?) So getting to do things for me is a bit harder than it might be if I had a 9-5 job. I also come for a very carb addicted (and subsequently overweight) family We're also goddamn pack rats. So I'm trying to break the cycle of hoarding and weight issues. I've actually developed into a bit of a runner - my younger self would never ever believe this - and am signed up for a 5k in the end of August. There is the possibilty of another 5k in july but that depends on my schedule. But I figure I should certainly train like I'm going to be in it! So, here we go, Goals: 1. Run 3 times a week (or more). - Training for the 5k, obviously. I work three days a week so in theory I have four days to run but I live in NY and weather likes to mess things up daily. This will force me to make my runs a priority and either brave the weather or to be creative with how to fit in my runs around 12 hour shifts. 2. Play on the playground once a week - The perfect way to work on my parkour skills and to get in some body weight exercise! 3. Cut carb/processed foods to only one meal a day (My 80/20) - Like I said, my family loves processed carbs and I'm no exception. I'm tired of being addicted to sugar so it's time to cut down and cut it out completely. I was able to cut out soda completely by doing it slowly so I figure that's the best way to go about this. Also, this will make be more aware of what lies ahead in the day and plan for it. I want and need to plan my meals more so I guess I'm kind of stuffing two goals into one but aas they are so closely linked, it should not be all the willpower draining. (We'll see, right?) I'm including potatoes (french fries are a weakness) and chocolate in this which will be the hardest part for me. 4.Clean room for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week - Oh man, I am embarrassed to say how bad my room is. Pretty much, I can get to my bed and that is it. And most of it is old childhood crap that I do not need or want. It's time to fix it! 30 minutes 3 times a week might not get it done completely but at least it'll be a start, and getting a start is the hardest part.

Hello Nerds! I just read a recipe about homemade almond milk. And now i'm thinking about whey protein with almond milk. Is ok drink whey protein for a paleo follower? I mean, maybe a paleo whey? *laughs* []'s

Hello Fellow Rebels (that's fun to say =P) Smilen here with a pre 3 week update and some pictures! I had started a 3 week challenge to change my diet and work out every day because I had joined in the festivities of Nerd Fitness halfway through the current challenge period. Instead of waiting, I decided to take some action and get some habits going (21 days toward habit creation right?) So, come this Friday 7/12, I will have 3 weeks of consistently eating Paleo (with 1 or 2 slips ups that left me feeling pretty sick) and doing the body weight workout along with Intervals every other day (weight lifting one day, interval the next, repeat). I am incredibly pleased, not only with my consistent effort, but my results as well! I now have muscles popping up in places that never really had before, and am more confident with my body then I have ever been. I feel healthier and my skin has been clearing up (I had pretty bad and self-esteem lowering acne on my face for the past 3 months). I am now speaking the magic of Paleo and working out to anyone who will listen and I know I am making an impact on my friends mindset and lifestyle as well. Attached are Pictures of the beginning of my venture and then a 2 week after shot of my improvements. The quality is so-so and the lightning got crazy in the second set (WOAH GREEN), but I kind of like it. I cropped the pictures so that I could fit all of them. I will be taking more pictures this Friday and then start my new challenge!

Hello Everyone, I'm new to nerd fitness but i'm excited to start this 6 week challenge with you guys. Here are my 4 smart goals. Drop 4 % body Fat. Eat 100% Paleo for 6 weeks. Run 6 sprints before lifting. Lift heavy. Record my progress along the way. Current weight: 175 pounds, Body Fat 26 % End Goal body percentage: 22 % I am looking forward to completing these goals with the help and support of the community. Please feel free to comment me, I love meeting new people and would love to talk about nutrition and fitness.

The Wolf is BACK!!!! AHHHHHHHHHROOOOOOO! Hello everyone As most of you know, 2013 has not been a very kind year to me... SO FAR. BUT, I'm an assassin-warrior who gets stronger with each passing day. I generally have a positive outlook on everything and according to my friends and family, I'm one hilarious mofo! I like to keep things light, have a good time, laugh, workout, eat right, and spend time with my son, Racer. He's my whole world, and I love the lil guy to death! I also have another baby due, April 11th!! I can't wait!! We don't know if we're having a boy or girl but the names we have picked out are: Boy- Declan/Girl- Piper. I'm a HUGE fan of nicknames, so I would call Declan, "Dex's" and than Piper, "Pipsqueek" I've become OBSESSED with MovNat, which is the study of natural movement, and using the 10 principles of movement for fitness/conditioning: Walking, Running, Crawling, Lifting, Throwing, Balancing, Climbing, Defending, Swimming, and Jumping. I've also become obsessed with FOOD. More so than normal..lol. To be more specific, I'm addicted to living a paleo lifestyle when it comes to food. I just finished reading Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution which I highly recommend! It's especially great for people just starting out with paleo or even a healthy diet change. My favorite thing was the 30-day meal plan Robb sets out in the book fixed up with ingredients and cooking instructions for all the meals! THAT was my saving grace and because of that, I became a "Wannabe Chef" SO, my new obsessions will play a BIG role in this next 6-weeks challenge! Along with getting back in the climbing gym and utilizing the cold steel training weapons I have.. OH! And the battle rope, lol. My new love, once I get everything for it, is my sandbag. I got a really good deal on Ebay for it, so, for now, I'm waiting on the fillers so I can start training with it. It can hold up to 85lbs..which is PLENTY for the upcoming months, and MovNat uses sandbags like weightlifters use barbells. I can't wait to start throwing that bad boy around! Listed below are my goals for this 6-weeks: Goal #1: MOVE that body, son! Since MovNat is my main source of my fitness/conditioning, this will fall under the "4(+) times a week" deal. I've already been doing at least that much, but this time will really focus on MovNat as a whole. The goal, is to start writing out my own MovNat workouts, which I have been, but get more creative!! Out of the 4x a week, 2 of those workouts have to be my creation! No if, and's or but's about it. I will post my workouts for ALL to see, judge, praise, or hate on, lol. STR, DEX and CHA will be my main source of attributes because movnat requires an immense amount of strength and dexterity in combination, The charisma part is for my creativity with the workouts and the fact that I noticed it was one of my weaker attributes! I was baffled cuz I'm a super charismatic hombre! Possible points: +2 STR, +2 DEX and +1 CHA Goal #2: Eat like our ancestors.. or ELSE! PALEO! Like I said before, I've become SUPER obsessed with food lately, more than normal, lol. Moreso obsessed with eating a paleo diet. The funny thing about paleo, is its pretty easy to do.. for me, anyway. I've been eating paleo-esque for sometime now..but have just recently over the past month or so cut out bread, grains, and dairy. BREAD... that's been the toughest part to cut away from my diet, which I fully expected it to be. I still have cheat meals from time to time that may involve some bread and some diary, but very rarely. Shoot, I threw away all my bread and grains the moment I realized why I needed to, lol! The goal here is to keep this train rolling and shoot for eating at least 20 PALEO meals a week. Thats 3 meals a day multiplied by 7 days out of the week, This leaves me with 1 cheat meal a week. 1 and only 1. I wanna be strict with myself and show a little discipline, people!!! Call me crazy, but I have felt amazing since switching to a straight paleo diet The other thing I want to do is post pics w/ cooking instructions and ingredients...that way I can SHOW you guys and gals the yumminess that is paleo! This goal consists of WIS and CON. WIS will play it's roll in learning more about paleo and staying on track and the CON deals with how I feel when I eat healthy, paleo meals..which is, like I said, AMAZING! Possible points: +2 WIS and +2 CON Goal #3: Run like the wind, you SOB! Haha. I'm liking the whole process of naming my goals if ya can't tell Running has been something that I always do, but have never really "enjoyed", persay. Besides charisma, my stamina attribute has lacked a lot since joining the rebellion, and I wanted to find fun ways of increasing this attribute. For my warm-ups, I've added in at least a quarter mile run on the treadmill. I would love to run MILES and not partial miles so my goal will be to run at least 3 miles a week. Most of you who know me are prolly thinking, "Wolf, thats way to easy, bro!" BUT, it's a healthy start for someone who doens't enjoy JUST running. One way of getting to this goal will be to add an additional run, weather it be a quarter-mile, half-mile, or even a full one towards the end of the workout...like a pre-mediated burnout! I've been wanting to increase my stamina with running for a whie now, so I figured "why not this challenge?" Why not, right? Possible points: +2 STA Goal #4: Preparation for BABY BELL! This is THE big goal for this challenge! (Bell is my last name, just incase anyone was confused) The new baby is due April 11th, which is right after this 6-week challenge ends. The goal is to PREPARE! And prepare I mean mentally and physically. This will be a challenge in itself because my wife left... which in turn means I've barely got to be there for this unborn, When she was prego with Racer, I got to read books to him, talk to him about all the cool things we would be doing together and even busting out in song so they know their dad is a straight ROCKER! Not so much with this one... I feel really disconnected to this pregnancy because of everything going on, but I'm making the best out of my situation... the best I can, anyway... This will effect my WIS attribute in the fact that becoming wiser will ultimately help me on this journey..that and crap load of luck. I really wish things were different, but they're not, so I will be working on this preparation EVERY DAY. I will be putting $20-40 back each time I get paid in case of an emergency. And on top of that, the money I'll be giving Heather for Race and whatever else they need. I'm not sure how to mentally prepare for this, though... lol Possible points: +2 WIS Bonus Goal: Armed to the TEETH! Weapons training!!!!!!! At least 3 hrs a week of training. This can be done in 1 day, 2 days, or spread throughout the whole week. This will include my dual gladius and my tomahawk/tanto combination. Possible points: +1 DEX and +1 CHA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, there ya have it folks. The Wolf is back for another challenge and I have NO IDEA how it's gonna play out. All I know is... by the end of this 6-weeks, I will become... THE APEX PREDATOR! Wolf

Newbie here at NerFitness! I've been researching and slowly transitioning my diet and exercise for a healthier lifestyle. Let me know if I'm doing this wrong. Ha. I've been on WW for almost a year now, lost about 9 lbs on the plan. But, I noticed I was doing it wrong. I was still eating a lot unhealthy things by sacrificing meal points for junk, drinking too much, and not getting movement in my daily life (I have a desk job, wah wah). I'm ready for greater things! ME NOW: (I attached my first progress photo) Height: 5' tall (cough cough, 5' short) Weight: 125 lbs Waist: 26.5" Hips: 38" Neck: 12.5" Thighs: 22.5" Wrists: 5.5" Body Fat: 28% (Using online calculators) So let's get this started! HIYAAAAA!!! FITNESS GOAL: RUN 8K, GYM 3X/WEEK, DO A FREAKIN PULLUP! *(Shamrock Shuffle - April 7th) *Do both cardio and strength 3x a week I'm a HORRIBLE runner, short legs, people!! This is a BIG time goal for me. The Shamrock Shuffle has been paid for and has been inspiring me to get my butt off the couch and into the gym so it's been a plus so far. Already started the "Angry Birds" workout and training to run that 8k. Need to keep this consistent every week. Can this girl get a pull up? RAR! DIET GOAL: PALEO + Yogurt *Eat only 2 servings of non-paleo items per week (except yogurt, which I eat daily because it makes my body feel great!). This means no JUNK at the office, no chips, no cookies, no chocolate). I stopped buying processed grains from the grocery store completely but I come in contact with tons of free non-paleo junk food at work that is sitting 3 feet away from me (3 boxes of girl scout cookies and chips galore??!!!! Yuck.). GASP, I already ate my two servings for this week! THis is going to be harder than I thought @.@ ALSO: ONLY 2 DRINKS PER WEEK *Limit alcohol to 2 drinks throughout the weekend. I already cut back a TON. 1.5 years ago, I could drink a bottle of wine a night (it was a cold dark place for me that year… we won't get into it). Now, I don't drink on weekdays but I still have too much for my little body to handle when I'm out with friends. What's the point? I feel like junk in the morning and wasted a bunch of calories. I'm a lightweight and need to drink like one! Maybe one day I won't feel the desire to drink at all, but we said we were making attainable goals. LIFE GOAL: ART IT UP! *Finish two paintings in the 6 weeks. Already close to finishing one, need to start another. It's what I love doing, it's what I'm proud of... so why am I not making time for it? *Also, get all boudoir photo shoots edited and out the door! Let's Do This!

I've been hovering around the Nerd Fitness world for several months now, but this is my first time really engaging. It's also my first real use of a forum, so I'm excited to join this network of like-minded individuals. As with many people, in high school I was incredibly athletic. A multi-sport player, I even got to a point my senior year where I was so dedicated to fitness that I could even see the muscle definition in my abs. That all ended once I decided to ditch sports in favor of hard core academia in college. In addition to gaining lots of knowledge in college, I unfortunately also gained weight and loss muscle tone. I entered college at around 135 (5'4" and pretty darned fit) and fluctuated up into the low 160s. A few years out of college, I'm now at around 155. I would love to get back to that fit and toned pre-college weight. The number on the scale isn't actually all that important to me, but rather the level of muscle mass and cardio fitness that I had at that weight. Thus, in the vein of making goals which are specific and allow for high accountability, I'd like to begin my steps towards returning to the level of fitness which I've experienced in the past, and staying with that. Goal 1: 8 pound weight loss. I believe that this is a reasonable goal to reach for in 6 weeks. It puts me in that nice 1-2 lb a week range, and since I plan on gaining muscle mass, I don't want to get crazy with the scale in my first challenge. In an effort to drop the fat, in addition to the amazing workout I get in kickboxing class (see goal 3), I will also up my cardio. I currently take my dog for a mile long walk every day, but I would like to commit myself to adding an additional solo run after the walk. My cardio is shot right now, so even just starting out with an additional mile jog would be a great beginning. I'll scale myself up as I begin to regain stamina. Goal 2: 75% compliance with the Paleo diet. I know that this can be done, and I feel great while doing it because back when I first started checking out Nerd Fitness, I tried it out. Unfortunately, I then got very sick (an unrelated bout with a viral illness which just would not leave my lungs), and was weak enough to give in to the only things I crave when sick: sugar and bread. I've finally completely healed (3 months later) and now think I can at least stick with it for the majority of the time. I know that 100% compliance is always best for a diet like this, but I don't think I can realistically hit that in this first 6 weeks. Goal 3: Attend at least 1 Muay Thai class per week. I love, love, LOVE these classes. My boyfriend and I do them as a great couple's activity. We're both really big fans of working out, and find that we can push each other harder than if we were doing them alone. I haven't been to class since I got sick, as it's not any sort of fun to work out when hacking up a lung on a very normal basis. Now that I'm healthy once more, I can't wait to get back. As much as I'd love to go to every class, I think that from an economic standpoint, I should stick to one a week. I'm so very excited to start this challenge, and can't wait to have the support from such a large group of people who are also working to better themselves!