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Hi friends! My name is Sky, and I used to be fit and active and energetic, and instead am currently pregnant, tired, rapidly gaining weight and racked with anxiety. We're a couple weeks into the second trimester so I'm feeling like a human again, with lots more energy, although things like showering, bending over, and walking up and down stairs are getting challenging. And sitting on my tuchus for the last four months means that I have lost the last scraps of stamina and fitness that I had at the beginning of the summer, so even getting myself off the couch for walks is a lot of effort and frankly isn't happening right now. I would love to set some structured exercise goals for myself and kick my butt into gear, because I honestly don't love looking and feeling so sluggish and heavy. I have heard all about how physically demanding childbirth and parenting are, and I am absolutely not in the shape I want to be for what lies ahead. That said, my mental health is also not the best at the moment - my anxiety/OCD and emetophobia have skyrocketed in recent weeks and made my inner life pretty miserable. So instead of being a drill sergeant to myself, I want to strive toward nurturing and caring for myself, asking for help (including in prayer!), resting productively instead of numbing, finding movement that feels good, and enjoying the last few weeks of summer before the cold and darkness returns. This is going to be an unstructured challenge (more like a battle log) because I know I'm less likely to show up here if I set goals, don't meet them, and then feel ashamed of myself. So for now, all I'm setting out as a goal is, I would like to feel more nourished and supported at the end of this challenge than I do at the beginning. I'm keeping garden metaphors in mind and going to treat myself like a seedling growing into a new world for the first time and in need of lots of care and support:

Hi friends! My name is Sky, I just celebrated my seventh year on the forums, and I am a first-time mom about to start the second trimester with my Little Bean. I'm late to this challenge because we recently had a scare where I had a subchorionic hematoma and thought I was miscarrying, but we had everything checked this week and Bean and I are both just fine. So now that my heart rate has somewhat returned to normal, I'm ready to make a plan for the next few weeks - or at least start checking in here again. My theme for this challenge is finding strong mothers, primarily in fiction, whom I resonate with and want to be like as I figure out my new role as a mom. I do not resonate with "mommy culture" in any way, and I am not a person who has dreamed of parenthood my whole life - but the "saccharine suburban mom" thing is absolutely not the only way to be a terrific mom and it's totally okay that that's not who I see myself becoming. I'm going to look for other examples of great moms who inspire me and do badass things as they raise their kids, love their spouses and serve their communities. I'm supposed to rest a lot and limit my activity for the next couple of weeks while the hematoma heals, so my initial goals will likely be around identity, mindset, and some nutrition. (I have gnarly indigestion and reflux at the moment and I'm trying to figure out what's triggering it so I can ease off of that. I also need to up my calcium and get more fruits and veggies, as usual.) I'm struggling to be patient with myself and struggling to accept help from my husband, so I'm trying to work on that too. After I'm more healed, I really really really want to reintroduce some walks and gentle yoga, because I have essentially not exercise for three months and I'm both antsy and weak. And while I'm resting, I'm going to think about (and solicit suggestions for!) badass fictional moms and mother figures. Love you guys and so excited to dive into gently ease my way into this challenge!

So sorry I disappeared last challenge you guys - it was a doozy of a time and I couldn't have been on here much anyway. Quick recap of what's happened since my last post/challenge I actually participated in: 1. I lost weight in the first trimester and worked hard to gain it (very nearly all the way) back by the end of the previous thread 2. Things went well for about a week, then I started having weird temperature issues where I'd be freezing cold, then sweating, then freezing cold again...back and forth with little to no ability to control it. Over a few days, these then turned into 3-4 full-blown fevers a day. My doctors were all concerned but we were trying to manage it at home via strong oral antibiotics and Tylenol 3. The fevers started breaking through and otherwise not responding to the max dose of Tylenol, sending me to the ER because I was getting too hot too routinely for the safety of the baby and my liver was getting pissed off at the amount of Tylenol I was consuming to try to control it 4. I ended up being admitted to the hospital for a little over 2 weeks while we tried to figure out what was causing the infection; while we never got a 100% answer, the "machine gun" of extremely broad and strong IV antibiotics did get the fevers to stop, so we're assuming we killed it before we could fully ID it. However, I also have Crohn's disease which is treated by suppressing my immune system, so we had to stop treating that while I was in the hospital in order to kill said mystery infection... 5. I got sent home on meds now for the Crohn's flare that started up because of missing my meds for approximately 19 days in total...but one of the most common symptoms of Crohn's flares that I (and many other people) get is...uncontrollable weight loss due to the inability to digest food properly! So guess who now weighs substantially less than she did even at her lowest point in first trimester despite now being 19 weeks along? 🤬 Amazingly, the Halfling appears to be chugging along more or less just fine. I actually have some muscle atrophy from where I wasn't able to get anywhere near enough calories into me while I was in the hospital and the baby started digesting my muscle to get what it needed, but besides that Halfling has never once measured more than one day behind expected (so far) and the heartbeat has stayed strong and healthy. I feel movement nearly every day, which has been a HUGE relief (though sometimes very difficult to tell apart from my Crohn's intestinal cramping) and overall it would appear that my body is finally more interested in keeping this baby alive than itself, which is honestly kinda awesome at this point. I would absolutely rather feel like complete shit and struggle every single day between now and December 15th than have to bury a 4th baby. And to be fair, my body has made some progress towards healing the Crohn's issues, it's just going a loooooooooooooot slower than usual because it is prioritizing baby and only trying to heal with whatever it has leftover. Tomorrow marks the two week point from my discharge and normally I would be back to 100% quite easily by now, but I'm like...70% at best. Most movements have become easier, my fatigue has improved, and I'm able to eat more food with less pain than before. But I am still having a lot of sleep issues, currently averaging about 5 hours a night; eating does still cause quite a lot of pain, especially certain food groups and certain times of day; despite cramming my stomach well past the pain point on purpose on a daily basis, I am still losing weight, just a lot more slowly than before; my heart rate still spikes just by walking casually around my house; and I still get stuck in any position where my butt is lower than my knees (I can get down but literally cannot get up at all without assistance), which includes all squats and sitting in some of our chairs. Therefore this challenge is dedicated to very literal growth - trying to grow muscles back to move properly and trying to gain weight, all while trying to grow a baby!

I've been hemming and hawing about this introduction for the last few days, trying to come up with something clever to say about this challenge, but nothing's quite hitting right and I've completely missed Week Zero, so let's just jump right in: MY HUSBAND AND I ARE EXPECTING A BABY!!!!! *faint screams of emotion* This represents a seismic shift in my and my husband's identity and life trajectory, obviously; but more immediately, it means my challenge goals are going to be looking pretty different for a while. Less idle beating myself up, and more listening to my body, getting comfortable with uncertainty and being flexible, caring for my mental health, nurturing my relationship with Eamon, making logistical plans and purchases, and cultivating a spirit of ease, trust, and acceptance - for today and for the future. ❤️ Eamon and I am so full of joy, excitement, curiosity, and eagerness to discover who this little person is and who they're going to become. My biggest challenges currently are navigating wildly fluctuating symptoms without checking out of life, managing my anxiety, and starting to get ready logistically, because 8 months is not very long At All and we have zero baby supplies. (And yes, I know a lot of people wait until the second trimester to share about their pregnancies because the risk of miscarriage is still so high this early, but we decided to share with family and friends early because this is our first time and we need all the support and encouragement we can get. ❤️ ) My first and foremost concern for this moment is my mental health. As I've mentioned off and on over the years, I have general anxiety disorder, suspected obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a severe phobia of vomiting - all of which are very, VERY triggered by pregnancy, as you might imagine. I have not yet vomited with morning sickness, but I've been very close to it a handful of times, and a lot of my daily energy is spent like an alchemist frantically juggling potions and remedies to keep the symptoms manageable for another day. It's a huge struggle to leave the house because I feel vulnerable and unsafe if I'm not secure in my controlled environment with my medications, places to rest, safe bathroom, etc. around me. My first week after my positive test was sadly not spent in rejoicing, but in panicking because of the feeling of losing control over my body and my core fears of failing or being inadequate as a mom. And of course, my hormones are all over the place and I am crying unexpectedly at very weird things. So in the midst of this lovely storm of Feelings, my primary goal is to put down anchors in the things that keep me grounded, safe, and peaceful: Scripture reading and meditation, prayer, very gentle movement, sunshine, music, working on things with my hands, and taking action in the areas I can control (like list-making and shopping!). My midwife reminded me at our first appointment that high levels of anxiety can be harmful to developing babies, and plus - I just don't want to feel shitty for the next eight months. So this is where the bulk of my efforts are going to go this challenge. My second concern, then, is caring for my changing body. Y'all, I have never been this hungry in my life. I knew it as a mental fact that expecting moms eat more, but holy crap, I feel like a vacuum cleaner. Except for when I'm feeling really sick, in which case I feel like every morsel of food in the world has turned to disgusting rot and I am doomed to wander through a nauseating wasteland for all eternity. Right now I'm eating even more carbs than usual, which is kind of expected, but I'm doing my best to work in protein and fruits and veggies where I can. I'm craving salsa a lot. And Eamon picked out some canned fruits and veggies for me today since I seem to tolerate those better than fresh, so hopefully that will be a good start. I truthfully have zero idea what I'm "supposed" to be eating except for "healthy" (and no sushi), so that's another area I can research while I'm resting too. All of this feels very jumbled, but that's about where my head is at currently, so that's okay! This thread will be more of a battle log to stay connected and keep myself accountable for taking care of myself, though if specific goals pop up later, I will add those as well. Thank you for starting this amazing journey with me!

This is going to be my last full challenge before I have a baby. I'm due August 12th!!! It's unlikely but not remotely impossible that I could have the baby THIS challenge. But let's all just hope she stays in there until at least the very end of the challenge so she's at least at early term and also for logistical reasons. Basically this whole challenge is just baby prep. There's a lot to do so this is... Extensive. Fortunately some of it is stuff that can be checked off if done by me OR Mr. Griz OR my parents or in laws who are going to help out around the house. Body Prep I signed up for a at your own pace prenatal pilates class and kind of stopped doing it? I managed to get back on it the last week of last challenge. This is a recommit. I should be able to finish the 8 week course by the end of the challenge. There are 4 workouts a week, which I'll do on my days where I'm not working - Friday through Monday. If I miss a day, I'll bring my workout clothes to work on Wednesday and do one then. I'm also attending some classes which focus on physical preparation - a pelvic floor class and a birth positions workshop. Objectives are met if I • Have gone to the in person classes (unless baby shows up before them or they get cancelled) • Get through 1 week of pilates class each week until either the challenge ends or baby arrives (including in week 0). Edit: Not doing all the workouts anymore. I do plan to get through all the other course content and any workouts that DON'T aggravate my SPD. Mind Prep This is all the other classes. There is a birthing class, which is five weeks and I believe four hours each which includes a hypno birthing prep component I believe (if this is incorrect, as a sub I'll find and do a on my own hypno birthing thingy of some kind, probably). There's also a baby care class and postpartum prep class. Objectives are met if I • Get to all the classes or all the classes before baby arrives. • Practice hypno birthing techniques daily - I already do daily meditation so kind of subbing this in doesn't feel like a stretch. House Prep Traditional nesting! Best listed as individual goals. • The room where the crib will be is decluttered and the trim removed when I was redoing the floor is reinstalled. I actually started working on this the other day so I'm pretty close on it. • The crib and changing area are set up and accessible. • Each distinct room/space in the house that I expect I'll want to use during immediate postpartum has been cleaned to a standard I find acceptable. There are 6 spaces not including the nursery, which I think is covered by the above. Objectives are met if: • All 7 rooms I can look at and confidently say "yep, this is ready for me to take care of a baby in." Money Prep The last week of the challenge is scheduled to be my last week before maternity leave! How convenient! If I'm feeling really good I might do one more week tacked onto the end, since that's all one pay period/hours tracking period anyway. I am scheduled for 20 hours a week but trying to work 25 a week in order to build up pre worked time for paid leave. So like... Do that. I also need to open an IRA so I can put like $500 for the year into it so that I'm making under the threshold to qualify for CHP+ (Colorado's health insurance for children in families making less than like, median income I think?) Then I want to make sure that CHP+ paperwork is as filled out as possible before birth so I can submit it when baby has an official legal name and birth certificate. I need to contact mine and my husband's insurance, both to confirm how to put the baby onto one of our insurances in the event we're for some reason denied for CHP+ and to figure out how they do billing for the kid before they are on health insurance. There's some nonsense with a birthday rule or something? Objectives are met if: • I... Continue to go to work 3 days a week until I start leave or have a baby? • I opened an IRA and put in as much as I need to to qualify for CHP+. • We have the CHP+ forms filled out as much as I can. • We call up insurance and figure out anything specific we may have to do when baby comes. Miscellaneous other things happening in the next month and a half: • Pre-baby BBQ. Ummm probably should get these invites sent. • Prenatal meetings x2 with Doula. • See if we can bring the cats to their yearly vet appointment early or late or what because right now that would be like, on my due date. Um no.

Alrighty. Tuesday 3/27 will be 31 weeks. This incubating creature is really pushing OUT a lot more than his predecessor it seems, and that is just not very comfortable. (Come on little dude, you could grow wider. My belly button would appreciate that very much!) This means: I have gained a little more than 25 lbs so far. I am tired. I have a list of things to get done at work before my last day on 5/19 (unless someone has earlier plans). My MIL has scheduled her flight out. I am seeing my therapist a little more often now because there are some things about last time that make this scary. Lifting and climbing are fine, but walking quickly for long distances just makes everything tight and uncomfortable. Endurance athlete I am not during these times. I am tired. Goals for the challenge: Just keep it together and take care of myself really. This means: Go to the gym 2-3 times a week to climb and lift. This makes my body feel better. Eat the way I need to eat. Right now breakfast and a big lunch are a recipe for feeling awful all afternoon. Lunch really much be split into two meals, 2 hours apart. This is much harder on days I actually work on site. Try not to feel guilty about what I'm too tired to get done. MFH is still healing from wrist surgery, so I'm on dish duty, but in other arenas he's pulling some overtime right now especially with managing the energy of a very energetic almost-4 year old. I also feel guilty when my work day falls apart because I don't feel well. In the next few days I will put together an update on our protagonist. She's still lugging an increasingly bouncy and glowing backpack containing a griffin egg out of the foothills. The terrain has eased up, but the length of the journey is definitely starting to show some wear.

Hi! Happy twenty-twenty! I really love the reflection+goal setting process that almost automatically happens around the new year.. and I do have grand plans for recovering and prepping for my first competition after having this baby, but until then I kind of feel like I'm in a holding pattern. Not that there isn't enough to do! Not least of which is maintaining my strength as much as possible, so warrior challenge time! Short intro for anyone who is curious; Goal 1; keep lifting At 7 months pregnant deadlifts are the only thing that make me feel somewhat like a normal person. Slightly wider stance, but otherwise pretty good. I'm seriously considering a deadlift-only lifting program but I suppose I'll be reasonable and add in modified squats, rows and pulls. And do my grip maintenance. Energy is low so I'll need the accountability of writing down my training here. Frequency > intensity.. Goal 2; keep up the pretence of adulthood subgoal 2a; keep up with the bullet journal it really does a good job of keeping me on track, both with things around the house and with work to do's. My short term memory is getting progressively worse, so I'll need it more than ever. Also it gives me the illusion of having things under control, which is always good for stress management. I'll loosely report on this, and maybe share a picture or two to keep me 'motivated'. subgoal 2b; zone cleaning/decluttering week 0: kitchen+hallway week 1: living room + toy storage week 2: the bedrooms week 3: bathrooms + stairs week 4: kitchen+hallway again etc Goal 3; writing some more subgoal 3a; write and share something every week I'd really love topic suggestions. subgoal 3b; brainstorm out loud about the writing projects I have in mind by the end of this challenge I'd like to have a better idea of how to proceed beyond the 'just write'. Bonus goal; it'd be nice to get started on prepping all my athletes for when I won't be as available for a couple weeks... I'll be having this baby right before the world championship prep starts, so I should plan that out in detail. I get to buy myself sushi if I get halfway through this during this challenge.

Hi! Last challenge was a bit of a flop because I forgot that even though I don't have to (aka shouldn't) eat for two I apparently do need to sleep for two... must now adjust goals accordingly. Inspired by Tanktimus I made a list of good things to do, which I'll share below and try to also actually do, and while doing this I noticed my constantly recurring goal that hasn't ever had any success yet... the writing goal! And three weeks does sound like a good amount of time to buckle down on something, doesn't it? And it's the advent period! Instead of chocolate, I'll put some writing behind a spoiler tag every single day. But I'm allowed to write it by pen and report it here later if I must Some of the topics I may cover; - pregnancy and parenting related things - coaching related things - thoughts on what makes a good life - training related things - finance/budget/organising thoughts - nutrition maaybe - random stories - and all suggestions are very welcome Short introduction for anyone who doesn't know me; (yes this counts as day 1) My list of good things to do which I'll report on; - writing (obviously) - cooking - training - just going outside - organising and/or decluttering - housekeeping - posting on the gym's social media - reading with my 3 year old

Very creative title yes? I figured I'd spend this challenge with the rebels because I won't be feeling very assassiny for the foreseeable future. This challenge will mostly be about setting myself up for a healthy pregnancy (and hopefully subsequent fast recovery), without losing sight of my other non-mom-related goals. Brief introduction for those that don't know me; Ok challenge goals! 1. Training; keep up the volume - at least 3 strength sessions per week, but be flexible in what they look like unbreakable hips program at least 2x a week, hip upkeep at least 6 days a week snatch at least once a week, bonus points for any extra 2. Eating for two; take vitamins daily eat fat fish at least once a week, bonus points for twice something green at least 4x a week, at least one of those be leafy. (I eat plenty of veggies, but I prefer them to not be green) seriously don't literally eat for two- try to maintain current weight for now 3. Adulting; walk the dog at least 5x a week while I still can do a load of laundry at least 5 days a week clean kitchen counters and sweep the floor every day before bed 10 minutes of cleaning at the gym when I come in and before I go home keep track of all of the above in my bullet journal To do list; figure out wether to go to the European championship or not (pro/con list perhaps) research business owner maternity leave options get the august gym action up and running get the september gym action up and running organise/plan team meetings for top dutch lifters communicate level 2 exam requirements setup and communicate the new points system promote the next level 1 and 2 courses get two thirds through the p&ppa course make a photo album, or at least make progress That's a lot. Oops. Let's just see how it goes. Everything on that to do list has been hovering over me for a while (except 1 and 2, those are obviously more recent) and I'm hoping the accountability from here will help.

Late to the party, whoops, but I did just return from vacation on Monday. I trailed off on the last challenge but don't feel terrible about it because it was insanely hectic - not the most stressed I've ever been, but definitely the most major events in a month. Plus at the beginning of the challenge I wasn't planning on the Italy work trip, and then that happened in the middle of everything. My healthy routines were thoroughly disrupted, but I still squeezed in a little exercise and some vegetables. I'm thrilled to be home, and in my own kitchen and bed again (not at the same time, obviously). After eating out most meals for three weeks, I am excited to cook balanced, delicious meals at home. Overall Goals My general life goals have changed a bit because, uh, I'm pregnant and all - so weight loss is no longer the primary aim. I weighed myself this morning and was unpleasantly surprised by the number on the scale, but the internet tells me it's normal to have gained 4-6lb at this point even though the baby is only the size of a raspberry, so I feel better about it now. I'm going to stop weighing myself at home because it makes more sense to focus on make healthy choices each day. I've cancelled my NF Coaching because I already feel a bit overwhelmed, and through work I'm going to be assigned an RN who will advise on healthy eating and exercise throughout my pregnancy. But I have even stronger reasons to eat healthy, and I won't be drinking ha, so I'm going to focus on paying attention to how I feel - more frequent, small meals seems to sit better with me these days. I am currently working to use up a lot of my pantry/freezer food which has been accumulating for...a while. I also want to declutter since we mayyy buy a house and move before the baby comes. Goal #1: Cook all the things Make (nearly) all our food at home, avoid relying on processed food. I'd like to get in a good pattern of meal prep and eating at home pre-baby. Document food here. Goal #2: Feel the burn Work out doing whatever feels good. Right now that's barre but I'd like to try to get running again if I can do it without chest pain. Aiming for working out 3x/week minimum, and walking on other days to aid digestion and circulation. Goal #3: Feed the fire Take extra kind care of myself. Give myself an 8-hour sleep window. Nap if needed. Meditate daily. I have FIVE WEEKS before our family vacation when we tell the family, and I have already told random coworkers in Italy (because finding out I was pregnant the week before the trip was anxiety-inducing), a couple coworkers I am closer to (because we were on vacation for a week and they wouldn't have figured it out from the not drinking anyways, and this way I was able to talk to a friend who had twins last year about it), and another friend (who I stayed with on the way to and from the Florida vacation, because we're close and it was nice to do it in person). Between now and the official family announcement at which point it will be public, I will probably tell a couple more friends because as an external processor keeping secrets is not my strong suit. It still feels completely surreal, but in the best way.

Dear Adventurers, there’s no more guesswork about it—sometime during this challenge I’m going to give birth to my child. It could happen in the zero week, it could happen in the third. It doesn’t seem like the time to make challenges, but I fear if I take a month off I may get swept away and never return…. As much as I want to lie around (and likely will do so quite often), I still need to take care of myself, my gardens, and my home and hearth. Adventures… well, they’ll be more of the “exploring new experiences” variety than “exploring new locations”—at least for this challenge. Most tasks are stated in the “before” timeframe. What happens “after” is yet to be determined, but there will likely be spillover. Note: I tend to find life unpredictable, and I’ve found a lot of success in the “spirit” of a goal rather than the cold, hard, and often arbitrary, metrics. As such, for each goal I put down, I’ll put down example tasks that fulfill it, but I will remain open to new and altered ideas that fit the spirit of the goal. Keep on Wandering: This has certainly been a struggle of late, I don’t expect it to improve before. I will continue to get in as much daily movement as I can without overdoing it. This includes short walks, local errands, caring for the house, and other light physical activities. And I will rest when I need to rest and not feel guilty about it. Home and Hearth: Compile a list of one-time home tasks that need doing. Create a list of regular maintenance tasks to keep the house comfortable and functional Create a household task calendar based on this list 15 minute daily tidies Cooking: bettering and expanding my menu Decorating/the photo project Inviting people over/fostering community Alter all of my household plans to incorporate a baby when reality hits me Tend My Gardens: Protecting My Psychic Landscape: There are outer worlds and inner worlds. Psychic landscape (or sometimes psychic space) is how I view my inner world. Sometimes, I let it get too cluttered with rampant-growing bindweed from the outside world. Sometimes I’m better at controlling this. I want to be consistently better. Journaling/developing nonfic projects Revisit my fiction project, brainstorm, add to it Reading Minimizing screen time (including computer, internet, TV, etc.) In the outer world, my “garden," is more literal. We don’t have much gardening space available to us in our London home, but we have some: a left-to-wild edging around our back patio (which, sadly, gets no light), and a shared garden (ornamentals) with a neighbor. I prefer growing food to flowers, but in past 2 years I have enjoyed being able to take cuttings for the table in the spring/summer. (Also, we have a tar seepage issue in our area that doesn’t thrill me about trying to grow edibles straight in the ground.) But I miss growing edibles, so I’m focused on creating an edibles garden on our tiny balcony, which gets the most sunlight. I have seedlings for strawberries, sweet peppers, mint, parsley, and basil already going that need continued nurturing and eventual transplanting into pots. We already have a flourishing batch of rosemary, and a bay tree that somehow keeps on going despite our neglect. I can’t do much about taming the patio or shared garden until “after” as I’m just not bendy enough I’d like to get another batch of seedlings going, particularly with the strawberries Pick out pots from our pile on the patio Acquire potting soil (I don’t drive; will probably have to order it) Begin transplanting the seedlings to pots and acclimating (“hardening”) them to the outside world Once I have those sorted, I will decide if there’s room on the balcony for more Consider fairy lights for the patio to make it more magical to sit in in the evening Check in and storytelling: Check-ins once or twice per week, experiment with narration. If I vanish for longer you can guess why…. This is a really long post for a token challenge >_>

Hi folks! Ann of Vries signing in, a returning Adventurer I’m a hiker/rambler (urban and wild), traveler, fantasy, and RPG geek who moved to London 2 years ago from Seattle. This has been an excellent opportunity to explore and have new experiences, but in between I tend to become a hermit for weeks (*cough-or-months-cough*) at a time and leave the house as little as possible unless my husband drags me out on a new adventure (thank goodness for him), and I’m looking to change that. Especially now that I’m 33 weeks pregnant, and I know how easy it could be to lock myself up in my hobbit hole and just watch Netflix and eat donuts—this could spell doom for my adventuring life if I don’t stay proactive. I don’t want that; I've managed to stay fairly fit so far during the pregnancy (despite some periods of Netflix and donuts), but I need to keep those habits going into the home stretch. Fitness Quests: Keep on Wandering: Continuous walking (20+ min) 5 days a week; at least 3 of those days should be 30+ min. (Measured by Active Minutes on my FitBit.) Insert usual disclaimer that this will get adjusted based on pregnancy/midwife concerns. A guiding philosophy: I’m a bit of an online shopping junkie, and I want be more engaged with my local area, so: more walking out to the High Street shops when I need something (particularly, groceries I can carry. I will still order in large or heavy items). I’m unclear how to measure this one, so it’s more of a note to get myself out and about than an actual goal to check off. Increase Hydration: 8 glasses of water (or herbal tea, etc.) a day. (Last challenge I averaged about 7.) Life Quest: I did technical writing for several years as a day job, and I’ve been writing fiction for as long as I can remember (hobby/semi-pro), but I’ve always been intrigued with narrative/creative nonfiction. Now that I’m living my life as an Adventurer, I want to put a renewed focus into developing my narrative nonfiction skills: Module 1.1 Intro to Travel Writing: Since I came to London, I’ve been dissatisfied with my attempts to write my stories of moving abroad and exploring my new country (even just for my friends/family back home, who aren’t exactly looking for High Art). I also don’t want to be a total homebody after I have my child in a few weeks (EEEEK), so I’ve decided to learn more about travel writing—both in how to write engaging tales of my experiences, but also to encourage me to keep exploring, now and after. I mean, I live in London. There’s so much exploration to be done without even leaving the city. Why am I not taking more advantage of this? (I can't blame the bump, this was true before that happened.) Module 1.1 Objectives: Complete the Travel Journaling and Travel Writing courses I bought. Go on at least 4 Field Trips (overlaps with Keep on Wandering) Practice travel journaling and writing based on courses, with Field Trips as inspiration (no requirement to share my practice writing, sorry )—four 500 word essays: each outlined, drafted, and notated for future revisions. Update on Mondays (at least): I’ve been attempting NF challenges on and off for years… I’m often good at keeping up on the goals (or at least the spirit of them). It’s always the tracking on the forums I fall off on. So I will plan to update on Mondays. (Too often and I feel like I’m spending more time tracking than doing.) I'll put it on my calendar as a proactive step. However, this time if I disappear--particularly late into the challenge--it may be because someone decided to show up early and I got a little distracted. XD Cheers, Ann x

Hi! I am a CrossFit gym owner, olympic lifter and huge fan of NF. I would like to get more education around training pre/post natal women and was wondering if anyone out there could point me in the right direction as to certifications or other resources? I am hoping to make this my next career focus. Thank you!!

Hello! I am a gym owner and have been in and around CrossFit since 2008. Over the last 9 years, I have helped empower individuals to redefine their definition of health and fitness. One of my favorite moments is watching women find confidence, beauty and liberation in discovering themselves to be strong and capable in ways they had never before imagined. Over time, something started to happen: a lot of these empowered women began to get pregnant. In the beginning I was happy to refer them to CrossFit MOM and work with the information provided their to create a program that worked for our ladies. It seemed to do a decent job to give our ladies more fitness support and guidance than what they were otherwise getting (which is slim to none!). When I got pregnant the first time March of 2015, I was mortified to discover the site had been discontinued. As I searched around for other resources, it hit me how incredibly scarce information around the training and fitness needs for prenatal and postpartum is. I find this to be unacceptable and something requiring immediate attention from the entire fitness community. I believe the best way to go about this is to first become a solid resource myself. I have done a lot of online research as to which certifications I should pursue. The research pointed me to BIRTHFIT and I have spent the last year immersing myself in all things prenatal/postpartum. I am now the SF Regional Director for BIRTHFIT ..... My intention for this thread is to create an ongoing thread for questions/rants/sharing for mommas, mommas to be, and women TTC (that's me!). Anyone want in?

Hi All! My husband and I have been hoping for a positive pregnancy test since October 2016. Before we started trying, I went to my doctor and asked specifically about my weight and my choice to be (and remain) vegetarian (I'm about to turn 27, 5'4 and 175lbs). My doctor was of the opinion that I "shouldn't be trying to make any drastic lifestyle changes" if I wanted the greatest success in getting pregnant. Which, for me, meant that all care about my weight and eating habits stayed fairly unhealthy. The more I talk to other women, the more I'm hearing that the first thing their doctors told them to do was to lose weight. So, now I'm turning back to the idea that I need to lose some weight and try to get myself to a place of being more healthy. I'm planning to follow the 21-day fix eating program, because my understanding of portions is WAY out of control, and I need a bit of hand-holding when it comes to eating. he problem is that I'm also hearing very conflicted information about what types of exercise I should be doing. Everyone has told me that I shouldn't be doing weight-lifting, and most people say that high intensity cardio is iffy. Most people are telling me to walk and do yoga.... but frankly, I'm getting impatient and I feel like yoga and talking walks are not going to make enough change quickly enough. Can anyone share a similar experience? Any thoughts or wisdom?

The Westerlands are in some ways the most mysterious of the Seven Kingdoms to we readers/watchers, because it is the only place we have never been with a POV character. Apart from a few stories and a flashback/dream swequence, we’ve never seen Casterly Rock, Lannisport, or even any of the Westerlands countryside. Known for their vast mineral wealth and fertile, hilly countryside, the Lords of the West have always been important, and none more so than House Lannister of Casterly Rock. Serving mostly as antagonists (except for Tyrion) through the first book, we started getting POV chapters from Cersei and Jaime soon after. More so than even the Dornish schemes, more so than the proposed Grand Northern Conspiracy, the Lannisters are involved deeply in the game of thrones, on several fronts of the war(s). The Lannisters have also always been a fertile house, with many cadet branches in Lannisport and throughout the Westerlands, and until this generation, usually a vast network of close, in-House relations. I’ll be basing my goals on the forward planning of House Lannister, which means potential spoilers for all books and the show. I’ll white out what I can, but assume spoilers for Book 1/Season 1 here, and white out could be spoilers for anything through Dance with Dragons. Sorry Kevan and Gerion fans – they’re relegated to a potential stretch goal/mini-game I’m thinking about. Going in Order of our introduction to each character, we start with fan-favorite Tyrion “the Imp” Lannister, dwarf son of the late great Tywin Lannister. He's currently serving with the Essosi sellswrod Company the Second Sons, attempting to get in with Danerys Targaryen in hopes of returning to Westeros Lord of Casterly Rock and getting revenge on his sister . . . Tyrion is the most-travelled Lannister, (except maybe for Uncle Gerion?), so I will also move about, walking 60,000 steps per week. This adds up to a little more than 8,000 per day, so it should be doable. Jaime "the Kingslayer" Lannister is everything a knight should look like, if not everything a knight should be. A member of the Kingsguard and probable best swordsman in the Realm, After his brutal maiming by Vargo Hoat, Jaime is currently on a redemption quest, to reconnect to what being a knight means. Less than two years ago, I worked out three times a week with a bodyweight progressing that gave me room to keep improving. I too, have a quest to redeem myself from my slack ambitions. I will train (luckily, not with Ser Ilyn Payne or Bronn) 3 times a week with some sort of weight, body or otherwise. My prenatal yoga will do. Queen Cersei Lannister is at the center of political life in southern Westeros. Attempting to maintain rule through Tommen, Cersei is also attempting to wrest power from her rival Queen Margaery and the regent Kevan Lannister. She also needs to regain her queenliness after her walk of atonement and extricate herself from the noose the Faith got around her neck due to her ill-thought-out machinations, at least until her champion can stand for her in trial by combat. In the interests of appearing pious and atoned, I imagine Cersei is eating somewhat abstemiously, avoiding large servings of meat and sweets in favor of simple meals to appease the septas who are always watching her. Then again, her drinking habits appear unchanged. I mean to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, with at least one being a leafy green in order to count the day as a success. Fermented grapes don't count. Fermented cabbage does! Lancel Lannister, after his treason, murder, and adultery of book one, is currently on a redemptive arc toward the Faith Militant. Setting aside his marriage to Amerei "Gatehouse Ami" Frey and the attendant rights to Darry, he has chosen to join the Warrior's Sons as a result of guilt-driven dreams and visions. . . Lancel is spending his time (when not training) praying, meditating, and visualizing his life as he wishes it, free of Lannisters, Freys, and distractions from his goal. I intend to do likewise (without giving up my family, marriage, or worldly possessions, but making time 3 times a week to practice self-care in pursuit of my goal, which is a healthy pregnancy and labor. Genna Lannister Frey is the best Lannister. No-nonsense sister to Tywin Lannister, and aunt to the above listed, Genna is hilarious, schrewd, and sees through her family's dysfunction and schemes. Married to Emmon Frey, she is currently guiding him trough the political minefield of being proclaimed Lord of Riverrun by the crown while Edmure Tully (and his child in Roslyn Frey Tully) yet live. . . . I love this lady's cosplay! Genna holds the purse strings, and so marshals the resources to maintain herself, her husband, and their descendants as best she can, while also stabilizing the area for other Lannister interests, after the war between Riverlanders and Westerlanders that has ravaged the region. I need to marshal my resources as well, and I intend to do that by meeting my protein goals during this challenge. 3-4 servings of #grams/day.

After eight successful challenges and a number of unsuccessful ones I've decided that switching to a Battle Log format is going to be a better way to track progress. Especially since I have no idea what that progress will look like, aside from getting a small human at the end of it. GOALS Don't eat like utter crap Get some movement in every day Lift as long and as much as you can Stretch This battle log will probably consist of food diaries, exercise notes, complaining about pregnancy symptoms, and bump pictures. Follow along if you're interested.

A druid challenge! My sport is a nice warrior/scout hybrid and my heart lies with all things assassins, but being one with nature and finding balance.. yes that sounds just right for this challenge Short introduction: (Hi!) I'm KB Girl, 28 years old and from the Netherlands. Kettlebellsport is my hobby and now also my work, I train people, coach my team and on the side I also tell them what to eat (I'm a dietician). My own career as an athlete was going pretty well, I won nationals in 2015 and placed 8th at the world championship that year. I had hoped to do even better this year, but that's kind of on hold because i'm growing a baby instead! Still placed 3th at nationals while 4 months pregnant, and I have big plans for 2017 This is me, doing my sport; The challenge: After rereading some NF blogposts I was reminded that I ought to stop collecting underpants and focus 98% of my attention on phase 2. So there will be no elaborate plan, no fancy scheme, not even a very smart scoring system... just dots. I will collect dots on three area's of interest and hope to end up with a huge pile of dots at the end of the challenge. Blue dots: Social Media Horror For our business (our gym + practice) I need to get our shit together and just post things on social media. Also the website needs an update, there need to be actual blogposts written.. Plenty to do, also plenty of ideas (and underpants).. Just need to get to doing it. This is a hard one for me and honestly i've been working on this for years. I'm getting better very slowly, but maybe it's time to get better faster. Pink dots: Taking Care of Self + Family Housekeeping is something i'm bad at.. as we've gotten more busy with the gym we eat home cooked meals less and less often.. since i'm tired all the time i've gone from training 5+ times a week to 1,5 or so.. dog needs more walks. All these things will earn dots. The pink dots are special to me because.. well, when this baby comes, I want to take good care of her, give her good examples, not have her live in dog hair. Orange dots: Special "Get Ready for Baby" Projects I've been collecting inspiration (aka underpants) for weeks/months now, and it is time to just get these things done. For example; - the upstairs rooms (including my own bedroom + babyroom) need new floors - perhaps some paint - we are moving the gym, we get keys on the 1st of september, so there is lots and lots to be done (we are moving because it has an office and it's far far more baby friendly)

I'm BACK BITCHES! I had to take a bit of a break. See a lot of stuff was going on with work has I have whined about before and as some of you may know, I have been hit with major fatigue and continuous low-level nausea due to the success of the cloning project! The experiment was a success!! Which presented itself with its' own challenges. Now that I am adjusted I am also ready to go on my own adventure! I started out from humble roots in my introduction From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel!, did a few side quests and explored some back alleys in BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness and have completed one major quest in BlackTezca's 11th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon becomes a Badass Retro Agent of the SSR! only to get lost in a sprawling dungeon during BlackTezca's 12th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon Brings Destruction to the Silver Millennium so it can be Reborn Anew. That just means it's time to come back stronger than ever. Especially now that there is another person residing inside me! Hopefully not like that! Though I have been going through a lot changes, especially physically, my goals have not changed. I want to get back into the swing of things in order aim for my main quest as well as be a good role model for the future clone! This challenge is not only to help me come back and respawning back into my usual awesome crazy self that will be responsible for raising someone even more AWESOME than me! This challenge is to help me onward to my main quest...and we all know which quest that is... My Main Quest to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman Now lets' introduce ourselves to the inspiration for this month! I'm sure some of you have heard of undertale and also heard of the awesome story, characters in the game! What else is awesome is the FANTASTIC music which you will be hearing a lot of this month! I may even have the weekly summaries and start and end on an awesome song! Before we get into that, I did mention some awesome characters so here they are!! Undyne is on a strict regime of suplexing boulders. Details: Undyne is a badass. She is strong, buff, a good fighter and hilarious. Essentially is the ultimate anime hero. I'd like to be more like her and while I'm no where near suplexing boulder levels and I'm taking it easier than usually do, I still need to keep up a good habit of working out! Maybe not as much as previously, but enough to get buff and strong like my awesome Undyne!! Contingencies: Sickness and travel pretty much. However considering the flexibility here, I should be able to do something! Walking, yoga, etc! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for Working out for at least 30 minutes 3 to 4 days a week ( 25 pt - 2 Sta 2 Str 1 Dex) B for Working out for at least 30 minutes 2 days a week( 20 pts - 1 Sta 2 Str 1 Dex) F for all else Papyrus wants to become a member of the Royal Guard! Details: Simple quest with a simple goal: get my ass back to Easton. Been gone out of there for too long. I'd like to go there at least once a week. Hopefully more. Problem is that they have cancelled morning classes...Still should be able to make kickboxing in the afternoons and Muay Thai sometime! Contingencies: Sickness, vacation and any nausea from clone habitat building. Should be all right though! We'll see! Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well. Grading: A for Kickboxing/Muay Thai once a week! ( 10 pt - 1 Dex) F for all else Alphys is keep strict records of her success...and her failures Details: Hey you know what I have not been doing as well? Tracking. I have not been tracking my food intake. At all. Lets' get back into the habit. Seriously. I'm not gonna be too hard on what I eat, but I know if I track it'll also help me make healthier decisions since I have been admittedly giving no fucks with food. So...I need to give a few more fucks. I shall find the fucks I need to give. Contingencies: Phone does like my myfitnesspal anymore. However, I can still track with a tablet and my computer. As well trust my trust memory!Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well (with total calories and some food descriptions. Good and bad).Grading: A tracking 25 to 28 days - 25 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Con )B tracking 22 to 24 days - 20 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Con ) C tracking 20 to 22 days - 15 exp ( 1 Wis ) F for all else Sans maybe lazy, but if you're on the wrong path you're gonna have a bad time... Details: SLEEP CHALLENGE! AND WAKE UP CHALLENGE!!! I need to make sure I get plenty of sleepy ( at least 7 hours) and I also need to get up when my alarm tells me too! Contingencies: Mostly caring about weekdays and non vacation days here.Tracking: Fitbit keeps me honest and I shall track here!Grading: A for good sleep and waking up 15 to 17 days of challenge - 20 exp ( 1 Wis 2 Con )B for good sleep and waking up 13 to 14 days of challenge - 15 exp ( 2 Con ) C for good sleep and waking up 12 days of challenge - 10 exp ( 1 Con ) F for all else Mettaton EX is gonna bring back some GLAMOR into my life! Details: Mettaton is fabulous. My art is also...well...I guess decent enough! I need to get back into drawing! Sketching, model painting, coloring, etc counts here! Just need to keep up my habit again! Contingencies: Busy weeks and weekends and vacation need week. However I have been making time for both model painting and my drawing so this should not be an issue :D.Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I shall use those and this thread to keep track. Grading: A for at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week - 20 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Cha )B for at least 30 minutes 2 to 3 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Cha) F for all else Now my challenge is all set! Usually I do measurements but...uhmmm that won't be realistic for long. However, I will keep taking fitness photos, mostly gauge the return of DEM GAINZ but also to see how the habitat is progressing. It's a silly thing yeah but hey at least it keeps up the photo measuring habit. As you can see there is a small progression already! I won't be shirtless for long but I kinda like the idea of comparing myself challenge to challenge, even during this time. In any case... The stage is set! The challenge is ready! My sleepy goober face is up there! We are ready to go!!! LET'S DO THIS!!! Shall I show mercy...? Or shall I...FIGHT?!! Told you the music is awesome!!!

HI NF its been a while Im back in New Zealand, its cold and I miss Mexico terribly, expecting baby #2 at Christmas, I planned to walk a half marathon in September but am having ITB and sciatica issues so have downgrading to aim for 10km, my mental space is not super Bueno due to life drama out of my control so my main aims right now is about rehab for my body and mind. Long term goal - physically and mentally healthy birth in December Mid term goal - Walk 10km in September Short term goal - get back in to good habits (yoga, meditation and gym) Aims for this Challenge 1) Yoga Yoga or stretching 2 times a week Bonus-ness for joining pregnancy yoga class on Saturday mornings. 2) Meditation Use meditation or hypnosis tracks 2x week I need this in my life right now but have not made it a priority. I feel like there is much in my life that I can not control right now so need to get my head in a better place. 3) Swim/gym Go to pool or gym 2 times a week. Two weeks ago I joined the local pool with a gym. I have been once, my new goggles leaked, the water was freezing and I just hated the whole experience. So I need to put my big girl panties on and get back into it. Winter is no excuse. I can't believe I used to get up and train in the pool 3 days a week at 6am back in my triathlon days - who was that crazy person! I need to sort my hips/legs out to mediate this annoying ITB and sciatica issues so I can get back into walking and eventually running. I miss running.

Coping with final Weeks... Better late than never...that has sadly become my motto over the last few months..6 1/2 months, to be exact... Anyhoo...I successfully completed the last 4WC (YAY!), and now for a new one... I ended the last Challenge with the Glucose Screen...and during the break, the results were "abnormal"...so I had to do the 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test...it will probably come back "abnormal" as well...they have you drink 100 grams of pure glucose (sugar) within 5-10 minutes, then see how long it takes your body to process it. First of all, the stuff is NASTY!!! Second, I don't consume that much sugar in an entire day, much less all at once!! And to make matters worse, what passes for "medical professionalism" in the Navy skew their data criteria..according to the AMA (American Medical Association) and the ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) have "normal" range set as between 140 and 180 (blood glucose levels)...however, here, they say there is no "window"...it MUST be less than 120 to be considered "normal"!! So this may come back to bite my butt this Challenge, and I'll have to make some adjustments... This Challenge will be very similar to the last one...tracking my weight gain, being active, eating right, relaxing, and preparing for what is to come within the next 10 weeks (or so)...however, I'm adding drinking more water...I've noticed that I've been a little lax in that capacity, so I definitely need to work on that... I will also continue the same weekly increments I set up from my Lessons with Dr. Frankenstein 4WC at the start of the year, since those weekly increments keep me on track with my physical progressions. Although each of my weeks actually "start" on Wednesdays, I'll keep with the Sunday through Saturday schedule of the 4WC...so each of the 4 weeks will begin in one progression and end in the next...confused yet? I sure am... Once again, I'm not focusing on much of a theme...I don't have the time, and can't come up with one cute or clever enough... For now, I'm putting down some bare bones...I'll figure out grading scale (do or don't, pretty much), point allocations (based on new NF format), and rewards (besides getting healthier!) and add them in as necessary. I will try to update daily..hey, the key word here is "try"... Quest 1: Controlled Weight Gain... Although technically, I'm well under the "recommended" weight gain..(5 pounds in 29 weeks), but the Dr. says no worries...I'm healthy and the kid's healthy and that's what matters! However, I do need to make sure that I don't gain more than about 1 pound a week and definitely don't loose any, either!! So I'm just going to monitor my weight (which does fluctuate a bit due to occasional large meals and random bathroom inadequacies...) to make sure I don't gain too much too fast nor loose any. <1 point for each week on track> Week 29: 130.5 pounds Week 30: Week 31: Week 32: The Plan for Next Week: I'm going to weigh myself every morning when I get up...after I go to the bathroom (mainly cuz the kid ain't waiting for me!) and before I eat... Quest 2: Don't be a slug... As I get bigger, and the fatigue gets worse (and life gets in the way...), it would be easy to just be a bum and stay in a comfy position...However, that won't do me or the kid any good... I need to get up off my fat ass and do SOMETHING!! So, several things I had planned (hoped?) to do last Challenge didn't happen (or didn't happen as much as I would have liked...). However, some new things are coming about to make it easier to be more active... First of all, Bon O'Dori season is upon us..and once again I have signed up to participate! This will be my third (and final) year to do it (we will PCS before next Summer), so I'm going to take full advantage! Dance practice starts on the 14th, and will be every Tuesday, with performances in late July and August. This will be a once a week goal. <1 point> Second, the Outdoor Pool is now open on weekends, and will be open everyday starting on the 17th. This will (hopefully) inspire me to do better at my "Buoy Training"...I just hope they let me on the water slide! LOL! My goal here is to do this at least once a week. <1 point for each session> Last, but certainly not least, @Alexandrite sent me a great Prenatal Yoga video that she said did wonders for her! I plan to use it at least once a week! <1 point for each session> Last challenge, my goal was to clock at least 15 miles per week on my pedometer (non workout related), but I didn't do so well. It seems that using the handrail for balance (which becomes more and more "off" the bigger I get), or pushing a cart, or carrying something (a bag, arm purse, etc.) seems to keep my pedometer from registering those steps (my pedometer is part of my wrist watch). I've also noticed that when I'm sore or tired, my gait is a little off (I start to waddle more), which also throws off my pedometer... So this round, I may lower that goal to 10 miles per week (non-workout related), until I figure out how to account for all those steps my pedometer isn't counting... <1 point for 10 miles> So as it stands, I have three activity goals per week, plus 10 miles of "extra" walking on the pedometer...and of course there's always room for "extras", like outings, and I do want to work on doing my Belly Dance...I know it will be helpful in the weeks and months to come...I would like to at least try to do some modified Barre and Pilates, since they are both highly recommended. <1 point for each "extra"> Bon O'Dori Practice: <1 point each> Buoy Training: <1 point each> Prenatal Yoga: <1 point each> Extra: <1 point each> The Plan for Next Week: I'm going to attend the first Bon O'Dori Practice on Tuesday, do the Prenatal Yoga video, do Buoy Training (either at the indoor or outdoor gym), and keep up the pedometer tracking and extra walking. This Saturday, we have the JATA BBQ Party, so I figure between Friday and Saturday, I'll be doing a lot of moving and lifting! Quest 3: Necessities... As always, this one's easier said than done...I'm already pretty good about eating healthy and taking my meds with my meals...but I do forget sometimes...or I just don't want to eat when I'm feeling particularly queasy... And when I do eat, I can't eat much..no room with my tummy's downstairs neighbor vying for more living space! LOL! This may also get "evolved", depending on the Glucose Tolerance Test results... <1 point each day that meals and meds are covered> I need to increase my water...recommended is at least 64 oz per day...or 1/2 your body weight in ounces (which puts me currently at 65 1/4 oz). I do have limited precious space in my belly these days...so I may have some trouble getting all that water...much less increasing the amount as I gain weight!! My water bottle is my buddy...I carry it with me pretty much everywhere! It holds 20 oz, is very durable (metal) and keeps my water COLD!! So if I aim to drink three of them a day, that'll give my 60 oz of just water...I think that's pretty darn close enough (especially since we aren't counting tea, juice or milk...)! <1 point for 3 water bottles consumed (60 oz)> And speaking of the gizzard denizen...that's where sleep issues come into play as well...apparently my bedtime is it's party time!! Hell, lately, ALL the time is party time!! LOL!! We've been pretty lax about our bedtimes lately...especially during the week! So my goal is to go to bed at least 8 hours before I have to get up...so since the "regular" alarm goes off at 0600, I need to be in bed by 2200 (10 pm)...but I'm going to try to shoot for 2100 (9 pm), which will give me time to get into bed, situated and comfy (which gets more and more difficult as the days go by...)! <1 point for in bed no later than 8 hours before wake up/alarm> I've been OK about resting, putting my feet up and taking naps when I have the time...it does help...some. But I would like to get better about relaxing, resting and doing little things to pamper myself while I still can...like soaking in a tub, doing my nails, etc. <1 point each pampering activity> Food & Meds: <1 point each> 60+ oz of Water: <1 point each> 8-hour bedtime: <1 point each> Pampering: <1 point each> The Plan for Next Week: I'm going work on drinking more water, try to start fixing dinner earlier so I'm not eating so late, go to bed earlier each night (Hubby needs this one too!)...I will set my phone alarm to remind me when to start cooking dinner as well as gear for bed... I'm going to try to soak at least twice, and see if I can still reach my toes to give myself a pedicure (my toe nails are becoming talons!!)...and, of course, sit and rest with my feet up if I feel too tired or at least every evening after dinner to help reduce swelling in my feet and lower legs before I go to bed... Life Quest: The Clock is Ticking... Here's another repeat...and just like last Challenge, this one's interesting...this will include multiple aspects of preparation...laying the proverbial ground work so that either the action is one that can make life easier later or will provide proper information to be utilized at the appropriate time... One way to prepare is by registering for / taking a class, watching a video or reading a book/magazine/article about what's going on now, and how to prepare for what all happens in the coming stages! I do read the daily articles via the Baby Center and WTE apps on my iPad...but I'm not going to count each article, just that I've read them for the day. Maybe an "extra" point if I am able (and do) actively utilize the information. <1 point each "educational" activity> Another is meal prep...basically stocking the freezer with pre-prepared meals that are "heat and eat"...when I cook a meal that is freezer friendly, make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra for later. And since I cook healthy and from scratch, I know these will be exponentially better that what one might find in a store's freezer section!! I also means that when life gets painfully hectic (in more ways than one) once I get closer to the 40th weekly increment, I won't have to worry about cooking...or relying on Hubby's cooking! LOL! Towards the end of the last Challenge (end of May), our deep freezer had an "accident"...and we lost pretty much EVERYTHING...including ALL the pre-prepped freezer meals I had already done!! So, my ultimate goal is to have at least 30 pre-prepped freezer meals prior to Week 40...that's 10 meals per month (June, July and August)!! <1 point each meal prepped and in the freezer> One more preparation is in regards cleaning and organizing...We've got too much stuff here and our spare room is PACKED!! So for starters, I need to clear out clutter...sell, give away or trash what we don't need/want/love and ship home what we won't need in the next year. Next, organize the "stuff" we do need/use...especially the things that will be useful around the 40th weekly increment and after... I definitely got behind on this between the Freezer Fiascos and PCSing friends "gifting" what they couldn't (or didn't want to) take with them...so now I have even MORE to deal with!! <1 point for each decluttering/organizing activity> I still need to re-examine our budget (with Hubby) and plan for the upcoming expenses...and purchase what needs to be purchased in advance so it can be set up with time to spare before it becomes necessary...I like to have a little wiggle room (read relaxation) before the "have-tos" set in and take over! <1 point for each pertinent fiscal activity> ...and then there's the garden...this will be our last season in this house (PCS due by next Spring)...so I need to downsize what I've got. I also need to stay on top of my succession plantings and weeding so that by the time the 40th weekly increment comes along, it will be pretty much self-sustaining with minimal effort...just harvest and enjoy! And, like most everything else, I'm behind on... I may count the physical gardening as part of my activity "extra", and only the downsizing and organizing here...we'll see... <1 point each garden activity> Prep Work: <1 point each> The Plan for Next Week: There's still sooooo much to do!!! Take photos of stroller and model info... Follow up with company on the stroller/car seat research... Register for July Childbirth Class Confirm date and register for private Breastfeeding Class in July... Discuss and adjust budget with Hubby... Research Breastpumps... Order Breastpump... Add at least one Freezer Fodder Meal to the Weekly Menu... Finish Beef Bone Broth & Freeze... Package and Freeze Chicken Bone Broth... Clear off DR table from friends' PCS "gifting"... Remove JATA "Summer" party supplies & decor from storage room, distribute at BBQ, and trash what no one takes... Work in garden (doubles as activity)... Post sale items on Base Craigslist... Work in Project Room to clear some space... Work on Calendar Pages... Continue NF updates... Finish NF Character Sheet... Support the Assassin's Guild: ~ No Power In The 'Verse Can Stop Us ~ Mini Challenge I may not be as able-bodied as I used to be, but that doesn't matter...I'm here to support my guild!! This Mini's theme is Firefly..which is amuising since Hubby and I just started re-watching the show! LOL! These are always a do or don't, which includes posting and updates as necessary. I'm just hoping I can keep up!! So this week's mini is to choose berthing (sign the "crew" roster) and learn the ship's layout by wandering around (walk or run for a crew cumulative of 100 miles). That's easy enough...I don't know if I'll have the time to go for any formal walks (no way I can "run" while smuggling this beach ball! LOL!)...but I'm sure I can put a dent in the crews required mileage!l Welcome Abooard the Assassin's Pride! Week 1 Mini: Find a Berth and Settle In - Walk/Run: Week 2 Mini: #2: - Goal: Week 3 Mini: #3: - Goal: Week 4 Mini: #4: - Goal: Et Al... No PvPs or Accountabillibuddies, but I have been able to sign up for the Guild Mini this time!! I'm also going to try to be better at lurking, um, I mean, supporting...yeah, supporting Alexandrite and black_daquiri. They are great at giving me pointers and suggestions to help me along the path they have tread before me, I want to do my best to cheer them on as they go the road ahead! I also want to do a Weekly Inspiration...perhaps a little less Fibro, and more to remind me that all this "suffering" is worth it...

Themeless Confusions... OK, so after an unscheduled hiatus, I'm returning to Nerd Fitness to try to get a better handle on the fitness side of the hiccups called life... While I figure out the new format and all the changes that have happened in the forums and with the Challenges, please bear with my renewed newbieness! Since I first joined the Rebellion at NF, my fitness interests (as well as abilities and recommendations from having Fibromyalgia) were kinda across the board...but I quickly found my niche with the Assassins Guild. Despite the recent changes to the Guild classifications, I'm still pretty much all over the place; however, I still consider myself to be an Assassin rather than categorized as an Adventurer. With the new changes to NF, there have been major changes to my world...which intimately impact my fitness abilities (and allowances per Dr's approval)!! Sadly, many of the things I enjoyed about being an Assassin (like Parkour) are now on my no-no list... And to make matters even more complicated, I'm in a place (US Military Duty Station) that does not support the members of the local population in the same predicament as I am (which, ironically, is about 1/8 of the base denizens!!)! So, in addition to figuring out the new NF Rebellion formats, I'm having to figure out what & how I'm going to work "appropriate and Dr approved" fitness back into my life!! I'm going to break down each week of the challenge by continuing the same weekly increments I set up from my Lessons with Dr. Frankenstein 4WC at the start of the year, since those weekly increments keep me on track with my physical progressions. Although each of my weeks actually "start" on Wednesdays, I'll keep with the Monday through Sunday schedule of the 4WC...so each of the 4 weeks will begin in one progression and end in the next...confused yet? For this go around, I'm going themeless...kinda can't think of one that's currently applicable anyway...I may resurrect my last challenge theme next go around...we'll see. Also, I'm just putting down some bare bones for now...I'll figure out grading scale (do or don't, pretty much), point allocations (based on new NF format), and rewards (besides getting healthier!) and edit them in later. Quest 1: Healthy and Adequate Weight Gain... OK, so in pretty much all of my past 6WCs, I was always looking at weight/inch loss. However, I can no longer do that...because I'm actually SUPPOSED to gain weight!! But I'm supposed to gain it slowly and steadily. However, in the last 25 weeks, I have only gained 2 pounds instead of the recommended average of 17 pounds!! At my last checkup, the Dr. said not to worry about it because I'm eating well and we are both healthy. But I do need to make sure that I don't gain more than about 1 pound a week and definitely don't loose any, either!! So I'm just going to monitor my weight (which does fluctuate a bit due to occasional large meals and random bathroom inadequacies...) to make sure I don't gain too much too fast nor loose any. Week 24: 127.5 pounds Week 25: Week 26: Week 27: Quest 2: Find something to do... OK, so I need to find things that are Preggo-friendly and then actually DO them!! Walking, Swimming and Prenatal Yoga are on the OK list...however walking without a destination is boring, I'm not much of a swimmer (and there's no water aerobics class available), and while I'm fine with doing yoga, I'm a bit nervous about doing it sans instructor (no prenatal yoga here either!). So each week I need to do some homework/research to figure out something that I'll be allowed to do and then do it! Right now, I want to clock at least 15 miles per week on my pedometer...non workout related...which means parking at the farthest part of the parking lot, taking the stairs when able...basically...don't be a slug...LOL! There's lots of info out there touting the pregnancy benefits of swimming, but as I said before, I'm not much of a swimmer. So I'm going to "play" in the water...not much for swimming laps, but I could probably walk in the chest level water for resistance...heck, even just "bopping around" will be doing something! I'll go and pick the brains of the people I meet for ideas and suggestions..who knows, maybe I'll find something fun about it...I need at least 30 minutes of this each time I do it. Walking is another recommended activity...one that I tend to find pretty boring...well, unless I'm going somewhere or am walking around enjoying something (a garden, park, museum, etc)...but walking around my neighborhood (or on a treadmill) for walking's sake....BLAH!! But I do have a friend who suggested that we walk the golf course together...hmmmm...has potential. This also has the 30 minute time frame. I want to get back into my Belly Dance practice...it has lots of core, abdominal and pelvic floor advantages..but I'm out of practice. I need to get back into this. Again, at least 30 minutes per session... I also need to work on some Prenatal Yoga...I've already done some research, now I just need to apply it. Yup, you guessed it...30 minutes is the goal. Modified Barre and Pilates are also recommended...need to do more research and play with it a bit...30 mins per session... Hubby read Steve's article about the Green Arrow Workout and wants to try it out once his PRT is over (on Friday)...he also wants me (and others, if he can persuade them) to do it with him! LOL! Well, it looks like I should be able to do the Intro (beginner) level...at least for a while...so I'll try it and see if it's doable...at least until my bump gets in the way... So right there, that's something for every day of the week! Plus a few extras to mix it up! I'll figure out how often, but I'm thinking that I need to do something at least 3 times a week for starters... Quest 3: Eat, Sleep and Pamper... This one's gonna be easier said than done...I'm already pretty good about eating healthy and taking my meds with my meals...but I do forget sometimes...or I just don't want to eat when I'm feeling particularly queasy... And when I do eat, I can't eat much..no room with my tummy's downstairs neighbor vying for more living space! LOL! And speaking of the gizzard denizen...that's where sleep issues come into play as well...apparently my bedtime is it's party time!! LOL!! I've been OK about resting, putting my feet up and taking naps when I have the time...it does help...some. But I would like to get better about relaxing, resting and doing little things to pamper myself while I still can... I'm not too sure on how I'm gonna work this one...need to ponder it a bit more, I think... Life Quest: Prepare for the Inevitable... This one's gonna be interesting...this will include multiple aspects of preparation...laying the proverbial ground work so that either the action is one that can make life easier later or will provide proper information to be utilized at the appropriate time... One way to prepare is by taking a class, watching a video or reading a book/magazine/article about what's going on now, and how to prepare for what all happens in the coming stages! Another is meal prep...basically stocking the freezer with pre-prepared meals that are "heat and eat"...when I cook a meal that is freezer friendly, make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra for later. And since I cook healthy and from scratch, I know these will be exponentially better that what one might find in a store's freezer section!! I also means that when life gets painfully hectic (in more ways than one) once I get closer to the 40th weekly increment, I won't have to worry about cooking...or relying on Hubby's cooking! LOL! One more preparation regards cleaning and organizing...We've got too much stuff here and our spare room is PACKED!! So for starters, I need to clear out clutter...sell, give away or trash what we don't need/want/love and ship home what we won't need in the next year. Next, organize the "stuff" we do need/use...especially the things that will be useful around the 40th weekly increment and after... I also need to re-examine our budget and plan for the upcoming expenses...and purchase what needs to be purchased in advance so it can be set up with time to spare before it becomes necessary...I like to have a little wiggle room (read relaxation) before the "have-tos" set in and take over! ...and then there's the garden...this will be our last season in this house (PCS due by next Spring)...so I need to downsize what I've got. I also need to stay on top of my succession plantings and weeding so that by the time the 40th weekly increment comes along, it will be pretty much self-sustaining with minimal effort...just harvest and enjoy! Et Al... I normally wrap up my quests with any "extras" I'm planning on doing...Guild Minis, PvPs, Accountabilibuddies...but I'm not sure what, or even if, I'm going to do anything additional this go around. I've already got a lot on my plate, both personally and with the 4WC... I'll just have to see..

I've always had irregular periods due to being underweight most of my life but I am a little worried after this last period. I've just gained 4 pounds after a week of eating the calories i'm supposed to and working out. My period came early after 3 weeks which is normal for me but it only lasted for barley 2 days! I've never had a period that short and it kind of worries me if something is wrong. My mother says cysts on the tubes runs in the family (I cant remember the exact "doctor terminology" atm) pretty much they can keep me from getting pregnant and may require surgery if they are big enough. After 5 years with my hubby and no pregnancy I know I should get things checked out. I've always worried about my period just stopping due to being underweight and that's one of the main reasons why I've kicked my butt in gear reach a healthy weight. It's funny how all my friends and sister are on their 2nd or 3rd child and I've yet to have one. I overthink things a lot and worry about how my health affects my ability to have a child. I'm only 21 so I know I have time (hopefully) but any knowledge on this would be much appreciated.

Hey guys! This is my 4th pregnancy fitness challenge. I did ok last challenge. I really messed up on my diet last month and ate out way too much. So this time around, I'm going to be focusing on what I'm eating by eating a salad each day. I'm also going from working out 3 days a week to 5. As of right now, I am in the beginning of my third trimester. I've started making plans for what I'm going to do after the baby is born. I have bought a new pair of workout shorts and plan on joining the local Planet Fitness within a month or two of her being born. (I'm giving myself some wiggle room based on soreness and a possibly grumpy baby). Also, my birthday is at the end of the month! So I'm going to try to make this challenge as fun as possible for me. I'm going to give myself a bit of wiggle room on my birthday, so if I have a bit of sweets I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I've been doing a bit of birthday shopping, and all of it is health or fitness related. I can't seem to get enough workout gear. Lol, I guess that's a good problem when you're trying to adapt a healthier lifestyle. Goals: 1. Eating for Two: I am doing much better with my diet- as long as I don't eat out- so my overall dietary goals have changed. The current goal is to limit eating out once or twice per week and eat 1 salad per day. 2. Exercising for Two: My husband has decided to join me in exercising! We both want to be healthier when the baby arrives. So the current goal is to exercise 5 days a week. I will be walking with him 3-5 days a week and doing yoga 2 days a week. I get the weekend off. I'm not allowed to exercise then (unless I want to take a different day off). 3. Rediscover My Love of Cooking: I used to love cooking. Overtime, I began to feel overwhelmed and grew to hate cooking. I actually stopped cooking for a long time. When I started eating Paleo, I started cooking for myself and enjoyed it. But I hate cooking for anyone else. I recently read an interesting article where families cooked meals together and it sounded really fun. It's hard to feel overwhelmed when you're sharing the responsibility. So my current goal is to cook 4 meals with my husband. 4. Have Fun: Sometimes I get so focused on what I need to do that I stress myself out. I need to take at least one day a week to sit back and have fun for a few hours. I can do this by reading, playing games, or watching tv for 1-2 hours. 5. No Phones After Midnight: I have trouble sleeping. There are several factors I can't control (heartburn, baby moving) but there are some that I can. I have decided that I am not allowed to use my phone after 11:30pm. I can put it on the charger but I can't touch it until the next morning. 6. Slay the Dragon of Social Anxiety: This one is getting a bit harder to work on. Talking to people I don't know at the store has gotten easier. The problem I have now is that there are certain situations I try to avoid, like public speaking or speaking in front of a group. It doesn't matter if it's a group of strangers or friends, I seem to always clam up. So I guess the goal is to go to my friends' house and play DnD once this month. They tend to have games that run until the wee morning hours, so I need to pick one that isn't going to keep me up too late.

This is my 3rd pregnancy fitness challenge. I'm overweight and want to have a healthy pregnancy. Over the next 4 weeks, I will be tested for gestational diabetes. I don't know if I have it or not. I've been trying to make sure I eat healthy foods and don't eat much sugary, sweet desserts. Although there have been weeks where I have eaten 3 desserts. Until my "sugar test," I am going to eat healthy with little to no sweets. If I pass, I'll continue eating the same way I've eaten for the majority of my pregnancy. If I fail, I'll be put on a stricter diet and have to monitor my blood sugar. All of my goals are being carried over from my last challenge. I didn't quite meet my goals last time. Part of this was because I was sick and life span crazily out of control, but the main reason I didn't meet my goals was that I didn't prioritize things correctly. This time around, I'm going to work on being more focused on getting things done. Goals: 1. Eating for Two: Since I am no longer eating for just one person, I need to make smart, healthy decisions about what I put into my body. I have to get a good balance of vegetables, fruit, dairy, and protein so that the baby develops properly. I also need to watch my sugar intake due to my family's history with gestational diabetes. At the end of each day, I am expected to have eaten: 1-2 servings of fruit, 2-3 cups of veggies, 3 servings of dairy, and 3 servings of protein. 2. Exercising for Two: I need to workout a minimum 30 minutes of 3x a week. My current goal is to get used to exercising 3x a week for a few minutes and then work my way up from there. By the end of this month, I expect to be able to do 3 15-minute workouts a week. I will be alternating between yoga and walking for my workouts. 3. Rediscover My Love of Cooking: I used to love cooking. Overtime, I began to feel overwhelmed and grew to hate cooking. I actually stopped cooking for a long time. When I started eating Paleo, I started cooking for myself and enjoyed it. But I hate cooking for anyone else. I recently read an interesting article where families cooked meals together and it sounded really fun. It's hard to feel overwhelmed when you're sharing the responsibility. So my current goal is to cook 4 meals with my husband. 4. Have Fun: Sometimes I get so focused on what I need to do that I stress myself out. I need to take at least one day a week to sit back and have fun for a few hours. I can do this by reading, playing games, or watching tv for 1-2 hours. 5. No Phones After Midnight: I have trouble sleeping. There are several factors I can't control (heartburn, baby moving) but there are some that I can. I have decided that I am not allowed to use my phone after 11:30pm. I can put it on the charger but I can't touch it until the next morning. 6. Slay the Dragon of Social Anxiety: Leave the house once a week without my husband. Bonus: Engage people I don't know in conversation 4 times. 7. Get a New Ride: This one is probably going to be a long process. I need to replace my dying Ford Expedition. I have to research vehicles until I find one that is safe, roomy, and doesn't have a lot of severe problems (example: transmission, battery, or motor fails and must be replaced frequently). If it "looks ugly" but runs fine, I'll be happy. Current goal is to test drive 3 cars & debate which one works best for my family.