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Hey y'all! I'm Jen. I'm a game designer and game writer by day. I've done work on board games, LARPs, adventure games, and more. I've realized lately that I've stopped exercising and being careful about my food habits, and recently got diagnosed with Lyme disease. I'm going to beat it, but I'll beat it faster if I can get active and start cutting sugar, so I joined this lovely community! I'm in the east bay near San Francisco, California for the next two months, before I move up to my partner in suburban seattle. I can't exercise by myself; I find it too boring and I struggle to motivate myself. I'm looking for folk here with connections to the local LARP community who might also be interested in some fun in-character training montages. The way I see it, if I disguise exercise as pretendy-fun times, I can trick myself into liking it again. I'm here to learn from this great community, and I'm excited to see where I go! Feel free to reply or message if you have any info or advice! Jen

Hello! I'm Jen. I'm a professional game designer/game writer. I've done work on visual novels, adventure games, LARPS, board games, and a bunch of other stuff. After years of glancing at this website, I've finally joined! I've slowly stopped exercising and thinking intelligently about what food I'm putting in my mouth, and in the last year we discovered I'm fighting an auto-immune disease. The good news is it's very treatable and I'm on track to be symptom free, but I'm now in the process of re-evaluating how to approach getting healthier again. The biggest thing I need to do more of right now is exercise - preferrably 3-4 times a week. I honestly hate exercise by myself. I've tried doing things on a treadmill or youtube videos on the internet by myself, and it's rough. I need an activity I can do with a community. I'm looking for a LARP community in east bay near san francisco that I can join. I'm open to combat training, dancing, stretches. I just want to do exercise in a community of people, with a purpose. I don't know if in character training sessions are a thing, but that's something I'm totally down for. The only down side is that I'm only in the SF bay area for about two months, before I move to the seattle area with my partner, but I want to start building healthy habits and a make LARP community connections now to make that transition easier. Thanks so much for any of your insight! Jen

"The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed." - The Gunslinger by Stephen King [Work in Progress, would like to expand on this theme, add pics, etc...] I am starting over. I had attempted a few challenges before...even succeeded at a couple, but fell off the last two and then didn't even try for awhile. Once upon a time, I was in decent shape despite being overweight still. I don't remember how much I weighed, but I looked good in pictures for the most part. Now...not so much. Getting older, 32 now, I can feel the wear and tear on my body from being this overweight. Add in high blood pressure, getting cases of gout, and some injuries...and it's hitting me more than just needing to get in shape...it's about improving myself/my life. After being away for so long, both in challenges and being in better health, I need to start over...start fresh...so here I am in Rebels Like Roland's quest to the Dark Tower, I have a long way to go...and not an easy one. Main Quest: Ascend the Tower Work out at least 3-4 times a week - Workouts will consist of mixing up days of hearty cardio and strength training. ​​ ​Cardio - 30min on Elliptical at good pace for Cardio with 30min brisk walk on treadmill Strength - mix of different arm/upper body workouts with mostly free weights, only machine will be the assisted pull up machine Notes: I know treadmill would be better, but had a small knee injury a little while back and should probably take it easy on it until some weight comes off...same with doing much leg strength workouts. Will work them in future challenges. Maintain Healthy Diet Breakfast - try to eat something healthy and small, i.e. fruit, every day Lunch and Dinner - at least 6 lunches/ 6 dinner a week to be veggies/fruit and protein, 1 "semi-freebie lunch/dinner" Beer - Limit 2 pints (36 oz) a week, but will try for none. I have an beer event on Feb 7th that will be a lot of beer, am a home brewer, working on my certified beer server certification, and I have my own bar in my garage as a social setting for friends, I cannot give it up completely. But I can definitely cut back. The beer event will need to have sometime of counter-balance to have a shot at an A. Maybe some weeks of 7 healthy days, no beer weeks to save up for it, extra workouts/activities Snacks/Sweets - No more than 1 per week, minimal amount, i.e. small bag of gummi bears. Will strive for 0 though. Do at least 1 physical activity per week - hiking, kayaking, riding a bike, bowling, etc...just something to get out and not be a lazy couch potato. An extra workout/cardio day can suffice if nothing else is present. Life Quest: Cleaning the Tower This will take on two stages: physical and financial. Physical - Keep my house and bar clean. Single living out along the coast far enough away from friends makes me lazy in keeping my place clean. This needs to stop and I need to keep better care...who knows when I'll have someone coming over without much notice. Dishes - to be done regularly, not more letting them sit in the sink for days Take out the trash - food trash wasn't really a problem, but boxes from Amazon and stuff compiled. Laundry - stop waiting until necessary to do so. I have a washer/dryer in my condo, should be done once washer is full Clothes in dresser or hung up. Again, single bachelor living had clothes hung on chairs or over the couch. Time to be an "adult" haha Financial - Xmas gifts, new tires on my car, property tax payment, etc...need to pay these off and reduce CC balance. Reduce unnecessary expenses and pay off as much as the CC balance as I can Be a smarter and healthier shopper. Need to find ways to reduce grocery costs and eating out costs. Luckily eating out less will help and not buying crap food will too. Motivation: Self-Improvement I've been given signs that I cannot continue the path I have been going down...the extra weight is having physical ramifications to my health. It is also affecting me mentally in that I am often doubt myself and my what I am doing with my life...and while losing weight will not solve all of this issue, it should help. I think I need to get in a better physical shape and then start working internally. Grading: A - Workout 3-4 times a week, eat healthy 6 days a week with breakfast everyday, 1 physical activity per week - beer/snacks allowance maintained B - Miss 3 workouts, eat healthy 5 days a week, beer/snacks maintained C - Miss 5 workouts, eat healthy 4 days a week, 1 extra allowance of beer/snacks D - Miss 6 workouts, eat healthy 4 days a week, 2 extra allowances of beer/snacks F - Miss more than 6 workouts, eat healthy 3 days a week or less, more than 2 allowances of beer/snacks Bonus - If I do not take any snacks/sweets, and net less than 192 oz of beer (32oz x 6 weeks) including the beer event (which I will approximate the amount of ounces). If this is achieved, I will treat myself to a nice Nerd Fitness t-shirt! Notes: if anyone in the SF Bar area wants to get together for activities to help stay active, I am more than happy to meet up.