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I have plenty of things to clean up this challenge. I am happy to report that I made a good start during Zero week. Goals: 1. Clear out my mind. Sit zen every day. Preferably 30 minutes, but at least 10 minutes. It does not matter how late it gets, sit zen before going to bed. If I do stay up too late, taking the time to calm my mind will help me sleep. I did this last challenge and it is making a difference. My mind is not back to normal, but it is better than it was. Maybe I will find a different new normal. Keep moving in that direction. 2. Clean up my eating. I have a huge emotional resistance to restricting what I eat, but I am fine with intermittent fasting. I can also work on having fruit before having other types of sweets. 3. Assorted cleaning tasks. This includes regular chores, since those still need to get done too. Finish things up, put things away, sort things, get rid of things, raking, garden clean-out, it all counts. Extra points for dealing with things that have been sitting in piles for a long time. __________________________________________________ Zero Week report This past week was extremely busy at work. On top of planned time off and project time, a different person called in sick every day. I was covering for the person on vacation, plus filling in for people who were out sick. I mostly kept my head above water. I am sure that I missed some things that will come around to bite me this week. I could have tried to get the older stuff done first, but that would just mean that different things would have been left waiting. I hope I won't find too much waiting for me on Monday. I went to aikido on Monday, Wednesday, practice with my weapons partner on Thursday, and an all-day seminar on Saturday. I went with my chief instructor to the seminar. There were seven hours of classes with six different instructors. It was a friendship seminar, which means the instructors came from dojos with different affiliations. For those not familiar with aikido, there are numerous different flavors. The founder of the art died in 1969. He had a bunch of senior students that settled all over the world. Most of them set up their own organizations. Some were on speaking terms with each other, some were not. Almost all of that first generation have now passed away. A lot of American students are wondering just why instructors of the art of harmony were not able to get along with each other. People are working to form connections and learn insights from other lineages. Physically, I did better than I expected with training all day. By the end of class #6 my brain was full. My sensei was worn out by the beginning of class 6. We left early. It was a 90 minute drive, so we left home at 7:00am and were glad to get back by 7:30pm. This week I plan to train on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. That is plenty. Spring Cleaning I scrubbed the couch again with Citrasolv and vinegar. I think that took out the last of the cat pee smell. At least, it covered it with orange scent. Used leather cleaner/conditioner on the couch. Maybe it looks a little better. It has been scrubbed at least four times now. Really, it is as clean as it is going to get. I hope we don't need to replace it. Washed three loads laundry Packed up Wensleydale yarn and put it back in the garage. I got it out a couple months ago when I thought I would use it for my next knitting project. I decided to do a different knitting project next, so this can wait where it belongs. Finished spinning blue merino/silk singles. I thought I bought four ounces of roving, but it does not look like that much on the bobbin. I will wind it off and weigh it later. Cleaned and oiled spinning wheel. Went through my fiber stash to pick my next spinning project. Rediscovered fiber that I bought a long time ago. Some of that will be great to use in blends on my drum carder. I chose a bag of silver-grey alpaca that I forgot I had. I picked it up at a stash sale after my friend Kathy from spinning passed away. I am going to blend it with silk for strength. Getting out the silk involved more cleaning. I went through the books stacked on top of my steamer trunk and dresser. Four of them are not mine and can be put away elsewhere. I had to take everything off the top of the steamer trunk to open it and get out bag of silk roving. In doing so, I discovered a solid line of dust bunnies behind the steamer trunk. I vacuumed those up (plus the rest of the bedroom floor). I now know what is in the piles on top of the steamer trunk (but have no clue what to do with them). Scrubbed the kitchen sink, stovetop and counters. Normal weekend chores. Elf did a LOT of cooking. They batch cooked asparagus, green beans with almonds and garlic, roasted potatoes and braised pork shoulder. The kitchen was only clean for half an hour, but it was totally worth it. I said I would make cookies, but that is going to wait until tomorrow.

Mistr just keeps swimming I made it through the first 11 months of the pandemic in pretty good emotional shape. We'll just ignore the stress eating for the moment. Now things are piling up and I am not coping as well. The main problem is that work is crazy busy. This is not just me, I've heard the same comment from several other people on my team. We are trying to fill an open position, but that is not really the problem. Our staffing level is decent because no one is on vacation this time of year. The cause seems to be that our customers are all working hard and want help from us. I need to put in extra time to deal with all the requests, and worry about dropping the ball for someone. My goal for the year was to keep up with things at work so that I don't feel stressed out and guilty about it. That has not been going well at all. In normal times I would get stress relief from aikido. That is not happening now. Sure there are zoom classes, but they do not involve the thumping and flinging that makes a difference. Even in pandemic times my partner Dumbledore and I usually go for walks. My BFF and I go hiking. The weather has been too to do that for the last couple weeks. Right now I can face doing yoga and zen. I'm doing some knitting and spinning and playing lots of games on my phone. My goal for this challenge is to just keep doing as many of the good things as I can. On busy days that might be just putting away the clean dishes. That's okay. I just need to keep it together until spring.

I want to take this challenge to set up improved habits for the year. The world is going to change a lot this year, and I want to be in a good place to adapt to those changes. I was thinking I was coming up with new goals, but here is what I wrote in January last year: My goals for this year are more for fine tuning and continuous improvement rather than major changes. I want to improve in aikido and zen. I’m always going to want to keep moving up along those paths. I want to include more strength training and cardio in my exercise program because I’m at the age where decline is a real concern. My biggest challenges are dealing with the tedious and unpleasant tasks at home and at work. Goal 1: Stay on top of the tedious task at work. It is not so bad if I do a little a couple times a week. I just got caught up this week and want to keep it that way. Goal 2: Stay on top of our financial situation at home. Dumbledore and I are going to meet quarterly to look at how we are doing and what we need to modify. I need to have the data together for those meetings. He takes care of the daily bills, I take care of the long term data analysis (at least I should be doing that). Schedule a two-hour block every weekend to get the info together and keep it going. Doing this will eliminate my stress about not knowing where we are at. Bonus goal: Read I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. I bought the book months ago and started it, but felt too guilt about my financial situation to read advice on how to fix it. Stupid, but true. Things have gotten better recently and I could use some tips. Exercise A. Alternate yoga and strength training. Last challenge I alternated kettlebells and a NF pushup challenge. I missed the yoga. I like turkish get-ups (TGUs) and part of the push-up routine. I will make up my own plan with a rotation of exercises. I just got a set of resistance bands so I can expand the range of things I can do. The NF Journey app uses an A/B workout plan with a rest day in between. Yoga will be on rest days. B. Cardio one day a week. In the before times, I got a lot of cardio taking falls and getting up in aikido. That is not happening now. It is rare for me to do something that gets my heart rate up. We have a treadmill. Dumbledore walks on it a lot. Treadmills make me nervous and I've never used it. Time for me to get past that. It is snowy winter here, I can look forward to outside cardio in the spring. I will do walking interval training every weekend. One day a week is not much, but it is better than I have been doing. Zen Sit every day, even just 5 minutes. The ideal is to sit 30 minutes before work. Some days I manage that and other days I say I'll do it later. My follow-through on doing it later is lousy. Keep using the NF Journey app to remind me. Every day is more important than a long time, with the understanding that more is better. Better food choices I have put on 15 pounds over the last year. My reasons are probably the same as everyone else's. I am going to eat more veggies and fruit and cut back on snacks and sweets. The thought of eliminating sweets makes me want to rebel and eat all the treats, so I'm not going to set a limit. Substituting an orange for a cookie is a win. I've done well before on limiting myself to treats that I cook. I might try that as soon as we get the holiday sweets out of the house. continued from last challenge Just One Thing My ongoing challenge is having too many things I want or need to do, and not enough time to do them. This is not new. The pandemic has not even made it worse. My work goes through cycles of good times when we are fully staffed and busy times when we are short-handed. Early this fall things were getting better as a new person was trained in, then someone else left. So it goes. The major change for me is that I'm now working from home and not practicing aikido. Aikido is a full-contact martial art and zoom classes are not working for me. I also miss the group strength training classes I did at work. I don't have any commuting time but my stress relief is not there either. You would think that I'd have more time with no commute and no classes, but it has not worked out that way. I often feel overwhelmed by all the things I need to do. My goal for this challenge is to pick one thing and do it. If something more important comes up I can put down the thing. Otherwise, keep working on that without distraction until it is at a resting place. I can pick whatever I like on the moment to do. Sometimes that will be a high priority task, sometimes it will be a task that has been waiting, sometimes it will be a fun recharging activity. No judgement. I acknowledge that not everything can possibly fit in the time I have. I need to step back and take a hard look at the things I want to do - do I really want to spend time cooking that thing? Which house project will make the most difference to get done this weekend? Can I ask my family for help or should I really do this myself? Give myself permission to take down time and do fun things. I am not going to get "caught up" and have free time. I just have time. I can choose what to do. Sometimes staring at the ceiling and not doing anything is the right choice. Perspective instead of guilt. In a perfect world I would exercise, sit zen, eat lots of vegetables, be productive and get enough sleep every day. I need to work on making good choices and owning them rather than feeling guilty when I can't do what I "should". I get credit for each thing I get done.

Mistr does just one thing - Festivus 2020 I am late to the party because my work has been insanely busy. I've been composing this in my head for weeks and just now am sneaking in some time to write it down. In November I went on a 16 day road trip. Definitely an adventure rather than a vacation. However, it did give me a lot of time away from my usual responsibilities to think about things. I think I may have found a clue. Just One Thing My ongoing challenge is having too many things I want or need to do, and not enough time to do them. This is not new. The pandemic has not even made it worse. My work goes through cycles of good times when we are fully staffed and busy times when we are short-handed. Early this fall things were getting better as a new person was trained in, then someone else left. So it goes. The major change for me is that I'm now working from home and not practicing aikido. Aikido is a full-contact martial art and zoom classes are not working for me. I also miss the group strength training classes I did at work. I don't have any commuting time but my stress relief is not there either. You would think that I'd have more time with no commute and no classes, but it has not worked out that way. I often feel overwhelmed by all the things I need to do. My goal for this challenge is to pick one thing and do it. If something more important comes up I can put down the thing. Otherwise, keep working on that without distraction until it is at a resting place. I can pick whatever I like on the moment to do. Sometimes that will be a high priority task, sometimes it will be a task that has been waiting, sometimes it will be a fun recharging activity. No judgement. I acknowledge that not everything can possibly fit in the time I have. I need to step back and take a hard look at the things I want to do - do I really want to spend time cooking that thing? Which house project will make the most difference to get done this weekend? Can I ask my family for help or should I really do this myself? Give myself permission to take down time and do fun things. I am not going to get "caught up" and have free time. I just have time. I can choose what to do. Sometimes staring at the ceiling and not doing anything is the right choice. Perspective instead of guilt. In a perfect world I would exercise, sit zen, eat lots of vegetables, be productive and get enough sleep every day. I need to work on making good choices and owning them rather than feeling guilty when I can't do what I "should". I get credit for each thing I get done. We are almost at the end of week one and I have been applying this strategy. So far it is working really well. I am have been mostly keeping up at work with less stress than normal. That still is a lot of stress, but I know what worse looks like. Cast of characters for those new to my challenges

After a very stressful (AND SUCCESSFUL - HELL YEAH THIS ASSASSIN IS GOING TO LAW SCHOOL) last challenge, I'm going to try to keep this one simple and relatively easy to follow. Here it goes: 8 sessions of Krav Maga (2/8) 10 Cardio Sessions (11/10) 8 Body Weight/Weight Lifting Sessions (7/8) 25 Handstand Sessions (4/25) 25 Meals made at home (22/25) 30 Meditation Sessions (15/30) 25 Flexibility Sessions (6/25) Go through closet and donate clothes (0/1) Start packing to move (0/1)

Hello! I am a French nerd, living in Belgium. I am not new here but I set my last challenge a while ago! Today, I weight 89 k (about 196 pounds) and I am already hitting the gym at least 3 times a week (thanks to a personal trainer). I said goodbye to 20 pounds in the past 4 months. I would like to keep up the good work, especially with my eating habits for which I definitely could use accountabilty. Why do I need help? I spend the last 3 weeks eating unhealthy food. I am not making a big deal of it because I understood why this happened. However, it's not a behaviour that will help achieve my goals. So I just want to go back to the healthy habits I developped in order to ultimately reach the goal of being light! I need accountability because I don't have real life friends who like working out, or who are paying attention to what they eat. I hope that I'll be able to find the support that I need here in the forums! My long-term goal I would like to wear a eur size 40 (I am at a size 44 now) and weight 79 kg (175) and sustain it. I want to be light in my head, in my body and in my heart. My challenge goal : I'd like to lose 4 kilos and most importantly, my challenge will be a success if I managed to eat paleo 80 % of the time ! (aka 2 non-paleo meals a week) Goal 1 : Journaling 4 days a week It's important for me to voice out whatever I feel and think for my mental sanity. I've been doing this for the past 15 days, everyday and I see how beneficial it has been for me. So I want to keep it this way. Since I tend to eat when things are not going the way I want, I choose to insert journaling as a fitness goals. Goal 2 : Follow my paleo eating plan and no snacking I created a plan with healthy snacks around 16 or 17 if I am hungry (mainly carrots and veggie dips). I am allowed to 2 exceptions a week if I want. Kryptonite : my thoughts and the lack of accountabilty. So I really need you guys! Goal 3 : Accomplish 2 BW training sessions and 2 cardio Actually, my secret goal is to move my body as much as I can. I bike to place, and I intend to find a dance/body expression class I could join because I feel that my body needs this. However, I chose to keep up the exercise session at the gym because they make me happy. Life Goal : Read the book Better Person - Gretchen rubin This book has very interesting insights on how we form habits and most importantly, how to sustain them! I think that it's a good read for this challenge I will update tomorrow with measures ! Looking forward to reading your challenges!

This is Harry Hart (aka: Galahad): He's a member of the not so secret service called the Kingsman and he's recruited me to join their ranks. But first - I have to make it through training. This is where we will be training: The rest of my group are pompous arses so we won't talk about them. There are multiple parts to becoming a spy: etiquette, work ethic, intelligence gathering, and physical ability. Manners Maketh Man: Luckily, I was actually required to take etiquette classes when I was young, so I don't need much in the way of this. Take the Initiative: Some missions will require work that is... unsavory and comes with lots of paperwork. Paperwork is dull but necessary. Just because it isn't fun and glamorous doesn't mean you don't have to do it. Focus on getting work accomplished, even if it isn't enjoyable. Moving forward can only happen if you have the right skills to back it up. Intelligence Gathering: Study up. Physical Ability: Hand to hand, running from explosions, keeping your head when in pain. All three (and more) are skills needed to become a Kingsman agent. These can be learned through proper training and focus, but all require a level of physical ability beyond the norm. Build the body and the skills will develop. Let the training commence.

This time around I will be keeping my categories the same and making some small adjustment to the specific goals. Last challenge went well overall while leaving plenty of room for improvement. Zero week was a week of lazy (I also worked 3 days so lazy in the sense of working out). I am recharged and ready to take on this challenge. 1. DON'T BE LAZY As I mentioned last challenge, I like watching TV and reading and playing with my dog way more than running or going to the gym. Last challenge I was able to hit met goals on a consistent basis and actually did much more exercise than planned. I feel good about this. I want to continue to work on my RWRing. I want to incorporate some weight training back into my routine. I have plenty of time and a variety of weights at home. I also have plenty of excuses so this could be a challenge. Goal 1. Exercise at least 3-4x/week Goal 2. Run at least 2x/week (aiming for one run to be RWR) Goal 3. Lift things at least 3x/week. This will include squats and at least one ab exercise. Other than that I will be using this challenge to work on establishing a routine that I can stick with. It might take some trial and error. 2. DON'T EAT LIKE AN A**HOLE My diet was better this past challenge. I ate better food I just ate too much of it. I managed to log most everything in MFP including my exercise. This is what contributed to my eating more calories than I should have (albeit of healthy food). This time around I will note my exercise in MFP rather than log it so the calories won't be adjusted. I am back on the wagon in regards to candy. I had one slip up but otherwise stuck to this goal which I will be keeping. I would be lying if I said that I am not more than a little frustrated with my weight plateauing. I did…do... a fair amount of brooding and wallowing in self pity about this. I have always had to work hard at maintaing a "normal" healthy weight. I have never watched my diet so closely and worked so hard a losing weight with such little progress. Sometimes it is hard to stay the course without going a little bingey. I am trying to be patient. I'm not too far away. Goal 4. Zero candy unless I'm at the movies. I can't be trusted without having this as a specific goal. It stays!!!! Goal 5. Eat grain/gluten free at least 4 days a week. I don't know if it is worth having this as a goal moving forward. I eat very little gluten or grain anymore. I'll keep it for now. Goal 6. Log all meals in MFP, staying within my calorie allowance. 3. DON'T BE ANTISOCIAL I did ok last challenge. Not great, but ok. Passible at best. I will keep these goals. I have changed goal 9 from 2 friends to 1. I reconnected with a friend last challenge. We are trying to get together more regularly. If this does not happen because I am lame I will readjust goal 9. Goal 7. Keep up with Rangers I am following! Read, post, repeat! No excuses. Sometimes it's hard to contribute to the conversations… another joy of social anxiety. Goal 8. Post on my own thread. At least 3x/week. I filter too much and worry too much. I need to work on this and just post. Goal 9. Reach out to at least 1 friend I haven't seen or talked to in a while. Bonus points for making plans. Not too many changes.

When last I wrote, I had been struck down by the influenza virus, that curse of our Midwestern dwelling. For days my running schedule was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so whingy and restless that a board of my peers determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to training. I was dispatched, accordingly, with team Altair in the walk for Multiple Sclerosis and a day later was in possession of a plan, with my miles irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a motherly figure, to spend the next 5 months recovering them. I had neither kith nor kin in the running community, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of a post-grad with student loans will permit a runner to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to OCRs, that great cesspool into which all the rangers and scouts of the Rebellion are irresistibly drained. It is here that I am now, writing my current challenge. I have penned a mud run and an inflatable obstacle course run into my diary which will test both endurance and mental fortitude. But I am up for the challenge. Apparently, it will take a while to adjust to the running life, and "writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help", which is where you come in. You see, you are here to follow my adventures, and the game, my friends, is on.

I am keeping it simple for this challenge and going back to the basics. My diet goals will be the same for the entire challenge. My exercise goals will be different each week to accommodate my return to work on week 3. I will try to get all my life goals completed while still on vacation if possible. Goal 1: In Search Of...A Healthier Diet 1. Average 1350-1400 cal/day 2. Maintain daily food log (including when I eat and how I feel) My diet suffered over the holidays, more than I am comfortable with. I hope to get this back under control. I want to be mindful of my sugar and simple carb intake. Looking forward to future challenges, I might make more specific dietary changes. For now, I need a baseline. Goal 2: In Search Of...Gym Time 1. Get to the gym at least 4x week 1 and 2 Get to the gym at least 3x week 3 and 4 2. Run at least 2x per week (specific running goals to follow) 3. Do ab work at least 2x per week I have focused on cycling during the holiday mini. That means it's time to start running. I will post specific weekly running goals later but my intention for this challenge is to focus on time rather than speed or mileage. I would like to be better at making it to spin class at least once a week when I am back at work, if possible. Goal 3: In Search Of...Adulting Schedule the following- Eye Doctor Yearly Physical Car Inspection Hair Cut Confirm Mammogram (scheduled so long ago I can't remember when it is)

Hiya This is the second time I'm trying to do a challenge. I didn't complete the last one. Quest: Work out more than once a week Challenge 1: Go to the gym for one hour, 3 times a week Success: 3 hours of exercise a week for 4 weeks Challenge 2: Eat 5 servings of unicorn veggies per day Success: 5 days a week fro 4 weeks Challenge 3: Drink water instead of sugar drinks Success: <2 sugar drinks in 4 weeks

This challenge comes with no fancy theme and some very straight forward goals. Keeping it simple this time around is essential. If I learned anything from last challenge it is that I need to realistic with my goals given my work schedule. So back to the basics I go. Goal 1: Exercise Go to the gym at least 3-4x/week Run 50 miles this challenge (this could be ambitious but I'm going for it) Goal 2: Diet Keep calorie average around 1350/day Eat pizza no more than 2x this challenge No candy for entire challenge Goal 3: Be Social Post on my thread at least 3x/week Post on at least 3 different threads a week Not the most exciting but what can I say...Honeybadger don't care!

Captain's log, Stardate 40200.0. Five days until I embark upon my next 6 week challenge. My goals, not yet defined. They are, at present, slowly taking shape. For now, much needed sleep.

Full Disclosure: I have yet to finish a single 6WC that I've started. Main Goal: Finish the challenge Subgoals: 1. Weight lifting 3x a week Work with PT to determine personal weight lifting planTrack progressRecord progress on Fitocracy and NF 6WC threadScoring: Every workout for the week tracked and recorded = 3 pts -1pt every workout not tracked and recorded 2. Running Cycling Walking x5 a week Run Attend spin class Walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill 5 days a week (hashing does not count, due to the walk/run nature of following the trail)Track progressRecord progress on Fitocracy and NF 6WC thread Scoring: Every run for the week tracked and recorded = 5 pts -1pt every run not tracked and recorded 3. Food choices x7 a week Track daily intake on MFP and NF 6WC threadScoring: Every food choice for the week tracked and recorded = 7 pts -1pt every food choice not tracked and recorded Total # of points possible: 90 pts Total # of points scored: 55 Total Points Beginning Stats: Mid-6WC Stats: Final Stats: Weight:178.4 Lbs Weight: 176.4 Lbs Weight:175.8 Lbs Waist: in. Waist: in. Waist: in. Arms: Arms: Arms: - R: in. - L: in. - R: in. - L: in. - R: in. - L: in. Thighs: Thighs: Thighs: - R: in. - L: in. - R: in. - L: in. - R: in. - L: in. As an ardent Skyrim fan (and always a Khajit), I have determined that the theme to this challenge is going to be climbing the 7,000 steps to the Throat of the World and delivering Klimmet's supplies to the Greybeards. Progress Report Week 1: SG 1 - 0 ptsSG 2 - 0 ptsSG 3 - 7 ptsTotal - 7 pts Comments: I tried cycling at the beginning of the week, and immediately decided the ankle needed more time to heal. I focused everything instead on my diet and R.I.C.E. While I did participate in my kennel's Blue Moon Howler, I took the Turkey trail instead of the Eagle; I did not participate in our Saturday hash the next day, as my ankle felt stiff from the night before. The beginning of Week 2 looks to be more promising. Week 2: SG 1 - 1 ptsSG 2 - 0 ptsSG 3 - 7 ptsTotal - 8 pts Comments: I feel like this week was a complete failure. Work interfered with every single workout and completely sapped my motivation to do anything after COB, as well as make any good decisions food-wise. But I did accomplish one tiny weight lifting session, and I did track all my calories (well, the beer numbers got fuzzy on several occasions... but I made my best guesses). So while I didn't make any progress in the direction I want to go, I did manage to maintain SG 3 in spite of everything and I squeaked in a point on SG 1 - and that's one thing more I did this week than last. I'm going to take a deep breath, congratulate myself for hanging on to the best of my ability, and move into Week 3 as a respawn. I don't expect to see many changes to my starting stats, but that's ok too: halfway there still leaves plenty of time to get where I want to go. Week 3: SG 1 - 0 ptsSG 2 - 3 ptsSG 3 - 7 ptsTotal - 10 pts Comments: Slowly but surely, my ankle is beginning to feel better. I made a point to get on the treadmill at work after lunch three times this week; my PR was an entire hour averaging between a 15 min and 20 min pace. Food choices were 80% excellent. Now I just need to start including weightlifting, and I'll be well on my way to ending this 6WC in victory. Week 4: SG 1 - 3 ptsSG 2 - 4 ptsSG 3 - 7 ptsTotal - 14 pts Comments: This week was much, much better! It was a short work week, which was nice - although that did mean I only got in 3 sessions on the office treadmill. My husband and I went to Tucson to visit the Pima Air and Space museum though, and that visit racked up almost 4 miles of walking! Ergo, I gave myself an extra point for SG 2. SG 1 makes me really proud: I am limited in the office workout room a little - there is no bench for presses - but there is just enough room for squats and deadlifts. My squat form is still off due to the sloooooow recovery of my ankle; I won't add weight to the bar until I can correct that. SG 3 has been a huge help in learning what it feels like to be make GOOD dietary choices. I don't always stay under my caloric goal number; sometimes it's been worth it to go over, and other times I've looked back on a meal and thought, "Well, that was disapppointing." This week has seen the biggest increase in my points. If I can get a 5 in SG 2 and keep the rest of the numbers the same, I will achieve maximum points for the remainder of this 6WC. Week 5: SG 1 - 1 ptsSG 2 - 4 ptsSG 3 - 6 ptsTotal - 11 pts Comments: Started out a good week, and ended with a dislocated shoulder over the weekend. FML. Week 6: SG 1 - 0 ptsSG 2 - 0 ptsSG 3 - 5 ptsTotal - 5 pts

Welcome to the Hellmouth...If you haven't guessed Buffy is my inspiration for this challenge. Why?? Well..she kicks serious ass, has amazing friends, good fashion, and did I mention she kicks ass. Being a slayer requires consistent training to remain strong, agile and have the endurance needed to take on all the Hellmouth throws at her. My Slayer training will be a continuation of my exercise goals from last challenge. 1. At least 40 minutes of cardio 3-4 times per week. This challenge I would like to get 3 running days in each week. 2. Complete BW routine at least 3 times per week. I am thinking about tweaking the specifics of this one and will post before the official start. I am taking this week off from squats and lunges but not from abs or push-ups. THE BIG BAD My Big Bad is diet...as in eating less. Hopefully, this will result in weight loss. I have struggled with making this a goal because I know progress does not always mean weight loss. AND I am easily discouraged when I don't see weight loss despite feeling better and looking better. I over the past few months, including last challenge, I was pretty consistent about keeping a food log. This has helped me understand where I need to make some changes. My diet is not bad overall but I need to be more aware of portions. So I am breaking out the food scale and measuring cups.Goal 1: Keep daily calories to between 1200-1500 5/7 days. Calories not to exceed 2000 calories on remaining days. Goal 2: 6 more weeks candy free. SCOOBY GANG I mentioned the Slayer's bad-assness earlier...and she is totally...without question. That being said, her Scoobies are important to her success. I want to be much more social and involved on the forum. This might not seem like much of a challenge goal but I struggle with social anxiety. Seriously...simply liking a post, posting or replying to a comment comes with a lot of anxiety. This will push me out of my comfort zone. I am going to need some extra support if I am going to take on The Big Bad. No pressure fellow Rangers...well maybe a little...a smidge...Goal 3: Support fellow Rangers by commenting on challenge threads at least 3x/week. One of these must be to a new Ranger each week. Goal 4: Post on my own challenge thread more frequently, at least 4x/week.

Hello Nerds, I am not new, however I am starting again (aka respawner). In a nutshell: - life happened hard - put on weight (thyroid is on sleep mode) - my organs are rebelling - I am exhausted. - self-esteem was hit but is now back in the game (hell yeah) So my plan is to get my system in Ordnung by : - resting a lot - eating healthy : which is for me mainly paleo paying attention to get enough iron, vitamin D, magnesium and Iode (I said my system was wreck) - working out : Crossfit and spinning mostly. Badmington occasionnally - taking care of my thoughts If I translate this in NF Challenge words : Goal 1 : Eat it - Healthy KISS Goal 2 : Breath it - Heart Rate Variability Goal 3 : Work it - Crossfit 3 times a week and spinning 2 times a week Life Goal : I have ordered 4 books on bouddhism and one on Heart Rate Variabilty Coming back tomorrow to add the marking system.

-=Begin Transmission=- This is Ron Solo and you’re tuned into the ol’ Pork Chop Express. I’m your pilot on this beautiful journey through the stars. I’m here to tell you of the tales and challenges that this scoundrel faces as he flies around the galaxy. Currently, I reside on a planet named Dae’hanmingoo in the As’ia planetary system. I’ve been stationed here helping the local younglings in improving their understanding of Basic. When I’m not enlightening the minds of youngsters, you can find me meditating, training my brain or finding other ways of improving myself. My current specs are 5’11†and 160 lbs. I’d like to build muscle and get rid of the baby gut I‘ve acquired from the copious amounts of late nights I’ve had in the past couple of years. I’d like to follow the way of the Battalions of Barbell; a transmission I received from the Nerds of Fitness. Main Quest: Complete Rank One of the Barbell Battalion Quest 1: Follow the Rank One schedule 3 days a week. 5x5 Squats/ Push Press one day. 5x5 Deadlifts/Pull ups one day Measurement: A = 18 workouts, B = 12 workouts, C = 6 workouts Reward: A = +3 STR, +2 STA, B = +2 STR, +1 STA, C = +1 STR Quest 2: Spinning class 3 days a week. I signed up for spinning at my gym because I like to ride my bike and this is a fun way to do it. Measurement: A = 18 spin classes, B = 12 spin classes, C = 6 spin classes Reward: A = +3 STA, B = +2 STA, C = +1 STA Quest 3: Yoga class 2 times a week. I would like to work on my flexibility, and I also signed up for this at my gym. If I can’t make it to yoga, daily night stretching should count for something. Measurement: A = 12 Yoga classes, B = 6 Yoga classes, C = 42 nights of stretching Reward: A = +3 WIS, +2 CON, B = +2 WIS, +1 CON, C = +1 WIS Life Quest: Meditate daily. Even if it’s only for five minutes. I can do it as soon as I wake up. Measurement: A = 42 days, B = 36 days, C = 30 days Reward: A = +2 WIS, B = +1 WIS, C = +0.5 WIS Motivation: I have found love in one of the local women of this planet and I’d like to look my best on the day we are to be united as one in their ritual practice of marriage. I want to look like James Bond walking down the aisle. I can’t do it alone. Help me Nerd Fitness, you’re my only hope. -=End Transmission=-

Hello! I am currently debating whether or not to buy a spin/stationary bike, and I'm wondering any of you own one or have a preferred type at the gym that you would consider buying for yourself. My ride style is more upright (I currently ride a hybrid bike outside). My reason for inquiring about this is that where I live we get about 6-8 months of winter/ice/snow/slip-and-fall-on-face weather and it's really interfering with my fitness goals since I am just not hardcore enough to stick a pair of ice tires on my bike and be miserable outside when it is awful out! So I'm looking for an indoor cycling solution for those times when I just don't wanna be outside (and I'm really not a fan of the gym). On a side note, there are some fancier bikes with heart rate monitors and other gizmos attached to them. I'm interested in your opinions about which is better: a basic bike and a separate heart rate monitor, or a bike with its own built in heart rate monitor/chest strap (those tend to be quite pricey).

Hey all, back for more and i'm still training for an endurance cycle in March 2015 (109km, yoh). My current challenge goals might not only be about cycling per se, but it's about endurance Main Quest: Be fit enough to complete the Cape Argus Cycle Tour in March 2015 with my cousin. Quest 1: 2x Spinning "Classes" per week I have never done a spinning class before but my uncle and cousin swear by the classes. They claim it helps keeping up the endurance so i'd like to start doing it. The problem i have is that there are no spin classes at my gym. There are spin bikes though. So i need to find some awesome spin classes from the web and set up some playlists (would love some help if anyone has any ideas). I need to at least set up 1 playlist by the start of the challenge. Goal: I'd like to go to at least 2 classes a week on top of my usual workouts. Measurement: 12 classes = A; 10 = B, 8 = C Quest 2: 1000 Squats Still on my quest to scale 1000 hills and the next hill to scale is the Hill of Squat. By the end of this I need to complete 1000 points for squats. Point allocation works like this: Wall Squat = 0.5 pts Body weight Squat = 1 pt Barbell (or other weighted) squat = 1.5pts Goal: 1000 pts for squats Measurement: 1000 pts = A, 900 pts = B, 800 pts = C Quest 3: 3x veggies per meal (at least 5 days per week) I eat plenty of veggies - this is not about eating veggies - but what i do is sometimes eat protein/fats exclusively in a meal. I don't want to drop my protein/fats but I want to add veggies to that. So I figure 3 different veggies per meal is about right. For this quest, tomatoes, avo's, olives and other vegetables in the fruit family count. Potatoes do not count. Goal: 3x veggies per meal, 5 days a week Measurement: 180 potions = A, 150 = B, 114 = C Quest 4: Stick to the macros daily I am currently on day 10 of my Whole30, and doing IF (it's part of my daily life now) but i have been so busy lately i am not even getting to lunch these days. I need to actually eat and stick to my macros. I need to reach 1800-2000 cals every day with 35:25:40 ratio for F:C:P. For this challenge, I will only be focusing on calories (we might look at the ratio next challenge). Goal: 42 days at 95% - 105% Measurement: 42 days = A, 36 = B, 30 = C Starting measurements: I'm not sure if i'm going to do these (not for personal reasons - i don't mind letting you'll know my weight etc), but probably will. I do have to say that when I weighed in at the doctor this morning, the needle didn't go the full way round I'd give you that figure, but it's not the one i measure on, so i want to be consistent. Weight: 122.5kg Bust: 134cm Waist: 113cm Hip: 146cm Thigh: 69cm Motivation: Sticking to a promise made to my cousin. Being fit and healthy enough to eventually conceive when we get there (this is a far far future motivation).

The WonderPhoenix has returned. YES. I was lost in the black hole of doom until I decided it was enough. (Excuses!) The bad news is now I have high bad cholesterol (250 mg) and I asked the doctor not to give me medication and he gave me 6 months to reduce the numbers. My motivations (randomly) Health: Drop my cholesterol rateBe inspiring: I want to be a better ME, healthier, persistent and fitter. I want to be inspiring to my family and my friendsSelf-appreciation: I take care of myself because I deserve it I want to be a healthier self, more energetic so I am cleaning my life from obstacles, dirt (processed carbs). I am working on building habits, train my consistency and building a fence between me and sickness. Main quest : Fit in a French size 40 (US 10, UK 12) and drop weight to 72 kg (158 lbs) Here comes the Cleaning Challenge. Challenge #3 main Goal : At the end of the challenge I want to fit perfectly in the French size 42 (US 12, UK 14) jeans I bought in October ! I want to be proud of the 180 burpees a week I have done(6/7) I won’t let processed carbs in. I will be proud of my daily morning exercise no matter what my mood was originally. Goal 1: 30 burpees a day keep the doctor away I know I am a burpee freak. I can do them in row, separately. ******Rating ****** 1 day missed per week 2 days missed 3 days missed 4 days missed 5 days missed Goal 2: Up to 4 paleo meals a day kicks the cholesterol out It’s a positive way to say no to snacking, no to processed carbs. ******Rating ****** 7 or 6 healthy days 5 healthy days 4 healthy days 3 healthy days 2 healthy days Goal 3: 30 mn of morning exercises brings the peace in I love morning workouts, so even if I will still be crossfitting 3 times a week and cardioing 2 to 3 times a week, I will exercise EVERYDAY 30 mn when I wake up. ******Rating ****** 1 day missed per week 2 days missed 3 days missed 4 days missed 5 days missed Life challenge : Productivity, efficiency and Power of FOCUS 10 pm is when Facebook is allowed in. Yeah, I am a huge procrastinor, blame it on me facebook, so for the next 6 weeks, I will not hit the facebook button until 10 pm. That’ll force me to work on more useful things (aka Job search, online training and useful books) ******Rating ****** A.After 10 pm E.Before 10 pm I’m posting my measurements tomorrow !

Dear People, My first adventure is over, here is the new one! It's a sick Natarella, that is talking to you here! Part of my adventures involved cycling to work (7kms = 4.34 miles one way) no matter the weather and I live in a cold, rainy country. Winter is coming… I am glad to be in Assassins' guild! I chose to be here because : - active and fun - guild leaders are actually really present to support people (thing that was totally lacking in the Newcomers "guild"… maybe an improvement can be made on this?) - because this challenge will be focused on fitness and specific bodyweight exercises I want to improve in (burpee, push-ups and pull-ups even if the 2 latest won't be evaluated in this challenge) A bit of background : I am fed up with having "lose weight" as an objective for the year. I want to have "learn Italian" "Get a certification in German language" "run a tough man race" " Do a burlesque show" I am pissed at having lost so much time… So I am going to do anything that it takes to drop the 2 size that are left with the hope to fulfil my main quest by the end of the 3rd challenge. I don't like it so I change it! Main quest : Fit in a French size 40 (US 10, UK 12) and drop weight to 72 kg (158 lbs) The thing is I don't want to go on a scale anymore because I'm always really upset when I do so. Action: find a way to measure my body fat the update my measurements by the end of this week. Challenge #2 main Goal: Fit in a French size 42 pants (US 12, UK 14) pair of jeans. I'll post a picture here at the end. My motivations (randomly) Health: Diabetes and heart blood pressure in my family…Sense of accomplishmentBe inspiring: I want to be a better ME, healthier, persistent and fitter. I want to be inspiring to my family and my friendsSelf-appreciation: I take care of myself because I deserve it Goal 1 : Uncrushing from processed sugar aka 1 serving max (100g) per week The war is not over even if several battles have been won. Eating paleo and avoiding processed carbs. Baby step policy is good and there'll be weeks where I'll have none. *******Ratings****** A. 1 serving processed carbs/sugar /week B. 3 C. 4. D. 5 E. 6 F. 6++++ To be sure that I will actually be eating healthy and not sabotaging by stupidly snacking, I will give 200 euros (265 dollars) to a political party I really strongly hate, if I don't fit in those pants. The idea that I might be supporting financially a political party that is against everything I'm fighting is simply sickening Every day without snacking, I mark the day in a calendar! Goal 2 : Strength training 3 times a week and Cardio training 2 times Same as in the past challenge, I want to be consistent in my fitness path - 2 Crossfit sessions a week - 1 ST alone - 2 Zumba / Spinning class I keep the ability to have 2 weeks of only cardio trainings to rest my muscles… as long as I train 5 times a week this is ok. ******Rating ****** A. 4 to 5 per week B. 3 C. 2 D. 1 E. 0 F.0 Goal 3 : 50 burpees in a row Crazy one. But requires a bit less preparation than training for pull-ups (that I wanted to originally set as a goal for the challenge but this requires at the moment too much preparation for me, as I have a side quest that is really time consuming so I'll occasionally train to it and will set it as an objective for next challenge) This is in addition with my trainings. I start today, day 1 with 8 burpees and day 42 I will be doing 50 burpees in a row. ******Rating ****** A. 1 missed-day B. 2 C. 3 D.4 E.5 F. 6+ EDIT : 21/09/2013 0h11 Life Goal: ♪ Relax take it easy ♪ aka do 1 relaxing activity (minimum 2 hours) I know, I was supposed to deal with job search but I don't want it to be rated here finally. After this horrible first week, I realised how I was not applying to myself what I actually preach : FUCKIN' RELAX SIS' ! I can't get over the end of my sweet holidays, full of paleo cookin', Crossfit and deadlifting ... but HELLO!! It's been 2 weeks now, so it's time to get back into reality and deal with it! So I decided that I would instead have as a goal : do a relaxing activity every week! Challenging because I don't take the time to rest, relax, nor chill. My weekends are busy until late in the night and start quite early... It is necessary - as I have to deal with a really weird period of transition (at work) and I am really unhappy of it - as my body is starting to resist to the life changes - as sugar cravings linked to frustration are back (they are 90% due to my situation of being in a job I don't like and not having signed yet the contract for the one I like and want ) Activities can be : Tai-chi, hammam, a walk / bike road in the woods, spa or massage, knitting (winter is coming) etc... ******Rating ****** A. 6 activities over the 6 weeks B. 5 C. 4 D.3 E.2 F. 1 Measurements on 16th September I'll take them at the end of the challenge Can somebody tell me how to upload pictures from my computer and my phone? Thanks!

My Anthem song folks, I love Kanye's version, the rythm, the flow (not the lyrics though). It gives me the strength to give my all (not this all ) For those who do not know me : PrincessNatarella, a strong and independent blackbarella, on my way to greatness , like most of you! I spent quite some defining and chosing the goals, the rating system! I am a multitask person, focusing is already a challenge for me. Main Quest Fit in a size 40 and weight 72kg. I'd be happy happy to fit in the size 40, no matter how I weight. My motivations (randomly) Health: Diabetes and heart blood pressure in my family…Sense of accomplishment: every year I say " this year I want to succeed in getting slimmer/healthier". I want this year to be THE one! I have been progressing drastically, so reaching the main goal would be the cherry on top of the cake Be inspiring: I am a future coach I work a lot on myself, I read a lot on personal development and I'm following trainings to become a coach in 5 / 6 years. I want to be a better ME, healthier, persistent and fitter. I want to be inspiring.Self-appreciation: I take care of myself because I deserve it Goals By the end of the challenge I'll be eating processed carbs/sugar only once a week My diet is mostly low carb High fat : - OK : Veggies, proteins, dairy (from grass fed animals) - Limited : legumes, fruits (limited) , nuts - Avoid : processed food & sugar This diet implies PLANNING a week ahead (Sundays) Groceries only once a weekHealthy snacking (veggies, nuts) *******Ratings****** A. 1-2 serving processed carbs/sugar /week B. 3 C. 4. D. 5 E. 6 F. 6++++ Working out 6 times a week Why 6 times? Because I'm already going almost everyday! The aim is regularity of the training. I want to keep on being consistent to maximise the results I want to get. Of course, it would be interesting to set goals in terms of reps but I'd better wait to have another month with this routine AND I've done my first thrusters this morning and I still want to cry I will plan the Strength sessions where there won't be any trainer with me. (Or because I'm a bit lazy I'll just ask the gym staff to give me a WOD ) - Strength training (3 / week) Programme with free weight and body weight set by the trainer - Cardio training (3 / week) Zumba & Spinning ******Rating ****** A. 5 to 6 /week B. 4 C. 3 D. 2 E. 1 F.0 Weight only 3 Times a month A funny one ! I hesitated with Attend a trial class of CrossFit and Samba because it is also very important, but I know I will do it anyways. However, I have this love/hate relationship with scale, so I will NOT use it for 3 weeks. Scale and measuring days: 29 July 19 August 9 September I am not allowed to weight myself in between. Believe me or not, this will be the hardest goal to reach! ******Rating****** A. I respected the 3 dates C. I went on the scale 1 more time E. I went on the scale 2 more times Why am I so demanding on this one? It is important that I quit this bad habit. Life Goal Read 3 books in the month I hesitated with " spend X hours dedicated to my job search" OR "find a flat" but I will relax a bit on those quests (that doesn't mean that I'm giving up on them, they just won't count for the NF challenge" I always complain that I don't read enough. I'll have a full month for myself (yeah !) and I don't want any pressure So the idea is : One book on project management (for dummies e.g... Any recommendation is welcome)A book on personal development (carrier advice, relationships, efficiency at work)A Fun book I'll update my post with chosen books and I'll ask for your recommendation in the book session ******Rating****** A. 3 books B. 2 books and a half C. 1book D.0 Measurements on 29th July On 19th August On 09 September Weight : 87 kg (the day before was 85 so..) 82,4 kg 82,9 kg -4,1 ( but I am much thinner..Pics will follow ) Breast : 100 cms 100 cms Under Breast: 83cms 83 cms Waist : 86.5 cms 82 cms - 4,5 Belly : 104 cms 98 cms - 6 hips 114 csm 109 cms -5 Tights : 70 cms 68 cms - 2 triceps : 35cms 34 cms - 1 ------ So I hope to be able the give as much support as I will receive on this! Let's smash it!