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Hi friends! It's been soooo long. I started a challenge in the beginning of the year and I stopped again. For some reason I couldn't follow through. But I'm back again. I missed you guys. I have been keeping up with fitness and nutrition (with varying success), but a little accountability couldn't hurt 😅 So without further ado, here are my goals for this challenge: Nutrition I've been on Noom for a bit now, following their course. I know, there are many people who say it's not good for you. And I see their point (I really don't like their color system). But there is also a lot on there that IS good for me. I've been learning a lot about the psychology side of eating. I've had quite a few aha moments. So my first nutrition goal is to continue the noom course, maybe I can even finish it within this challenge as I am over half way. Noom has been talking about different eating strategies. Like paleo, keto, and intermittent fasting (IF). I've had lots of success with IF in the past, until I hadn't. When researching how to do IF when you got a female body I stumbled across the book "Fast like a girl". And it talks on how to do fasting in sync with your monthly cycle. This should take care of the side effects I was having when trying it in the past (hair loss, irregular period etc.), and should even help fix some issues I've been having for ages but my doctor can't help me with like stiff muscles, fatigue and painfull periods. There are 2 versions: a beginner one and an advanced one. I'm going to try the advanced one, but will fall back to the beginner one if necessary. (The beginner one is in parenthesis) So this is going to be my fasting schedule according to my cycle. Day 1 is the first day of my period, and I have a 28 day cycle (more or less). Day 1-5: 15 (13) hour fast Day 6: 24 (15) hour fast Day 7-10: 17 (17) hour fast Day 11-15: 15 (13) hour fast Day 16: 24 (15)hour fast Day 17-19: 17 (15) hour fast Day 20-28: 13 hour fast (no fasting) Fitness I found a zumba class that's a 5 minute walk from my house! So I'm going there once a week. I even got a punch card instead of a subscription, which is so perfect for me. I'm never leaving there. Next to this I've been trying so many different workout schedules and styles. Now I'm doing ringfit (nintendo switch) for an hour twice a week. I had been having trouble with hitting a wall 30 minute into my workout. Then I came across a video about pre-workout. I thought that was just for body builders, but apparently it's for when you want to workout longer. I found one without cafeïne or other stimulants, because I can't sleep if I have more than 3 cups of coffee a week (yes, a week you heard me right). And the stuff is epic! No more wall. Sure, I get tired and sore from the workout, but there is no block that makes it feel I'm standing in quick sand while trying to workout. I have no side effects. I researched the ingredients and everything I found says the stuff is save and you won't develop a dependence on it. Enrichment I should read more. I want to. But my phone and pc are such an easy distraction. So my goal this challenge is to read 10 pages a day. Of any book. I think that's it. I'm going to find some Doodlies now to say hi to. If they're still around here that is. And if you want to be friends, just drop a message below. It's fun meeting new people here 🙂

Life has been really busy now school has started again, and I'm having trouble keeping up and getting the stuff done that I want. To top that off, I got a nasty cold. It's getting better though My challenge this round will hopefully give me the structure I need to get everything running smoothly again. I love structure and schedules and lists. These things give me piece of mind, and help me "allow" myself to do things just for me. Update: I don't like my first challenge draft, and I'm going to completely change it. Quest 1: Eat healthy I've been logging all of my food in My Fitness Pal for over 5 months now. It has been good to get a sense of what I'm eating and how much I should be eating to create a deficit. But I'm starting to get obsessed by kcal and I'm not paying enough attention to food quality. Besides that: the binges have returned. I've been binge free for so long, and this feels like a real setback. I think the cause is that I don't eat enough nutrients and my body wants more. Stressing about staying within my kcal limit doesn't help either. So new plan: I'm going to eat 3 meals a day, one, maybe two snacks if I'm really hungry in between. But there are some rules: - The food has to be healthy (not heavily processed, made from scratch as much as possible, whole grains, fruit and veggies, that kind of stuff.) - I stop eating when I'm satisfied, not overly full, but not still hungry either - I can have a treat on special occasions like birthdays, parties etc. Quest 2: move Zumba and dancehall are still my workouts of choice. I want to get back to body weight training, but it has been proven hard to schedule that in. I've been making excuses not to have to workout. By the end of the challenge I want to have at least 1 body weight workout a week. But preferably 3 I was doing workouts in the morning, but my mornings are kind of full nowadays. So I'm thinking of doing them in the evening, see how that makes me feel. Quest 3: Adulting Back to lists! Lists make me feel in control and give me piece of mind. So I'm going to make lists with everything I need to do each day.

This challenge I'll move on. Quite literally: we're going to move in with my MIL Not forever, just until we'll get the key to our new house at the end of December. We'll stay with my MIL for 6 weeks. Which will be a challenge on its own Not that I don't like my MIL, she is great and sweet and amazing. And it is beyond kind that she'll let us stay with her for so long. But still, it won't be my house. I'll have to adjust. Last challenges I've been working on "food freedom". Not letting my life be determined by food or my weight. And I've succeeded. Finally! But now it's time to take better care of myself. Give myself permission to eat healthy. Even if it's inconvenient at times. My sons almost always eat healthy. I just make the time to feed them right. I should do the same for myself. I'm worth taking care of. I won't need to make a challenge fitness wise: I'm still addicted to zumba and I'm loving the dancehall/hiphop/urban fusion classes I've been taking. I'm actually sad when I'm not able to go The plan Moving Week 0: nothing. The boys have the week off from school, so I'm just going to be doing stuff with them. Week 1: Decide on a new school for the boys (they'll start after their Christmas break in January), announce to the world when we're moving where Week 2: Sort through toys and clothes. Donate/sell stuff we won't be taking with us. Go through the shed if I'm feeling brave... (it is the biggest mess you've ever seen ). Buy boxes/wrapping paper and such. Week 3: Start packing. We'll be moving to my MIL at the end of this week Week 4: Settle in at MIL's house. Clean old house. We'll turn over our keys at the end of this week. Eating Clean Week 0: Find clean recipes that won't take up too much time to make, or can be made in bulk. Find pre packaged clean stuff. Also: I need to be able to make it at MIL's house, where I don't have my own kitchen stuff. Week 1: Focus on eating clean lunches (breakfast and dinner are pretty clean as is). Week 2: Focus on eating clean snacks Week 3: Is there any way I can clean up my food somehow? When is it difficult for me to eat clean, and how can I fix it? Week 4: Clean pepernoten, is there such a thing? And how can I get some?

This challenge I'm going to apply everything I learned in the previous 19 challenges. It's going to be glorious Food I'm back to clean eating. I've tried it before, but failed. Since then I learned a lot: Mistakes I made in the past How I will avoid these mistakes: - Thinking I had to be perfect - I can eat something that isn't clean once in a while. It doesn't mean I messed up. I can continue eating clean immideately, not my entire day/week/challenge is ruined because of it - Tense up, holding on to tight - Consciously relax. Taking mindful moments have proven to be very effective in my case - No portion control - Control my portions: just one plate full, no seconds. I will use my hands as guideline - Let emotions get the best of me - Emotions are just emotions. I will accept them for what they are and use them only if they are useful. - Binge eat - I understand now that binge eating is a choice. I can choose not to. As I learned from the book "brain over binge" Fitness What did you expect? Keep on dancing off course! And one body weight workout or lifting workout a week. Life We want to sell the house, so I'm going to tidy it up, and put some stuff in storage at my MIL's if necessary. I'm going to tidy something for 5 minutes each day. With the exception of Sunday It's okay if I want to spend more time, or do something on Sunday off course. By setting the bar low I will not fall into the perfectionist trap, and think if I can't do it all I will do nothing at all. I will pick one area every day to work in. - Living room - Kitchen - Bathroom - Hallway - Kids bedroom - Master bedroom - Laundry/storage room

I need this shirt Back again for a new challenge This time in Gilmore Girls theme. Scratch all of the below. Here is my new challenge. Goal #1 Don't eat like a Gilmore Girl No sugar, no eating after dinner With the exception of December 4th Sinterklaas celebrations, you can't do this without the proper amount of pepernoten and chocolate letters December 25th and 26th Because Christmas, duh December 31th Old years day has to be celebrated with oliebollen and appelflappen Goal #2 Don't just watch like a Gilmore Girl On a perfect week, this will be my workout schedule: Monday - Salsa Tuesday - Zumba Wednesday - Swimming with J Thursday - Zumba Friday - Salsa Saturday - Relaxersise Sunday - Swimming with J I don't have to go exercise when: a class gets cancelled it's a swimming day and I'm having my period I'm sick one of my boys is sick and SB is not there to take care of them

After taking it easy last challenge I'm ready to kick some but! My own but that is. The goal of this challenge is to make the pants that are just a little too tight fit comfortably again. I'm giving myself just two goals this challenge. I hope this will make it easier to focus on them. Food: Fast I'm going to fast again. And I'm choosing a different style now: "5:2" Basically I'll eat normal for 5 days and eat only 500 kcal on the two other days. D: no fasting days that week C: 1 day of fasting that week B: 2 day's of fasting that week A: 3 days of fasting that week Exercise: Zumba, what else? I'll continue zumba. Like I'm able to stop that And relaxersise on Saturday's. When I don't have appointments that day that is. But most Saturdays. D: no workouts that week C: 1 workout that week B: 2 workouts that week A: 3 workouts that week

Yes, I said I would take the week off. But the new forums look so shiny and pretty I couldn't resist. If you think: what does this image do here. Well, it's a shiny and pretty object. Just like the new forums. Hi, I'm Terah, and I'm a zumba addict. I've been doing challenges here since forever (okay, since January 2015, but it seems like forever). I've been trying to lose weight and get a fitness routine in place. I found zumba and I practice it twice a week. Two challenges ago I rediscovered my love for swimming. This year I lost 5 kg's, and I'm hoping to lose some more before 2017 starts. My plan for this challenge: Stop obsessive tracking. No spreadsheet this time. I'll just do the best I can and won't beat myself up when I had to skip a goal. Food goal: Intermittent fasting. My first meal of the day will be lunch, my last will be dinner. I won't obsess about a certain number of hours. I won't obsess about kcal. I'll just try to eat as healthy as possible, with the occasional treat. Fitness goal: Continue zumba and swimming. Listen to my body. If I can do more, I will. If I need to take it easy, I will too. No guild, just fun. Life goal: I'll continue with the Spanish lessons, but no pressure, it needs to be fun. I'll continue with my Bullet Journal, just to make my life easier.

No, I'm not going to try to be a human this challenge. That would be asking too much I'm just using gifs from the show 'being human', because, well, it's a good show I've learned from my last challenge and made some minor adjustments, but nothing huge. Don't mess with a good thing, right? Food: Keep counting kcal I will aim for 1600 kcal a day on average. I didn't succeed last challenge, but I'll try again this one. In addition to this I can erase a bad day by eating no sugar or white flour for 3 days in a row. This to get me back on track if I fail. One sidenote: I have to eat no sugar/white flour AFTER the bad day (doens't need to be the day after, just not before). Average of 1600 1800 kcal or less: A Average of 1601 - 1800 1801-1900 kcal : B Average of 1801 1901 - 2000 kcal : C Average > 2000 Kcal: D Altered in week 1 Exercise: Just have fun Goal: 20 hours of exercise (4 hours a week) This can be anything. Dancing, biking, running, swimming, yoga, lifting. If I feel low on energy (like during shark week) walking is acceptable too. 16-20 hours: A 12-15 hours: B 10-12 hours: C < 10 hours: D Demolition: Do ALL the things Clearing all 3 goals will earn me 1 point. Completing 2 goals earns me 0.66 points, 1 goal 0.33 points. 22-33 points: A 17-21 points: B 11-16 points: C <11 points: D Extra goal: The scale is a bitch I'm going to weigh myself Monday at the start of the challenge, and Saturday when the challenge has ended. For each time I weigh myself in between I will put €5,- in the idiot jar (thanks for the inspiration Sarah!) The money in it will go to the kids savings accounts (where we put the money for collage, drivers license and a start fund when they get out of school) Cool spreadsheet Reward: Average = A Average = B Bodylotion Average = C Nice tea

Hello everyone! I joined Nerd Fitness last year and flunked my first 4 week challenge disastrously and was too ashamed to continue! But I'm back now and I'm super excited - I have a family holiday AND a family wedding this summer so it's time to get in shape and feel good about myself! Quest One - Yoga six days a week, every week! A - Every day B - Miss 6 days C - Miss 12 days D - Miss 18 days E - Miss 24 days F - Miss 25 days or more Quest Two - Other workouts, three times a week. Current plan is Zumba on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a Pilates or bodyweight workout on a Sunday. A - Every day B - Miss 2 sessions C - Miss 4 sessions D - Miss 6 sessions E - Miss 8 sessions F - Miss 9 sessions or more Quest Three - Bed before midnight and up before 8am! A - Every day B - Miss 6 days C - Miss 12 days D - Miss 18 days E - Miss 24 days F - Miss 25 days or more

I've been a member of nerdfitness for a while and have decided to get in the bandwagon and announce my daily log to assassinate kill all the things. That's right. I'm here to conquer. And to tell my tale of triumph and defeat to all (who care to listen.) What to expect during my battles of valor: sarcasm, gifs, videosdaily log of current six week challengepictures of not mehappy postssad postsstories of levling up or just how "how I battle with my exercise"random noob questions. But they'll go away after the quest for answers/enlightenment is done Goals: lose 50 lbs.(Thanks college and stress for giving that to me.)study a lot.I'm majoring in accounting. and it might not sound hard but I recently switched majors which is making things a little more difficult.exerciseget into the habit of itI'm starting off with Dance Central 2 and zumba on the xbox but I'll work my way to other exercisestry new exercisesstart off with small 7 minute strength training exercisesdo the BBWW workout confession: I tried the 20min hotel workout my first time here and was sore for a week (serious case of DOMS. and kinda pulled a back muscle, so I was out for another two weeks after that)kill conquer the 20 min hotel workoutschedulinggetting into a better routine for everything is better for, well, everything. this inclides getting into a better:sleep schedulestudy scheduleworkout schedulereading schedulefandom watching scheduleetc.A little bit about me: Female Age: 22 Height: 5'5 Current Weight: 197 lbs Goal Weight: 140~150ish (I shall shout my small steps to this goal with gifs, videos, constant trips to the woot room, and lots of sarcasm) Fears: public speaking and over socialization. guess you can chalk that up to social anxiety. (but online no one knows that. and no one knows you're a cat) Likes: dogs, puppies, fluffy things, shiny things, reading, writing, fandoms, tea, D&D, gaming, music, distractions, chocolates, gummies, food, fruits Current Gaming addiction:online mmo called "Terra." I've been playing as a beserker since its so easy to lvl up with some time and a little bit of grinding

Hmm, New place new opportunities right? Well, first off, HI! I am smf, and uhh, I haven't been around in the forums much lately and when I was my 6 week challenges were with the warriors, things have changed so I am going to spend my next 6 weeks here. The reason I am here now is because I started going to a Kickboxing/muay thai class last week, It's not a aerobic Kick boxing thing, it's at a martial arts school with a trainer etc. I am enjoying it a whole hell of a lot, but I guess that makes me a bit of a monk, and so here I am. SOO lets talk about goals. My Main goal is "6pack by 30" uh, ya that's just a little under a year away. I number crunched and its achievable, but damn that will require a lot of work, restraint etc. But that may not be a bad thing, I need something to reach for. So here are the three goals for this challenge. 1. Lose weight This is simple, we are dealing with a 6 week challenge, at 1.5lbs a week, I want to lose 9lbs by the end of the challenge. How? That's the hard part, a) I will be becoming ALOT more active, between maintaining lifting, kickboxing and even trying to work in some more cardio (ZUMBA on the WII, this stuff is addicting). That means I will need more carbs, maintain protein to minimize muscle loss, really work on getting my veggies in and keep enough calories in to not lose to much weight at once. Oh, and cut back on the dang Taco bell and Pizza hut (get ready to keep 1800-crybaby on speed dial) 2. Maintain my weight lifting I am still lifting weights. It's unreasonable to think I can lose weight and keep increasing on the bar. I am low enough that my nervous system is still adjusting to though, so I do think though I can increase my working weight on my Squat and DL by 45lbs, my bench and OHP by 20lbs, Thats half of what SL would have me at by then and that seems more than fair. 3.Rock at Kickboxing This is my first time doing any sort of fighting thing, being brand new at this, of course I am learning every time. The biggest thing for me right now though is cardio, I lift, that's all I do, I haven't done much cardio or conditioning work in close to a year. I am dying in every class just doing the conditioning work before we do lessons, so I need to step up my cardio/stamina game. This may sound silly to some (especially anybody that knows me) but I think I can do some "accessorie" work doing Zumba. I picked up this game for the wii, and it's a lot of fun, easy moves and does a good job of scaling, it also has me really working up a sweat. SOOOO basically, just do more cardio. Expect MEMES... a lot of bitching... a lot of whining... and happy dance posts ... maybe food porn (i come from the warriors after all)... just awesomeness.. oh and spelling errors because

Yellow!!! I'm YooperGirl Ok, so for my first challenge I want to lose a bit of weight and more importantly reduce my pant and bra size. My starting: - weight is 155 lbs - chest is: ~ 39 1/2" across the breasts ~ 37" under my arms - waist is 35 1/4" My Main Goal is to: - Reduce my waist by 5" and - Reduce my chest by ~ 3" under my arms ~ 4" across my breasts My Plan to do this is: 1. Drink only water (at least 3.5/23 oz bottles per day) ~ Pass / Fail 2. Do the Angry Birds Workout 3 times per week ~ A (3x week); B (2x week); C (1x week); F (1< week) 3. Do Zumba 2 times per week ~ A (2x week); C (1x week); F (1< week) I also have a Life Goal, and that is to read a chapter of my Bible every day. This stems from years of going to church, but never actually reading anything in my bible. Its time to change that!

Sup guys. I'm DubiousChi and I'm giving it my all for this time my (first) six week challenge. Last time I wasn't prepared. I didn't have a solid goal, I didn't approach working out right, I didn't have accoutabilibuddies with me. Plus I was trying to juggle this with full time courses. But this time I'm prepared. I'm making smarter goals I'm going to start with beginner workouts till I find my perfect workout plan I'm staying up-to-date with my friends that I see everyday on campus (I'l post a link later to our group) Main Goal 6 week: Lose at least 10 lbs long term goal: Lose 50 lbs Goal 1: Workout (+2 Str | +2 Dex) I will workout for 1 hour on Dance Central 2 on medium mode at least 3 times a week. By the end of the 6 weeks I want to do 1 hour on hard mode. I sweat like crazy after half an hour on medium and its sometime that is engaging and gets me pumped. (If I can't use the xbox then I'll substitute it with zumba or tae bo) I've tried the beginner workouts that others have recommended but I just can't get into the routines and was always to sore to exercise even after a rest day. Grading (times per week): A = 3 times per wk B = 2 times per wk C = 1 times per wk D = 0 days per wk Goal 2: Track (+1 Wis) I will to write down my calorie intake every single day to better stay accountable for what I eat. I've been using the iphone's healthkit app since the update but I'm trying to get out of the bad habit of forgetting to input food for the day. Grading (times per week): A = 7 days per wk B = 6 days per wk C = 5 days per wk D = 4 days per wk F = 3 days per wk Goal 3: Sleep (+2 Con) I will get 8 hours of sleep every night. Since the health kit app I notice that I get under 7 hours of sleep, but I want to get into a proper sleep schedule and routine. Grading (times per week): A = 8 hrs B = 7 hrs C = 6 hrs D = 5 hrs F = 4 hrs Life Goal: Study (+1Wis) I will study at least 2 hours everyday for my classes. Finals will be happening towards the end of this challenge and I do not want to fall behind because of not studying enough. Grading (hours per week): A 14 hrs per wk B 12 hrs per wk C 10 hrs per wk D 8 hrs per wk F 6 hrs per wk Diet/ Fitness: Water I will drink 8 glasses of water a day. Staying hydrated is good and 8 glasses is not the standard for everyone but I want to make sure I'm drinking enough especially after a hard workout. Grading: A = 8 glasses B = 7 glasses C = 6 glasses D = 5 glasses F = 4 glasses Overall Grading: Motivation: I'd love to fit into the clothes I have plus feeling healthier and having more energy wouldn't hurt.

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 !

Hello Rebels and Superheroes! November of this year marks my Saturn return, which in astrology is when Saturn has made a full orbit around the sun and returned to the point in the sky it was at when you were born (usually when you turn 28-29). This is a great time to let go of old patterns and ways of being that don't serve us anymore--and basically get your ass into gear. So here I am, doing my best to make that happen! I'm a mental health therapist that works at a couple elementary schools, and I too often have let myself believe the story that I'm too stressed and/or too exhausted to take good care of myself. But the older I get, the more I realize how true it is that you have to take good care of yourself before you can really take truly good care of another person. I just started doing wellness coaching, started a MWF 6:30-7:30am boot camp that incorportes mindfulness and spirituality (tomorrow is week 2 of 6)..... AND!... I just started the 6-week Nerd Fitness Challenge! I'm super pumped about finally making some life changes that stick. I have years of yo-yoing, getting super hardcore about a plan, burning out fiercely and then sputtering out into discouragement and lack of motivation. I'm going for consistency more than anything else this time around. Slow and steady wins the race... Which is where community comes in, in where I really need my fellow nerds' support. In the past, I've always been the type of person to deny my own needs and never ask for help, but this is HARD to do without other people supporting your goals--people with similar visions who can encourage you and maybe jab you in the ribs when you get lazy. I'm really hoping to make some awesome allies on this website, so please check out my challenge: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/39706-ashcension’s-rise-to-awesomeness/ and I will be sure to do the same. More about me: Things I love: Astrology, cats, chocolate, philosophy, yoga, zumba, beer and wine (sigh), reading fantasy novels (Sword of Truth series is my favorite), mythology, writing, studying psychology, learning about different cultures, languages (I speak Spanish and want to learn German next... next life quest!), personality typing systems (Myer-Briggs, Enneagram), old-school video games (especially RPG and adventure games), table-top RPGs, magic, faeries, dressing up and costumery, Renaissance faires, music, festivals (Burning Man!), frolicking, snuggling, and sleeping. What I want support with: Consistency, Paleo (tips, tricks, and recipes), self-love and self-care, and ideas for working out smarter (instead of harder). Good luck to everyone beginning their challenge 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!

I am a little late to begin this challenge, but seeing as how I only discovered this site yesterday, I'll begin any way. I do not want to wait six weeks for the next one and breaking a few rules is okay every once in a while. (I guess I shouldn't be talking about rule breaking when setting goals for myself.) Here goes... Goal 1: Drink 10-16 eight ounce glasses of water everyday. (CON-3) I am usually a water drinking machine, but for the last month I have only been getting about four glasses per day! A: 10-16 glasses 90-100% of the time. 3 pts B: 10-16 glasses 80-89% of the time. 2 pts C: 10-16 glasses 70-79% of the time. 1 pts D: 10-16 glasses <70% of the time. 0 pts Goal 2: Complete Beginner Pilates Matwork 3 times a week. (STR-2/WIS-2) I recently started doing Pilates and fell in love. Ultimate goal: get certified. Current goal master Beginner's network. A: Move up to Full Mat Program before July 14. 2/2 pts B: Complete 3 x's per week. 1/2 pts C: 2 x's per week. 1/1 pts D: 1 x's per week. 0/1 pts F: 0 x's per week. 0/0 pts Goal 3: Educate myself! Read one health/nutrition/fitness/well-being article/chapter a day; here or elsewhere. (WIS-3) As long as I find good sources I want to absorb as much as I can. I will start with the articles on NF and go from there. A: Six or seven per week for the next six weeks. 3 pts B: Four or five per week. 2 pts C: Two or three per week. 1 pts F: Zero or one per week. 0 pts Goal 4: Go to Saturday Zumba at my gym. (STA-3/CHA-2) Why charisma you ask? I am a painfully shy girl (just knowing people might read this makes my heart speed up a bit), so forcing myself to go, by myself, and dance in a room full of strangers will do wonders for my anxieties. A: Go to all five classes available. 3/2 pts B: Four. 2/2 pts C: Three. 1/1 pts D: Two. 0/1 pts F: Zero or one. 0/0 pts

The young girl staggered as a guard piled two bulky bags in her arms and strapped a third to her back. "You'll be fine," he said. "It is an honor to tend to the princess." The girl shook her red hair out of her eyes and smiled. "It is indeed, Marcus, and an even greater one to dance for her at her wedding celebration in just two moons." "It might be difficult, young dancer," he said, strapping on his swordbelt and sheath. "You have been trapped in a dungeon for six months with your father." "I will be ready for the challenge, and I will regain my honor and my father's freedom." Her skinny knees shook under the weight of the princess's luggage. "Although, that first mountain may be a mite troublesome." Marcus laughed. "I would help you, young friend, but I have to protect the princess and her royal buffoon--I mean, the scribe." He froze at the sound of a dry cough behind him. "Guard," the royal scribe said imperiously. "I believe we are ready to move. Have you counted the luggage again? I don't want the princess's dowry to come up short when we arrive at the castle." "Of course, sir. Everything is accounted for." "And the weapons?" The scribe squinted suspiciously at the young girl, who shrank beneath his gaze. "All accounted for, sir," Marcus said carefully. "Then get in position. We have to stick to a schedule." He shuffled away like a wrinkled stick drowning in his robes, with Marcus escorting him. Welcome to my challenge, all! These next few weeks I will be aiming to improve my cardio (a goal that majorly failed last time because I dislike gyms) and relieve the pain in my upper back through yoga classes. My last challenge failed pretty miserably because I didn't make a schedule. This time around, all goals will be based on my success in scheduling my workouts. Goal 1: Prepare to dance at the wedding party. I haven't danced in a long time, so I need to dance three or four times a week to be ready for the big party. If not, her father the king might imprison me again. In the second week of my journey, we will pass over the great mountain. I will not be able to dance, so I'll have to dance before and after our week in the mountain. For dancing on Monday and Thursday nights at 7, and Saturday mornings at 9, I will receive +3 STA, +1 STR, and +1 CON. A: 18 dances (3/week, on schedule) B: 15-17 dances on schedule C: 12-14 D: 9-11 F: 0-8 Goal 2: Stretch out my aching back. Carrying all this baggage really hurts! My upper back is stiff and sore. I will attend yoga sessions on Tuesday and Friday afternoons every week. Again, the second week I will not be able to. I can get extra points or make up sessions for attending Wednesday afternoon/evening Pilates or Yoga. For this, I will receive +4 DEX. A: 12 yoga and pilates sessions per week, on schedule B: 10-11 yogas C: 8-9 D: 6-7 F: 0-5 Goal 3: Don't Open the Box I'm carrying five bags filled with the treasures of the princess. I cannot open these bags--if I do, or if anything goes missing, the scribe will blame me. So I need to resist the treats: no snacks, no sweets, no nothing for six weeks. For this I will earn +1 STA and +1 CHA, because I can dance more (and better) without junk in my system or heavy jewels around my neck. A: The box stays closed. B: 1-2 treats C: 3-5 treats D: 5-6 treats F: 7 or more treats Goal 4: Outsmart the Scribe That nasty scribe doesn't trust me a bit with the princess's dowry. So, to make sure he doesn't try to put me back in jail, I have to learn as much as I can. I'll spend my time doing research on medieval weaponry. Again, I have to stick to a schedule, just like the scribe said. Week 1: make an annotated bibliography of sources. Find information I can use: books, internet sources, and more. We'll be looking at a broad spectrum of stuff here: types of weapons, how they are used, who used them, how they evolved over time, how they are are made, battle strategies, etc. I've found some cool resources thanks to some fellow NFers. Week 2: mountain. Not much is going to happen here. Week 3: Find an area of focus. This can be whatever I find the most info on or whatever I am most interested in pursuing. Start doing more work. Learn my weapons inside and out. Week 4: Zoom in on the area of focus. Hope to connect this to a greater aspect of research: historical significance of the invention of the stirrup, for example, would be a great thing to look into. Have this all figure out by now. Week 5: if I have enough substance to write a research paper, I will start writing this week. Week 6: finish writing. Goal: 8 pages. For sticking to the schedule planned, I will gain +4 WIS. I hope you will join me on my journey across the mountains. Godspeed to you all!

I'm new to this site but I have joined this 6 week challenge along with my boyfriend so we can kick bum together haha. My Goals: Fitness Goals Bench press 40kg at 3 sets of 5 reps Currently I am able to bench press at 37.5kg, but it took me 2 months to get there from 35kg. I want to try to push through my plateau a lot quicker this time. 40kg would be a huge "bench" mark for me Do 8-rung monkey bars without falling off I have never been able to do monkey bars. Ever. It may seem small to a lot of people but if I can finally get across a set of these in a kids playground it'll guarantee my success in my upcoming Mud Masters event haha! Run 10km doing 7 burpees after every 1km in under one hour This challenge I am doing alongside my boyfriend. I'm good at running longer distances but need to improve my endurance under Mud Masters/Tough Mudder kind of conditions - that is, running these longer distances at a faster pace and with the strength and stamina to conquer each obstacle without slowing down in between. Life Goal Teach a Zumba class using 5 of my own choreographies So this weekend I completed the Basic Level 1 Zumba instructor training and am now a certified Zumba instructor! The easy part is over and now the hard work really begins. I want to be able to teach my very first class using 5 of my own choreographies within the next 6 weeks. The sooner the better because that means I can work on becoming a better and more confident instructor. So how do I plan to achieve all of this? It helps that I do a lot of training with my boyfriend, and as he is doing his own challenge for this we can help motivate and support each other. I have a training schedule which involved working out 6 days a week with 1 rest day. I also plan to practice my Zumba basic steps and choreography at for at least 20 minutes five times a week. To keep track of my workouts here is my Fitocracy link

Hello!!!!! So if you've been following me for a while...you'll know that statistically this will be a hard challenge. This six weeks have midterms, birthdays, and (hopefully) the birth of my niece! In past challenges, every other challenge has been craptastic. Well, I refuse to let this one be horrific! Starting stats: Body fat: 37.8% (not obese anymore by like a tenth of a percent!!!! W00T!); weight: 211.3 lbs (I dropped somehow when I wasn't really trying during the off week!) BMI: 29.5! (.2 down from ending of last challenge?!?! I really don't know how that happened...) When I find time to purge the monster's stoma-I mean my room, I'll get the standard waist, hips, etc. measurements...but for the life of me I can't remember where I put my measuring tape during Christmas cleanup... Goals! 1: Dance, Dance, Dance! As we all know, the Doctor does dance, so I need to be quick on my feet! On Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-7 Zumba songs! I just love zumba! 2 STA 2 CHA-for no dances missed. 2: Fuel the body: Steve Kamb is always saying fitness is 80% diet 20% physical. I'm biting the bullet and trying a very low level of paleo. Days I'm not at school, no grains!!! No cokes!!!! Eek, and dare I say it, no white potatoes. Just healthy healthy foods! My big problem with this will be learning how much I need to eat to keep my blood sugar balanced. A=4 days a week B 3 days a week C 2 D 1 F none... 3 CON 2 CHA 3: Protect the body: I've needed supplements since I was little (evil antibiotics ruining my immune system as a baby....urgh) but my problem is TAKING THEM!!! Since I am not a Time Lord, and I can't regenerate, I have to take care of myself the old fashioned way. Taking meds 2x day, and fixing them for the week. All or nothing challenge since I really can't afford to not take them. 3CON 4: Do it now: I was really, I guess convicted, by Steve's post Do It Now . Procrastinator is my middle name...Example: I have started 3 books on Queen Victoria for a short Bio due this friday...and I haven't finished any of them, or started even writing the paper... So what I'm not going to procrastinate on: Doing assignments (no free reading during or before the assignment is done), fix food a head of time, post to NF, putting things up when I'm done with them. Saving money for Study Abroad...How I'm going to measure: At the end of the day, report 3/+ things I've completed or did immediately when I was done. A for having 3 things every day, B for 5 days a week, C for 3, everything else, F. 3 WIS You might remember a couple of challenges ago, I talked about going to Ireland...welp...a wreck and lack of any type of motivation caused that dream to be extremely delayed...so now I'm focusing on England for Christmas! I'm actually talking to the professor in Charge this week. And really, how better to meet the Doctor than London at Christmas? So I'm going to keep this in mind every time before I make a purchase! It's not cheap to go to London! Good luck everybody!!!