Druids report!

[Sunmage]

Congratulations! You just finished a 6 week challenge.There is nothing better to start a new year than rocking a challenge...

Awesome! We want to thank all of you for participating, supporting each other and working so hard that the rest of us gets motivated by your success.

Special thanks to those who joined our challenge. It was a very special, personal and hard one. Next time we will do something with more competition and fun!

So how did you do?

Post a summary here, grading yourselves on each of your goals on an A to F scale (see below). Then give yourselves an overall grade for the challenge.


Check out this post for all challenge info and questions.

Grading Yourself and Awarding Attribute Points

At the end of the challenge, give yourself a grade on how you did achieving your goals. Then, based on how you did, award points. Partial points are allowed.

A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0%

Here is a link for a chart to help with the math.

Remember to talk about your succeses. You are more likely to be picked as a nominee if you talk about how your challenge went and what you learned.

Anyone can nominate someone!

If you need examples look at the other reports or in the other guilds. If you need help feel free to ask!

Are you in next time?

See you around!

[Sunmage]

And another challenge is over...

I achieved my goals, but I also made additional progress that is awesome! I am a vegetarian now and I don't miss meat much. I did not lose weight with that... My first challenge here was about paleo and eating more than 1 kg of meat at day so I won't lose weight... Should have done green smoothies instead...

Second achievement: Green smoothies. I like them and they are good for me. I ordered a high power blender similar the vitamix

Third achievement: I do not have to fight for graduation. Everything solves itself so it fits. I just have to slay my exam demon and stay calm.

Goals:

1.: Theses: 1 nothing(like the last 6 challenges), 1 nearly done and finished this week. Yay! A- because I slayd a demon

2.: Meditation: Every day but one. I have to admit that often the hour might have been just a half. I will take the time next time. A

3.: Good for myself: I did much, but should have done more. Exercising will be in the focus next time. Still an B+

4.: Food: I did cook. And make smoothies. Nearly junk food. Self cooked food is solo awesome! Did a mention I am a vegan now who eats butter and occasionally dairy, but gets sick of dairy? A+

Overall: A

See you next time!

[Panczo]

oh well, I normally don't report but I thought - why not Panczo

 

it's a copy/paste post from my challenge thread:

And 8th challenge is over… it was though challenge but not bc of goals but bc my dark thoughts about everything. Thankfully I feel a little better recently and so I look forward for another challenge.

Thanks to everyone who found moment to write smth in my thread. All comments are always great inspiration for moving forward 

So how about summary for the challenge eh?

First of all is Multitaskin Bad? Well it turned out to be perfectly suited to my character. This scheme (especially with goal 1 being keeping the good habits going) seems to work great. Finally I don’t feel the urge to drop the challenge in half and start working on smth else J.

Despite my blue days I managed to achieved almost all of my goals – actually all that I wanted to do. Success in sticking with my goals is mostly thanks to keeping the same habits for a while now and adding few new activities for entertainment.

 

So another level up for me. ZING !!!

+

Another change of avatar (I still didn’t found the one I could stick to it for longer  ).

Another change of race (ent => elf) – I think this might be last time tough J.

And another quote in sig.

+

And next week will be rest and break from all the habits (at least they won’t be tracked) so I can renew my motivation J

+

And one more time my head is running crazy brain-storming about next challenge goals J

 

here are my results:

tracking my challenge - final results below :

 

1. KEEP THE GOOD STUFF GOING

• - workout at least 3x/week                       0/0 4/3 2/3 3/3 3/3 4/3
  
• - don't drink coffee more than 2x/ week   0/0 2/2 4/2 1/2 2/2 2/2
  
• - plan my day in the mornings 6x/week    0/0 6/6 6/6 6/6 3/3 6/6
  
• - do home movie evenings max 2/week   0/0 1/2 1/2 2/2 1/2 2/2
  

 

2. LIMIT THE BAD STUFF AKA ALCOHOL – WITH MY GIRL AT HOME

• - don't drink alcohol at home more than 1 portion x/week 1/1 1/1 0/1 0/1 2/1
  

3. TRY NEW STUFF AT LEAST ONCE. FUN GOAL  

• - try doing protein bars with protein powder 1/1
  
• - try doing multi-veggie soup and blend it into smoothie 1/1 - totall success 
  
• - try new recipe for some raw veggie salad 2/2 - both not very tasty though 
  
• - try a bio-energetic routine few times in the mornings 3/4
  
• - try some full body stretching routine in the mornings 6/4
  
• - try to finish all the 'my own work' before 8pm and then just chill out - 4/4 - I stopped tracking these
  
• - try meditation tapes directed to healing injuries 5/5
  

4. LIFE MINI QUESTS.

• - sell my stuff (books, pc games, puzzles) for charity (WOÅšP) BEFORE 12th january 1/1
  
• - clean out my bookies accounts 1/1
  
• -  get another math book for my math re-learning 1/1
  
• - do a web search for a career counseling office somewhere near my place 1/1
  
• -  do a web search for a chiropractor/physiotherapist/etc 0/1
  

[Heidi]

1. Do Baby Steps: this was going solidly until heart issues in Week 5. Even so, I continued to get in over a mile a day during those oast two weeks, and baby steps is what it's all about. A-

Do not stress. This was difficult at first, but by week 5 I seemed to have the hang of it. A

Do healing: I missed a few massages, but I like how I am thinking about my health. C

Classwork: Totally knocked the paralegal classes out of the water. Had a difficult time with the online six sigma projects. B

Other stuff: Very successful with water and my life items list: credit cards are paid off and stuff is pared down.

[Eirlys]

Pictures of my decluttering & weight loss before/after can be found on my thread  http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/41838-eirlys-better-body-better-mind/page-3

 

1. Sit up straight - STR +4

 

Started well, but lost energy for this challenge for the last 2 weeks.

 

Grade B

 

2. Run with a better posture - STA +3

 

Went to gym and observed this challenge, except for the last 2 weeks, for health reasons.

 

Grade B

 

3. Look after my teeth and body - CON +4

 

Resisted so many sugary things, and have reduced my weight and overall size.

Upper hips - lost 2 inches

Lower hips - lost 1 inch

Upper thigh - lost 1 inch

Mid-tum - lost over 1 inch

Waist - lost 1 inch

 

Body fat decreased from a peak of 26% (18 Jan) to 24.8% (15 Feb)

Weight decreased from a peak of 61.7 kg to 59.3 kg (16 Feb)

 

Grade A

 

4. Use it or lose it - decluttering goal - WIS +2

 

Have managed to get through a lot of portable toiletries and throw out some old make-up.  I've also reduced several drawers' worth of content, as some of these pictures show.  Today I processed my live role-playing kit and even managed to reduce that, despite having ordered quite a bit of new costume!

 

Grade A

 

5. Stay off facebook - CHA +2

 

Complete success!

 

Grade A

 

 

Overall Challenge: Grade A-

[keliswicked]

I'm giving myself full credit on the Whole30.  I finished the whole thing with no concessions, felt great, and have been doing what I can since to keep up with the healthy eating.  So A for Whole30!

 

I'm also giving myself full credit on the Couch to 5k.  I got a bit behind with it, needing to get new running shoes, but it was a smart decision to wait and now I really feel like a runner. I have three more weeks and then I have my first 5k! So A for Couch to 5k.

 

And finally, biting my nails.  I think I've done as much as I could possibly have done in the past six weeks to kick this habit.  My nails look beautiful despite the cold weather wreaking havoc on them, and I'm proud to show them off to people.  So A for nail biting.

 

Wow, I knocked this one out of the park!  I'm super proud of myself.  This was definitely a "less is more" challenge and I'm ecstatic to move up to level 5!!

[citizenkade]

I'm pretty sure my life would be a lot different right now if I had not found Nerd Fitness and not participated in this challenge. My restaurant, which I poured every ounce of creativity, passion, and money I had into, was evicted from our original location after only a year and a half in business. If you know much about small business, you know that they hardly turn a profit for years. We were breaking even after 18 months, and suddenly we were faced with coming up with thousands of dollars to renovate a new space. We've been closed now for nearly a month, which means no revenue, and still losing money daily to finish the building. It's done now, and inspections are coming. We may be open soon.

 

In the past, I would have dealt with this by eating my way through half the city. I would have justified that destructive behavior because of the stress we were experiencing. I would not have exercised, I would have just sat and moped and maybe got off my ass to work on the restaurant. But NO. I worked out. I have had some sort of exercise nearly every day for almost three months. I am a different, stronger, and more resilient person than I was at the beginning of this battle!

 

GOAL ONE: CARDIO: A

I hit my goal of 5+ hours every week except one, and that was only shy by an hour. I also did not count any construction or cleaning, which would have put me way over!

 

GOAL TWO: Body Weight Exercise: A

Over the course of 6 weeks I hit every workout that I had scheduled, and added intensity to them all. Went from being able to do about 10 pushups, to being able to hit 32. My flexibility and strength are better than they have been in decades.

 

GOAL THREE: Nutrition: A

I stayed clear of any processed foods for all but one day, when I allowed myself a little sugar in a special coffee drink a friend made for me. I have not had pasta, chips, bread, or sugar other than that since the 10th of December.

 

Life Quest: Creative PASS I have included more time in my day to day life for drawing and painting. I have been really happy with that time, too!

Life Quest 2: Clutter! FAIL Not as much time as I would have hoped for cleaning up the house, considering all the construction and mayhem.

 

Weight: Lost 10 pounds, down 21 pounds since starting Nerd Fitness in December.

 

I'm really happy with the challenge! I'm already working on my goals for next week, and can't wait to see what life brings us all!

[Wandern]

The challenge is over all ready??!! I have in my head that we've another week. And I was just getting back into the swing of things. Oh, well. The score will not be so great this time. Here's a summary, the details are on my thread:

 

Challenge Goal 1: Increase lifting amounts by 5lbs on specific lifts by doing a lift workout 3x/week. Currently following the NFAcademy Barbell workout 2. Bonus points if I get into the gym a fourth time for an aerobic workout each week.

• Deadlift: Start: 125 lbs: End: 125lbs no change
  
• Squat: Start: 105 lbs: End: 105lbs no change
  
• Bench Press Start: 75 lbs: End: 75 no change (but I did do a couple sets of 80 yesterday. Not enough to count, though)
  
• Overhead press: Start: 60 lbs End: 55 -5 change (backwards. sigh)
  

Score: F: no points for me.

 

Challenge Goal 2: Meditate for 10 minutes every night at 8:30. Bonus points if I follow this by completing 2 pages of a journal. 

Outcome: Meditated 24 times since Jan. 6. Journaled 9 times.  This does show an improvement over the last few times I've tried to add meditating to the daily list. At least I didn't give it up altogether after a couple weeks. Score: D: +1 WIS

 

Challenge Goal 3: Complete the initial quilt design, make pattern.

End of Challenge: Done. Next steps: buy fabric, cut pieces. Score: Pass: +2DEX +2CHA

 

Challenge Goal 4: Complete the Coursera MOOC Content Strategy.

Outcome: I've done all the lessons and got my assignment turned in. There's one week left in the course, I have yet to do the peer reviews. I'm still gonna count this one as done. Honestly, I wouldn't've finished this one were it not for the challenge. I probably should've skipped it anyway - the class really wasn't worth my time. Probably would've been better off with the book Score: Pass: +2WIS +1STA

 

So, at the end of all this, I declare myself a Level 8 Druid STR 13 | DEX 15 | STA 13 | CON 12 | WIS 16 | CHA 15

[Wandern]

Trying to delete a duplicate...

[LittleTurtle]

FINAL GRADES!!

Yoga = B+

Misc Activity = B+

Foam Roll = A-

Vitamins = A

Treats = B+

 

Shortly after this challenge started, I managed to get a lung infection and didn't get off to a great start.  I took a major setback with running, but after I was well, I starting plugging away again.  In the past, I probably would have used that setback as an excuse to give up.  But...life isn't predictable.  Setbacks are inevitable.  I just have to do what I can and hope I get better - no matter how long it takes.

 

So now, I'm off to start working on my goals for the next challenge.  And I'm feeling the need to go do some yoga before bed.  I can't say this enough, but yoga has helped me in ways that nothing else ever has!  Quick story before I sign out:

 

In 2001, I sustained a mild brain and an acute back injury in an auto accident where I was rear-ended.  After years of physical therapy, chiropractic, and pain meds, I was told by a physician (and I quote), "Stephanie, you will be in pain the rest of your life, and the sooner you learn to accept that fact - the better off you'll be."  I was in my mid-twenties.  It broke my heart.  It made me angry.  I just sort of gave up at that point.  Enter Nerd Fitness.  I rediscovered my love for yoga and now I'm doing it more and more...with less and less pain!  I still have days where my back cramps up, but yoga helps to alleviate the pain and I can't imagine where I'd be now without it.

 

And with that - I'm off.  Thanks for listening, and thanks for all your support that has helped me stick with the program!  

 

Until next week...

[NikkiB]

Quick note:  My username has changed.  I'd originally joined NF as SaffronHare a long time ago, but didn't really get any traction for myself until I joined the NF Women's Academy, where bumbled and created a whole new username (NikkiB).  That's the one I'm more invested in, and -- since this is all about building connections -- I decided to keep it.  It's not like I had much progress built into the old username anyway.    Okay.  Reporting at the end of the challenge:

 

1. Rest (29/30) = A:  So very happy with how this one worked.  Bedtime habits are getting much better.  The next phase would be to actually get to *sleep* a bit earlier, but that will require shifting my husband’s routines as well as my own.  Much trickier, though not impossible. Will have to think on it and engage some support when I tackle that issue. 
2. 2. Recovery (7/8)= A-:  Mathematically, 7/8 comes to 88%, but the one I missed was a sick day.  I continue to be very happy with what I’m learning in PT and the stability I’m feeling in the joint lately.  Last week, I had my first days in *months* where I could say I wasn’t feeling any pain.  That’s HUGE.  I brought the NF Academy tutorial workout (sort of a modified bodyweight circuit) to PT last week and he gave me the go-ahead to start on it.  He also supported me returning to TKD classes again, with some limitation on punching things until I’m better at controlling cross-body extension.  I have three more weeks of PT to go before I'm finished.  He's suggested that, if I want to start lifting heavier again, I should work with a coach for a little while (rather than just in my basement) to be sure my technique is protecting my shoulder.   Locally, Club Boris (Olympic lifting) is the place to go.  It's about 30 minutes away and they're out of the country right now with some folks competing in the Junior worlds or something like that.  Sounds like they know what they're doing.  I'm going to stick with the tutorial workout for 6+ weeks and then maybe do the bodyweight workouts for a while longer.  Money for a coach and time for that commute will be hard to come by until summer time.  Life is long; I'll get there. 
3. Mobility (8/12) = B:  Still the weak link, but starting on the NF academy workouts and TKD classes again have boosted my success, since both of those activities include some time dedicated to mobility. 

 

Glad to have learned all I did in this challenge.  I think it sets me up to be a lot more thoughtful about setting goals and building new habits for the year – thanks for all your feedback and support!

[citizenkade]

Good job, everyone! It's so cool seeing everyone making progress!

[Affekonig]

Whaaaaaat, over already? Where did this time go .

 

 

Practice 1 hour every day. Won't necessarily be Ashtanga yoga, but yoga or pilates *every day*! Wednesdays are gonna be hard because I am in the office downtown and have evening activities, but it isn't called the "6-Week Easy".

A for 1 or 0 missed Practices, B for 2, etc.

+2 STR +2 STA +2DEX

B for this one:( Two weeks in there that I didn't get in 7 practices. I can blame work, but that's still just blame! Going to dock a point off STR based on my own perception of how I've been improving.

+1 STR, +2STA +2 DEX

 

Headstands get way easier the less you have to hold up, and there is extra me to hold up after the holidays! 10,500 net calories per week.

A for 1 or 0 missed weeks, B for 2, etc

+1 CON +2 CHA

Wow, rocked this one pretty easily. I was expecting it to be harder, but I'm confident I was dilligent about measuring and came in well under every week.

+1 CON +2 CHA

Recover! I put this in every challenge and I do pretty well at it but still have trouble getting the habit to stick. So here it is again! Lights out by 1AM every work-night.

Same grading,

+3 WIS

I let this one trail off in the second half of the challenge C, +1 WIS

[WildColonialGrrl]

- - - - - - - - Cut along dotted line and paste - - - - - - - 

 

The conclusion of Chapter 5.1

- as rewritten by the Wild Colonial Grrl herself!

 

And a much more successful chapter it was. Why? Whilst not perfectly completed, it was realistic, sufficiently challenging to my mind set and behaviours, and a good start to the year. Feels like a platform to spring from!

 

 

WildColonialGrrl, on 09 Jan 2014 - 4:51 PM, said:

Ãœber goal: Fit / healthy by 40

Now goal: cope with stuff

Overall a success in that I didn't freak out during the non routine period, I didn't kill any co-workers on return to work, and that I have recognised early the signs of not coping and started doing something about it. 

 

1 - no more zero days - Con 4
100% completion for full points. Why? No routine... Eeek! Gotta keep moving towards my goals every single day something. I have a link some where...

Full Points!! This was a really good ting to keep me moving over my break and thinking about the little steps that move me forward.

2 - stretch/yoga/ flexible bodyness - DEX 4 con 1
Everyday 100%... This will be the hardest one for me this challenge. I really need to work on flexibility for a number of reasons and it makes me feel good. I want it to be an everyday thing preferably in the morning... But it is going to take some time to bed this habit in. Very much a work in progress

Better than ever before success in this challenge, but still not right up there on the numbers and habit formation. It did, however, give me lots to think about on the 'when do I actually stretch?' question. I stretch after exercise. I do not like to cold stretch. I would have to come at this from the other direction to make it work as a daily thing and make a daily walk/jump rope/something the focus and stretch after. it is good to know this and I will have to test it in a future challenge this year. 

So, Dex 3 awarded. 

3 - mindfulness - WIS 3
I need to learn some things about my self and connect my body better to my mind. The disconnect is I suspect behind a lot of the less good choices I habitually make. I hope that this will help with coping mechanisms and maybe diet (I'm a bit of a Cookie Monster type gobbler). I am reading a book - the rough guide to mindfulness. It has downloadable or internetable audio to go with exercises. I intent to have read all the book and completed all the exercises before the end of this challenge (and be applying stuff with any luck).

This has been really good as a start but I didn't quite get the practice in hand. I want to spend more time on this in the future and in particular mindfulness of eating. For me this needs a structured approach to get it into a habit. Wis 2 awarded.

Sub goal:
Journal/meditate? CHA 3
I feel better when I write things down especially my anxiety related stuff. Hopefully it will help me through this time of little structure, re-establishing routine and icky changes. It helps so I should do it more... S I am including it in the challenge. At least twice or more per week for the win. Why charisma? Not wearing my shoulders around my ears definitely make me look better!
Got 10/12 for this one and was reminded of how good it felt to write the thoughts out of my head (and did not kill co-workers). Awarding 2.5 CHA

 

Am happy with that for a first challenge back after the mess that was the original Chapter 5. 11.5 stat points out of 15 is a mid range pass... and I'll remind myself once more that this is about learning and growing more than perfect scores.