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Introduction My name is Darci-- you may know me from the NF Academy forums as darcibeta (my character name is Darquar Turbostarr). I joined the NF Academy in November 2014. Despite having been a member for almost 1.5 years now, I've had little success thus far. My biggest issues have been follow-through and consistency. However, this is about to change. Why will it be different this time? Because I gave birth to my second beautiful boy in May 2016, and throughout my pregnancy I was unhappy with my body and with the way I cared for it. I spent quite a bit of time during my pregnancy studying nutrition and learning about fitness competitions. I vowed that I would create healthy habits, sculpt a sexy, strong physique, and work towards my goal of competing. Therefore, my current plan is to spend a year or so changing my "default habits" and creating new, healthy habits-- exercising regularly, leveling up my diet, etc., -- and then I will begin prepping for a fitness competition. Why fitness competition? As a child and teenager, I enjoyed dancing (ballet, tap, jazz, etc..) and performing. I would love to work towards a goal and get up on stage to show off my accomplishments. I think having this goal in mind will help me to stick with the changes. Also, I have never had much in the muscle department, and I've always wanted to have more muscle mass and STRENGTH! Because it's been so long since I've been active in the NF Academy, I'm resetting all of my quests and starting anew. I did the Benchmark Test and I'll be starting at Bodyweight Level 1 (due to my upper body strength being so weak). It's probably for the best to start at Level 1 anyway since I'm 5 weeks postpartum and have lost a lot of strength (especially in my core) during pregnancy. I want to start out slowly and build healthy habits. My BIG "Why?" Because I'm tired of seeing my body in the shape it's in. I think what bothers me the most is my lack of muscle and strength. I look like I don't take care of myself, and that's not how I want others to see me. Because I want to prove to myself and others that I CAN accomplish my goals and that I'm not all talk. Because I want to look sexy AF. Because I want to be a great role model for my family and others. My Goals Long-term (i.e. where I will be in 1 year): I'm the type of person who is driven to continually improve myself and I will work relentlessly to do so. I'm somebody who will consistently eat nourishing foods by eating a paleo(ish) diet (level 7) 80% of the time and consistently exercise my body by strength-training 4 days a week and cardio-training 2 days a week. Short-term (i.e. what I'm working on now): I will eat 2400 healthy calories daily, aiming for a macro-nutrient ratio of 30% carbs, 15% protein, and 55% fat. I will drink one gallon of water daily, On weekdays, I will prepare a healthy lunch/supper for the next day before I go to bed. I will exercise (in any form, at this point) 3 days per week. I will begin each day with a low-carb breakfast instead of cereal, breads, etc. My Batcave I will remove steps to build healthy habits by: Creating a lunch menu so I don't have to think about what to make (lunches must be quick and easy to prepare). Prepping shredded chicken on Sundays so its ready for the week. Filling up a gallon jug of water and refrigerating it at night so its cold for the next day. I will add barriers to keep myself from falling back into unhealthy habits by: Unfollowing people/groups on Facebook and Instagram and unsubscribing from emails to keep myself from wasting time and energy. Leave`my purse at home/in the back of the car when I can to avoid impulsive buying of junk/fast food. Order groceries online, save list, and pick-up to avoid buying and having unhealthy/unplanned food in the house. My Measurements - 6/8/2016 (4 weeks + 5 days postpartum) Weight: 154.4 lbs Neck: 13.5" Bust: 38" Under bust: 31.5" Waist: 33" Pooch*: 40.5" Hips: 40.5" Upper arm: 11.5" Forearm: 9.5" Thigh: 23" Calves: R 13.75" L 13.25" *"Pooch" is a measurement my sisters and I thought we should keep track of. I have also taken my before pictures, but I will wait to post those until I have something to compare them to. So there you have it! I'm excited for this journey and to see the transformation in my body and abilities. Hope to meet several great people along the way!