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Main Quest: Getting back to where I was a year ago Set the time circuits for November 13, 2013 This time last year I was doing pretty well. I had been eating a nearly 100% paleo diet for 5-6 months and completed 3 challenges. I had lost around 35 pounds (much more than that in fat since I gained muscle). I had energy, I was happy, and I felt great! Then came Thanksgiving, Xmas, and injuries. The diet was the first to go, and exercise followed shortly after. I attempted to reboot in February of this year, but only got halfway through the challenge. At that point I had finished 6 of the 13 weeks of P90X, but then I just stopped for no real reason. So here are the benchmarks from last Nov/Dec that I want to hit again, and I fully don't expect to hit them during this challenge: Push-ups: 30 (1 set max reps during a P90X workout)Pull-ups: 12/28 (1 set max / 3 set total max)Weight: 148lbsBMI: ~13.7% (measured with plastic calipers) November Challenge GOAL 1: Diet Time to get back to Paleo eating. Last time I did this I felt like it was really easy to maintain. I have to regain that feeling. I love to cook, so bring on the challenge again! I'm going to match the same eating plan I had last time--no grain, 1 serving of fruit per day, lots of protein, healthy fats, and vegetables. What has been doing me in lately are hamburgers, pizza, cookies, and pretzels. I can still enjoy hamburgers, bunless without fries, but the pizza, cookies, and pretzels will have to go. I will need to make sure I have viable snacks on hand when I need them. Also as part of this challenge, I'll be cooking (or attempting) one new paleo item or using one new-to-me paleo ingredient per week and posting recipes and photos! Grading: 70% sticking to paleo every day / 30% Cooking New things. A top score will earn me +2 CON, +1 WIS, +1CHA. GOAL 2: Strength Training It's Rebel Strength Guide's Dumbbell Division Rank 2 for me. Three times a week. I'm grading on participation, since in doing so my stats should naturally trend toward my benchmark main quest. Grading: A top score will earn me +3 STR, +1 CHA GOAL 3: Yoga I've been attending yoga classes once or twice a week pretty consistently all year. The Tuesday class is a "Challenge Yoga" class which kicks my ass, so that's good. If I can add at least one more class a week that would be great, but I'd be okay with two to maintain flexibility and balance. My biggest obstacles to a great practice right now are belly fat and strength level, so my other missions should help quite a bit. Grading: +3 DEX +1 CON GOAL 4: Sleep Sleep Sleep I can't get to sleep before midnight to save my life! (And it literally might in the long run.) I think I'm averaging about 5 hours of sleep on week nights. If I could get to sleep earlier to where I could naturally rise early in the morning I could attend morning yoga classes or get to work at a decent time (which means home at a decent time to work out and stuff). All previous efforts have failed. How can I make this one work? I need to be in bed, lights out, by 11 for a solid 8 hours of sleep. Maybe if I started gradually--lights out at midnight week 2, decrease by 15 mins each week. Week 6 if I'm good with the 11pm bed time I can try to do some morning yoga at 6:30am! Grading: +3 CON MOTIVATION: I want to fit into my clothes again. What really helped me on my first few challenges was having a great accountability group and posting often. I hope I can find/do that again!

As promised, I am back for my second challenge and this time I'm coming into it a bit more prepared. Since my first challenge I have let myself continue to go back out of control and I am highly disappointed in myself for it. Because of my lack of vigilance I have begun to show signs of exposure to the deadly toxins of the "Standard North American Diet" or SNAD-virus. These signs include increased appetite and mindless eating, headaches, lethargy, acne, poor sleep, bloating, weight gain and digestion issues. My husband has also shown some of these symptoms as well as respiratory problems due to exposure. If treated immediately the effects are reversible but left unchecked, full infection is imminent. A 6-week Detoxification Protocol and Strength Training Regimen has been recommended for full recovery. Detoxification Protocol Dietary Restrictions: -Subject is to eat following the normal restrictions as outlined in the Paleo diet. -Subject is to limit consumption of caffeine, nuts, seeds, fruit and permissible dairy. -Subject is to follow the 6-week Operation Slim Down Meal Guide with minimal modification. Drink plenty of water to help flush the toxins from the body. Rest. Proper sleep is necessary for the body's recovery during the detoxification process. Failing to follow these recommendations will result in the failure to reverse the effects of exposure and possible full infection. Training Schedule Monday: Recreational Activity Tuesday: Dumbbell Division Workout Wednesday: Rest Thursday: Hapkido/ HIIT Friday: Dumbbell Division Workout Saturday: Rest Sunday: Dumbbell Division Workout Activities should include: frisbee, swimming, cycling, indoor wall climbing, kayaking and other activities designed to get the heart rate up while having fun. On rest days it is further recommended to remain active with stretching and moving frequently at a moderate pace. It is also a good time to practice combat techniques so that subject will be fit for battle once the healing process is complete. Subject is to report here on 07.28.13 at 20:00 for initial evaluation and every Sunday at the same time for re-evaluation. Main Quest: RecoveryFrom the articles I have read recently in desperation to regain control, my main problem seems to be leptin resistance. My main goal for the next six weeks will be getting my leptin back in order by taking the advice of this article. Now, we all know there's no underpants collecting here! I'll be taking action with the following missions: Eat 100% Paleo for the entire 6 weeks. It sounds hard but nothing worth doing is easy. I really want to make my main goal possible and this is the best fix there is. The primary reward for mission completion will be +5 Constitution. Do strength training 3 times a week. I've had dumbbells around for a while now and have yet to start using them seriously. I've mostly stuck to body weight exercises because of my familiarity with them. I've fallen off of my good workout habits in general and this is my way to level up training. Full completion of this mission will be rewarded with +4 Strength, +2 Stamina and +2 Agility. Keep a log. I know my logs are usually quite detailed and I tend not to leave anything out of them. I haven't logged anything since the last challenge ended and that's part of where I fell off the wagon. I am adopting Zuel's simple and clean logging style this time and forgoing the extra work of inputting everything I eat and do into MFP. I tend to obsess over macro nutrients and calories too much when I use that method and I am not very pleasant to be around when all my downtime is used up with the inputting and obsessing. Mission reward will be +2 Charisma for being less anal and more relaxed. Life Quest: Replace Retail Therapy with Recreation We have about $8000 in credit card debt to pay off before we can start saving for our first house and move out of the parent's basement. (Embarrassing at our age, I know.) I am very bad for using retail therapy when I am feeling down on myself or to fight boredom when I'm trying to keep my mind off of eating. Meanwhile, my reading list isn't getting any shorter and I have all these unfinished projects and ideas sitting around that would do just as well to keep me entertained while possibly even supplementing my income. I've been lazy here and going for the quick fix instead of taking the longer, more fulfilling path. As a side note my husband is also unhappy with the weight he's gained in the last few months and is going to be my silent partner for my challenge. He'll be attempting to go Paleo and join my strength training for the next 6 weeks with me. His added support will help keep me accountable and we tend to push each other harder when working together. With him as my wing-man, we will survive this outbreak and take some zombies down! Parameters set. Initiating program...