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There have been a ton of changes over the past 3 years for me - and even more already in the works for the upcoming year. Mom will be moving in. Our friend from Texas is selling his house and moving in (that has a time limit). We'll have 5 adults in this house and working on putting in an addition so Mom can have her own apartment\space. I've finally found something that actually helps me get good quality sleep which has had a HUGE impact (like I'm not waking up daily with headaches and FAR fewer migraines). We have a new bed coming which I hope will also be a positive impact on the other numerous aches and pains - yeah I'm 50 and overweight - but it's hard to say how much is age\health and how much is the awesome bed is no longer awesome. More bed stuff behind spoiler guard for those that are interested. OK - so the challenge. While I've stopped and started so many things so many times over the years here and elsewhere - 2023 is the year I really want to buckle down and get this weight off. It's always been a goal but SO MUCH has gotten in the way of that. And it's stuff that I have at least a little to a lot of handle on now. I don't have a goal weight - but what I DO want is by the end of 2023 to be able to walk into a normal store and buy petite clothes that are not "plus" sized. I want the clothes currently in my closet to need to be replaced (which could be digging through old bins for smaller clothes or buying new). I don't ever want to ask for a belt extender on a plane. I don't want to pull out a side tray table and not be able to use it because my belly is in the way. I'm just DONE! So for my first challenge I want to do 2 things. Move more and track my food. That's it. I have a Fit Bit and My Fitness Pal account. I'm setting my daily goal on my Fit Bit BACK to 3000 daily steps - and my goal will be to hit that DAILY and slowly increase. I'll check out the Fitbit food app and decide if I want to use it and keep it all in one spot or if I want to stay on My Fitness Pal. I also do have a scale - not that I really care about the numbers - I need to track something so I'll track that (not sure if I want to post THAT here - we'll see - but it's a gauge, not the end game. I don't care about a number on a scale - and if it starts to cause a problem - I'll stop tracking it.

Well folks, it is about that time. I've got to get to another country, half my stuff or more is in those loveable cardboard boxes, and we are entering into the endgame on this move. My boss has cut me loose on more or less my own recognizance, letting my do all the administrivia that attends moving over seas, as well as make Tai Chi most days. It has been a tremendous windfall and pleasure, training with folks over the last few days. Great to find the more martial aspects of Tai Chi. Training with a former Golden Gloves boxer who now does Tai Chi is amazing. I am returning, slowly, to my very successful metabolic reset and follow on "eating healthy things because I like them" meal plan. The cross country drive and subsequent flight back were not helpful in eating well. Objectives: Pack the House - the Purge Must Occur! Get a Realtor Do Tai Chi - as Often as Possible Back on the Band Wagon - Eat the Tasty Things! Zippo Time. - Magic Man! P.S. For anyone confused by the title/meme, this references to taking off in a jet, which I felt was apropos to the theme.

I've been sat staring at my computer screen for the last 20 minutes unsure of what I want to achieve out of this six week challenge but then I started thinking about the past two weeks and I knew what I wanted to do. Last challenge I started and then disappeared of the face of the earth to the point where I became really unhappy with what I was doing with regards to Fitness and Health. So I started up my blog and restarted the Academy. I went through all the quests again and it has helped me take a step back and understand how to start fixing the problems I have created. I am at the end of my initial 2 weeks where I get myself back into a routine and then assess what I am doing right and where I may need to change things. And that is why I am back here again for another six week challenge. I need the accountability and the support these forums offer to make sure I stay on track. Sometimes all it takes is for me to browse through other people's challenges, see what they are achieving and it gives me a small kick up the backside if I am slacking. Last challenge I rarely logged on (instead putting my time into browsing the internet aimlessly) and I want to change that. So this challenge will be: No Nonsense or Excuses. 1) I will exercise two times a week Complete a pull upRun in the NF Pumpkin Pi 5k Virtual Challenge2) I will eat well one sweet a daycook two meals for my family3) I will be less dependent on my computer Read 6 booksCreate a scrapbook journalSide Quest: 4) I do not waste my money a pool of money to spend on non-necessities (e.g. music, dvds, geeky stuff). In the past I've found I make things too complicated by trying to achieve too much. So I'm tried to simplify things a bit this time round. I've also jumped back into my Ultimate Quest! Got a lot to start crossing off!