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Hermione was an excellent muse for me last challenge, so it seemed wise to continue in her footsteps. There are some big changes coming up for me. I'm moving half way across the country in 3 weeks to an entirely new place for the next phase in my training. There is a lot of packing, orienting, and studying that need to happen. I do not want to use that as an excuse to lose all the momentum I have re-established, but I also do not want to slip into my perfection-or-total-failure, black-and-white mindset. My health is a long journey (like studying magic) that I will continue to pursue despite the distractions that are bound to come. In the fourth book, the students of Hogwarts must continue their studies while the excitement and challenge of the Triwizard Tournament distracts them. Hermione is able to focus and succeed at both, as well as campaigning for the rights of house elves. I aspire to that level of resilience! Main Quest – Resilience 1) Defense Against the Dark Arts Constant vigilance against Mindless Eating! Last challenge I completed a whole 30 in order to break my carb addiction, again. It was quite successful (I have not even weighed myself yet). However, already I am slipping back into old ways and overeating at social events for no good reason. I want to focus on the "slow roll reintroduction" described in Dallas and Melissa Hartwig's new book Whole 30. The basic idea is to continue eating according to the whole 30 rules except when you encounter something that you think is "worth it". Try not to mix a bunch of different types of food (dairy, gluten, and tons of sugar seems to be a danger for me). Stay mindful! I need to pay particular attention to my psychologic response to various foods, since I am lucky enough not to feel horrible when I break paleo. 2) Charms Kettlebell Workout Twice Per Week I want to work dedicated strength training back into my routines. My challenges with it in the past have been complicated regimens that have tons of reps of the same thing and get boring. I think kettlebells may be an antidote to this. Pavel's Simple and Sinister workout is attractive to me. I want to ease into it though and make sure that I have a focus on good form, since these movements are mostly new to me. I plan to start with 5x10 swings with my 20lb bell and 5x1 Turkish Get Ups with no weight (!) for the first week. Then, as long as I am feeling ready, I will add 10 swings and make one of the TGUs weighted each week. By the end, I may be ready for a new heavier bell! 3) Transfiguration – Mindfulness Formal mindfulness practice every day. Mindfulness lets me change my perspective and approach to my thoughts. I want to return to more rigorous daily practice with the headspace app. Triwizard Tournament For these tasks (side goals), I'm going to try some good old fashioned shiny object chasing! I will work on yoga throughout the challenge with my goal to complete and post each of these poses by the end. Remember, progress not perfection. First Task - Dragon Pose Second Task – Mermaid Pose All right! Let's do this!!

If I had to choose the character in literature that I most identify with, it would be Hermione Granger. I was a frizzy haired, smarty pants who spent more time with books than other people for a large part of my school years. I’ve been called a goodie-two-shoes, a brown-noser, bossy, and many other things I wouldn’t type in pleasant company. I didn’t come from “pure bloodâ€. But I will learn and dare almost anything to move forward and help my friends. The Harry Potter series has been reminding me to play to my strengths as I approach some big challenges – moving across country, two sets of boards, and starting a new phase of my training. Hermione embodies a lot of my strengths, so I’m going to use some of her favorite spells in my quest toward freedom from my food triggers and bad food habits. Like Hermione, my perfectionist ways can sometimes be an exercise in missing the point. My scale, weight, BMI, calorie counts, and any other numbers ARE NOT the priority. I want to be fit, healthy, and well. So, time to listen to Ron and sort out my priorities. Fewer numbers... more focus... Main Quest: Craving Control Habit Alohomora = unlock my mind from food triggers. Work with ideas from Eating the Moment to break the bad eating habits I have, including mindless eating, snacking in certain locations, and rushing through lunch. Nox = lights out at 9:30pm. More sleep is physiologically important for fighting cravings. Incendio = walk 10,000 steps per day. When I’m active, my mind is healthy. When my mind is healthy, I make healthy choices. Books and Cleverness! I have got to start seriously studying for boards. Time Turner = No video games until I have completed my tasks for the day! Devices can help us make the most of time. My iPad is NOT just for games... Ready, Assassins? Let's do this!