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I've sort of played along the last two challenges, so the plan is to work a little harder this time around and change things up. 1. Keep on tracking what I eat everyday AND keep to 1400 calories 5 days/week. 2. Continue to take my meds on time AND add back in the supplements I haven't been taking all year. 3. 10k steps/day OR a gym session 6 days/week. 4. Keep on exploring DC and environs OR work on something crafty 5 days/week. (Brownie points for posting on time).

MAIN QUEST: Lose Weight Feel Great! To hit my goal range of 125-135 and do it in a healthy way! Goals (diet and fitness related) that will help me achieve Main Quest: I feel like I just haven't made much progress at all the last 14 challenges. I keep losing and gaining the same 10 pounds lately... Not really sure how to fix this, but I just keep trying! I haven't written my back story in a long time, so here is a refresher. All through high school I struggled to GAIN weight. I weighed 110 pounds all through high school. I am 5'2", so that's a "healthy" weight, but I really was way too thin and didn't have any muscle. Then I started having babies and started gaining weight. My heaviest was 219. I am at 205 now. I have managed over the years to diet myself down to 165 at the lowest, but it was a very unhealthy diet (around 500 calories a day) and I started losing my hair, so I decided I would rather be fat and have hair than to thin with no hair lol So, I am just trying to find something that works... I am also hypothyroid. I am on meds that I honestly forget to take half the time. I need to get better at that. So, I have been steadily cleaning up my diet. I like Paleo, but I also like cheese and beans... I am playing around with the Wild Diet and intermittent fasting and bulletproof coffee and just eating much less processed junk and more whole foods. I am still trying to work out 6 days a week! I was planning to have my home gym set up by now, but the IRS and the Healthcare Marketplace totally screwed us, so we are STILL waiting on our tax refund, which we filed on Jan 28th! UGH! Should be a couple more weeks, but might be longer, and will probably be a paper check instead of direct deposited, which is just inconvenient! Anyway, was planning on doing the Master's Hammer & Chisel, but really want my gym set up before we start that, so on the 1st I am ordering 22 Minute Hard Corps, which is an 8 week program. Plus, I will be doing CIZE with it... not the entire workout, but just the dance at the end of each workout 3 times. So, that's about 4 minutes added onto the 22 minutes, so it should be fine!! In case you have no clue what these programs are, here are videos! http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/ScoutSays?bctid=4544228607001 http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/ScoutSays?bctid=4343082868001 1. #CleanEating - Taking an 80/20 approach to eating clean and healthy and whole foods and just enjoying my meals! A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 3 CON points. 2. #FitGirl - Workout 6 days a week with 1 rest day if needed! - Can count Girls on the Run practice as a workout! A: 22-24 days B: 19-21 days C: 15-18 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 2 STA, 2 STR points, 1 DEX points. 3. #TakeYourMedsFool - I keep forgetting to take my thyroid and heart pills... I NEED to do this! A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 3 CON points PICK YOUR SIDE QUESTS Side Quest 1: #Study - Probably should start studying my NASM book again, ya know, if I EVER want to go take the test... Grading: A: 24-26 days B: 20-23 days C: 15-19 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 1 WIS and 1 CHA point. Side Quest 2: #EarlyRiser Changing this... I need to be getting up by 5 am every morning during the week to get my workout done and other things! Grading: A: 18-20 days B: 17-19 days C: 14-16 days D: 12-14 days F: <12 days Ability to earn 1 WIS point, 1 CHA point #CleanEating - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #FitGirl - 0/6 - 0/6 - 06 - 0/6 - 0/24 #TakeYourMedsFool - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #Study - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 #EarlyRiser - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/5 - 0/26 Rewards(these might change... especially if I just end up buying the stuff before I lose the weight. I'm awful lol): Start: 219 Goal 1: -30 lbs: 190 or waist size 35" - 10 shirts from $6 t-shirts dot com Goal 2: -40 lbs: 180 or Waist size 34" - IKEA desk chair Goal 3: waist size 33" - Target gift card Goal 4: -50 lbs: 170 or Waist size 32" - ?? Goal 5: Waist size 31" - ?? Goal 6: -60 lbs: 160 or Waist size 30" - Blackwing Subscription Goal 7: -70 lbs: 150 or Waist size 29" - Anchor tattoo and wrist quotes Goal 8: -80 lbs: 140 or Waist size 28" - Lionheart tattoo Goal 9: -90 lbs: 130 or Waist size 27" - New wardrobe - shopping spree!! STATS: Female/41 Start Weight: 219 (BMI 40.1) Current Weight: 205 Goal Weight: 125-135 Height: 5'2" Jeans size: 14-16 Diet: 21 Day Fix I reserve the right to change my challenge week to week if I get bored!! I have taken out all my previous measurements, because I am bigger now that I was before... Like, I am either the same size as my before measurements, or bigger, so I am starting over, because this is ridiculous and I am pissed at myself. These are from 2/16/2016: Waist: 38" Hips: 39.5" Chest: 39.5" Thigh: 28" Calf:17" Bicep: 13.5"

This challenge is going to an odd one for me. I'll spend 1/2 the challenge here in DC, then spend the 2nd half in California. I'll stay a few days with family, then friends, then off to Santa Ana to relocate my office there. I'll be flying back to DC on Ground Hog's day. So, in keeping with Ground Hogs day, I'll basically repeat my mini-challenge. 1. Keep up the tracking, including a mid-day tracking point. Make sure to eat on schedule; this is really going to be important while I'm in CA. I'm spending a few days with my family and think I'll need to buy some of my own food to stay on track. 2. Take my medication ON SCHEDULE. Everything works better when I do this. 3. 10k steps a day, bonus for averaging 11k. Shouldn't be hard while I'm doing the office move, but very tricky while I'm visiting my family. 4. Be creative; knit, crochet, make jewelry, go to museums or other sights.

This place looks familiar…wait…I’ve stumbled back into Rebellion Headquarters! Yes, I’ve been gone for a year now, but I’m back to try a challenge again. Goals (Cliff notes): 1. Enter everything I eat into MFP 5+ days a week. Bonus for a full week. 2. Get to the gym (be active)! Weeks 1 & 2; 3 days/week. Weeks 3 – 6; 4+ days/week. I can substitute a day of walking for the gym. 3. Drink min 40 oz. water on non-working days. Easy as pie at work, but when I’m home I have problems. 4. Life goal: Get out and do things! I want at least 4 adventures for the challenge Goals and stuff (the War and Peace version): My husband of 37 years passed away in May of 2014. I kept up with a couple of challenges after that, but I realized my too-big house and yard were eating up my time. Once I decided to sell, and dove into getting ready, I just couldn’t keep up and didn’t join any more challenges. Well, I cleaned everything up, got rid of mountains of stuff, and sold my house. My plan had been to rent, but once I started digging into the rental market it wasn’t looking good. My realtor found me the ideal place in Pasadena, CA (no, I can’t walk to the Rose Bowl). The property has two houses; a large and a small house. The small one was empty and the large one free; the plan was to live in the large one & get it prepped for rental, then move into the smaller. Meanwhile, life threw me a curve ball or two as well as an opportunity. I was diagnosed with asthma & I was asked to fill a 1-year temporary assignment in DC. So I’ve now been in DC 3 weeks. I’m in a nice furnished “corporate†apartment not far from the Verizon center. I brought my cat, and a minimum of other things. I’m still sort of getting myself put together, but I’m going to start this challenge. 1. I don’t have a food scale (or a me scale for that matter), so I’ll do my best to estimate serving size without weighing things. The point is to be aware of what I’m eating. 2. The gym is in the apartment building and has the usual cardio equipment and some weight equipment by Matrix. Before I can do any body-weight training, I’ll need to get a mat. The main point is habit building. 3. It doesn’t matter where I am, I don’t get my water down on weekends (too much tea!) 4. I’m in a new city on a new coast. If I can’t find things to do, I should be ashamed of myself.

G'DAY FELLOW REBELS This is like the (calculate that) time I respawn, but with good reason, apparently. After 2 years of continuously struggling with my health and my GP telling me it's all because I'm "psychologically unstable'', I was fed up with it and decided to go to a private clinic abroad, with all the results from lab tests from the past few years. It paid off. Not only did they find I tested positively for Lyme disease OVER A YEAR AGO (can you imagine my GP just overlooked that...) and still do, but they also discovered my T4 levels (thyroid hormone) are way below the minimum, let alone for my age. These 2 things can perfectly explain why I felt tired all the tileHad continuous headachesSkipped school because I felt depressed or sickFell ill all the timegained weight despite being on a starvation dietmy hair fell outmy nails were brittleMy skin was super dry, despite applying the most expensive lotions or creams..... In other words, I am not insane or psychologically messed up, I just had medical conditions. I'll have to take a lot of antibiotics for a month, and take hormone pills for the rest of my life, but if it brings me closer to health, I'll happily take them. They found other really depressing things, on which I may elaborate later, but I don't think a fitnesswebsite is the place for it. They will definitely influence my progress, but I'm confident they won't stand in the way. Because of all the medication I need to take now, they put me on a very strict diet, which is basically a modified paleo diet, so there shouldn't be too much trouble there, I hope. I'm not really allowed to do any vigorous exercise for some time either, but I can stick with long walks and yoga every day for now! Finally, I feel like I'm getting somewhere. I feel like there actually MAY BE a solution to this ''hopeless case''. I may not directly shed the pounds I gained because of my hypothyroidism, but that's not my primary aim. I want to get healthy, I want full, healthy, vibrant hair. I want the twinkle back in my eyes. I want the motivation to ace my calculus classes back. And I will get it all back. I may rely on pills all my life, but I will not let that depress me. I still have my life goal of climbing Mount Everest, then settling in Nepal and founding a charity for science education for Nepali children in remote areas, and I will achieve it one day. But for now: chicken wings, avocado and hella Hatha Yoga.

My quest for the rest of the Calendar year (at least) is just to take care of myself. Goal 1: Eat right. I will track on MFP; eat a minimum of 1400 calories, not exceeding my burned calories by more than 50. Hoping to avoid junk but not setting anything specific for this. 1 star/day for staying within target, with bonus star for no grains. Goal 2: Take care of me. Take supplements and medications at the correct time. Saline rinse; 3 days a week. I couldn't really do this while traveling, so I need to put the habit back in place. Goal 3: Stay in motion. 3 workouts/week. Minimum 2 strength. Bonus if the workout exceeds 1 hour. Life goal: Ave 2 hours/week on creativity. Knitting, needlepoint, furniture finishing, etc. I've found a great throw pattern to make for my "old" assistant who just got married, so that will be priority one.