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I feel like I've been lied to and directed down the wrong path throughout my life. I've recently faced disillusionment with diet, exercise, academics, and happiness. It's not anyone's fault; it's just the way life is. Modern society tells us: --To eat less meat and more whole grains to be healthy --To run to become fit --To get into an elite college and land a prestigious job to become successful --To buy material items to be happy For better or worse, I've faced the influence of my parents, teachers, peers, and the media (including politicians and celebrities). With so many messages coming my way, I've been caught up in conventional wisdom and endured unnecessary stress. While I'm thankful for all the good in my life, the good can never erase the bad. I've went through emotional slumps, faced identity problems, and had difficulty building the life I truly want. Now that I've discovered Nerd Fitness, Mark's Daily Apple, Zen Habits and The Art of Non-Comformity, to name a few, I've finally found resources that make sense and communities that I want to be a part of. At times, I feel overwhelmed by all of the new information I'm learning--I don't know where to start and there are so many changes I want to make. Nevertheless, I know that my past does not determine my future, and I'm determined to change my life for the better. Change happens in small steps. Creating a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is key. Finding enjoyment in the journey is priceless. With these messages in mind, I maintain hope and persevere.

All right, a week late and a dollar short, but I think I've got some new challenge goals to work on. I've been thinking a lot lately about identity, and if I'm happy with my identity and how I perceive myself, so that's something I'd like to start tackling in this challenge. The thing I settled on is that I'm tired. A lot. If it's one thing my husband is used to hearing, it's "I'm sleepy". And this gets in the way of a lot of the stuff I want to do, it sucks away my motivation and all my good intentions. I don't want to be so tired all the time. I don't want to have a sleepy person's identity! So what would a not sleepy person do, or how do I change my actions to make it so I'm not so sleepy all the time? With that in mind, I've going to shoot for these: 1. Jog 3x a week and walk 5x a week, for at least 10 min each 2. Stand up or stretch any time I feel tired 3. Go get ready for bed at 9:30 (so I can fall asleep by 10ish) I'll still be tracking my food and shooting to hit all my nutrient values. Currently I'm still a little low on iron and Vitamin E and choline (whatever that is) so more leafy greens are needed. I'm kicking things off by embarking on a cleanse menu this week after having the most carb-filled, italian food, biscuits and gravy, beer and ice cream weekend in a long time. So my first mini-challenge is to complete this cleanse menu (whole fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, and small amounts of dairy or dairy equivalent) 4. Life style goal: Call, email, text or get together with my close friends every week. It's not a big group, about 13 people including 2 family members, so I think it should be doable.