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Calling all Louisville Nerds! Anyone out there?

Hello Rebels! I'm a long-timer lurker and I'm about to pull out all these damn (awesome) underpants I've been gathering from Steve and start wearing them. My name is Erin and I'm 28. I live in Indianapolis, IN (originally from Muncie). About me: I had lap-band surgery in May 2011. I lost 97 lbs in 18 months and then got knocked up (on purpose). I just had my baby boy (Xander) this past May. I am now 4 months postpartum and only 20 lbs down from the 60 I gained during pregnancy. (I had some of the restriction removed from my band in order to increase my calories for pregnancy. I haven't gone back to get it re-filled, but I intend to in the next few months.) I am miserable and dying to get back under 200 lbs like I was just 13 months ago. I gave into my cravings during pregnancy and still haven't been able to say 'no' again like I could before. (Yes, I'm very upset with myself for this.) I have a blog that I have kept since before my lap-band surgery and throughout my pregnancy. I intend to use this during my Nerd Fitness-induced lifestyle change as well. Oh, and my username is inspired by The Boondock Saints. Goals: Transition to Paleo, start strength training, get healthy (with my husband), and set a better example for my baby so he doesn't grow up with the same food issues as I have. Why I'm Nerdy: I feel I'm not as (awesomely) nerdy as some people here. I do, however, enjoy Joss Whedon anything (my son's name is Xander, after all), bad puns, science fiction, Harry Potter, doing massive amounts of research on things I find interesting (hence my underpants collection), making lists, stand-up comedy, the Daily Show. How I'm getting started: The Husband and I are going grocery shopping on Friday (payday) and I am armed with multiple Paleo shopping lists that I will be picking and choosing from to best suit our household. I'm doing one goal at a time. Add more veg, weed out carbs, sweets, junk in general, and pop...wish me luck! Once I get into the groove of the paleo lifestyle, I will start my strength training. I also signed up for the Nerd Fitness Academy for Women and hope to get in on that! So that's me... I can't wait to get started!

echoesofwonder’s Disney Song Playlist My four SMART goals are as follows: The Whole30 ChallengeComplete beginner body workout as writtenGo to 3 state parks and do 1 trail at eachPay off my car loan Most people grow out of their love for childhood things. There are several layers that I have shed since my youth, but there is one thing that comes to mind that I have not grown out of. Disney Movies. I really loved Disney as a child. Although there are several new movies that I haven’t seen, the ones that I grew up with, I still cherish. This being my very first challenge, I thought I would come up with a lighthearted echoesofwonder friendly “playlistâ€. My goals are sure to evoke some raw emotion, so my plan is to tie it to something that I like. A lot. My first goal is to begin the Whole30 challenge. The song that I have tied to this goal is “A Whole New World†from the movie Aladdin. I have been gradually transitioning to the Paleo lifestyle which is a huge change from my carb-centric eating habits of only a few months ago. I had initially thought that I would start this Whole30 challenge today, but it is only 30 days long, and there are a few things that will push back my goal date. I will be teaching an outdoor dutch oven cooking class on May 4th, and the menu is not Whole30 or even Paleo friendly. I will also be working on my final paper for a class that I am currently taking, and I realize that some things come before doing a detox type program. So, I will be starting the Whole30 challenge at about week 3 of this journey (May 5th). I will have gotten through the hardest parts within the constraints of the challenge. A whole new world A dazzling place I never knew But when I'm way up here It's crystal clear That now I'm in a whole new world with you With the Whole30 challenge, I hope to clear my mind of the fog that has been induced by a carb-laden diet. To help me succeed in this challenge, I have ordered the Well Fed cookbook, which I will be able to use after the challenge as well. I will utilize my local farmer’s market and co-op grocery stores during this part of the challenge as well. Both support organic and locally grown food that I will be able to experiment with. This is not a far step from how I am already living, so I am excited to utilize these resources. We have stocked our freezer with locally grown beef and pork. I will also have eggs readily available during this challenge. The chickens in my back yard will make this happen. My second goal is to be able to do the beginner bodyweight workout as written. I have mastered the squats, rows, and I am even decent at planking, and jumping jacks. I am terrified of pushups. Currently, I am doing wall pushups to help me build the strength I will need to do a full pushup. My goal is to then start working on pushups on my knees. The 6 week progression is ample time to work on regular pushups. I have tied the song “I Wanna Be Like You†from The Jungle Book to this part of my challenge. I've reached the top and had to stop And that's what's been botherin' me I wanna be a man, mancub And stroll right into town And be just like the other men I'm tired of monkin around! Oh, oobee doo (hoopdeewee) I wanna be like yoo-hoo-hoo (hapdeedoobydoowop) I wanna walk like you (cheep) Talk like you (cheep), too-oo-o (weebydeebydeewoo) You'll see it's true (shoobedeedoo) An ape like mee-e-e (scoobeedoobeedoobeep) Can learn to be huu-uuu-uman too-oo-oo! I am tired of monkin around, it wasn’t that long ago that I could do full pushups, several of them. So, I feel that the progression I need to make is on par with my skill level. The biggest part is getting over the fear of falling, because it really isn’t that far to the ground (It’s only an arm’s length down)! I wanna be like you-oo-oo who can do-oo-oo pushups and other fun things! My third goal is something that I am extremely excited about. A friend (from nerdfitness) and I did a night hike at one of the state parks in Indiana. It was supposed to be a full moon hike, and I don’t know if you have ever done a night hike or not (I used to lead them when I worked at a kids camp). You don’t take flashlights! The moon should have been great lighting all on it’s own, but there was NO moon. it. was. awesome. So, after that experience, I decided I had a goal to make it to all the state parks in Indiana. There are 25 of them, so I know that it is not possible to do them in this 6 week challenge. But, I decided that 3 in 6 weeks is more than enough. I love the outdoors, so this will be a good way to get in some cardio, by doing these hikes. For this part of my journey. I have chosen the song “Go the Distance†from the movie Hercules. I will find my way, I can go the distance, I'll be there someday, If I can be strong, I know every mile, Will be worth my while, I would go most anywhere, to feel like I belong. It will be worth my while, to go the extra miles to get to these state parks. I will always hold a special place in my heart, and I feel like I am myself while I am in nature. So this is probably the SMARTest goal that I have. I will grade myself on each hike, and if I make it to the different parks. This will also help me with my long term goal to make it to all of the state parks within the year. Lastly, my fourth goal is sort of a personal challenge with my money. I am going to pay off my car loan. In 6 weeks, this is feasible. I have been paying ahead all along, but since I want my money to go other places, I have been slacking on paying off the last little bit. This is my favorite song choice, by far. I chose the song “I’ve Got No Strings†from Pinocchio to accompany this goal. I’ve got no strings To hold me down To make me fret Or make me frown I had strings But now I’m free There are no strings on me Hi o the merio, that's the only way to be! I want the world to know notin' ever worries me I’ve got no strings so I have fun I’m not tied up to anyone They've got strings but you can see there are no strings on me! Does anyone else know how liberating this goal will be? I will have to pay just under $100 per week to do this. So I think I am set up to be able to do this job effectively. I will grade myself on this goal by the percentage I have left on my goal at the end of the 6 weeks. If I still have $10 left, I will have points docked. If there is a zero balance, winner winner chicken dinner! So there you have it. My base level Disney Playlist. I will be adding additional songs to this playlist as I see fit. So stay with me on my journey and see what songs I can get stuck in your head! I have been singing Disney all day while writing this! What’s on your playlist?