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Hi. I'm new here. I stumbled across this site a few days ago when I was looking up intermittent fasting, which I find fascinating. I love the concept, the attitude, and the community, so here I am. I'd say I'm nerd-ish, but that's mostly because I don't spend as much time being nerdy with my fellow nerds as I'd like. Two kids, one gall bladder, and 3 1/2 years ago, I was pretty healthy--fit, a healthy weight, eating well, reasonably happy. I've struggled with all these things all my life, and I thought I had them all figured out. Not so much. The pregnancy hormones telling me to EAT ALL THE THINGS ALL THE TIME!!! kicked me back into unhealthy eating habits, and I was so exhausted (it's hard work growing a human being) that I slid back into slug mode. Add the two little sleep-terrorists (I cannot remember the last time I slept 6 hours straight, much less 7 or 8), and you have the perfect recipe for now-me--BMI 32+ (!), binge eating crap, legs achy after just a 20 minute walk. WTF? That's just not working for me. I gave a lot of thought to what motivates me. Without a doubt it's my kids. They're aged 8 months and 30 months, and they're delightful, if I may say so myself. Yes, I want to be healthy again for myself, but what really gets me off my butt is wanting to be healthy and happy to be a good example for them, to have the energy to play with them, and to be around for them for a long time. I didn't have any of that from my parents. Sooooo...... My main goal is to get back to a normal-range BMI by the end of the year--that's 136 lbs for 24.9, a 42 lb loss--via cleaning up my diet and moderate exercise. I'd like to get back to my "fighting weight" of 120, but I plan to re-evaluate my goals as I become more fit. I started a sort of fitness diary, and here are my goal, current lifestyle mods, and progress-monitoring plan: Goal: To have a BMI of 24.9 or less (136 lbs or less) by December 31, 2015 To do this, I will 1. Eat no more than 24 g of added sugar (none from HFCS) daily, 2. Eat only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and 3. Spend at least 60 minutes being active every day. This can be formal exercise, walking, yard work, house work, or active play with the kids. To log my progress, I will take monthly photos, frontal and side views, both clothed and in underwear, and I will weigh in monthly. So far, so good. I started this quest on May 22, and I've taken my photos and stepped on the scale. I've done great with my eating, haven't had a mis-step there yet, but the Beginner Bodyweight Workout kicked my ass. Well, my quads. I did two sets, which was a set too many, and caused myself days of pain--not achiness but actual NSAID/analgesic-required-to-sleep pain. Stupid lunges! Today I'm feeling much better, capable of moving again, and I shall!