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If I write it down it has to happen! My overall goals for the challenge are: 1. Lose 24 lbs to return to my comfortable and sustainable weight 2. Find consistency in the postures that vex me - crow and handstand 3. Do 1 pullup 4. Spend an hour a day studying/practicing How I intend to get there: I have a point system where I can earn up to four points per day. If I get max points 5 days in a row, I get 5 bonus points. One point for: -Sticking to paleo (by which I actually save money because I am forced to plan - BONUS!) -Workout - either yoga (mostly vinyasa), running, body weight strength training, free weight training or a combination thereof. -Drinking 64 oz of water (if it was 64 oz of black coffee, I'd get a milllllllionnnnn points!!!!!) -One hour study/practice When I get to 100 points I get a reward (reward #1 will be a new iPad - going back to the money saving bonus of eating right) I'm keeping track with star stickers on a Chinese Restaurant calendar...

I got a gym membership, for the very first time, just over a week ago... And oy vey has it kicked my butt. But my butt IS looking fabulous for it! I am shocked at what I am able to still do, even though it's been a while since I worked out regularly. But there is always room for improvement; and for me there are bucketloads of work to do to be able to fit into a bridesmaid dress in June without looking like a stuffed christmas ham or a strangled fish. So for my very first challenge: Fitness Goal #1: To go to the gym at least 3 times a week. REVISED: Work out at least 3 times a week. (STA - 3) I went three times last week and though hard - I felt like I kind of wanted to go a fourth... Yay! Fitness Goal #2: To run 4 miles on the elliptical with 3/4 of the run at a pace of 6.0 mph and bike for 7 miles with increasing resistance. (DEX - 3, STR - 3) I've currently been able to do 3 miles on the elliptical - but got dizzy... Not good. Over the next 6 weeks, I'd like to make it to 4 miles without the dizzy feeling.I have done 7 miles on the bike with no resistance. Over the next six weeks I would like to challenge myself to up the anty, so to speak.Diet Goal #1: To drink 8 glasses of water a day, every day. (CON - 3) My poor bathroom will never be the same, I'm sure... As of right now, not counting the gym last week, I think I have had 2 glasses of water... in the last 6 months.... (shame)...Life Goal #1: To read for one hour every night - whether I feel like it or not. (WIS - 3) I used to read ALL THE TIME, however, television has taken over a lot of my time that used to be spent reading. now I find myself checking out books from the library, only to bring them back with the first chapter read and a sense of shame... NO MORE LITERARY MEDIOCRITY! This is beginning to look like a lot - however, I'm excited and ready to move... Let the Hunger Game- Oh.. wait... Let the challenge begin! (I'm such a geek....lol)

Typical of myself, I've started doing things in the wrong order, having started my challenge before I did the forum legwork. So here goes for this part of it... Fitness Goals: 1) I intend to increase my set weight for bench press from 225 lbs. (4 sets of 5 reps) to 250 lbs (4 sets of 5 reps). Ultimately, I wish to surpass my body weight. but a 25 lb. increase in good form sets will do for now. 2) I intend to master the proper forms for the following exercises: Squats, Dead Lifts, and Standing Military Press. Currently, my squats and dead lifts suffer from a lack of flexibility in my hamstrings and hips, and I am failing to properly engage my abdominals throughout the movements. The result is an over-arching of my lower back and insufficient stresses (and thus little to no growth) in my lower glutes. I've intentionally kept the weights relatively low (below 200 lbs.) for these exercises until my form is right... so my growth has been hampered by my bad form. -- For my military presses, I had gone up to 135 lbs, only to realize that I was (once again) over-arching my back and effectively turning my military presses into standing incline bench presses... failing utterly to work the right muscle groups and risking a compression injury. These problems WILL be fixed. 3) I need to cut diet soda completely from my diet. It's the last (and biggest) source of processed crud I seem to keep wanting to ingest. Milk, tea, and water only for me. Life Goal: 1) I intend to make purchases of the last items I need to finally have a complete recording studio for voiceover work in my home, and finally set that studio up and begin making new specialized demos. Well, that should do it. The first two days have already been successful, and I predict that the remainder of this 6-week period will be the same. Feel free to challenge me at will to keep me going!