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Photo by Robert W Scott Photography on Flickr: Costume by me Photo by Robert W Scott Photography on Flickr Nightcrawler has been working hard to lose the extra pounds he had gained during his two years away from the team. Over the course of the next four weeks, he plans to drop the remainder of the excess weight and rejoin his friends at the mansion. Goal: Finally get back to my Weight Watchers goal weight! Plan: 1. Follow the Weight Watchers program: Track everything and stay within my points allowance each week. 2. Go to the gym three days a week: I got a gym membership between challenges and plan to use it! I don't feel like I need a goal for while I'm in there for now...Its still new and exciting and I feel like just getting in will result in doing real workouts each time. 3. Stay out of the pantry at work: Continuing this from the previous challenge since I had so much success that time! There is a cupboard at work that is always filled with junk food, which is a major reason for the weight gain over the last 1-2 years. I am not good with self control when it comes to free food, so I go all or nothing - either I eat everything I find in there all day long, or say its off limits and cant have any of it. I am staying out of it all together. Life goal: Improve interpreting skills: I was accepted into a control group for a program that ends in November or December in which they will pay for my national certification test at the end, which costs about $450 and has a 14% pass rate. Because of the low pass rate, I am considering this a free trial to see what I need to expect when I actually have to pay for it. However, I would LOVE to not have to pay for it at all, so will be trying my best to improve as much as I can over the next six months. How: Finish the initial tests: The program involves tests at the beginning and end to compare. The first set of tests is due April 1 and they are fairly time consuming. I did the practice ones, which took me about five hours all together...And they are much shorter and far less work than the actual tests. I am not entirely certain what the next steps after that are, but I will update this part of the challenge at that point.

BAMF! After over a year MIA, Nightcrawler returns! Taking a break from fighting for a world that fears and despises his kind, he focused on other aspects of his life. In doing so, he neglected his fitness, gaining weight and impairing his acrobatic skills. Today, Nightcrawler watched the rest of the X-Men nearly fell fighting the Brotherhood as the news helicopters circles overhead. He knew his friends would need him soon and he needed to get back in shape in order to be able to help them. Thus begins his journey. I dropped off the grid a year ago because of school. I didn’t have the time to keep up with the challenges with my course load. I focused on my studies and in doing so, gained 35 pounds over the last year. On positive note, I GRADUATED! I am now officially an American Sign Language interpreter!!! It’s time to focus on fitness again. I tried a few times to get back on track, but kept losing motivation. I think the 4-week challenge is exactly what I need to kick my butt back in shape. I need to take it slow getting back into it though. Overall goal: Weight loss Specific goals: 1. Track Weight Watchers points every day. I will not commit to staying in my points (but it will probably happen anyway most of the time), but just get back into the habit of tracking what I eat. 2. Exercise daily. This doesn’t need to be a long workout or anything, but just some sort of physical activity. 3. Prioritize gymnastics. My old gymnastics place changed their adult class and it is now just self-paced bodyweight training…that I could do all of in my living room instead of paying $10 to do it in a gym. There is literally NO gymnastics done anymore. So I switched gyms, but it is only on Wednesdays now. Because there is only one class a week now, it MUST become a priority. 4. Get more interpreting work. a. Take the screening for the video relay “interpreting call center.” Passing this would mean a guaranteed paycheck and I would be able to choose my own schedule. b. Make a signing sample video to apply for another interpreting agency.