Month 2 Weigh-in Week Goals - Gargantuar

Ok. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous about this weigh-in. And while I've done pretty well this month mostly, it sounds like Psychotron has really turned it on. He's been going to the gym, his diet totals have been much better, and he has been walking a lot more. I may have to cut off my other arm to win this month. And, trust me, I would still be awesome without both my arms. Have you ever seen the movie "The Crippled Masters"?

Last Week's Goal - Asleep by 1130pm Mon-Thurs

Well I was very proud of myself for accomplishing this goal. I felt better most of the week and went walking every day at work as well. I did have some let downs last week. I only went to the gym once, and I had some bingey eating days. I know it's going to happen sometimes but it feels like it was just me being lazy and that's not a good feeling.

Month 2 Weigh-in Week Diet Goal - Stay at 1500 calories or less Mon-Friday

Saturday is the big weigh-in. Along with that comes a party at my competitor's house with Margaritas, chips and salsa, and maye some tacos or fajitas. I imagine I will be over 1500 calories that day. But I really want to make up some ground I think I lost last week. I have a good plan to stick under my goal. Most days are actually pretty easy to stay under 1500, if you aren't out drinking or out to dinner. So that's my plan. No drinking or going out to dinner till Saturday. Pretty straight forward and hopefully, will get me all caught up.

Month 2 Weigh-in Week Exercise Goal - Gym, Gym, Gym...tennis?

They say plagarism is the best form of flattery, so thanks Joe. Yes "gym, gym, gym" means my goal is to get to the gym three times this week. Also, my roommate and I are just dying for a nice weather day to play some tennis. It's such a good way to get exercise and have some fun. If it's not raining and the temp is close to 50, I think I will pester Colin to play tennis with me as much as possible.

So that's it. That is the game plan to try to win month two. Honestly, I don't have to win month two to feel good about myself and where I'm at. I know I'm not going to see a 20lb weight loss month again. But as long as the numbers continue to go downward, and I keep feeling better, I'll be happy......Who am I kidding, I'm too competitive for that mindframe. Bring on the Capitals vs Blackhawks tickets!!! And if you help Joey fatten up, I'll bring you with me ;)

Psychotron - Daily Diary 14

2/24/11

Calories: 1,115
Activities: housecleaning, walking

The house needed some cleanup, so between Wednesday and Thursday, I gave it a pretty good makeover. Vacuumed, tidied up, reorganized, and overall made my place nicer looking. To borrow a saying, it was sort of like putting lipstick on a pig, but we do what we can. And there's no question that the cleaning counts as an activity; I was sweating bullets when I was doing it.

2/25/11

Calories: 1,520
Activities: walking

Went for a walk during the workday, as usual. The thing is, though, while the walks are good, and it's definitely nice to get away from my desk, I really would prefer some more lifting and exercise bike riding. Went to the Caps game in the evening; the company was good, the game was a 6-0 nightmare loss. Had a couple beers, but as you can see, didn't really do too much damage.

2/26/11

Calories: 1,694
Activities: Rock Band

Only four items on my list today: sausage breakfast sandwich, Gushers, Jerry's large cheesesteak, rum. Not exactly the vitamin-packed day I'd normally be looking for, but the calories were tolerable at least. And I played some intense ass Rock Band songs.

Looking Forward

Gym, gym, gym. As in, my goal is to get to the gym 3 times this week. With the weigh-in coming up this Saturday, I want to do my damnedest to take down this month. The prize is nice of course, but I want to prove to everyone (including myself) that this is a two-man competition, and not just the Nick Show, with Joe as a supporting character. I can lose this month and still get that feeling, but I have to have a pretty outstanding month. And that means riding into the finish line on a tear.

Either way though, expect another famous musician to contribute sometime next month. I guess word is spreading quickly through the music industry about our competition. :)

Week 7 Update "Neck and Neck" - Gargantuar

Well, judging from his last post, it appears my competitor has really hit his stride. Take a look to the left and judge for yourself. Clearly I am the majestic white horse, slightly in the lead, with Psycho the stalking brown horse nearly caught up. I think this month's weigh-in should be very competitive.

And as Joey mentioned in his last post, the firm date of the month two weigh-in is Saturday March 5th. It will be in Rockville. Come out and enjoy the festivites with the rest of us. I'm sure there will be some sort of festivites...right Joe? Eddie? Yeah...they'll be ready.

Week 7 Universal Goal - Be Asleep by 1130pm Monday - Thursday

So this week I've been trying to go to bed earlier as I work my early shift (7am-4pm) and regularly don't go to bed until 12am or 1am. And if I go to bed around 12am I usually won't fall asleep until 12:30. So I've been tring to be in bed around 11 and asleep by 1130. When we last left our fledgling hero (Me) I was going out with an out of town friend Tuesday night. We met up with some other friends, had dinner and hungout for a few hours. I ended up being home by 11pm and was pretty tired so it was easy to fall asleep that night. Last night was another rousing success. The benefit of this is pretty clear. I feel much better today and have more energy. I'm going to try to use that energy to get to the gym or play tennis (if it is not too windy/cold). I have also been walking at lunch still and I've been able to speed up the pace and lengthen my stride a bit.

On a side note. I had a very delicious dinner last night (made by my friend Emily) with butternut squash, collard greens and cod. Everything was delicious and very healthy as well. I guess looking forward I would like to incorporate more salads in my meals. I mean the sheer volume of eating a large salad fills you up and keeps you from eating too much of other less healthy foods. I'm also really stoked to see my weight loss progression. I have not weighed myself since the last weigh-in so I have no idea other than just feeling better and being on notch 6 of my belt instead of notch 4. After notch 7, I'll need a new one.

Psychotron - Daily Diary 13

So, lucky number 13, it would seem. I've been very good about snacking once a day or not at all, and that's kept my calorie count between pretty low and very low. I've also been active each day so far this work week. I'm gonna need more half-weeks like this if I'm to have any shot at making up ground on Nick. That bastard's been killing it from the looks of things.

2/20/11

Calories: 1,807
Activities: none

Technically I did a little walking on Sunday, but it was just over to my brother's house and back for the Capitals game. Not exactly a Richard Simmons workout. Diet-wise, I was actually in pretty excellent shape until about 6:00, when I found myself in need of some liquid courage. Massive bravery ensued, along with a pile of calories. The last five items on my list read, "Rum, brandy, rum, rum, rum."

2/21/11

Calories: 1,179
Activities: walking

I did some serious walking with Eddie at work. Don't tell our bosses, but we walked for at least 45 minutes, maybe closer to an hour. Then, after work, I went over to visit Eddie and Rachel and watch another hockey game. Rachel made maybe the best chili I've ever had, but thankfully there wasn't too much of it left. Crazy, though, right? Only 1,179 calories, and that includes 342 calories of Blue Moon.

2/22/11

Calories: 1,540
Activities: gym

I did back and bicep exercises at the gym after work, but today my triceps are more sore than my biceps. Eddie suggested it might be a result of me compensating during the workout. Could be, but I'm guessing that means I'll need to really target the biceps for a while. Luckily, bicep exercises are like the one exercise I can legitimately do with the two 20 pound dumbbells I own.

I also did the exercise bike for 18 minutes after lifting. My original target was 15 minutes, but here's what happened. I hit 15 minutes, but my mileage was like 2.93 miles. So I decided to push for 3 miles. Then, at 3 miles, I saw my calories burned was at 89. So I said, "Let's push through, get to 100." Then at 100 calories, I was at 3.33 miles. Fast forward to 3.5 miles, and I was at 17 minutes, so I said, "Alright, 18 is a better number, let's get there." Setting and reaching those tiny goals kept me on the bike for 3 extra minutes, which isn't a crazy addition, but it's something, and my legs are sore today as a result. Good sore, though.

Another very good day calorie-wise, and it actually could've been even lower, but when I looked at the list at about 8:00, I felt like I'd be hurting my recovery time if I didn't have a little more food, particularly protein. So I heated up a chicken alfredo Lean Cuisine (270 calories, and like 20 grams of protein) to finish off the day.

2/23/11

Calories: 865
Activities: walking

Normal walking day with Eddie, about a half hour of walking, though I've noticed we move at a better pace than we used to. Gets the heart pumping a little more, breathe a little harder, and feel a little better afterward.

I know I don't want to stay at 865 as a daily calorie amount, but after the first weigh-in, I wanted to find a day where I could have less than 1,000 calories. Now that I've found it, I feel pretty good about my chances going into March 5th's showdown.

Looking Forward

Yes, in case you had made plans based on the unofficial weigh-in date, it's time to change those plans...or just don't come, whatever. Our second official weigh-in showdown will be Saturday, March 5th. The weigh-in will once again be in the evening, but this time, instead of the Super Bowl, I'm working on a stand-alone party for the occasion. Details to follow...like, when I come up with them.

As far as my own weight-loss plans, as I said, this was a really good half-week for me. Good calorie count, good exercise, I feel good, and hopefully I'm doing good work. I'm hoping to use this as a jumping-off point going forward, from which I can build towards the new Joe.

Three things I want to focus on:

First, I'm pretty sure I need to be drinking more water. I bought a case of bottled water on Sunday; I feel like I drink more water when it's bottled, for whatever reason.

Second, I've been doing well on making sure I get some vegetables every day. I want to keep that as a focus, to make sure I don't slip back into eating popcorn all the time. Popcorn's alright, but vegetables are clearly healthier.

Third, I've still got to work more fruit into the diet. The best thought I had was to try to have fruits ready-to-eat for breakfast. I'm a little pineappled out, so I'll be on the prowl for some different fruits on my next grocery trip. Berries, maybe.

You stay classy, San Diego.

Week 7 Goals - Gargantuar

Wow...David Bowie. I feel so honored. The only other (semi) famous person I ever talked to was...well...me. He may have had the song a little backwards though. No way will I lose month two. Are you ready Psychotron? Are you ready blog nation? The weigh-in is only 10 days away. We had to move it up to Friday, March 4th as prior commitments are scheduled for us both on Satururday and Sunday. And with this being a Febuary shortened month (Total of 26 days since the last weigh-in), it is all the tougher to win. I think we are pretty close so the next week and a half will be the difference maker.

Last Week Diet Goal - Cook Dinner 5 nights

So other than Monday, I also ate out on Thursday. And Saturday. I blame all of my loyal fans that didn't show up to make me any dinners at all last week. No...I guess it's my own fault :(

Last Week Exercise Goal - Gym 2 Times and Walk 4 times

Well I did better on my exercise goal, kind of. I walked four times during lunches and a fifth time just for the heck of it after work one day. As far as the gym goes, I only made it to the gym Wednesday night. Not once did I go before work like planned. There is a slightly not my fault reason, and that is because my gym membership card is not in yet and the temporary membership has expired. But I'm sure I could get it worked out in my favor.

Week 7 Universal Goal - Get to Sleep by 11:30pm, Mon-Thurs

This week is a bit different as far as my goals are concerned. I work early this week (7am-4pm) so I need to start getting to bed earlier. Everyone I've ever talked to, and anything I've ever read says tht sleeping more regularly helps you stay healthier. And it should give me the energy to make it to the gym and exercise more. Sunday I was visting my friend Tommy for his birthday, and definitely did not go to bed before 1130pm. Last night was interesting. I ended up falling asleep at 445pm then woke up at 9pm and went back to bed at 1am, so I say that counts.

It's going to be tough as I have a friend visiting from Boston and we are going to hang out tonight. Stay tuned to see how that turns out. See Psycho, I can build suspense too. Although I can't sing like David Bowie. And I have one arm. Ok, you win...

A "Fame"-ous Fan

We received the audio file below from a celebrity who discovered us, and wanted to offer his support. Exciting!

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(Lyrics)

Gargantuar to Psychotron
Gargantuar to Psychotron
Remove your tennis shoes, and turn that camera on.

Gargantuar to Psychotron
The scale's at zero, so step on
Check the number and record it on the blog....

This is Gargantuar to Psychotron
You've really done it now
With a competition you know you can't win
I'll beat you so bad it should be a sin

This is Psychotron to Gargantuar
You've talked a lot of trash
But when all is said and done, you're gonna lose
And no one wants to hear your lame boo hoo's

For here....am I eating lots of salad
And tons of pineapple
Vegetables and fruits, oh they'll be the end of you

Though we've tried a hundred times before
This diet's gonna stick
We're gonna get in shape, I have no doubt
Cause family and friends are helping out

Gargantuar to Psychotron
The results are in, I'm twenty down
Did you hear me Psychotron?
What did you score Psychotron?
Did you hear me Psychotron?

So you won, a fifty dollar gift card
Good, great, nicely done
My congrats to you,
But you're going down month two...

Two Hundred Calories

I've mentioned this to a couple of you, but it's a cool little website, and this is a good place to link it. This website shows you how much of a particular type of food equals 200 calories. It has pictures, as well as the number of grams. A lot of the stuff makes sense when you think about it, but it's a good reminder as to how much better for you fruits and vegetables really are. An example:

200 Calories
Broccoli - 588 grams
Cheddar cheese - 51 grams

One thing I'd like to note, though, is that mixed nuts are at the bottom, and are one of the most calorie-dense items you can find. The general thinking that people have is that nuts are good for you, and there are definitely good things that come from eating nuts (teehee). But when you're watching your calories, nuts can run up the score pretty quickly.

Psychotron - Daily Diary 12

Please note: There is one swear word in this post. If mature language bothers you, please use discretion on continuing to read. Also, if mature language bothers you, how on Earth are you friends with Nick?

As promised, I will now share my experience at the Westat fitness center. Normally I'd just include this in the daily discussion, but it's kind of a big thing, so I figured I'd lead off with it for yins.

It was good.

I keed, I keed. I went on Thursday evening after work. A lot of people go right after work, so the fitness center is pretty crowded from 4:30 to 6:00, but since I live so close to Westat, I found it very reasonable for me to go home after work, unwind for a bit, then head back to Westat to go to the gym. The place wasn't very crowded at all, and there was really no machine that I wanted to use that I couldn't have. The treadmills were full for a period, but treadmills are lame anyways.

I did a couple sets of chest exercises, and I could tell right away that I was going to be sore as hell. Then I did a few more, and I've paid the price. My chest and triceps are tender, and could use a good massage. Ahem. I also rode on the exercise bike for about 15 minutes, just enough to get my heart rate up, and I burned about 80 calories. Lance Armstrong I'm not, but it was pretty gratifying. In fact, the whole experience was pretty much completely positive (outside of the searing pain in my pectorals), and I'm excited about going back next week. I'll probably need to plan for some cardio-only days here though, especially early on, when my muscles are adapting to being battered on a regular basis.

2/17/11

Calories: 2,316
Activities: gym

As I said, this was my first day at the gym. When I got home, I found that I was famished, and I had a couple sandwiches, then a couple more sandwiches. I was able to keep the calorie count under 2,500, but only just. In addition to incorporating the gym, I'd like to also redouble my efforts on the diet. Staying under 2,500 calories is good, but I'd like to be closer to 2,000 more frequently. If I can just focus on eating some of the thousands of Lean Cuisines I've bought over the past few weeks, I should be fine.

2/18/11

Calories: 2,323
Activities: tennis

Had a pretty good day at work. I had a chicken salad sandwich, which isn't great, but I felt way better about that than the slice of pepperoni pizza I have pretty often, and the calorie count is about the same. I also made myself a little side salad, mostly broccoli with some lettuce and carrot shavings to spruce things up. More vegetables is always good.

After work, I met up with Reed, Eddie P., and my brother to play tennis, but we were short a racket. We ended up just rotating our three rackets, and while it was a little chaotic and definitely not professional, it was fun, and the running around was nice. After tennis, I headed home, showered, and went up to Joey G's. Without going into details, I'll just say it was fucking awesome.

2/19/11

Calories: 1,480
Activities: walking

The short explanation for the low calorie count on Saturday is that I felt awesome all day. The middle-length explanation is below. The long explanation will be included in my book, A Dream Unfurled: The Rise and Fall of the Mattingly Empire, which will hit bookstores April 11th.

Got back from Joey's at about 11:30, and since I was running on adrenalin and instinct, I decided to go for a walk. It was brisk, and I probably should've brought a jacket, but it was a good little walk, at a better speed than I usually go. When I got back to my house from the walk, I passed out for five hours, then headed up to Chip's house for some much needed mellow hanging out. We got Chipotle for dinner, and I made a 790 calorie burrito. It's not a lean meal by any stretch, but it was fantastic, and it's something I'd definitely like to work in from time to time as a treat for myself.

Looking Forward

As I said, I'm planning to get back to the gym early next week. The fitness center is closed on weekends, so I have to make sure to get my workouts in during the week. I also need to go grocery shopping sometime this week, and try to dig up some ways to keep incorporating more fruits and vegetables. I'm out of pineapple again, so that's first on the list, but I'm also going to look at getting some peppers and onions and trying to put together a controllable cheese steak. The steak will be the harder part to figure out probably, but hey, nobody said this would be easy.

Well, except Spag. He wouldn't shut up about how easy this would be. Screw you, Spag. :)

Psychotron - Daily Diary 11

Diary #11 is going to be one we look back on as kind of a turning point (I hope). That's not to say I had any "bad" days, but I didn't have any "good" ones either. Most importantly, the 16th marks the final day before I started going to the gym. So let's see how an era ends.

2/14/11

Calories: 2,424
Activities: basketball

Shot hoops with Eddie after work, then I went up to my mom's house for a Valentine's Day dinner and a couple cupcakes. Allegedly low-fat cupcakes, but I counted them as regular cupcakes on the calorie count. Could've gone better, could've gone worse.

2/15/11

Calories: 1,870
Activities: walking

You guys remember those Wow chips? The ones with Olestra that had zero fat and minimal calories? Well, I bought a sleeve of Pringles made with Olestra, and I gotta tell you, they're not bad. It's 70 calories for 15 crisps, 6 servings per canister. So even if you go bonkers and eat the whole thing, it's only 420 calories. Not great, but not a day-breaker like eating even 1/4 of a bloomin' onion would be.

2/16/11

Calories: 2,283
Activities: walking

I learned a valuable piece of information on Wednesday: my black socks really do a number on my feet when I walk while wearing them. I don't work in a position where I need to wear black socks, but I've got a pair of black pants that mandate black shoes, and I feel ridiculous wearing white socks with black shoes. So the resolution is to either not take a walk on days when I wear black socks, or to retire my black pants altogether. I think I'll go with the former, and use BPD (black pants day) as a way to work in some days off from walking.

As I said, today was my first day going to the Westat fitness center, and I look forward to telling you how it went...in our next Daily Diary.

Suspense...built!

Week 6 Update - Gargantuar

Before we proceed with the Week 6 Update, can I just say how disappointed I am with the poll voting so far? You guys realize there is no Vegas point spread right? Where are my legions of supporters? Well, when I crush Psychotron on March 5th (unofficial date of the next weigh-in) all of those who turned their backs on me will be laughed at. Heartily. If you guys wanted a villain, you have one now in Gargantuar (aka Lebron James). Now, on to the good stuff.....

UPDATE: Wow what a difference a little complaining makes. Now I have 7 votes up from 2. I feel a bit of pressure...

This is me at the gym (or "Gime" as Homer would pronouce it) last night. I stepped it up a notch and actually ran for half the time on the tread mill. It was a bit painful, but I felt good afterward, and was proud of this small accomplishment. Just pushing myself a little bit each week will add up.

I Don't know if you remember my post talking about the arc trainer but its basically a more in depth eliptical, and was very hard for me the first time I tried it. Well I was able to run on it for 10 minutes last night after the treadmill, which I was also proud of. I started off a bit slow but then turned it on a bit. My legs were definitely killing me after that to the point I almost fell down the stairs. I also did some lifting, 5 machines working on my back, shoulders and stomach. All-in-all a pretty good work out.

This was the first time I went to the "gime" this week but I have plans to go Friday morning. As far as walking at work, both Monday and Wednesday were walking days, and today I will be walking with a co-worker. Since it is finally nice out she decided to join me.

My diet goal of cooking dinner (or having cooked for me) 5 nights this week has been going well. Monday I had my Valentine's Day Mandate which I went out for dinner. I had flat iron steak with potatoes. It was delicious. I also split desert with Patrick and it was amazingly good. Even though deserts are not "good" for you, at least splitting them with someone proportions it out a bit. The old Nick would have eaten the whole thing, plus would have had an appetizer and 2 or 3 beers. That's a lot of cutting out for a splurge day and I still felt very satisfied.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday I cooked for myself at home. Simple things like whole grain spaghetti with chicken, nothing fancy. I'm still waiting for someone to offer me a nice healthy home cooked dinner....any takers? Fine, just another reason for me to take my talents elsewhere. I hear South Beach is nice this time of year.

Psychotron - Daily Diary X

We're like Super Bowls; once we get up to a certain number, we start using Roman numerals...

...not really. Just this one.

Anyways, on to the content.

2/11/11

Calories: 1,800
Activities: walking

Eddie and I have been walking with some more frequency at work, which definitely feels good. I know what you're thinking: "How can the Battle Marshal so blatantly support one competitor?" Well, let me answer your question with a question: why don't you get out of my face? :)

I also walked to dinner over at Hard Times. I had thought about getting my classic Santa Fe salad, but it's been forever since I had wings, and I generally don't get a ton of protein, so I decided to "splurge." I put splurge in quotes because, while I had plenty of wings, it was the best day I had over the weekend calorie-wise, and because really, 1,800 calories is a perfectly fine day.

2/12/11

Calories: 2,137
Activities: weightlifting

I built on my successful weightlifting session from Wednesday and had an even more productive day on that front. Everything I've read tells me that building muscles is great for losing weight and getting in shape. Plus a pretty girl told me pretty girls like guys with muscles...reason enough to do most anything, right?

Oh, Saturday was also the day I almost tried my pineapple chicken thing. Yes, almost. When I was actually confronted with the choice, I was too afraid of messing it up and having to either eat something unpleasant or cooking up another dinner. So I steamed some Santa Fe vegetables (only like half vegetables, it's got broccoli, corn, black beans, and red peppers), and made a couple grilled chicken sandwiches with some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. That sauce is the boss. It says so on the bottle.

So for now, we'll stick with just eating pineapple straight.

2/13/11

Calories: 2,553
Activities: walking, Rock Band

It's funny. A while ago when I was looking for information about dieting (more than a year ago), I found some calculator that suggested I aim for about 2,400 calories a day to lose weight at a steady pace. That's sort of where I drew the 2,500 calorie goal from.

Anyways, on one of my forays into trying to keep track of my calorie intake, I found that I was regularly crossing the 3,000 calorie threshold. Like, pretty much every day. I remember one night I went to Red Robin and got a milkshake and a burger, and the daily total was like 4,500. So when I get to 2,553 in a day and am a little disappointed in myself, it helps me to realize just how far I've already come from a mindset standpoint.

Anyways, went on a long walk with Eddie around our neighborhood, played some Rock Band, then did a little too much drinking, which may have contributed to me not feeling up to the work week this morning. Or maybe it was just a case of the Mondays.

Looking Ahead

I have my mandatory health consultation meeting on Tuesday morning, and I'm supposed to do some kind of orientation at the gym, but after that, I should be free to go crazy at my office's fitness center. I've never actually been inside it, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of amenities they've got to offer. Anthony, I'll let you know about the personal trainer thing. Eddie said he thinks they offer group sessions and classes, but that they're all free.

One more thing. For anybody who wants to donate something, but can't think of anything appropriate, I will relay this information. On Super Bowl Sunday, I was on the last notch of one of my belts. I put on the same belt this past Sunday, and it simply would not hold my pants up. My point being, Nick and I are probably going to need to rebuild our wardrobes as this competition goes on. A gift card to JCPenny, Kohl's, etc would help to defray some of that inevitable cost.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody.

Week 6 Goals - Gargantuar

(Image coutesy of xkcd.com...great comics)


Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope those of you with a Valentine take the time to show your love and appreciation...And then I hope none of you get laid. I'm not bitter, honest!

So last week was spent feeling like crap and trying not to sneeze/cough all over myself and others. That mission was complete with varying levels of success. Now that I feel 89.2% normal, this week will be a good get back to basics week. That means getting back to the gym, walking at work again, and no more sick food. I ate a few things while recuperating that were not the best, but were pretty delicious. I really want to keep the momentum building in terms of my exercise, as I have some plans coming up that involve a lot of running on my part. I need to be prepared. With that in mind, here are this weeks goals:

Weekly Diet Goal: Cook Dinner (or have cooked for me) Five Nights this Week

I know I'm going out to a Valentine's Day man date with my friend tonight. Other than that, I have no other dinner plans. If anyone wants to come help me achieve this goal, just come on over or invite me over if you live near Baltimore. Cooking dinner myself helps monitor and control my caloric intake. Also, it's pretty fun cooking with others, especially if they actually know what they are doing and can teach me.

Weekly Exercise Goal: Hit the Gym Two times and Walk Four Times

I'm trying to be realistic about going to the gym. My work schedule varies between working 7-4, 8-5 and 9-6 weekly. This week is 9-6 and I hate going to the gym after work and then have to cook dinner afterwards on my late week. So therefore, I am trying to go to the gym before work during my 9-6 week. Other weeks I will go after work and will try to go at least three times. I'm hoping if I can get into a groove going before work, that I can keep it going and add a trip or two.

So thats the latest from me. I really want to put up another big number at the next weigh-in. I know eventually I'll hit a wall and it will be harder to lose, so the more I lose now the better. Also, it's starting to get a little warmer and I need to get the bod in shape to show off to all the ladies without Valentines. Come find me if you're looking. I'm kind of like 7-11, I'm not always doing business but I'm always open ;)

Week 5 Update Feeling Normal - Gargantuar

It is amazing how vastly unappreciated "feeling normal" is until you feel like absolute crap for a week. The only other time you fully apprciate feeling normal is after a raging hangover. I still don't feel comlpetely back to normal, but enough so that I might start trying to do some walking and other activities. Plus, it's supposed to be like 50 F outside this weekend, so that should be awesome. I honestly don't think I have any plans so it would be pretty good to get outside and do something. Even if it's walking in the city shopping or to get nice healthy lunch. Hit me up if you live in Baltimore and these things appeal to you.

Again, I didn't have any goals this week, other than feel better. Well I do feel much better and I'm also pretty excited about some changes I've noticed. On Wednesday I did a little grocery shopping and when I was out, I decided I wanted some ice cream. I bought a pint of Ben and Jerry's and later that night opened it up to enjoy. Now the old Nick would have housed the whole thing, no questions asked. But I ate the top layer, probably not even a 1/4 of the pint and was satisfied and didn't even want any more. It used to be whatever was in front of me, I ate it, no thinking or whatever. From my month plus of dieting, I now know how to eat till I'm full and stop. This is a pretty big deal to me as I feel like this is a life time of thinking reversed, and is a huge component of the reason I was over 300lbs in the first place.

It's changes like that one above that I hope to maintain as "lifestyle" changes. These are the things that, even when not dieting, are just good practices to maintaining a healthy life. I just spent 20 minutes trying to think of a funny line to end this blog. I should have spent 30 minutes.

Psychotron - Daily Diary 9

Gonna keep this one simple, as I've got a hundred and fifty things going on right now, and I want to get to sleep at a reasonable time tonight (or at least, reasonable for me).

2/7/2011

Calories: 1,703
Activities: Walking

At one point in the middle of the day, I considered going for an under-1,000 calorie performance on Monday, but Mondays are just too tough a day to stay completely nice. I'm not unhappy at all with 1,700 calories, though. Eddie says we walked 1.4 miles at work, which was good, but I was wearing black socks, which seems to be a death knell for my feet.

2/8/2011

Calories: 2,063
Activities: Rock Band

I equate Rock Band to taking a walk. It's not as good as legit, big boy exercise, but it's better than sitting on my computer playing SimCity. I had my office's cafeteria's entree for lunch; it was four pieces of shrimp with some pineapple salsa. A staggering 190 calories later, I was shockingly satisfied...until after work, when I had two glasses of rum.

2/9/2011

Calories: 2,122
Activities: Weightlifting

A strongman competition it wasn't, but Wednesday night I had the most legit workout session I've had since I moved into my place, over a year ago. I partnered it with a few too many meatballs, but all the same, I'm pleased. I discovered that lifting is a nice complement to playing Call of Duty. The time between games, or when there are host migrations, offer plenty of opportunities to get in a few reps.

2/10/2011

Calories: 1,425
Activities: none

Yeah, none. I thought about taking a walk while I was at work, but I kept getting distracted by, you know, work. When I got home, I considered some Rock Band, but I just wasn't feeling it. I did play a little real guitar, which isn't a workout or anything, but it is fun. I did, however, use my lack of activity to force myself to stay lower on the calorie meter, so it wasn't all bad.

Two things in the works:

First, since I've been buying pineapples, I've been thinking about cooking up some kind of chicken dish with a pineapple sauce/salsa/whatever. Tonight I went to the store and got some vegetables to complete the dish, so the plan is one night this weekend to try out some kind of haphazard meal. It should be good...nah, it's gonna be a bloodbath.

Second, I got my paperwork in for my company's fitness center membership. I still have to have a health consultation with someone, and have to go to some kind of orientation bullshit so I know not to pee on the floor or something, but I'm very close to having full access to a gym. So, if you've got any recommendations on how to best utilize said gym, I'm all ears.

Month One Review/Month Two Preview

Well I got some good news Sunday with the results. It really validates all the work and sacrifice that I've gone through the last month. At the same time, I'm keeping everything in perspective.

1. 309.8 was the heaviest I'd ever been. When I used to diet I was starting at 285 or 280. There is still a long way to go.



2. This is month one. The first month is usually the easiest as there is a lot of water weight to lose and your body is not used to the changes in your lifestyle.



3. Psychotron didn't even exercise this last month. Plus after losing the first month. He will probably be looking to redeem himself.

4. The competition is % lost since the last weigh-in. So what happened last month is nulled.

For these reasons, I can not become complacent. If I do I will lose month two and more importantly, stop losing weight. Let's take a look at my month one raw data

Total Calories: 49971
Number of Days: 29
Average Daily Calories: 1723
Starting Weight: 309.8
Ending Weight: 289.6
Change in Weight: 20.2lbs.
Change in Weight (%): 6.52

All in all a pretty great start. On top of those numbers I went to the gym 7 times and walked at work approximately 12 of 18 days I was at work. Of course I always have some opportunities to improve. I can go to the gym more consistently. Keep searching for different healthy food ideas to keep the diet from going stale. Also, once the weather is a bit warmer, I will make sure to play tennis once a week. I have been playing tennis ever since I was a little kid, and there are courts nearby which will make it easier to commit to.

I am still battling being sick. I've only once went to work since last Wednesday and because of being sick, I'm not having any weekly goals. My goal is to get healthy again so I can be more active.

Month 2

3 Days.... Keep it up you crazy SOBs

Psychotron - Daily Diary 8 (Super Bowl / First Weigh-in)

If you're reading this, you already know. We're a month in, and I'm almost a month behind. That's not to say January wasn't a success for me; the numbers say it was. But they also say that Gargantuar kicked my ever-lovin' ass.

It's kind of strange. Coming into the weigh-in, I didn't expect to win. I had said for a while that Nick would probably take down the first month, because I didn't exercise hardly at all. And secretly, to maybe one or two people, I confided that I actually hoped Nick would win the first month, to keep me motivated, and give him some positive reinforcement.

But when the numbers were all tallied, and he had come out overwhelmingly victorious, I have to say I was bummed. Second place out of two isn't exactly the kind of ranking you're looking for when you compete. Even not expecting to win, you still want to win. And it didn't help that I got blown out of the water.

First, here's some raw data from my first month:

Total calories: 62,016
Total days: 29
Average calories per day: 2,138
Starting weight: 346.6 lbs.
Ending weight: 332.2 lbs.
Change in weight: 14.4 lbs.
Change in weight (%): 4.15%


So I'm looking at my February, and I'm trying to make some plans to determine how I can prevent a repeat in Phase 2. Here are the changes/tweaks/new ideas I'm going to try to implement so I can get this competition back to even:

1. Salads - I had a lot of non-salad lunches, and whenever I had a salad for dinner, it was usually accompanied by something else. I'd like to work on getting more salads for lunch, and maybe integrating the concept of the "big salad" into my dinners, so I don't feel like I have to partner it with a sandwich or a Lean Cuisine.
2. South Beach / fruits and vegetables - Along the same lines as the salad, I want to work in more meals that include only proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Also, as I said in the past, pineapple was a rousing success, and I'd like to work more fruits and vegetables into my diet.
3. Spend more time cooking - This change might not make too much of a difference as far as actual weight-loss numbers at first, but I'd like to convince myself to spend some more time putting together food. In the long run, being willing to take 45-60 minutes out of my day to prepare food will open up new options for cooking that should allow me to squeeze out some calories.
4. EXERCISE

As I mentioned, I spent virtually zero time exercising this past month. I did some walking around in Disney World (since not walking isn't really an option), but other than that, I was almost completely sedentary. The weather is still a little cold for most outdoor activities, but I know I can get more activity. The first focus will be on resuming a grueling Rock Band schedule. It may not be a rowing machine, but drumming in Rock Band gets my blood pumping.

I've also got to fill out some form to apply for my work's fitness center. At least half of the reason I got that physical done two weeks ago was to get doctor approval for exercise, but I keep forgetting to get my paperwork in. Gotta remember to do that. If you talk to me while I'm at work, try to remind me to get that set up.

2/6/2011

Calories: 2,384

So, after the weigh-in and subsequent loss, I buried my sorrow in alcohol. Back on the train today, though. I've got a date with the Blackhawks that I don't intend to miss. Of course, if this upcoming weekend ends up including anything I may have agreed to last night (like a trip to Atlantic City??), my resolve will be tested right away.

Weigh-In Febuary 6th - Gargantuar

Well tonight, a big event came and passed with a victor. Oh yeah, and The Packers won the Super Bowl. We had the first of six monthly prize weigh-ins tonight just after the start of the first quarter. I will admit that I was a little bit nervous going into the official weigh-in. I had some idea where I stood, but not exactly, and I had no idea where Psychotron stood. But when Battle Marshal Eddie called us over to the scale...it was all business.

Joe "Psychotron" Mattingly stepped up to the scale first...

Beginning weight: 346.6 Jan 7th

First Month: 332.2 Feb 6th

Difference: 14.4 lbs

Wow! A great first month for The Tron. He really set the bar high and made me really nervous about losing. I mean, we both want to lose weight. And we are both happy for each other and care about each other's health. But I'm still very competitive in pretty much everything I do. I hate to lose and especially as public as it would be. Joey and I quickly figured out that I would have to lose roughly 13lbs or weigh 296ish lbs to be a possible tie/too close to call. Remember, the competition is by % weight lost.

Nick "Gargantuar" Engle takes his turn on the scale...

Beginning weight: 309.8 Jan 7th

First month: 289.6 Feb 6th

Difference: 20.2lbs

I pulled out the victory in the first month weigh-in! I am so stoked for both Joey and myself. I mean we lost an almost 35 lbs combined in one month. And it's only the beginning. The Tron hasn't even started exercising yet. His weight loss is almost entirely diet derived. That has to give him some motivation for the next month.

I'll update you all soon on my goal completion for the week, and the coming week/month strategy. But I wanted to share the results. It feels pretty good to be on the lighter side of 300. And I will never see the other side again.

Psychotron - Daily Diary 7

I'd like to offer a bunch of information about what's going on, but I'm sleepy, and I want to get this post done before tomorrow. Tomorrow, as I'm sure you know, is the big weigh-in, the first evaluation of our competition. We've had a good ride so far, and I feel like both Nick and I are still gearing up for even more progress going forward. In reviewing his performance, though, I think I'll be lucky to make it close.

I'll be making another post right after the weigh-in, a one-day review, along with my plans for month two.

2/1/2011

Calories: 2,026

I ate the rest of the pineapple I had bought the week before on Tuesday. It was good, but I think I still have to work on focusing my snacks into just good stuff. I still had some cheese and crackers, and some pretzels.

2/2/2011

Calories: 2,554

I didn't do a very good job of planning this day out, plus I finished a bottle of sake I had handy. It's beginning to look like I hit 2,500-2,600 about once a week. I don't really think that's necessarily a bad thing, but I do prefer not to get so close to/beyond my target of 2,500 calories, especially when I haven't been exercising very much.

2/3/2011

Calories: 1,530

It was a pretty good make-up day on Thursday. I wish I had taken some notes during the day or something, because being able to keep my calories that low (lowest so far on any day) is something I'd like to be able to revisit when I can.

2/4/2011

Calories: 2,002

The calorie count was fine, but the food I ate on Friday was not so good. I had a slice of pizza for lunch, potato chips when I got home, a salad for dinner, and whiskey and a pop tart later on. Like I said, the calorie count came out to be a reasonable number, but I want to eat better than that.

2/5/2011

Calories: 2,165

This day was kind of a wild card. I had been great until about 4:00, when I decided to go up to Tommy's for the evening. After that, I had two small bags of Cheetos, a steak and cheese sandwich, a Lean Cuisine, a bag of popcorn, and a granola bar. BUT, I bought two more pineapples on Thursday, and sliced one on Saturday morning. So I look forward to re-incorporating some fruit again.

Big day tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Weigh-In Week Update - Gargantuar

I'm sooooo siiiick. Ugh. Everything hurts. Luckily it's not a stomach bug because those suuuuuck. But ever since Tuesday evening, I've been pretty miserable. I even had tickets to go see "The Jersey Boys" (which is supposed to be a really good play) tonight in Baltimore, but can't make it. I was also invited to see the Caps game last Tuesday, but couldn't go. Boo my life. I only hope that everything clears up before the weekend so I can have some fun and get ready for THE BIG WEIGH-IN!!!

Weigh-in Week Diet Goal - No More Than 2100 Calories on Superbowl Sunday

Well the up side to being so sick is I haven't really been eating that much. I've been sleeping all the time and have not felt good enough to house some food. But as far as Superbowl Sunday goes, I have some pretty good recipes to make that are healthy.

Cucumber Yogurt Dip with Baked Pita Chips

A good appetizer side dish that is pretty easy to make and much better for you than any ranch or cheesy dip

Seafood Nachos with low-fat cheese and Baked Tostito Chips

Cuts down on Calories and fat with the Baked tostitos and low-fat cheese and is pretty delicious still

I plan on tasting a few of the unhealthy options that are there but will make sure to keep track of what I eat

Weigh-In Week Exercise Goal - Walk 10,000 Steps 4 days this Week

The bad thing about being sick is I have basically had zero activity since Monday. Monday I did reach 10.000 steps, which included normal everyday walking, plus a walk at lunch and once I got home. Since then I left work early Wednesday and have barely moved since. I don't feel too bad about not making this goal, as there was nothing I could do, but it does suck being cooped up in my house. If I start feeling better at all this weekend I may try to take a few walks just to do something active.

So the big weigh-in is Sunday and I'm pretty stoked to see how I've done. I only weighed myself once and that was on a different scale so it could be inaccurate. I hope for the best for Psychotron. May he have lost exactly as much weight as I have, so that I win based on percentages. I'm kind of greedy :)

Psychotron - Daily Diary 6

When last we left our hero, he was venturing into the barren wastelands of New Jersey, where gremlins pump your gas, and left turns are allowed sparingly. Let's catch up with him, and see where his quest took him.

1/29/2011

Calories: 1,760

I behaved myself exquisitely on Saturday morning/afternoon, perhaps too much. I had just a granola bar and a Lean Cuisine, totaling 400 calories. In Atlantic City, I got most of my calories from alcohol, plus a turkey BLT wrap. The wrap came with potato chips, of which I had one.

I think it's important to make some good decisions like that, outside of just watching calories. Having instances where you elected not to eat something, or chose to eat less of something, gives you a good feeling. Any kind of positive reinforcement on something as difficult as dieting is important. Hanging out with a couple of cuties like Rachel and Julie didn't hurt the positive reinforcement either... [wink!]

1/30/2011

Calories: 1,703

Our party went to White House for subs on Sunday morning, and I had a Diet Pepsi. In retrospect, I should've just gotten a small sub, since later in the day I bought a sandwich at McDonald's anyways. But, the abstention from a White House sub, and the purchase at McDonald's gave me two more instances of positive decisions. For my sandwich, I went with grilled chicken, no cheese, and got just the sandwich, rather than caving in and getting fries. I did a little too much munching when I got home, but overall it was a shockingly good weekend, considering the circumstances.

1/31/2011

Calories: 1,990

Back to the grindstone. I've found Mondays to be pretty tough on the diet, because I'm generally pretty irritated by the time I get home from work on Monday evening. That usually results in seeking out either comfort food or some booze. I was able to keep it all under 2,000 calories, pulling in 440 calories of sake (four small glasses), and 440 calories in a pair of roast beef sandwiches. The key to keeping your sandwich calories low is sandwich thins; 100 calories per sandwich versus 100 calories per slice is a big time difference.

So who wants to go to Dave and Buster's (again) sometime soon? After dropping stupid amounts of cash in Atlantic City, I'm more open to spending $40 on a fun night out from time to time.

Exclusive Interview #1 Garga - One Month In

With numerous news outlets begging for a chance to speak face to face with our two great warriors, I knew my best chance was to get into their element.

Find them when they don't expect it.

I set me sights on Garga first..

If there is one thing that Garga likes more than a Twizzler buffet its ladies. So I knew I would have to get into the trenches. And when I say trenches, I mean places where only whores hang out. After trying Lafeforest Mall, Frederick, and Bailey's there was still no sign of Garga.

No one had even seen the man.

I was just at the point of giving up when I received an email.

"Rio. Lake Benches. Midnight."

-G

As any good reporter would do I showed up on time and was ready for anything.

I walked into quite the scene. Girls surrounded Garga. They touched, poked, prodded and probed as we spoke. Way too many women for one man. Did he want Psycho to see this? I wasn't sure but I was definitely going to get my questions out.

Here they are...

(James Winovich) So first Garga tell me about how this first month has transpired for you, and when i say "how this first month has transpired" I really just mean how many chicks have you banged.

(Gargantuar) Well to be honest, I bang a new chick every night...so slightly below my average. There is just not enough time to concentrate on women when you have a body of a greek god to sculpt. But considering all aspects, I'd say I feel pretty good about the first month. They diet has been pretty easy to maintain (except in Vegas), and I've definitely noticed a difference in how fast and long I can walk now. If there is something to improve on it's going to the gym more consistently.

(JW) Are you scared losing weight will stop your karma sutra like sexual prowess?

(G) What are you retarded? No, I'm pretty confident in my abilities to please the masses. Losing weight can only make me more flexible and have more stamina. Ladies of the world, watch out!

(JW) One night with Psychotron. Top or Bottom?

(G) ...

(editor's note) When I asked this question he broke my face. The audio will never be revealed.

(JW) At the State of the Union address Obama had some interesting things to say about this competition, but he used a lot of big words and I tuned out. What did you think about that?

(G)It was quite an honor to have The President of The United States mention The Tron and I's competition. After all, I did run against him and win the general election. But I felt bad so I erased everyone's memory and gave it to him. He was crying like a baby. But to have him talk with pride about this competition, I'm glad I gave him the job.

(JW) Any parting words for Psycho? Be as sexual and violent as possible please...

(G) Ooooo I can't wait for February 6th!!! "The Big Heavy Weight Fight Weigh In Spectacular Extavaganza" or "TBHWF-WISE" as it's called, will be a night Psychotron never forgets. Because When I win...I'm going to remind him for the rest of his life. At first it will just be me rubbing it in his face...then, after a year or two, it will just be a phone call:
Psycho: "Hello?"
Me: "Hey man, remember that time I won the first weigh-in?"
Psycho: "Yeah, I remember."
Me: " Ok just checking. You wanna play Rock Band?"
Psycho: "OK. See ya soon"

(end interview)

At that point I was demanded to leave the lakeside bench so I respectfully left Garga to his meditation.

Despite that amicable ending I could see the fire of competition in his eyes, and in the ladies he was accompaning's genitals.

The vegas line has not moved a smidge off of Pick 'em. But that will certainly change following the weigh-in.

For now all we can do is wait.

Tune in next time when I score an interview with his competitor.. The Psycho himself!

I'm James Winovich