So far, I'm not sure about this whole points system. More on that at the end.
4/25/11
Calories: 1,360
Activities: walk
Points: 5
One thing I will say about the points system is that I do love having another piece of data to report, even if it's completely derivative of another piece of data (the calories). I'm a big fan of lists. Anyways, really good day, good bounce back after a tough Sunday.
4/26/11
Calories: 2,396
Activities: Rock Band, walk
Points: 1
I included Rock Band because I sweated my ass off while playing. Just soaked. Thank goodness I bought a headband for just such an occasion. That's right. I wore a headband to keep sweat out of my eyes so I could read the Rock Band guitar notes for Your Touch by The Black Keys and Centerfold by J. Geils Band. So if you didn't feel superior before...
It wasn't a bad eating night. It was, however, a bad drinking night.
4/27/11
Calories: 2,186
Activities: walk
Points: 2
So, four days in and we've got 9 points. That means we need 9 more over the next three days. Is it impossible? Certainly not. Is it a challenge? Absolutely. Three points per day means about 2,000 calories per day, which is lower than my daily goals ever were. So it's on. Probably my best tactic would be to try to get 4 or 5 points on Thursday, to leave a little wiggle room for the weekend.
By the way, it wasn't just a "walk" on Wednesday night. I managed to find myself about a mile from my house when we started getting torrential downpours in Rockville. I crossed my fingers and hoped that my mp3 player wouldn't short out (looks like it's alright), and double-timed it back to the house, but not before my clothes got soaked through and through. It wasn't bad, though. There's something refreshing about walking around in the rain.
Looking Forward
So I find myself feeling more tempted to misreport my calories now that there's a score associated with them. I've been able to stay true so far, but the new scoring system really seems to bring out the cheater in me, and I don't like it. I'll go through it for the rest of this weigh-in period, but it's on thin ice.
Our next weigh-in party has been scheduled for May 7th at my house in Rockville. I tried to email everybody the details, but if you didn't get that email, let me or Nick know and I'll get you the information.
We don't have a theme or event this month, just a barbecue hangout party. But we're definitely looking to have a themed party in June. Post any theme ideas in the comments, and Nick and I will decide which is best. FYI, next month's party will likely be in Baltimore.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 28
See below.
4/22/11
Calories: 2,398
Activities: short walk
I picked up the Battle Marshal and Gargantuar for dinner at Roy's Place (by the way, just a terrible website). I tried to choose something a little healthier by avoiding Russian dressing, but my sandwich ended up having a lot of cheese on it, so in retrospect, oops. Next time, just order what you want, right?
We went back to Eddie's and watched Hobo With A Shotgun, which was more of an experience than a movie. The level of vulgarity they hit was pretty extreme.
Anyways, I took a roundabout way on my walk back from Eddie's, but only about a half hour's worth of walking. Hence, "short walk."
4/23/11
Calories: 1,912
Activities: walk
Went down to DC to watch the Caps close out the series against the Rangers...and that was awesome. I made sure to minimize my calories before we headed down, which turned out to be pretty smart, because I had about 1,800 of my calories in the time between when I left my house at 1:15 and when I returned 8 hours later.
Got a good walk in, but that's nothing new. It is worth noting, however, that since last Friday, which we'll refer to as The Pizza Incident, I've managed to push myself to at least get 30 minutes of walking in every day. Shame can be a powerful motivator.
4/24/11
Calories: 2,459 (1 point)
Activities: walk
Easter Sunday. It was kind of tough to eat smart with so many delicious options at my mom's house. Au gratin potatoes are a kind of kryptonite for me under any circumstances, but at a family gathering, forget about it.
Looking Forward
You might have noticed that I added a point score for Sunday's entry. I'm going to use Nick's recommendation of 18 on the weekly points goal, and we'll go Sunday to Sunday. So, I need to pick up 17 points over the next six days. I'm expecting it to be a successful tactic; I'm already trying to gameplan a 5 or 6 point day tomorrow so I don't have to stress myself out on the weekend trying to get to 18.
As I said, I'll try to post more frequently going forward, so you guys can track my progress.
No call to arms for discussion this post. It's late, and I need to sleep. Talk amongst yourselves.
4/22/11
Calories: 2,398
Activities: short walk
I picked up the Battle Marshal and Gargantuar for dinner at Roy's Place (by the way, just a terrible website). I tried to choose something a little healthier by avoiding Russian dressing, but my sandwich ended up having a lot of cheese on it, so in retrospect, oops. Next time, just order what you want, right?
We went back to Eddie's and watched Hobo With A Shotgun, which was more of an experience than a movie. The level of vulgarity they hit was pretty extreme.
Anyways, I took a roundabout way on my walk back from Eddie's, but only about a half hour's worth of walking. Hence, "short walk."
4/23/11
Calories: 1,912
Activities: walk
Went down to DC to watch the Caps close out the series against the Rangers...and that was awesome. I made sure to minimize my calories before we headed down, which turned out to be pretty smart, because I had about 1,800 of my calories in the time between when I left my house at 1:15 and when I returned 8 hours later.
Got a good walk in, but that's nothing new. It is worth noting, however, that since last Friday, which we'll refer to as The Pizza Incident, I've managed to push myself to at least get 30 minutes of walking in every day. Shame can be a powerful motivator.
4/24/11
Calories: 2,459 (1 point)
Activities: walk
Easter Sunday. It was kind of tough to eat smart with so many delicious options at my mom's house. Au gratin potatoes are a kind of kryptonite for me under any circumstances, but at a family gathering, forget about it.
Looking Forward
You might have noticed that I added a point score for Sunday's entry. I'm going to use Nick's recommendation of 18 on the weekly points goal, and we'll go Sunday to Sunday. So, I need to pick up 17 points over the next six days. I'm expecting it to be a successful tactic; I'm already trying to gameplan a 5 or 6 point day tomorrow so I don't have to stress myself out on the weekend trying to get to 18.
As I said, I'll try to post more frequently going forward, so you guys can track my progress.
No call to arms for discussion this post. It's late, and I need to sleep. Talk amongst yourselves.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 27
Today I had a conversation with A-Bo, one of our strongest and most active supporters. Over the course of that conversation (and perhaps unbeknownst to Anthony), I came to the decision that I'm going to post more frequently. Rather than waiting four or more days in between posts, I'm going to try to post at least every other day.
Additionally, I'm going to ask something of all of you, and of myself. I think this blog would be more effective for Nick and I, and possibly more entertaining for you guys, if there was more going on. So, my intention will be to offer some kind of comment on most of Nick's posts, and ask those of you out there in the interwebs to try to contribute to the conversation when you can. In that vein, I'm going to do my best to add some kind of question or appeal at the end of each of my posts, to encourage discussion.
Starting now.
4/19/11
Calories: 1,909
Activities: walk
Nothing too noteworthy that I can remember. This is another reason I should try to post more regularly. I forget everything I did on Tuesday night. I think maybe I drank and played LoL and went for a late night walk? That sounds right. I know I walked because A) I wrote it down, and B) I always walk. Well, not always, but enough.
4/20/11
Calories: 2,150
Activities: walk
Wednesday night was great, then terrible, then fantastic. Let me explain.
First it was great because I hung out with my longtime friend Sam Tanious for about an hour, then went on a walk with my brother's cool wife Rachel. Then it was terrible because the Caps went down 3-0 in the second period of Game 4 against the Rangers. Then it was fantastic because the Caps came all the way back to win in double overtime.
I had a few too many chips over at Eddie's house, but 2,150 isn't a bad number at all. I haven't figured out what my goal is these days, but 2,200 was my second, reduced goal number, so we came in under that, which is nice. And as I mentioned before, as long as I keep it under 3,300 calories, I should be losing weight.
4/21/11
Calories: 1,930
Activities: walk
Sort of just hovering around 2,000 calories, which is okay, but I remember really relishing those random 1,110 calorie days. I'd like to figure out a way to motivate myself to get back to that occasional burst of restraint.
Looking Forward
So the one thing I'd like to figure out before my next post is how to set up my goal daily calorie count. I had an idea that I think might work, but I'll need some input (remember?) to determine exactly how I want to set it up.
The basic idea is that I'll award myself a particular number of points for reaching certain calorie levels, and aim for a specific target for weekly points. For example:
Under 1,000 calories: 6 points
1,000 - 1,399: 5 points
1,400 - 1,699: 4 points
1,700 - 1,999: 3 points
2,000 - 2,199: 2 points
2,200 - 2,499: 1 point
Then, minus one point for every 100 calories over 2,500. Let's go ahead and just establish that structure, and try to come up with a weekly point goal. Twelve points? Twenty? If it were earlier in the evening, I'd go back and figure out what some of my weeks have been like, but as is, that's TBD. The 2,500 calorie goal would result in a minimum of seven points per week if I held to that, and the 2,200 would be at least fourteen. So I think we have to look at fifteen points as a minimum, right?
Additionally, I'm going to ask something of all of you, and of myself. I think this blog would be more effective for Nick and I, and possibly more entertaining for you guys, if there was more going on. So, my intention will be to offer some kind of comment on most of Nick's posts, and ask those of you out there in the interwebs to try to contribute to the conversation when you can. In that vein, I'm going to do my best to add some kind of question or appeal at the end of each of my posts, to encourage discussion.
Starting now.
4/19/11
Calories: 1,909
Activities: walk
Nothing too noteworthy that I can remember. This is another reason I should try to post more regularly. I forget everything I did on Tuesday night. I think maybe I drank and played LoL and went for a late night walk? That sounds right. I know I walked because A) I wrote it down, and B) I always walk. Well, not always, but enough.
4/20/11
Calories: 2,150
Activities: walk
Wednesday night was great, then terrible, then fantastic. Let me explain.
First it was great because I hung out with my longtime friend Sam Tanious for about an hour, then went on a walk with my brother's cool wife Rachel. Then it was terrible because the Caps went down 3-0 in the second period of Game 4 against the Rangers. Then it was fantastic because the Caps came all the way back to win in double overtime.
I had a few too many chips over at Eddie's house, but 2,150 isn't a bad number at all. I haven't figured out what my goal is these days, but 2,200 was my second, reduced goal number, so we came in under that, which is nice. And as I mentioned before, as long as I keep it under 3,300 calories, I should be losing weight.
4/21/11
Calories: 1,930
Activities: walk
Sort of just hovering around 2,000 calories, which is okay, but I remember really relishing those random 1,110 calorie days. I'd like to figure out a way to motivate myself to get back to that occasional burst of restraint.
Looking Forward
So the one thing I'd like to figure out before my next post is how to set up my goal daily calorie count. I had an idea that I think might work, but I'll need some input (remember?) to determine exactly how I want to set it up.
The basic idea is that I'll award myself a particular number of points for reaching certain calorie levels, and aim for a specific target for weekly points. For example:
Under 1,000 calories: 6 points
1,000 - 1,399: 5 points
1,400 - 1,699: 4 points
1,700 - 1,999: 3 points
2,000 - 2,199: 2 points
2,200 - 2,499: 1 point
Then, minus one point for every 100 calories over 2,500. Let's go ahead and just establish that structure, and try to come up with a weekly point goal. Twelve points? Twenty? If it were earlier in the evening, I'd go back and figure out what some of my weeks have been like, but as is, that's TBD. The 2,500 calorie goal would result in a minimum of seven points per week if I held to that, and the 2,200 would be at least fourteen. So I think we have to look at fifteen points as a minimum, right?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Exercise Goal Update - Gargantuar
I just wanted to give a quick update since last week's exerise goal carried into this week. Monday I went to the gym as planned. My goal was to run for 15 minutes without stopping to walk. I can say that at about the 7 minute mark I was thinking this is going to be tough. It's weird because in your head you just think, wow, its going to keep getting harder and harder. But the difficulty kind of plateaus and Iwas able to complete my goal feeling good.
I'm going to keep on running and walking during the week and try to hit 20 minutes straight on Saturday or Sunday.
I'm going to keep on running and walking during the week and try to hit 20 minutes straight on Saturday or Sunday.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 26
You'll see it below, but it was about as bad a weekend as I've had since I started keeping track of my calories.
4/14/11
Calories: 1,335
Activities: walk
The calm before the storm.
4/15/11
Calories: 3,825
Activities: none
So here's what happened. I woke up in the morning with discomfort in my stomach. I tried a couple different tacks to combat it, eating a breakfast sandwich in the morning, and trying to drink a lot of water during the work day. But the discomfort remained. I got home and thought that maybe a walk would set things right, but it only exacerbated things towards outright pain, and I only walked for about 10 minutes before I decided I was done (hence me not reporting it as an "activity").
So I did the only thing that felt right: I ordered a meat lover's pizza from Pizza Hut. And then ate most of it. You can see the results above, but I will say this: it put out the fire. My stomach was relaxed the rest of the night as I watched the Caps win game two over the Rangers.
4/16/11
Calories: 3,195
Activities: MS Walk
I woke up at 6:30, showered, and went down to DC for the Multiple Sclerosis walk on Saturday morning. It rained the whole time, sometimes hard, and the sidewalks/roadways had puddles galore. But I was with good company, and it was for a good cause, and I just like walking, so it was probably the most enjoyable three-mile walk through inclement weather I've ever endured.
The calorie data is fuzzy from Saturday. I drank heavily, and I would definitely believe that I may have overestimated the amount of calories I drank that night. But it's close enough, and overestimating puts a worse spin on the numbers, which will hopefully turn me back towards the light side of the force.
4/17/11
Calories: 2,025
Activities: walk
The worst thing about Sunday was the Caps game. It was excruciating to watch, and seemed to last forever. I got a walk in, and was back close to my calorie goals (though still surpassed it by a pinch). I did get in about 90 minutes of walking though, which is always good.
4/18/11
Calories: 1,730
Activities: walk
Finally back in order. I brought my lunch to work, had a salad and a Lean Cuisine for dinner, and overall just tried to restrain myself. And I did. And I got another good walk in.
Looking Forward
As I said, it was an awful weekend. But I'm glad that, at least for Friday, I continued to keep precise track of my calories, and forced myself to post the correct information (as I said, who knows what happened Saturday). We all have our mistakes, and I'd say this is my biggest drop off in this entire competition. Nick was able to overcome his Burger King trip and have a really good month; now it's my turn to bounce back after falling off the wagon.
I'm revisiting my calorie goals again. The 2,000 x 5 / 2,500 x 2 concept might not be the best fit for me. I'm going to play with some ideas and report back.
I also went to the grocery store yesterday and tried to equip myself with the tools to succeed. I bought some fruits and vegetables, and other low calorie items. I'm looking forward to hopefully having a solid week that I can feel good about. Now, who wants to play some Rock Band on Friday or Saturday?
4/14/11
Calories: 1,335
Activities: walk
The calm before the storm.
4/15/11
Calories: 3,825
Activities: none
So here's what happened. I woke up in the morning with discomfort in my stomach. I tried a couple different tacks to combat it, eating a breakfast sandwich in the morning, and trying to drink a lot of water during the work day. But the discomfort remained. I got home and thought that maybe a walk would set things right, but it only exacerbated things towards outright pain, and I only walked for about 10 minutes before I decided I was done (hence me not reporting it as an "activity").
So I did the only thing that felt right: I ordered a meat lover's pizza from Pizza Hut. And then ate most of it. You can see the results above, but I will say this: it put out the fire. My stomach was relaxed the rest of the night as I watched the Caps win game two over the Rangers.
4/16/11
Calories: 3,195
Activities: MS Walk
I woke up at 6:30, showered, and went down to DC for the Multiple Sclerosis walk on Saturday morning. It rained the whole time, sometimes hard, and the sidewalks/roadways had puddles galore. But I was with good company, and it was for a good cause, and I just like walking, so it was probably the most enjoyable three-mile walk through inclement weather I've ever endured.
The calorie data is fuzzy from Saturday. I drank heavily, and I would definitely believe that I may have overestimated the amount of calories I drank that night. But it's close enough, and overestimating puts a worse spin on the numbers, which will hopefully turn me back towards the light side of the force.
4/17/11
Calories: 2,025
Activities: walk
The worst thing about Sunday was the Caps game. It was excruciating to watch, and seemed to last forever. I got a walk in, and was back close to my calorie goals (though still surpassed it by a pinch). I did get in about 90 minutes of walking though, which is always good.
4/18/11
Calories: 1,730
Activities: walk
Finally back in order. I brought my lunch to work, had a salad and a Lean Cuisine for dinner, and overall just tried to restrain myself. And I did. And I got another good walk in.
Looking Forward
As I said, it was an awful weekend. But I'm glad that, at least for Friday, I continued to keep precise track of my calories, and forced myself to post the correct information (as I said, who knows what happened Saturday). We all have our mistakes, and I'd say this is my biggest drop off in this entire competition. Nick was able to overcome his Burger King trip and have a really good month; now it's my turn to bounce back after falling off the wagon.
I'm revisiting my calorie goals again. The 2,000 x 5 / 2,500 x 2 concept might not be the best fit for me. I'm going to play with some ideas and report back.
I also went to the grocery store yesterday and tried to equip myself with the tools to succeed. I bought some fruits and vegetables, and other low calorie items. I'm looking forward to hopefully having a solid week that I can feel good about. Now, who wants to play some Rock Band on Friday or Saturday?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Week 14 Update/Week 15 Goals - Gargantuar
No build up for this update, let's get right to the meat and potatoes of this past week.
Diet Goal - Track and post daily caloric intake
I decided to make this my diet goal on Tuesday last week, so I do not have Monday's stats, suffice to say it was probably close to Tuesday or Wednesday's.
4/12 - 1937
- Didn't make or bring lunch to work, so ended up eating out. Sometimes that is ok but usually ends up with more calories.
- Pretty much the same song and dance as Tuesday. The Capitals first playoff game was this day though and I went to Dan and Kristie Spiker's house for dinner. Awesome enchiladas by Dan and pretty low on the calories.
- I actually ate a lean cuisine meal at work so that cut down on the calories. What made it not as good as it could have been were the Reese's Pieces someone brought in. They are my kryptonite.
- I have another weakness and that is a good chicken salad sub/sandwich. I had two for dinner which totaled about 900 calories. Not a horrible day but could have definitely been better.
- A very light day on calories. Oatmeal for breakfast, I made toast and eggs for lunch, and vegetable stir fry for dinner. I had a sweet snack somewhere between lunch and dinner as well as a couple of after dinner beers, but nothing to tip the scales to crazily.
- For some reason the tables have turned. I am eating better on the weekends than I am during the week. I had leftovers as a brunch, some small peanut butter sandwiches for lunch., and some pasta with spaghetti sauce and carrots for dinner. Again, some after dinner beers changed the total a little, but Winter was coming...what could I do?
This goal is a TBD. I went to the gym Saturday, but I didn't run on the treadmill. Sunday I planned to go to the gym and try for my 15 minutes. I instead ended up watching the Caps game and then playing tennis with my roomie. Not a bad day but I didn't get to the gym. I am going today so I will attempt for my goal then.
So I was at the Gym Saturday but didn't run??? What, you may ask, did I do at the gym? My friend Ryan and I have been interested in trying some fitness classes at the gym and saw a Saturday morning Spin class. If you don't know what Spin class is, it is riding on a stationary bike at different speeds, resistances and positions (sitting/standing/leaning) for in my case a 55 minute class. There is a trainer who tells you what to do, when to do it and for how long. She is a good motivator as well. I distinctly remember her saying "Only 20 more seconds! You can do anything for 20 seconds!" Later on, 20 seconds turned into two minutes.
Overall I really enjoyed the class. It was a pretty intense workout and I couldn't keep up with everything, but the girl next to me told me she had to cheat for the first few weeks so I felt OK. I definitely sweat more than I think I ever have in my life, and that is saying something. The bike seats are pretty uncomfortable and since I have one arm, I have to lean more to get my left arm to reach the handle bars. Either that or rest my whole weight on the uncomfortable seat, which my butt is now paying the price for. I think I am going to go next Saturday and see how I feel after my second class.
Week 15 Diet Goal - No Reese's Pieces and no Chicken Salad Subs.
Since these are two things that I apparently have a weak spot for, I think it will go a long way to see if I can resist temptation for the week. Now what I can't do is go for a similar substitute taht is worse for you.
Week 15 Exercise Goal - Run for 20 min Straight on the treadmill
I have to keep moving the target if I want to reach my ultimate goal come June 11th. I will update you all after i go for 15 minutes just to let you know if I passed or not.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 25
The big two-five. How will we celebrate it? By posting exactly the same as usual. So enjoy it...exactly as much as you normally do. So not very much.
4/9/11
Calories: 1,720
Activities: walk
Considering I went up to Baltimore and ate hot dogs and chips and drank a couple beers, the calorie count is pretty solid. And I'm glad I managed to get in my walk before heading out of town. It was also nice to spend some QT with Gargantuar and his band of merry men, aka Colin. Where was Patrick, you ask? Where indeed.
4/10/11
Calories: 1,860
Activities: walk, Rock Band
Spent most of the day dilly-dallying, but I did go for my walk early again, and later on went over to a friend's house to play some Rock Band. We both like doing the combo (singing and playing guitar), so we alternated between that and drumming. Played for about two hours, got the blood pumping and the sweat dripping.
That's right, I spent my Sunday getting sweaty by playing Rock Band. Form an orderly line, ladies.
4/11/11
Calories: 2,333
Activities: Rock Band
Right when I got home, I decided I wanted to have a few drinks, and a good complement to drinks is Rock Band. I only played Rock Band for about an hour as I was killing time before some serious PC gaming (and you wondered how my bachelor stock could get any higher), but enough to again work up a sweat. I decided to use Monday as one of my two weekly "splurge" days, staying under 2,500 calories, but surpassing the regular limit of 2,000 calories. Monday might seem a little early to use a splurge day, but I think it's better to separate the splurges, rather than spend them on Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday.
4/12/11
Calories: 1,985
Activities: walk
Woke up not feeling great (probably at least somewhat due to the drinking the night before), so I took the day off from work. I watched a lot of TV, found time for a walk, worked on my resume, and got a nap in. Overall, a fairly productive day.
4/13/11
Calories: 1,945
Activities: none
I had meant to do something productive (walk, Rock Band, gym) after work, but I ended up hanging out with my roommate a little bit, and then I watched the Caps' opening playoff game, which went into overtime. By the time the game was over, I was pretty tired, though I stayed up a while playing Magicka with Chip. It was fun, and I don't regret it, but I should've tried a little harder to incorporate some physical activity. Oh well, something to improve on.
Looking Forward
No real changes, just going to stick with the calorie plan. See you soon.
4/9/11
Calories: 1,720
Activities: walk
Considering I went up to Baltimore and ate hot dogs and chips and drank a couple beers, the calorie count is pretty solid. And I'm glad I managed to get in my walk before heading out of town. It was also nice to spend some QT with Gargantuar and his band of merry men, aka Colin. Where was Patrick, you ask? Where indeed.
4/10/11
Calories: 1,860
Activities: walk, Rock Band
Spent most of the day dilly-dallying, but I did go for my walk early again, and later on went over to a friend's house to play some Rock Band. We both like doing the combo (singing and playing guitar), so we alternated between that and drumming. Played for about two hours, got the blood pumping and the sweat dripping.
That's right, I spent my Sunday getting sweaty by playing Rock Band. Form an orderly line, ladies.
4/11/11
Calories: 2,333
Activities: Rock Band
Right when I got home, I decided I wanted to have a few drinks, and a good complement to drinks is Rock Band. I only played Rock Band for about an hour as I was killing time before some serious PC gaming (and you wondered how my bachelor stock could get any higher), but enough to again work up a sweat. I decided to use Monday as one of my two weekly "splurge" days, staying under 2,500 calories, but surpassing the regular limit of 2,000 calories. Monday might seem a little early to use a splurge day, but I think it's better to separate the splurges, rather than spend them on Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday.
4/12/11
Calories: 1,985
Activities: walk
Woke up not feeling great (probably at least somewhat due to the drinking the night before), so I took the day off from work. I watched a lot of TV, found time for a walk, worked on my resume, and got a nap in. Overall, a fairly productive day.
4/13/11
Calories: 1,945
Activities: none
I had meant to do something productive (walk, Rock Band, gym) after work, but I ended up hanging out with my roommate a little bit, and then I watched the Caps' opening playoff game, which went into overtime. By the time the game was over, I was pretty tired, though I stayed up a while playing Magicka with Chip. It was fun, and I don't regret it, but I should've tried a little harder to incorporate some physical activity. Oh well, something to improve on.
Looking Forward
No real changes, just going to stick with the calorie plan. See you soon.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Week 14 Status - Gargantuar
Exercise Update
Sorry only one post last week, I actually found myself pretty busy last Thursday and Friday. So what have I been up to? Pretty much the same old song and dance. I only went to the gym twice last week, but I did play tennis once. So far this week I went to the gym on Sunday and played tennis yesterday. I hope to get back to the gym today to keep up the working out. I've noticed a big difference in my workouts too. When I used to run on the treadmill it was 5 minutes running 3 minutes walking. The last time it was 10 minutes running and then 3 minutes walking. I kept that up for about 40 minutes.
Diet Update
I desperately need to go grocery shopping, as not having groceries in the house leads to worse eating habits. Nothing too crazy, but definitely not as healthy as my meals would have been had I made them myself. I also have been slacking documenting my daily caloric intake. I still mentally keep track but I have not been keeping track past that day's results.
I also had a huge splurge weekend this past weekend. My work took the office out for dinner to celebrate some good results, which led to me eating alot more then I should have. Then Saturday we had hotdogs, hamburgers and sausages. I also partook in a few alcoholic beverages. What made it worse is that Psychotron was there and he kept himself in restraint. Eating the low-calorie hotdogs. What a jackass. So I figure my goals should revolve around pushing myself on the things I want to maintain, and doubling my efforts on the things I've been slacking on.
Week 14 Diet Goal - Document (and publish) Calories for Each day
Clearly this is something I have been letting slide. It really helps to visually see how many Calories you take in each day and for long periods at a time in a row. I hope to get back on track with my logging of each day's successes or failures.
Week 14 Exercise goal - Run 15 min Straight on the Treadmill by End of the Week
So I now have done 10min straight without stopping and think that 15min is a modest yet important goal. If i can keep increasing by five minute increments each week, I soon will be able to complete a 3.5 mile obstacle course in under 35 minutes. Say, that comment seemed awfully specific.....
Looking forward
This is a picture of some of the the "warriors" running in a Warrior Dash race. It's a grueling obstacle course race that varies in length but is around 5k. There are many around the country each year and there are other similar events out there. Last year my roommate Colin ran this event and I watched. Since that day, I knew I wanted to do it myself. Colin, myself, and two other friends have all signed up for the Poconos course on Saturday, June 11th. This particular course is 3.5 miles long and the course layout is listed here. It is my goal to run this race in under 35min. If anyone would like to come race, watch, cheer, or just get drunk, you should make the trek.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 24
4/3/11
Calories: 2,980
Activities: none
Terrible, terrible day. I blame most of it on Saturday's crazy fun (but highly toxic) party. I was pretty out of it most of the day, and didn't really think about what I was eating until it was gone. Maybe the most disappointing part, though, was my lack of a walk. I really want to get in the habit of walking at least 45 minutes every day.
4/4/11
Calories: 1,400
Activities: walk
Back to walking, and it was a good one, over an hour. Also the calories were back under control. Overall, a nice return to the grind.
4/5/11
Calories: 2,140
Activities: walk
Dancing with the devil here. The most questionable part is that I had some food that I didn't really regulate; some Ledo's pizza, some chili, and some potato chips. I didn't have much of any of them, but trying to figure out exactly how many calories I had was a tall order. I did get a late night walk in again, though, so I feel good about that.
4/6/11
Calories: 2,140
Activities: walk, walk
Nothing special, couple of walks, watched hockey, ate food.
4/7/11
Calories: 2,168
Activities: walk
See 4/6, minus the hockey.
4/8/11
Calories: 1,975
Activities: walk, walk
Both of my walks on Friday were in some level of rain. I went for a walk shortly after getting home from work, and that walk was straight up in a downpour. Then I went out late in the evening for a second walk, which was through drizzle and mist. Mist, not Myst.
Looking Forward
So, as I alluded to last time, I've got a new framework I want to use for my calorie-counting, because I feel like I'm having trouble with my current system. So here's the plan. Rather than trying to stay under 2,200 calories each day, I'm going to try to stay under 2,000 calories on most days, but allow myself two 2,500 calorie days per week. That should open up some more opportunities for drinking, going out, etc, while forcing me to stay a little more honest on days when I should have no trouble staying on form.
I'm still hoping to convince myself to do more cooking. Safeway is extremely close to my house, close enough that I could very reasonably go grocery shopping two or three times a week. That means I can buy fresh meats and vegetables, and not worry about them going bad before I use them. Well, in theory I can do that. This has been an idea of mine for a while, and I have yet to follow through. So we'll see.
Calories: 2,980
Activities: none
Terrible, terrible day. I blame most of it on Saturday's crazy fun (but highly toxic) party. I was pretty out of it most of the day, and didn't really think about what I was eating until it was gone. Maybe the most disappointing part, though, was my lack of a walk. I really want to get in the habit of walking at least 45 minutes every day.
4/4/11
Calories: 1,400
Activities: walk
Back to walking, and it was a good one, over an hour. Also the calories were back under control. Overall, a nice return to the grind.
4/5/11
Calories: 2,140
Activities: walk
Dancing with the devil here. The most questionable part is that I had some food that I didn't really regulate; some Ledo's pizza, some chili, and some potato chips. I didn't have much of any of them, but trying to figure out exactly how many calories I had was a tall order. I did get a late night walk in again, though, so I feel good about that.
4/6/11
Calories: 2,140
Activities: walk, walk
Nothing special, couple of walks, watched hockey, ate food.
4/7/11
Calories: 2,168
Activities: walk
See 4/6, minus the hockey.
4/8/11
Calories: 1,975
Activities: walk, walk
Both of my walks on Friday were in some level of rain. I went for a walk shortly after getting home from work, and that walk was straight up in a downpour. Then I went out late in the evening for a second walk, which was through drizzle and mist. Mist, not Myst.
Looking Forward
So, as I alluded to last time, I've got a new framework I want to use for my calorie-counting, because I feel like I'm having trouble with my current system. So here's the plan. Rather than trying to stay under 2,200 calories each day, I'm going to try to stay under 2,000 calories on most days, but allow myself two 2,500 calorie days per week. That should open up some more opportunities for drinking, going out, etc, while forcing me to stay a little more honest on days when I should have no trouble staying on form.
I'm still hoping to convince myself to do more cooking. Safeway is extremely close to my house, close enough that I could very reasonably go grocery shopping two or three times a week. That means I can buy fresh meats and vegetables, and not worry about them going bad before I use them. Well, in theory I can do that. This has been an idea of mine for a while, and I have yet to follow through. So we'll see.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 23
I just realized I haven't posted since a couple days before the weigh-in, so I'm running this up now. This will include the days leading up to the weigh-in, as well as how I managed to get under 300 lbs on the big day.
3/31/11
Calories: 1,832
Activities: walk
4/1/11
Calories: 1,370
Activities: walk, walk
So here's what happened. I weighed myself on Friday morning, and I was about 304. As you can see, I had a nice day diet-wise on Friday, and went for a walk when I got home from work. Weighed myself again that evening, came in at 303.8. I figured it was a lost cause, but I was bored late night on Friday, so I went out for a second walk. All totaled, I walked for about 2 hours Friday night, including a few brief stints of jogging.
I woke up Saturday prepared to sit around and wait for the party to start, but I wanted to get an idea of where I stood. So right when I woke up, I hopped on the scale and looked down: 300.8. I took a deep breath and said to myself, "This is an amount of weight you can lose today." I called my brother, talked over a couple options, then set out to hit my goal.
It was raining pretty hard at about noon, but I knew I wanted to get some walking time in, so I threw on a jacket and set out. I got pretty well soaked, but had a good 40 minute walk. When I got home, I weighed in again, still 300.8. I chalked a little of that up to still wearing the sweaty shirt I had walked in, but it looked like it'd be tough to get to my goal at that point. Still, I turned on Rock Band 3, set up the microphone, grabbed a guitar, and played for an hour and a half. I forced myself to move around, pretend I was on a stage, did some kicking and jumping, and basically did everything I could think of to work up a sweat and lose as much water weight as possible.
Mission accomplished.
Looking Forward
All of that hullabaloo will end up putting me in a rough spot for April, because while I weighed in at 299.6, my actual functional weight is probably more like 302-303. So I'll likely have to lose 3-4 more pounds than I'll get "credit" for on weigh-in day. I don't regret it, though; 300 lbs was one of my big goals coming into this whole competition, and reaching it was gratifying. Not sexually gratifying, but gratifying nonetheless.
My month 4 goal weight is a bit conservative: 290 lbs. I know that Nick is going to be bringing it hard this month, and there's nothing quite as sweet as a cash prize. But my goal for month 4 has always been 290 pounds, since the first weigh-in. In case you're curious, my month 5 goal is 275, and my month 6 goal is 265. And it's not like I'll just stop if I get to 290; I'm really liking my daily walks, and as I said, I've added a little punch to them with the spurts of jogging. I'm going to stick with that.
I have a couple other things I want to change/incorporate, but I'll save those for my first post-weigh-in blog. Since, you know, that'll be coming like tomorrow.
3/31/11
Calories: 1,832
Activities: walk
4/1/11
Calories: 1,370
Activities: walk, walk
So here's what happened. I weighed myself on Friday morning, and I was about 304. As you can see, I had a nice day diet-wise on Friday, and went for a walk when I got home from work. Weighed myself again that evening, came in at 303.8. I figured it was a lost cause, but I was bored late night on Friday, so I went out for a second walk. All totaled, I walked for about 2 hours Friday night, including a few brief stints of jogging.
I woke up Saturday prepared to sit around and wait for the party to start, but I wanted to get an idea of where I stood. So right when I woke up, I hopped on the scale and looked down: 300.8. I took a deep breath and said to myself, "This is an amount of weight you can lose today." I called my brother, talked over a couple options, then set out to hit my goal.
It was raining pretty hard at about noon, but I knew I wanted to get some walking time in, so I threw on a jacket and set out. I got pretty well soaked, but had a good 40 minute walk. When I got home, I weighed in again, still 300.8. I chalked a little of that up to still wearing the sweaty shirt I had walked in, but it looked like it'd be tough to get to my goal at that point. Still, I turned on Rock Band 3, set up the microphone, grabbed a guitar, and played for an hour and a half. I forced myself to move around, pretend I was on a stage, did some kicking and jumping, and basically did everything I could think of to work up a sweat and lose as much water weight as possible.
Mission accomplished.
Looking Forward
All of that hullabaloo will end up putting me in a rough spot for April, because while I weighed in at 299.6, my actual functional weight is probably more like 302-303. So I'll likely have to lose 3-4 more pounds than I'll get "credit" for on weigh-in day. I don't regret it, though; 300 lbs was one of my big goals coming into this whole competition, and reaching it was gratifying. Not sexually gratifying, but gratifying nonetheless.
My month 4 goal weight is a bit conservative: 290 lbs. I know that Nick is going to be bringing it hard this month, and there's nothing quite as sweet as a cash prize. But my goal for month 4 has always been 290 pounds, since the first weigh-in. In case you're curious, my month 5 goal is 275, and my month 6 goal is 265. And it's not like I'll just stop if I get to 290; I'm really liking my daily walks, and as I said, I've added a little punch to them with the spurts of jogging. I'm going to stick with that.
I have a couple other things I want to change/incorporate, but I'll save those for my first post-weigh-in blog. Since, you know, that'll be coming like tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Month 4 Prize announced
I know I was hoping Nick could pull it out too...
Gargantuar Psychotron
Total weight lost: 39.6lbs Total weight lost: 47lbs
Total percentage weight lost: 12.78% Total percentage weight lost: 13.56%
Last month I stepped up the prizes and both competitors showed up with over 10 lbs lost. Also with a longer month (5 weeks) and better weather I think it will be harder to stay on the wagon. As a result I will be upping this month's prize.
The overall prize will be 100$ cash. In addition for every lb lost this month by either Psycho or Gargantuar Rachel and I will put up a $1.50. Rounding down on whole dollars. (I have a mortgage... get over it.) For example if Joey was able to repeat last month and win, the prize would total a $130.
Good Luck losers.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Month 3 Thoughts
Well month 3 is in the books and it was a good one. We both tried valiantly to obtain or own personal goals as well as win the month 3 prize. Where as I came up a bit short, Joe was able to surpass his goal and take home the baseball tickets as well as the $50 gift card for clothing. A huge congrats to you for also now being under 300lbs. I know this is only the beginning but being under 300 for the first time in a long time is a major accomplishment and I am proud of you. Now that I have that done, I can go back to hating your face and trying to crush you. Here are the overall competition stats.
Gargantuar
Total weight lost: 39.6lbs
Total percentage weight lost: 12.78%
Psychotron
Total weight lost: 47lbs
Total percentage weight lost: 13.56%
Psychotron is leading the overall competition by: 0.78%
Clearly the competition is up for grabs as of right now. 0.78% is right about 2.5lbs for me right now, meaning that if I was up to 42lbs lost it would be dead even. Looking back at the month it's easy to see where and how I could have done better. Just looking at the beginning of the month posts about Burger King and how slow of a start I had makes me wonder how much better I would have done if I was on top of my game all month. Nothing I can change now, I'm still pretty happy with my ending results, just upset that I was so close to my goal and to winning the month.
Month 4 Thoughts
My original goal before the competition was to lose 60lbs in 6 months. That would be an amazing start and I would have been under 250lbs total. Now that both Joey and myself have pushed ourselves hard and are both averaging well over 10lbs a month, 60lbs should be a pretty easy target. Month 4 is a five week month as the fourth week is April 30th and May 1st. Given that it's a bit longer I am setting an ambitious goal of 15.4lbs. If I were to meet my goal I would be at 55lbs for the competition in 4 months. I would be very pleased with those results and would consider 80lbs in 6 months, a reachable target. What the hell right, reach for the stars!
Side notes
It has almost been 90 days since the start of the competition. I have never consistently dieted and exercised for 90 straight days ever. A lot of the credit has to go to my friends and family that have been so supportive throughout the competition. All the people that have donated prizes and helped cook meals and just give words and prayers of encouragement, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know Psychotron feels the same way I do. I hope we make you proud and also able to see that anything is possible with the support of some awesome people on your side.
Month 3 Weigh-in Results!!!!
The results are in, and it was the closest month yet.
Gargantuar
March 5th - 282.8 lbs.
April 2nd - 270.2 lbs.
Difference - 12.6 lbs.
Percent Difference - 4.46%
Bonus Goal - 13 lbs lost (missed goal by .4 lbs)
Psychotron
March 5th - 314.4 lbs.
April 2nd - 299.6 lbs.
Difference - 14.8 lbs.
Percent Difference - 4.71%
Bonus goal - 14.4+ lbs. lost (made goal by.4lbs)
Winner - Psychotron by a margin of 0.25%
Congratulations to our Month 3 winner and good job to both competitors!!!!
Gargantuar
March 5th - 282.8 lbs.
April 2nd - 270.2 lbs.
Difference - 12.6 lbs.
Percent Difference - 4.46%
Bonus Goal - 13 lbs lost (missed goal by .4 lbs)
Psychotron
March 5th - 314.4 lbs.
April 2nd - 299.6 lbs.
Difference - 14.8 lbs.
Percent Difference - 4.71%
Bonus goal - 14.4+ lbs. lost (made goal by.4lbs)
Winner - Psychotron by a margin of 0.25%
Congratulations to our Month 3 winner and good job to both competitors!!!!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
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