That's right, I'm challenging the whole lot of you.
I had spoken to a friend of mine about another one-on-one challenge, and he's being extended this same challenge. But I decided that a one-on-one challenge is only so much fun for people to watch; I think after two to three months, people here on the blog may have gotten a little bored of Nick and I yammering back and forth.
So I figured, hey, I've got money. And I know I benefit from the competition. So how about I do what Nick and I asked everybody else to do when we started, and put my money where my mouth is? I'm going to be extending a weight loss showdown wager to anyone who's interested. There are going to be some ground rules, to dissuade people from not participating in the spirit of the competition. The goal is, first and foremost, to lose weight, not to take coin off of your friends.
The framework will follow shortly, probably posted early next week, at which point any of you will be welcome to take me on. But just remember: I made mincemeat of Gargantuar. If you're gonna step to me, you'd better bring your A game.
Showing posts with label Gargantuar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gargantuar. Show all posts
Friday, August 12, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Psychotron - Looking Back
After putting a couple weeks between myself and the end of the competition, I decided it'd be fun and a good exercise to go back and look at the whole six month period and try to take some lessons away from it. This may end up being a mostly individualized exercise, but it will almost certainly help me going forward, and might help some other folks, if you find yourself affected by the same circumstances as myself. So here we go.
Lesson 1: Chips are bad.
This I really knew without looking back at any data, but the data supports my thinking. On most occasions where I had more than 150 calories worth of chips (which would indicate that I had more than a single-serving bag from the cafeteria), I flew up to 400, 500, or more calories just from chips that day. For some reason, I seem to have trouble leaving a half-full bag of chips around; I don't know why. Theoretically, though, not having any big bags of chips around would prevent those explosions.
I recently discovered Popchips at my cafeteria. I guess they're some kind of potato crisp that has fewer calories. A single-serving bag is 100 calories, but more importantly, the bags in the grocery store hold just 360 calories. They're smaller bags, but that serves me better anyways. I'm considering ordering a few cases from the website, but I worry that having a bunch of bags around might run me into the same trouble as the big bags. I bought two bags from Target yesterday; we'll see how it plays out.
Lesson 2: Girls keep me honest.
Let's be real here: the whole reason to get in shape was to make myself more attractive to women. Sure, getting healthier is a nice side effect, and it's cool that I can do more things comfortably on a day-to-day basis, and I do like that it's easier to play the sports I like for longer periods without getting quite so winded. But mostly, I want to be more attractive, and just as importantly, I want to perceive myself as more attractive.
The nice/tricky thing is, it's got kind of a snowball effect. When you make considerable progress, people notice and compliment you. That breeds confidence, which helps to motivate you to make more progress, pull more compliments, make more progress, etc etc. I told a friend today that I expect to be basically Channing Tatum by this time next year. Maybe not, but I want to keep myself in that cycle, on that "carousel of progress" if you will (lol).
Oh, of course, the relevant data. Well, I had a couple instances where I got some fresh, definitive, positive feedback from girls (I won't get into specifics; a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell). The average number of daily calories in the subsequent seven days: 1,472. The average daily calories during my general romantic high points: 1,810. The average daily calories during other periods: 2,209.
I can't argue with numbers like that. It's time to get my flirt on.
Lesson 3: Weekends are tougher.
This should probably be followed by something like, "Church is boring," or "Ice is cold." Of course weekends are tougher, but since the data backs that up, I figured I'd mention it. Saturday and Sunday: 2,238 calories/day, weekdays: 2,012 calories/day.
I think there are two main things I can do to try to settle down my weekend numbers.
I can foresee a day when I don't need competition to hold steady weight-wise, because I've built up a higher base metabolism, or because I'm more active, or because I turn some corner on monitoring my diet.
But it is not this day.
As Gargantuar fell behind in this competition, my performance waned. I was at my best when he was either thrashing me (in month 1) or still mostly even with me overall (through month 4). A number of factors played into that, but at least part of it was, I believe, the fading of the competitive motivation.
The eventual goal would be to figure out how to extract that competitive drive from myself without needing external motivation. But for now, I've been talking to another friend of mine about a new competition. We'll try to incorporate lessons learned from this competition, and I think we'll try to find another way to involve our groups of friends. The prizes were of course fantastic and very much appreciated, but they were a little passive for my taste. I think I'd like this competition's supporters to be a little more "hands on," so to speak.
One last time, I'd like to thank everyone for their support and contributions throughout the competition between me and Nick. Between the parties and the prizes and the weight loss, it's been one of the most rewarding six month periods of my life. It was an interesting experience, and one that I think has helped me turn a corner as far as my personal fitness.
Lesson 1: Chips are bad.
This I really knew without looking back at any data, but the data supports my thinking. On most occasions where I had more than 150 calories worth of chips (which would indicate that I had more than a single-serving bag from the cafeteria), I flew up to 400, 500, or more calories just from chips that day. For some reason, I seem to have trouble leaving a half-full bag of chips around; I don't know why. Theoretically, though, not having any big bags of chips around would prevent those explosions.
I recently discovered Popchips at my cafeteria. I guess they're some kind of potato crisp that has fewer calories. A single-serving bag is 100 calories, but more importantly, the bags in the grocery store hold just 360 calories. They're smaller bags, but that serves me better anyways. I'm considering ordering a few cases from the website, but I worry that having a bunch of bags around might run me into the same trouble as the big bags. I bought two bags from Target yesterday; we'll see how it plays out.
Lesson 2: Girls keep me honest.
Let's be real here: the whole reason to get in shape was to make myself more attractive to women. Sure, getting healthier is a nice side effect, and it's cool that I can do more things comfortably on a day-to-day basis, and I do like that it's easier to play the sports I like for longer periods without getting quite so winded. But mostly, I want to be more attractive, and just as importantly, I want to perceive myself as more attractive.
The nice/tricky thing is, it's got kind of a snowball effect. When you make considerable progress, people notice and compliment you. That breeds confidence, which helps to motivate you to make more progress, pull more compliments, make more progress, etc etc. I told a friend today that I expect to be basically Channing Tatum by this time next year. Maybe not, but I want to keep myself in that cycle, on that "carousel of progress" if you will (lol).
Oh, of course, the relevant data. Well, I had a couple instances where I got some fresh, definitive, positive feedback from girls (I won't get into specifics; a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell). The average number of daily calories in the subsequent seven days: 1,472. The average daily calories during my general romantic high points: 1,810. The average daily calories during other periods: 2,209.
I can't argue with numbers like that. It's time to get my flirt on.
Lesson 3: Weekends are tougher.
This should probably be followed by something like, "Church is boring," or "Ice is cold." Of course weekends are tougher, but since the data backs that up, I figured I'd mention it. Saturday and Sunday: 2,238 calories/day, weekdays: 2,012 calories/day.
I think there are two main things I can do to try to settle down my weekend numbers.
- One of my easiest times to shine is at work during the week. I normally have 300-500 calories at lunch during the week, but on the weekends, it seems to creep up more towards 800 calories. If I can make myself a lunch consisting of a sandwich and a single-serving bag of chips or some veggies for each day of the weekend, I might be able to nix this whole issue.
- The other thing I can do is simply make myself more busy on weekends. Go out of town more frequently, maybe join a team or volunteer somewhere, just something to fill up some time so I'm not wandering around the house, tempted by all of the food I've got sitting around.
I can foresee a day when I don't need competition to hold steady weight-wise, because I've built up a higher base metabolism, or because I'm more active, or because I turn some corner on monitoring my diet.
But it is not this day.
As Gargantuar fell behind in this competition, my performance waned. I was at my best when he was either thrashing me (in month 1) or still mostly even with me overall (through month 4). A number of factors played into that, but at least part of it was, I believe, the fading of the competitive motivation.
The eventual goal would be to figure out how to extract that competitive drive from myself without needing external motivation. But for now, I've been talking to another friend of mine about a new competition. We'll try to incorporate lessons learned from this competition, and I think we'll try to find another way to involve our groups of friends. The prizes were of course fantastic and very much appreciated, but they were a little passive for my taste. I think I'd like this competition's supporters to be a little more "hands on," so to speak.
One last time, I'd like to thank everyone for their support and contributions throughout the competition between me and Nick. Between the parties and the prizes and the weight loss, it's been one of the most rewarding six month periods of my life. It was an interesting experience, and one that I think has helped me turn a corner as far as my personal fitness.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Final Weigh-In Pre-Results
Our final weigh-in took place on Thursday of last week. The two competitors registered their final numbers with the Battle Marshal, and then set off to set right that which had gone wrong, Quantum Leap style.
No, not really, but the last numbers have been tallied, and we do have a winner...
PSYCHOTRON
Congratulations to both competitors on a hard fought six month battle, and good luck to both of them going forward.
(Each competitor will write up a final post that includes their final weigh-in, along with any analysis they'd like to provide.)
No, not really, but the last numbers have been tallied, and we do have a winner...
Congratulations to both competitors on a hard fought six month battle, and good luck to both of them going forward.
(Each competitor will write up a final post that includes their final weigh-in, along with any analysis they'd like to provide.)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Final Push - Gargantuar
OMG! It has been way to long since my last post. I apologize to the many fans that have been left bored at work and without my posts to keep them from doing busy work. A lot has happened since my last post, so I will try to break it down for ya.
Myrtle Beach Trip
Before the last weigh-in, I took a trip to Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC. The trip was pretty awesome. Diet-wise, I definiteky could have done better, however, I definitely made some conscience choices about drinking water instead of soda, or not eating quite so much.
Month Five Weigh-In
Soon after my vacation, we had our five month weigh-in. I think both competitors were not as happy as we could have been with our results, though I wasn't too upset because of the aforementioned trip. The party itself was a lot of boozy fun, if I do say so myself. We know how to throw a party in Baltimore.
Warrior Dash, Pennsylvania
The weekend of June 10-11th, I went camping in the Poconos with some friends and my brother's family to compete in Warrior Dash. As I mentioned in a previous post, Warrior Dash is an obstacle course race about 5kilometers long, often reffered to a "muddy buddy" run. And Buddy do you get muddy. The camping trip got a little rained out, so we ended up leaving Saturday after the race, but the race itself was awesome! There were thousands of people, some dressed in hilarious costumes, some already drunk, running in waves of 500 through the woods and taking on obstacles along the way. Worse than any of the obstacles was the actual trail throught the woods. The ground was slippery due to the recent rain and there were rocks and roots wherever you stepped a long a narrow path. Many times the pace halted to a walk just because of the amount of people and the narrow path. I completed the race in about 1 hour and am very happy with that.
Final Month Goals
For the last remaining month I would really like to work hard to get to at least 60lbs total for the competition. That would leave me at 249.8 and well on my way to getting healthy again. Of course I would like to win the competition, and still believe I can with a very solid month, but ultimately it's about getting healthy and I just want to continue that goal going beyond the competition. I promise I will update frequently now, I again am sorry for the long delay between posts. I also promise to be wittier in the final posts as well.
Myrtle Beach Trip
Before the last weigh-in, I took a trip to Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC. The trip was pretty awesome. Diet-wise, I definiteky could have done better, however, I definitely made some conscience choices about drinking water instead of soda, or not eating quite so much.
Month Five Weigh-In
Soon after my vacation, we had our five month weigh-in. I think both competitors were not as happy as we could have been with our results, though I wasn't too upset because of the aforementioned trip. The party itself was a lot of boozy fun, if I do say so myself. We know how to throw a party in Baltimore.
Warrior Dash, Pennsylvania
The weekend of June 10-11th, I went camping in the Poconos with some friends and my brother's family to compete in Warrior Dash. As I mentioned in a previous post, Warrior Dash is an obstacle course race about 5kilometers long, often reffered to a "muddy buddy" run. And Buddy do you get muddy. The camping trip got a little rained out, so we ended up leaving Saturday after the race, but the race itself was awesome! There were thousands of people, some dressed in hilarious costumes, some already drunk, running in waves of 500 through the woods and taking on obstacles along the way. Worse than any of the obstacles was the actual trail throught the woods. The ground was slippery due to the recent rain and there were rocks and roots wherever you stepped a long a narrow path. Many times the pace halted to a walk just because of the amount of people and the narrow path. I completed the race in about 1 hour and am very happy with that.
Final Month Goals
For the last remaining month I would really like to work hard to get to at least 60lbs total for the competition. That would leave me at 249.8 and well on my way to getting healthy again. Of course I would like to win the competition, and still believe I can with a very solid month, but ultimately it's about getting healthy and I just want to continue that goal going beyond the competition. I promise I will update frequently now, I again am sorry for the long delay between posts. I also promise to be wittier in the final posts as well.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 39
Still waiting for that first Garg post of the month...
6/15/2011
Calories: 2,005
Walking: 45 minutes
Made myself another pizza. This one was a southwest style dealy, with seasoned chicken, onions, and various Mexican cheeses. The chicken runs a little higher on calories than turkey pepperoni, but it was delicious, and I stayed within my daily target, so I was pleased.
6/16/2011
Calories: 2,467
No activities
I had about 700 calories in high fiber foods, from raisin bran to fiber bars to vegetables, all trying to kick this stomach thing. I also had plenty of non-high fiber foods, though, and that's where the problems came from. Add in a lack of activities, and you've got a bad Thursday.
6/17/2011
Calories: 2,404
Walking: 30 minutes
If it makes anyone feel better, 1,600+ of these calories were from lunch at Hard Times.
It doesn't, though, does it?
6/18/2011
Calories: 2,350
Walking: 25 minutes
Lifting: 20 minutes
Rock Band singing: 20 minutes
While the calories were a bit above my daily target of 2,200, I feel like I came away with a lot of good information. I went up to Jen and Chris's place for a little barbecuing, and I spent a good chunk of time talking calories with Jen and Rachel. Does that make me a little girly? Probably. But if this competition has taught me anything, it's that it helps to have people fighting alongside you when you take on a big project. Talking to other people who count calories helps me find out about all sorts of other food options, and I think it'll prove to be beneficial going forward.
6/19/2011
Calories: 2,655
No activities
Just a crazy, lazy, snack-heavy Sunday. I watched a couple movies, played some video games, and basically had a nice shitty Father's Day. Still, 2,600 calorie "bad days" are better than 2010's 4,100 calorie "bad days," right?
Looking Forward
So I think I'm finally on the other side of whatever stomach bug or condition I was dealing with. I think I have a tendency to try to solve problems with food (all problems, physical, mental, arithmatic...), so I'm expecting to have a much better week this week. Also, I've got to get in some good days while I can. I'm going on vacation with my family (and Gargantuar's) starting on Saturday, so it's fair to expect some straying.
The day isn't over yet, but Monday looks like a good start.
6/15/2011
Calories: 2,005
Walking: 45 minutes
Made myself another pizza. This one was a southwest style dealy, with seasoned chicken, onions, and various Mexican cheeses. The chicken runs a little higher on calories than turkey pepperoni, but it was delicious, and I stayed within my daily target, so I was pleased.
6/16/2011
Calories: 2,467
No activities
I had about 700 calories in high fiber foods, from raisin bran to fiber bars to vegetables, all trying to kick this stomach thing. I also had plenty of non-high fiber foods, though, and that's where the problems came from. Add in a lack of activities, and you've got a bad Thursday.
6/17/2011
Calories: 2,404
Walking: 30 minutes
If it makes anyone feel better, 1,600+ of these calories were from lunch at Hard Times.
It doesn't, though, does it?
6/18/2011
Calories: 2,350
Walking: 25 minutes
Lifting: 20 minutes
Rock Band singing: 20 minutes
While the calories were a bit above my daily target of 2,200, I feel like I came away with a lot of good information. I went up to Jen and Chris's place for a little barbecuing, and I spent a good chunk of time talking calories with Jen and Rachel. Does that make me a little girly? Probably. But if this competition has taught me anything, it's that it helps to have people fighting alongside you when you take on a big project. Talking to other people who count calories helps me find out about all sorts of other food options, and I think it'll prove to be beneficial going forward.
6/19/2011
Calories: 2,655
No activities
Just a crazy, lazy, snack-heavy Sunday. I watched a couple movies, played some video games, and basically had a nice shitty Father's Day. Still, 2,600 calorie "bad days" are better than 2010's 4,100 calorie "bad days," right?
Looking Forward
So I think I'm finally on the other side of whatever stomach bug or condition I was dealing with. I think I have a tendency to try to solve problems with food (all problems, physical, mental, arithmatic...), so I'm expecting to have a much better week this week. Also, I've got to get in some good days while I can. I'm going on vacation with my family (and Gargantuar's) starting on Saturday, so it's fair to expect some straying.
The day isn't over yet, but Monday looks like a good start.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 38
My apologies for both the length of time in between posts. Initially I was waiting for Gargantuar to post his monthly kickoff comments (which we're still waiting for, fella). Then I got a little woozy over the weekend, and I've been dealing with stomach discomfort for the past couple days. It's still there, but it's my responsibility to keep you guys in the loop on the happenings, so I'll give you a post.
However, my stomach bug is the reason for the brevity of some of the individual daily discussions. I assure you I'm not leaving out anything interesting. The way you know you can believe that is that it's me; nothing interesting ever happens around me anyways, remember?
6/7/2011
Calories: 1,855
Walking: 45 minutes
Still carrying the kickoff torch on Tuesday, I was able to have another positive day in both calories and activities. Unfortunately, it was the last really good day for a while...
6/8/2011
Calories: 2,515
No activities
I'm not going to say who I blame for my downward spiral over the next few days, but I absolutely blame one specific person. And I know it wasn't their intention, as they've tried to be supportive throughout all of this, but we had an interaction on Tuesday that messed with me psychologically, and I'm only now starting to be able to put it behind me.
Anyways, did a bunch of snacking on Wednesday, no activities, had a bad day.
6/9/2011
Calories: 2,385
Drumming: 30 minutes
Walking: 30 minutes
I was able to get myself back on the activities train on Thursday, though it was short-lived. I couldn't get myself going on the drumming, so I ended up bailing pretty early. The walk helped, probably, but it could've been a much more active day. And I've noticed that the more satisfying my activities are, the less I feel like snacking. So it's a double-whammy when I can't get rolling on some exercise.
6/10/2011
Calories: 2,535
No activities
Fridays are always pretty crummy as far as diet and exercise go. This one was made slightly worse (fitness-wise) by an extended outing that included a happy hour and a trip to the movies. It is not easy to resist buttered popcorn...or at least I assume it's not easy. I've never actually tried.
We saw Super 8, which literally everyone else hated, but I thought was fine. For all of my talk about hating everything, I think I actually like most movies. Not love, though, just like; we save words like "love" for movies like Jurassic Park, Zombieland, Lord of the Rings, Hoosiers, and Apollo 13. But Super 8 would get three stars on my Netflix ratings. Matter of fact, let me go do that right now...
6/11/2011
Calories: 2,985
Rock Band singing: 150 minutes
Lifting: 20 minutes
The calories were atrocious on Saturday, true. But I cite two reasons that it didn't really hurt me from a mental standpoint.
A) I had a really fun time. I went up to Joey's for a barbecue, then headed to a birthday party at another friend's house in Clarksburg. Both events were full of good friends and good times...and good drinks. But the point here is, good times.
B) The lifting I did (push-ups) got me SUPER sore. Only today on Tuesday am I starting to feel the tension wane. And the more muscle I build, the higher my metabolism, and the more effective my dieting and exercise will be.
So while it was obviously a bad day for the diet, I feel okay going forward.
6/12/2011
Calories: 2,170
No activities
Did I mention I got pretty drunk on Saturday night? I spent most of Sunday wandering aimlessly around my house, foraging for food and watching TV and movies, and reading. Finished the first Twilight book, by the way. It had some slow parts, but overall, it was decent. I'm in no rush to read the second book, but I imagine I will soon enough.
6/13/2011
Calories: 1,741
Walking: 45 minutes
I seem to almost always have good Mondays, which might be telling. Start of the work week, I'm coming off of good times over the weekend, feeling positive. Then I go to work, have the life sapped out of me, and by Wednesday I'm munching on everything in sight again. So, maybe it's time for a new job...
6/14/2011
Calories: 1,981
Walking: 35 minutes
Normal, average day. Nothing really noteworthy.
Looking Forward
...to Nick's first post this month.
However, my stomach bug is the reason for the brevity of some of the individual daily discussions. I assure you I'm not leaving out anything interesting. The way you know you can believe that is that it's me; nothing interesting ever happens around me anyways, remember?
6/7/2011
Calories: 1,855
Walking: 45 minutes
Still carrying the kickoff torch on Tuesday, I was able to have another positive day in both calories and activities. Unfortunately, it was the last really good day for a while...
6/8/2011
Calories: 2,515
No activities
I'm not going to say who I blame for my downward spiral over the next few days, but I absolutely blame one specific person. And I know it wasn't their intention, as they've tried to be supportive throughout all of this, but we had an interaction on Tuesday that messed with me psychologically, and I'm only now starting to be able to put it behind me.
Anyways, did a bunch of snacking on Wednesday, no activities, had a bad day.
6/9/2011
Calories: 2,385
Drumming: 30 minutes
Walking: 30 minutes
I was able to get myself back on the activities train on Thursday, though it was short-lived. I couldn't get myself going on the drumming, so I ended up bailing pretty early. The walk helped, probably, but it could've been a much more active day. And I've noticed that the more satisfying my activities are, the less I feel like snacking. So it's a double-whammy when I can't get rolling on some exercise.
6/10/2011
Calories: 2,535
No activities
Fridays are always pretty crummy as far as diet and exercise go. This one was made slightly worse (fitness-wise) by an extended outing that included a happy hour and a trip to the movies. It is not easy to resist buttered popcorn...or at least I assume it's not easy. I've never actually tried.
We saw Super 8, which literally everyone else hated, but I thought was fine. For all of my talk about hating everything, I think I actually like most movies. Not love, though, just like; we save words like "love" for movies like Jurassic Park, Zombieland, Lord of the Rings, Hoosiers, and Apollo 13. But Super 8 would get three stars on my Netflix ratings. Matter of fact, let me go do that right now...
6/11/2011
Calories: 2,985
Rock Band singing: 150 minutes
Lifting: 20 minutes
The calories were atrocious on Saturday, true. But I cite two reasons that it didn't really hurt me from a mental standpoint.
A) I had a really fun time. I went up to Joey's for a barbecue, then headed to a birthday party at another friend's house in Clarksburg. Both events were full of good friends and good times...and good drinks. But the point here is, good times.
B) The lifting I did (push-ups) got me SUPER sore. Only today on Tuesday am I starting to feel the tension wane. And the more muscle I build, the higher my metabolism, and the more effective my dieting and exercise will be.
So while it was obviously a bad day for the diet, I feel okay going forward.
6/12/2011
Calories: 2,170
No activities
Did I mention I got pretty drunk on Saturday night? I spent most of Sunday wandering aimlessly around my house, foraging for food and watching TV and movies, and reading. Finished the first Twilight book, by the way. It had some slow parts, but overall, it was decent. I'm in no rush to read the second book, but I imagine I will soon enough.
6/13/2011
Calories: 1,741
Walking: 45 minutes
I seem to almost always have good Mondays, which might be telling. Start of the work week, I'm coming off of good times over the weekend, feeling positive. Then I go to work, have the life sapped out of me, and by Wednesday I'm munching on everything in sight again. So, maybe it's time for a new job...
6/14/2011
Calories: 1,981
Walking: 35 minutes
Normal, average day. Nothing really noteworthy.
Looking Forward
...to Nick's first post this month.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Psychotron - The Reinvention
So you've all seen how last month panned out, or didn't, as it were. There were a variety of reasons why things went poorly, mostly related to a lack of willpower. So now, I'm focused on how to get back on track.
First things first, the whole "going dark" experiment was informative. I do believe I need the public accountability to force myself to stay true, less so for exercise, but definitely for the diet. My activities were fine during the dark week, but I did a lot of unnecessary snacking, and I'm sure that at least part of it was because I didn't have to worry about sharing that information with others. BUT, it was nice to find out that I was still motivated enough to be active, regardless of the accountability.
The party was awesome; kudos to Nick on putting together a nice event. And while everything after about 11:00 is a haze for me, the pictures look like I had a good time. And I woke up in my own bed, so that was a success. I think I'm going to try to start drinking more beer; it should help me regulate my pace a little bit better, plus maybe I can do a better job of keeping track of calories if they're neatly packaged in an aluminum can.
I'm re-establishing the calorie goal of 2,200.
And I've got a new tack for weekends. Historically, I had a little more trouble being active on weekends, because I felt like I should be taking advantage of every moment of my downtime from work doing fun things, like playing video games, watching movies, visiting people, etc. The better way to think about it, though, is that I've got way more free time on weekends. Plenty of time for both recreation and exercising, as well as the opportunity to combine the two with basketball, tennis, Rock Band, or other activities.
Let the final face-off begin. Good luck, Gargantuar.
You're gonna need it.
First things first, the whole "going dark" experiment was informative. I do believe I need the public accountability to force myself to stay true, less so for exercise, but definitely for the diet. My activities were fine during the dark week, but I did a lot of unnecessary snacking, and I'm sure that at least part of it was because I didn't have to worry about sharing that information with others. BUT, it was nice to find out that I was still motivated enough to be active, regardless of the accountability.
The party was awesome; kudos to Nick on putting together a nice event. And while everything after about 11:00 is a haze for me, the pictures look like I had a good time. And I woke up in my own bed, so that was a success. I think I'm going to try to start drinking more beer; it should help me regulate my pace a little bit better, plus maybe I can do a better job of keeping track of calories if they're neatly packaged in an aluminum can.
I'm re-establishing the calorie goal of 2,200.
And I've got a new tack for weekends. Historically, I had a little more trouble being active on weekends, because I felt like I should be taking advantage of every moment of my downtime from work doing fun things, like playing video games, watching movies, visiting people, etc. The better way to think about it, though, is that I've got way more free time on weekends. Plenty of time for both recreation and exercising, as well as the opportunity to combine the two with basketball, tennis, Rock Band, or other activities.
Let the final face-off begin. Good luck, Gargantuar.
You're gonna need it.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Month Five Weigh-In Results
Well, you know what they say: month five is the bane of all competition. Come on, who watches baseball in August? Nobody. Literally nobody.
This competition was no different. Nick and I both had pretty rough month fives. There are plenty of explanations/excuses, including trips, events, willpower issues, and the fact that doing anything for five months is a challenge, especially when it's a set of life-changing decisions like we've undertaken. But in the end, we were both pretty disappointed with our performances, and neither of us would fault any of you for feeling the same way.
The numbers...
Psychotron
May 7th: 288.2 lbs.
June 4th: 283.6 lbs.
Difference: -4.6 lbs.
Percent Difference: 1.6%
Total Weight Lost: 63.0 lbs.
Total Percent Weight Lost: 18.2%
Gargantuar
May 7th: 265.2 lbs.
June 4th: 263.8 lbs.
Difference: -1.4 lbs.
Percent Difference: 0.5%
Total Weight Lost: 46.0 lbs.
Total Percent Weight Lost: 14.8%
With a score of 1.6% weight lost from last month, Psychotron wins again, his fourth straight victory! A little quick math indicates that he'll receive a prize of a Best Buy gift card in the amount of $40.
Post-Game Analysis
Well, you can see from the numbers, but it was obviously a tough month for both competitors. Honestly, Gargantuar at least has the excuse of having gone to Myrtle Beach for a raucous time just a week before the weigh-in. Psychotron simply didn't bring his A game this month, and just barely managed to eke out a hollow victory.
Look forward to posts by both of our competitors talking about how they plan to use month five as a learning experience, and how they plan to bounce back from an unexceptional performance.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Month Four Weigh-In Results
The long-awaited results are finally here. Let's jump right in:
Psychotron
April 2nd: 299.6 lbs.
May 7th: 288.2 lbs.
Difference: -11.4 lbs.
Percent Difference: 3.8%
Total Weight Lost: 58.4 lbs.
Total Percent Weight Lost: 16.8%
Gargantuar
April 2nd: 270.2 lbs.
May 7th: 265.2 lbs.
Difference: -5.0 lbs.
Percent Difference: 1.8%
Total Weight Lost: 44.6 lbs.
Total Percent Weight Lost: 14.4%
A third straight victory for Psychotron!
Afterward, Gargantuar was seen whispering with shady characters like Ricky and Michael, no doubt scheming ways to force Psychotron into a bad month. Words like "Atlantic" and "City" were tossed about haphazardly. The rumors will swirl.
Look for the competitors' next posts, both of which promise to be interesting, aggressive, and perhaps downright vulgar.
(Nick, please do not post a picture of a wang.)
(Scooter, please do not post a picture of a wang.)
(Just nobody post penises, okay?)
Psychotron
April 2nd: 299.6 lbs.
May 7th: 288.2 lbs.
Difference: -11.4 lbs.
Percent Difference: 3.8%
Total Weight Lost: 58.4 lbs.
Total Percent Weight Lost: 16.8%
Gargantuar
April 2nd: 270.2 lbs.
May 7th: 265.2 lbs.
Difference: -5.0 lbs.
Percent Difference: 1.8%
Total Weight Lost: 44.6 lbs.
Total Percent Weight Lost: 14.4%
A third straight victory for Psychotron!
Afterward, Gargantuar was seen whispering with shady characters like Ricky and Michael, no doubt scheming ways to force Psychotron into a bad month. Words like "Atlantic" and "City" were tossed about haphazardly. The rumors will swirl.
Look for the competitors' next posts, both of which promise to be interesting, aggressive, and perhaps downright vulgar.
(Nick, please do not post a picture of a wang.)
(Scooter, please do not post a picture of a wang.)
(Just nobody post penises, okay?)
Monday, May 2, 2011
Back from my Hiatus - Gargntuar
Well it has been over a week hiatus from the blog, but I've been busy. For some reason my work compuer has trouble with the formatting of the blog so I can't make a long post now. Just know that I am writing one and will post it tonight so that you all will be able to see it tomorrow.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 29
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Month 3 Weigh-In Week Goals - I'm So Excited!
I'm very excited for this coming Saturday's Month 3 Weigh-In. After a very disappointing showing last month, I'm eager to see how I did. I've been working a bit harder and I hope it has paid off. I'm not sure how much weight will be lost or if I meet my month 3 goal of 13lbs lost, but I've been noticing a huge difference in my workouts.Week 11 Update
Last week was a very good competition week for me in my opinion. My diet goal of staying away from booze for the week was relatively easy to mantain. I didn't go out Friday night, staying home and chtting with a few griends over video games. Saturday night I hung out with some people who were drinking some wine and beer, but nothing too crazy so it was easy to stay dry. I think I'm gonna stay sober this week as well, just to keep my momentum going for the weigh-in.
My exercise goal of buring 500+ calories six days out of the week was a bit aggressive and I didn't reach my goal. However, I did end up playing tennis twice, walgging once and i hit up the gym twice for a total of five days over 500 calories burned. I think the aggressive goal helped in my motivation to at least get to five.
Also, both days at the gym my cardio workout was very satisfying and I definitely noticed a difference in my stamina. Sunday's cardio was 40 minute total, 10 min on ARC, 10 minutes on eliptical and 20 on treadmill. (I was at a new gym trying some equipment out) of the 20 minutes on the treadmill, I was able to run for 14 minutes 7min running 3min cooldown twice. I think soon I'll try 10 minutes straight with a cooldown and the 10 minutes again. I'll keep ya posted.
Month 3 Weigh-In Week Goals
I'm still obviously going to stick hard to the diet this week, but my main goal is about exercise. I will go to the gym four times this week. Normally I'd say something about playing tennis but the weather is going to be crappy. Also, it's only four days as Saturday is the weigh-in and after party and then Sunday is my mother's birthday and I will be spending the day with her.
I hope a bunch of you can make it out to Eddie's house in Rockville Saturday. It's going to be a lot of fun and we will crown a month 3 champion. Wish me luck!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Week 11 Update - Gargantuar
I feel pretty good after thie first few days of the week. Including Sunday, I played tennis with Colin three straight days after work, each for over an hour. Singles tennis is definitely a great way to get exercise and we both can see our old forms coming back to us. Monday we made a chicken and fresh veggie stir fry (a little oil, mostly water). I ate that for dinner both Monday and Tuesday nights. Yesterday I was feeling pretty sore and the weather was poopy, so I took a break from exercise. For dinner I made pasta with a ground turkey spaghetti sauce. I don't know what it is, but I think I actually prefer ground turkey to ground beef, at least in my pastas.
Weekly Goals Update - Burn 500+ Calories 6 days / No Alcohol!
So with taking Wednesday off, I have burned 500+ Calories 2 out of 3 days. I am feeling much better today so I think I'll be able to hit the 500 Calorie mark again. I haven't been drinking any alcohol at all, but we all know the weekends are the biggest problem there. I do have some tentative weekend plans that involve going out, but I can always not drink and have a good time. I'm naturally drunk anyways.
Going Forward
I think going forward I might try to stick to a three days on one day off program as far as cardio goes. Although it will likely depend on the weather and my work schedule. I'm really trying to buckle down these last two weeks before the weigh-in. It stinks to lose and even more so because there are some awesome prizes on the line. I hope everyone can come out to the April 2nd Weigh-in/Battle Marshal Eddie's Birthday Party. It's an afternoon grill out and beer fest. Should be good times.
Weekly Goals Update - Burn 500+ Calories 6 days / No Alcohol!
So with taking Wednesday off, I have burned 500+ Calories 2 out of 3 days. I am feeling much better today so I think I'll be able to hit the 500 Calorie mark again. I haven't been drinking any alcohol at all, but we all know the weekends are the biggest problem there. I do have some tentative weekend plans that involve going out, but I can always not drink and have a good time. I'm naturally drunk anyways.
Going Forward
I think going forward I might try to stick to a three days on one day off program as far as cardio goes. Although it will likely depend on the weather and my work schedule. I'm really trying to buckle down these last two weeks before the weigh-in. It stinks to lose and even more so because there are some awesome prizes on the line. I hope everyone can come out to the April 2nd Weigh-in/Battle Marshal Eddie's Birthday Party. It's an afternoon grill out and beer fest. Should be good times.
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