On Friday evening, we added four more competitors to the contest. Here's our current list of combatants (sorted alphabetically by last name, of course):
Lanae Bradley
Ruby Edmonds
Joe Mattingly
Mike Mattingly
Mark Sabina
Marcus Walker
I didn't get final confirmation from any of the new participants regarding posting their starting weights, so in the interest of discretion, I've elected to not disclose them. New folks, if you want me to post them, let me know and I will. For me, I found posting my weight to be a good way to force myself to be accountable. But that was a different style of competition; who knows if it'll work the same in this instance.
If you haven't joined, you've still got a week to decide. I'm available most of the time through next Sunday (September 11) to provide the official scale for weigh-ins. Just let me know if you want to swing by. Once again, the wager is $25 from each participant. Right now, with an estimated 8-9 competitors, we'll be paying out the top two spots, but if we get a few more, we'll expand the prizes.
Happy dieting!
-Disney Joey
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 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.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 42
That'll do, pig.
7/5/2011
Calories: 2,527
Tennis: 45 minutes
Had a nice stretch of tennis with Chip before my body basically shut down. It was hot as hell, we were in direct sunlight, and for some reason every bug on the planet seemed interested in what was going on in Woodley Gardens on Tuesday night. But it was nice to get out of the house, get a little sun, and remember how unbelievably awful my backhand is.
Still a bit too much snacking, though. I think it's high time I realized that having any kind of chip in the house is a bad call. It's so hard to meter myself with chips and pretzels; I need to just stay the hell away from them.
7/6/2011
Calories: 2,277
Rock Band singing: 45 minutes
Chip swung by again after work. We had talked about some Rock Band, but I wasn't really feeling it right when I got home, so we played a board game and watched PTI instead. Then, later, I decided I did want to play some Rock Band. I wore long pants and tried to sweat out some calories, though I realize now that I was just dehydrating myself. Oh well, more lessons.
7/7/2011
Calories (prior to weigh-in): 460
Calories (total): 2,580
No activities
For those unaware, our final weigh-in took place Thursday afternoon at the Battle Marshal's "garrison" (site of Saturday's culmination party, which you should all plan on attending). We conducted the weigh-in blind; that is, I know my weight, and Nick knows his, and Eddie knows both, but that's it. So when the results are announced Saturday, it'll be news to even us competitors.
Anyways, as a celebration of such an accomplishment (regardless of this last month's numbers), Nick's brother Kenny bought tickets for all four of us to go to a Frederick Keys game and enjoy a fully catered luxury box experience. It was magnificent, though the only reason I was able to stay remotely low on the calories was because I came in so low beforehand.
Looking Forward
I've decided that Friday and Saturday are going to be "free" days for me, while I figure out what my plan is going forward. Tentatively, I believe I'll continue to count my calories every day, because that's the one thing that I think has been a legitimately successful strategy for me. I think I'll also go through all of the previous posts, and all of my diet data from these six months, and try to draw out some useful information. I'm surprised to say that I'm actually looking forward to that "homework," for now at least.
See you Saturday, everybody.
7/5/2011
Calories: 2,527
Tennis: 45 minutes
Had a nice stretch of tennis with Chip before my body basically shut down. It was hot as hell, we were in direct sunlight, and for some reason every bug on the planet seemed interested in what was going on in Woodley Gardens on Tuesday night. But it was nice to get out of the house, get a little sun, and remember how unbelievably awful my backhand is.
Still a bit too much snacking, though. I think it's high time I realized that having any kind of chip in the house is a bad call. It's so hard to meter myself with chips and pretzels; I need to just stay the hell away from them.
7/6/2011
Calories: 2,277
Rock Band singing: 45 minutes
Chip swung by again after work. We had talked about some Rock Band, but I wasn't really feeling it right when I got home, so we played a board game and watched PTI instead. Then, later, I decided I did want to play some Rock Band. I wore long pants and tried to sweat out some calories, though I realize now that I was just dehydrating myself. Oh well, more lessons.
7/7/2011
Calories (prior to weigh-in): 460
Calories (total): 2,580
No activities
For those unaware, our final weigh-in took place Thursday afternoon at the Battle Marshal's "garrison" (site of Saturday's culmination party, which you should all plan on attending). We conducted the weigh-in blind; that is, I know my weight, and Nick knows his, and Eddie knows both, but that's it. So when the results are announced Saturday, it'll be news to even us competitors.
Anyways, as a celebration of such an accomplishment (regardless of this last month's numbers), Nick's brother Kenny bought tickets for all four of us to go to a Frederick Keys game and enjoy a fully catered luxury box experience. It was magnificent, though the only reason I was able to stay remotely low on the calories was because I came in so low beforehand.
Looking Forward
I've decided that Friday and Saturday are going to be "free" days for me, while I figure out what my plan is going forward. Tentatively, I believe I'll continue to count my calories every day, because that's the one thing that I think has been a legitimately successful strategy for me. I think I'll also go through all of the previous posts, and all of my diet data from these six months, and try to draw out some useful information. I'm surprised to say that I'm actually looking forward to that "homework," for now at least.
See you Saturday, everybody.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 41
Son of a bitch this is getting tough.
7/1/2011
Calories: 957
No activities
My first day back in town was a rousing success. Well, speaking calorically. I didn't get any activity in, but I did go to a happy hour after work. I'd say keeping my daily calories under 1,000 including a night out is pretty goddamn impressive.
Oh, I mean, I played cornhole for like two hours, but I don't think I'd call that "activity."
7/2/2011
Calories: 2,210
Lifting: 20 minutes
Walking: 45 minutes
Saturday was like the epitome of what I'd like every day to be like. I had a solid amount of calories, nothing too extravagant, I ate food I liked, I got plenty of physical activity. A day to be proud of.
7/3/2011
Calories: 2,730
Walking: 40 minutes
I thankfully thought early in the day that I should get some walking in before things went south (or northeast, rather; the party was in Baltimore). I stuck with beer and a little wine for the party, but it turns out that doesn't help me at all when it comes to hangovers. I was a wreck the next day all the same. It's back to liquor for me.
Technically I did some walking in Baltimore on Sunday night, and some dancing at Mother's when we got there, but I can't assign any specific values to that activity, so I'm leaving them both off the list.
7/4/2011
Calories: 3,040
No activities
Okay, yes, Monday was a disaster. The only solaces I can take from it are A) it still wasn't as bad as my old school "bad days" used to be, and B) I only ordered the one pizza. We have to find the positives where we can, people. I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping or watching television, trying to recover from the madness of the night before.
Looking Forward
We'll have one more Daily Diary post, including the information from the remaining days before the final weigh-in. It's high time we start to talk about that, too. Six months have passed, and Nick and I have done some very good things, as well as run into some snafus. The trick here, maybe the toughest part, is what to do after our competition culminates. I know Nick and I still have weight loss goals that we haven't achieved, but I'm not sure if there's any more motivation to get out of this vehicle.
So how do we push forward? I know I've learned a ton of information about calories, as well as exercise suggestions, and I've gotten myself into some much better habits these days on both fronts. But can I really trust myself to continue on this path towards a healthier lifestyle without some kind of external accountability? I really don't know.
I know I don't want the time and effort spent on this competition to have been in vain. I want to become more fit, so I can play more sports for longer periods, and play them better. I want to keep losing weight so that, sometime in the year 2013, I feel comfortable enough to go up to a stranger and try to chat her up (I expect 2012 to be mostly apocalypse-related).
Whatever suggestions you can offer, I welcome.
7/1/2011
Calories: 957
No activities
My first day back in town was a rousing success. Well, speaking calorically. I didn't get any activity in, but I did go to a happy hour after work. I'd say keeping my daily calories under 1,000 including a night out is pretty goddamn impressive.
Oh, I mean, I played cornhole for like two hours, but I don't think I'd call that "activity."
7/2/2011
Calories: 2,210
Lifting: 20 minutes
Walking: 45 minutes
Saturday was like the epitome of what I'd like every day to be like. I had a solid amount of calories, nothing too extravagant, I ate food I liked, I got plenty of physical activity. A day to be proud of.
7/3/2011
Calories: 2,730
Walking: 40 minutes
I thankfully thought early in the day that I should get some walking in before things went south (or northeast, rather; the party was in Baltimore). I stuck with beer and a little wine for the party, but it turns out that doesn't help me at all when it comes to hangovers. I was a wreck the next day all the same. It's back to liquor for me.
Technically I did some walking in Baltimore on Sunday night, and some dancing at Mother's when we got there, but I can't assign any specific values to that activity, so I'm leaving them both off the list.
7/4/2011
Calories: 3,040
No activities
Okay, yes, Monday was a disaster. The only solaces I can take from it are A) it still wasn't as bad as my old school "bad days" used to be, and B) I only ordered the one pizza. We have to find the positives where we can, people. I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping or watching television, trying to recover from the madness of the night before.
Looking Forward
We'll have one more Daily Diary post, including the information from the remaining days before the final weigh-in. It's high time we start to talk about that, too. Six months have passed, and Nick and I have done some very good things, as well as run into some snafus. The trick here, maybe the toughest part, is what to do after our competition culminates. I know Nick and I still have weight loss goals that we haven't achieved, but I'm not sure if there's any more motivation to get out of this vehicle.
So how do we push forward? I know I've learned a ton of information about calories, as well as exercise suggestions, and I've gotten myself into some much better habits these days on both fronts. But can I really trust myself to continue on this path towards a healthier lifestyle without some kind of external accountability? I really don't know.
I know I don't want the time and effort spent on this competition to have been in vain. I want to become more fit, so I can play more sports for longer periods, and play them better. I want to keep losing weight so that, sometime in the year 2013, I feel comfortable enough to go up to a stranger and try to chat her up (I expect 2012 to be mostly apocalypse-related).
Whatever suggestions you can offer, I welcome.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Psychotron - Update
You'll notice that this post doesn't have a "Daily Diary" in its title. That's because I have no information for you regarding my vacation week. I had fun, I ate my face off, I played a little basketball, did a lot of swimming, and went kayaking (check Facebook for pictures). But I didn't keep track of calories, or the lengths of time I spent doing the various activities. I know that I mostly made bad decisions regarding food, and fairly good decisions regarding activities.
And I haven't weighed myself since getting back, but I'd venture to say I'm close to or equal to what I was when this month started. I'll have more information on that tomorrow morning (I always weigh myself in the mornings), but that'll be information for me, not you.
What this all means is that our final competitive month will basically come down to how much progress I can make in a single week. I did excellent today in my first day back, and we'll see how things shake out over the long, holiday weekend. I was invited to a party in Baltimore on Sunday, which will probably be messy, but I bet I can regulate myself so that it's a decent day. And I'll definitely be tracking my numbers for the rest of the way.
Look for my second-to-last Daily Diary on Monday or Tuesday.
And I haven't weighed myself since getting back, but I'd venture to say I'm close to or equal to what I was when this month started. I'll have more information on that tomorrow morning (I always weigh myself in the mornings), but that'll be information for me, not you.
What this all means is that our final competitive month will basically come down to how much progress I can make in a single week. I did excellent today in my first day back, and we'll see how things shake out over the long, holiday weekend. I was invited to a party in Baltimore on Sunday, which will probably be messy, but I bet I can regulate myself so that it's a decent day. And I'll definitely be tracking my numbers for the rest of the way.
Look for my second-to-last Daily Diary on Monday or Tuesday.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 40
Hey guys, no explanations this time around, I just wanted to get stuff posted before I head to the beach. Holla!
6/20/2011
Calories: 1,965
Rock Band drumming: 50 minutes
Lifting: 30 minutes
6/21/2011
Calories: 2,427
No activities
6/22/2011
Calories: 2,030
No activities
6/23/2011
Calories: 2,397
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 150 minutes
6/24/2011
Calories: 1,810
Walking: 30 minutes
6/20/2011
Calories: 1,965
Rock Band drumming: 50 minutes
Lifting: 30 minutes
6/21/2011
Calories: 2,427
No activities
6/22/2011
Calories: 2,030
No activities
6/23/2011
Calories: 2,397
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 150 minutes
6/24/2011
Calories: 1,810
Walking: 30 minutes
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Food Choices Study
I came across this article on the internet, and it was both interesting and frustrating.
Potatoes bad, nuts good for staying slim, Harvard study finds
Some of the analysis is interesting, and probably all of it is worth further study, but I worry about the tangible usefulness of it. I'd like to know what sort of attempts they made to eliminate other variables, though, specifically calorie intake. Like this analysis:
"Potatoes fared particularly poorly, possibly because starch, like refined grains and sugar, is less satisfying, so people eat more."
The "eat more" comment makes me think that they didn't try to isolate food choices from calorie intake when determining the effect of food choices. Like, potatoes leave you hungry, so you eat more calories if you eat potatoes. Well, shit, if you eat 9,000 calories of bananas every day, you're gonna get fat. It's 9,000 goddamn calories.
If they didn't try to account for differences in calorie intake, I'm not surprised that yogurt came out as a good food. Nobody who's not on a diet eats yogurt. Nobody.
Potatoes bad, nuts good for staying slim, Harvard study finds
Some of the analysis is interesting, and probably all of it is worth further study, but I worry about the tangible usefulness of it. I'd like to know what sort of attempts they made to eliminate other variables, though, specifically calorie intake. Like this analysis:
"Potatoes fared particularly poorly, possibly because starch, like refined grains and sugar, is less satisfying, so people eat more."
The "eat more" comment makes me think that they didn't try to isolate food choices from calorie intake when determining the effect of food choices. Like, potatoes leave you hungry, so you eat more calories if you eat potatoes. Well, shit, if you eat 9,000 calories of bananas every day, you're gonna get fat. It's 9,000 goddamn calories.
If they didn't try to account for differences in calorie intake, I'm not surprised that yogurt came out as a good food. Nobody who's not on a diet eats yogurt. Nobody.
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.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 36
5/24/11
Calories: 2,140
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 80 minutes
Walking: 40 minutes
I must have waited too long to write this up, because I have no memory of Tuesday. Just none, at all.
5/25/11
Calories: 1,900
Walking: 50 minutes
A classic good day. I took some time to cook up a nice dinner for myself, and I definitely saved some calories with newly purchased Fudgsicles (only 40 calories apiece!).
5/26/11
Calories: 2,391
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 160 minutes
5/27/11
Calories: 2,427
Rock Band drumming: 140 minutes
A bit of a Rock Band marathon session between Thursday and Friday. I still don't know how much value I can assign to the Rock Band activities, outside of working up a sweat. But it's something. Better than nothing.
Going Dark
I've decided that for the final week of this month, I'm not going to tell you folks anything about my eating or exercise habits. Part of it is to keep Nick in the dark about how I'm doing, a little bit of gamesmanship if you will.
The other part is that I'd like to see how I react to a lack of public accountability. I'll still write down the numbers for myself, and I have the same 2,400 calorie goal as I've always had. I'm just not going to tell anybody whether I reached it or not. Should be interesting.
Good luck this week, Nikolai.
Calories: 2,140
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 80 minutes
Walking: 40 minutes
I must have waited too long to write this up, because I have no memory of Tuesday. Just none, at all.
5/25/11
Calories: 1,900
Walking: 50 minutes
A classic good day. I took some time to cook up a nice dinner for myself, and I definitely saved some calories with newly purchased Fudgsicles (only 40 calories apiece!).
5/26/11
Calories: 2,391
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 160 minutes
5/27/11
Calories: 2,427
Rock Band drumming: 140 minutes
A bit of a Rock Band marathon session between Thursday and Friday. I still don't know how much value I can assign to the Rock Band activities, outside of working up a sweat. But it's something. Better than nothing.
Going Dark
I've decided that for the final week of this month, I'm not going to tell you folks anything about my eating or exercise habits. Part of it is to keep Nick in the dark about how I'm doing, a little bit of gamesmanship if you will.
The other part is that I'd like to see how I react to a lack of public accountability. I'll still write down the numbers for myself, and I have the same 2,400 calorie goal as I've always had. I'm just not going to tell anybody whether I reached it or not. Should be interesting.
Good luck this week, Nikolai.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 34
Initially I had tried to put together a formula for physical activity, but with all the various things you can do to get exercise, it's a little daunting. So I basically set a general goal of one hour of activity. It's a lot of time, but it's not like I really have anything to "do" after work anyways. Setting aside an hour of time every day to try to better myself is pretty reasonable.
The other thing is that, if it were easy, and something I would have no trouble doing every day, that's not much of a goal, is it? If I set a goal to walk 15 minutes every day, whoopie, who cares? Any day in which I accomplish my goal of one hour of physical activity, I can feel like was a productive day.
5/16/11
Calories: 2,020
Rock Band drumming: 90 minutes
Walking: 40 minutes
Monday was my first foray into the Boboli pizza realm, and I have to say, I was pretty happy with the results. I went for a "white" pizza, just threw some sliced red peppers and onions on the crust with some margarine and Parmesan cheese, and it was a tasty little deal. I had initially planned on just eating half of it and saving the other half, but space is limited in my fridge, and it was goooood. Even so, the whole pizza was 1,080 calories. And this was the full size pizza, not one of the personal pizza size ones (which are the ones I think I'll be using in the future.
Over on my other blog, Chip and I have been coming up with some ideas for pizzas to make. Chime in if you like, here or there.
5/17/11
Calories: 2,115
Weightlifting: 30 minutes
Tuesday is when I ran into my first question mark. Because I actually lifted weights over the course of about an hour, but it was while watching TV, sometimes breaking for 4-5 minutes at a time. The end result was a success, as I definitely got sore, and I worked up a sweat. But I couldn't really say that I "lifted weights" for an hour. What I should've done was gone for a half hour walk to make the point moot. Something to keep in mind for the future.
5/18/11
Calories: 2,250
Weightlifting: 15 minutes
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 60 minutes
My sister's boyfriend offered to grill up dinner for the family on Wednesday, so I went home for that. I had a few too many potato chips, but overall stayed mostly within my intended zone. When I got back to my house, I felt like singing, so I booted up the Rock Band. In between sets, I did some half push-ups. Half push-ups because they're sort of at a 45 degree angle; I do them on my stairs. I haven't got the upper body strength to push up my whole body just yet, but I get a good soreness out of this for now, so it'll do.
Looking Forward
Nothing really of note so far. I've done pretty well sticking with my physical activity plan. One thing I think I'd like to work on, though, is incorporating some more intense activities, or some more extended sessions. Like a 2 hour walk, or some serious basketball. Who's in?
The other thing is that, if it were easy, and something I would have no trouble doing every day, that's not much of a goal, is it? If I set a goal to walk 15 minutes every day, whoopie, who cares? Any day in which I accomplish my goal of one hour of physical activity, I can feel like was a productive day.
5/16/11
Calories: 2,020
Rock Band drumming: 90 minutes
Walking: 40 minutes
Monday was my first foray into the Boboli pizza realm, and I have to say, I was pretty happy with the results. I went for a "white" pizza, just threw some sliced red peppers and onions on the crust with some margarine and Parmesan cheese, and it was a tasty little deal. I had initially planned on just eating half of it and saving the other half, but space is limited in my fridge, and it was goooood. Even so, the whole pizza was 1,080 calories. And this was the full size pizza, not one of the personal pizza size ones (which are the ones I think I'll be using in the future.
Over on my other blog, Chip and I have been coming up with some ideas for pizzas to make. Chime in if you like, here or there.
5/17/11
Calories: 2,115
Weightlifting: 30 minutes
Tuesday is when I ran into my first question mark. Because I actually lifted weights over the course of about an hour, but it was while watching TV, sometimes breaking for 4-5 minutes at a time. The end result was a success, as I definitely got sore, and I worked up a sweat. But I couldn't really say that I "lifted weights" for an hour. What I should've done was gone for a half hour walk to make the point moot. Something to keep in mind for the future.
5/18/11
Calories: 2,250
Weightlifting: 15 minutes
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 60 minutes
My sister's boyfriend offered to grill up dinner for the family on Wednesday, so I went home for that. I had a few too many potato chips, but overall stayed mostly within my intended zone. When I got back to my house, I felt like singing, so I booted up the Rock Band. In between sets, I did some half push-ups. Half push-ups because they're sort of at a 45 degree angle; I do them on my stairs. I haven't got the upper body strength to push up my whole body just yet, but I get a good soreness out of this for now, so it'll do.
Looking Forward
Nothing really of note so far. I've done pretty well sticking with my physical activity plan. One thing I think I'd like to work on, though, is incorporating some more intense activities, or some more extended sessions. Like a 2 hour walk, or some serious basketball. Who's in?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 33
So I pulled out a third straight victory that netted me a cool $100 cash. And it was all one dollar bills, delivered in a brown paper bag, so I got to feel like a mobster after I won. Pretty bitchin' move by the donor/Battle Marshal.
But hold the phone there. I'm still a big ass man...and a big-assed man. Being 288 pounds is great for where I was, but there's still a lot of work to do. And I've got a new plan on how to push forward and get closer to the body I want. Read on...
*By the way, sorry for the late post, I thought I had posted the first half of this already. I am error.
5/8/11
Calories: 2,555
Walking: 60 minutes
Sunday was Mother's Day, and while I got into the afternoon almost calorie-free (just 100 calories from some Froot Loops), I knew my victory would be short-lived. I headed up to my mom's house for dinner and board games, and dinner ended up being a couple plates of Chinese food. Add on a slice of chocolate cake, and you get the calorie count you see above.
I did manage to make it out for a good walk in the evening (after sitting around digesting for a while). And I was reminded that my mom's got a pool at her house. It'd be pretty smart to take advantage of that. And I've always fancied myself a pretty smart guy.
5/9/11
Calories: 2,263
Walking: 40 minutes
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 120 minutes
Both Rock Band activities are tough to assess as far as their actual impact. I mean, I know my legs and shoulders get sore when I play the drums, but whether it's actually building muscle, that's debatable. And I know when I sing and play guitar I get a little winded from time to time, and I definitely sweat up a storm, but whether I'm burning calories or exercising my lungs, difficult to say.
It feels like activity, though, so I'm keeping it on the board.
5/10/11
Calories: 2,450
Walking: 60 minutes
I have been eating more, though I don't know if it's as a result of me doing more exercise and needing more energy, or just the natural ebb and flow of my personal motivation and willpower. Ebb ebb ebb...
5/11/11
Calories: 2,188
Walking: 60 minutes
I make it a special point to take note of each reasonable Wednesday I have. I used to go to Hard Times around the corner every Wednesday and eat nachos and wings, sometimes have beer, and follow it up with some outrageous dessert at Carmen's; sometimes brownie sundaes, sometimes cheesecake, sometimes a couple scoops with a toppings bar, but always, always calorie-heavy. I remember doing the math once and coming out on the wrong side of 4,000 calories for the day.
So when I look and see under 2,200 calories and an hour of walking, I take a deep breath and appreciate the progress.
5/12/11
Calories: 2,129
Walking: 20 minutes
Weightlifting: 20 minutes
Thursday night started so promising; who knew it would turn into a bloodbath?
I got home from work and did some push ups, but not full push ups. I had to do them at an angle, on the stairs. Lifting up 280 pounds is still a little much to ask of my flabby arms. I finished my disc of Quantum Leap, season 3, so I popped it in the Netflix envelope and set out to drop it off in my neighborhood mailbox.
After I dropped it off, I heard footsteps thumping up behind me, and I was met by my brother and Tom, who had been wining and dining at Hard Times. I was (easily) convinced to hang out, and we ended up watching nerdy TV and taking shots of tequila. The calories may look reasonable, but the damage I did to my body that night was extensive.
5/13/11
Calories: 1,899
Walking: 45 minutes
One advantage of being hungover is that you don't eat quite so much the next day.
5/14/11
Calories: 2,720
Picnic activities: 60 minutes
Went out to a pair of parties. First, a family picnic with some of the best fried chicken I've had in a long time, as well as some tasty steak sandwiches. We tossed a football for a little bit, then had sort of a softball practice, in that we did some batting and some tossing, but nothing really extensive.
Anyways, after that I headed out to Westminster for Eddie P.'s birthday party. Stayed sober, but had some chips and a couple (delicious!) turkey meatballs. Westminster is ass far away, so I got home at like 3:30 AM.
5/15/11
Calories: 2,080
No activities
Yes, the calories were down, but no activities? Get it together Joe.
Looking Forward
So as you may have been able to tell from the information I posted, my focus this month is going to be on physical activity. With summer fast approaching, I've got precious little time to make myself look good without a shirt...or at least a little less like jelly.
Theoretically, the best way to do this is to get more exercise. More weightlifting, more walking, more turning walking into jogging, more tennis, more basketball, more everything. I'd like to get a weekly basketball game together, but I know people live far and have their own schedules (which include other weekly basketball games, etc). So I'll probably continue to focus on walking, and try to incorporate some more tennis, since you only need one other person for that.
I'm also pushing my calorie target back a little bit from 2,200 to 2,400 calories. The basis for that is to make sure that I've got the leeway to bring in enough calories to keep me properly fueled, but I'm also going to be honest with you guys; mostly I just want a little more leeway with my daily calorie intake.
We'll see if this shit works.
But hold the phone there. I'm still a big ass man...and a big-assed man. Being 288 pounds is great for where I was, but there's still a lot of work to do. And I've got a new plan on how to push forward and get closer to the body I want. Read on...
*By the way, sorry for the late post, I thought I had posted the first half of this already. I am error.
5/8/11
Calories: 2,555
Walking: 60 minutes
Sunday was Mother's Day, and while I got into the afternoon almost calorie-free (just 100 calories from some Froot Loops), I knew my victory would be short-lived. I headed up to my mom's house for dinner and board games, and dinner ended up being a couple plates of Chinese food. Add on a slice of chocolate cake, and you get the calorie count you see above.
I did manage to make it out for a good walk in the evening (after sitting around digesting for a while). And I was reminded that my mom's got a pool at her house. It'd be pretty smart to take advantage of that. And I've always fancied myself a pretty smart guy.
5/9/11
Calories: 2,263
Walking: 40 minutes
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 120 minutes
Both Rock Band activities are tough to assess as far as their actual impact. I mean, I know my legs and shoulders get sore when I play the drums, but whether it's actually building muscle, that's debatable. And I know when I sing and play guitar I get a little winded from time to time, and I definitely sweat up a storm, but whether I'm burning calories or exercising my lungs, difficult to say.
It feels like activity, though, so I'm keeping it on the board.
5/10/11
Calories: 2,450
Walking: 60 minutes
I have been eating more, though I don't know if it's as a result of me doing more exercise and needing more energy, or just the natural ebb and flow of my personal motivation and willpower. Ebb ebb ebb...
5/11/11
Calories: 2,188
Walking: 60 minutes
I make it a special point to take note of each reasonable Wednesday I have. I used to go to Hard Times around the corner every Wednesday and eat nachos and wings, sometimes have beer, and follow it up with some outrageous dessert at Carmen's; sometimes brownie sundaes, sometimes cheesecake, sometimes a couple scoops with a toppings bar, but always, always calorie-heavy. I remember doing the math once and coming out on the wrong side of 4,000 calories for the day.
So when I look and see under 2,200 calories and an hour of walking, I take a deep breath and appreciate the progress.
5/12/11
Calories: 2,129
Walking: 20 minutes
Weightlifting: 20 minutes
Thursday night started so promising; who knew it would turn into a bloodbath?
I got home from work and did some push ups, but not full push ups. I had to do them at an angle, on the stairs. Lifting up 280 pounds is still a little much to ask of my flabby arms. I finished my disc of Quantum Leap, season 3, so I popped it in the Netflix envelope and set out to drop it off in my neighborhood mailbox.
After I dropped it off, I heard footsteps thumping up behind me, and I was met by my brother and Tom, who had been wining and dining at Hard Times. I was (easily) convinced to hang out, and we ended up watching nerdy TV and taking shots of tequila. The calories may look reasonable, but the damage I did to my body that night was extensive.
5/13/11
Calories: 1,899
Walking: 45 minutes
One advantage of being hungover is that you don't eat quite so much the next day.
5/14/11
Calories: 2,720
Picnic activities: 60 minutes
Went out to a pair of parties. First, a family picnic with some of the best fried chicken I've had in a long time, as well as some tasty steak sandwiches. We tossed a football for a little bit, then had sort of a softball practice, in that we did some batting and some tossing, but nothing really extensive.
Anyways, after that I headed out to Westminster for Eddie P.'s birthday party. Stayed sober, but had some chips and a couple (delicious!) turkey meatballs. Westminster is ass far away, so I got home at like 3:30 AM.
5/15/11
Calories: 2,080
No activities
Yes, the calories were down, but no activities? Get it together Joe.
Looking Forward
So as you may have been able to tell from the information I posted, my focus this month is going to be on physical activity. With summer fast approaching, I've got precious little time to make myself look good without a shirt...or at least a little less like jelly.
Theoretically, the best way to do this is to get more exercise. More weightlifting, more walking, more turning walking into jogging, more tennis, more basketball, more everything. I'd like to get a weekly basketball game together, but I know people live far and have their own schedules (which include other weekly basketball games, etc). So I'll probably continue to focus on walking, and try to incorporate some more tennis, since you only need one other person for that.
I'm also pushing my calorie target back a little bit from 2,200 to 2,400 calories. The basis for that is to make sure that I've got the leeway to bring in enough calories to keep me properly fueled, but I'm also going to be honest with you guys; mostly I just want a little more leeway with my daily calorie intake.
We'll see if this shit works.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 32
5/5/11
Calories: 2,157
Activities: walk
My last real walk of the month. It wasn't huge, but it was enough to get the blood pumping. I've actually had some stomach discomfort for about a week, on and off, so I've had a little more trouble getting myself outside and doing stuff. Hopefully that'll subside soon, so I can get some more activity going.
5/6/11
Calories: 2,193
Activities: short walk
Just a brief walk, tried to get it in before the rain hit Friday night. I was successful in beating the rain, which was nice, but it's too bad I couldn't get more walking in, on the eve of the weigh-in. Oh well, have to just trust the process.
Look for the results of yesterday's weigh-in tonight or tomorrow.
Calories: 2,157
Activities: walk
My last real walk of the month. It wasn't huge, but it was enough to get the blood pumping. I've actually had some stomach discomfort for about a week, on and off, so I've had a little more trouble getting myself outside and doing stuff. Hopefully that'll subside soon, so I can get some more activity going.
5/6/11
Calories: 2,193
Activities: short walk
Just a brief walk, tried to get it in before the rain hit Friday night. I was successful in beating the rain, which was nice, but it's too bad I couldn't get more walking in, on the eve of the weigh-in. Oh well, have to just trust the process.
Look for the results of yesterday's weigh-in tonight or tomorrow.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 31
In the spirit of more frequent posts, here's the information for the past couple of days:
5/3/11
Calories: 2,355
Activities: Rock Band drumming
Got pretty drunk, actually. Definitely too drunk for a school night, but it did contribute to me falling asleep at like 11:00, which is ass early for me, so who's to say whether it was good or bad?
No, it was definitely bad. But I worked up a good sweat drumming before I passed out. Drumming and lamenting the Washington Capitals. Sigh.
5/4/11
Calories: 2,200
Activities: walk
It was kind of a cool day. I cooked a decent dinner (spaghetti and meatballs), matched my daily calorie goal exactly, and had a classic 75 minute walk in the evening. It wasn't exceptional, but it was the kind of day that I can look back on and say, "I can live my life like that. I can eat responsibly and exercise every day." Which is a pretty nice feeling.
Looking Forward
...to the weigh in. In reading my competitor's posts about how much he's exercising, I'm not very optimistic about the results, but Saturday should be nice regardless. First, because it's another milestone, another day that goes into the record books for this competition, and another success, even if it's a little bit smaller than previous months. And second, I mean, it's a gathering of friends. If nothing else, it should be fun.
See you there.
5/3/11
Calories: 2,355
Activities: Rock Band drumming
Got pretty drunk, actually. Definitely too drunk for a school night, but it did contribute to me falling asleep at like 11:00, which is ass early for me, so who's to say whether it was good or bad?
No, it was definitely bad. But I worked up a good sweat drumming before I passed out. Drumming and lamenting the Washington Capitals. Sigh.
5/4/11
Calories: 2,200
Activities: walk
It was kind of a cool day. I cooked a decent dinner (spaghetti and meatballs), matched my daily calorie goal exactly, and had a classic 75 minute walk in the evening. It wasn't exceptional, but it was the kind of day that I can look back on and say, "I can live my life like that. I can eat responsibly and exercise every day." Which is a pretty nice feeling.
Looking Forward
...to the weigh in. In reading my competitor's posts about how much he's exercising, I'm not very optimistic about the results, but Saturday should be nice regardless. First, because it's another milestone, another day that goes into the record books for this competition, and another success, even if it's a little bit smaller than previous months. And second, I mean, it's a gathering of friends. If nothing else, it should be fun.
See you there.
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?
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.
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