10/8
Reed and Jen's wedding was a potential disaster, but I managed to limit myself pretty well. I had a beer, the dinner (chicken cordon bleu and a crab cake), and half of a mini-pie. Could've gone a lot worse. We're calling it a good decision.
10/10
Ahh, the Washington Capitals. My buddy was buying beers, so...I had several. Too many. Bad decision.
10/12
Went to fuel up at a gas station, and in a blink, I found myself inside buying a bag of Tostitos Scoops. What the hell, man? Not cool.
10/13
Another Caps game, another bad decision. This one was a road game, so I went over to my brother's house and munched down on some pizza. Bad, bad fella.
Current weight: 274.0 (even)
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Psychotron/Disney Joe Update
So as you may have noticed (or not noticed, as it were), I haven't really been offering much in the way of updates on my progress as this "competition" has moved forward. I put "competition" in quotes, because I haven't really been doing my part to compete with the other participants in this contest. I have been lifting more than I have at any point in the past six months, but not so much that I'd say I'm really pushing myself to succeed.
The question of "Why?" is one I've been trying to work through in my head, and I've mostly come up empty. But I think perhaps one reason is that during this period, I haven't really been holding myself accountable by posting updates. So in an effort to stifle that weakness and see if I can't turn this ship around (despite the fact that it sounds like I'm ~20 lbs. behind already), I'm going to start posting more regularly. I haven't been counting calories since late September, and I think I'd like to find a way to be productive without having to do that. So I won't be posting my daily calories or anything like that.
What I will be posting is two things. First, I'll be posting my weight. While I do believe that I've gotten marginally more muscular over the past month, I'm still way too heavy for my lifestyle, and for my own preference/confidence. Losing weight is the end goal of all of this, and the one thing I want to hold myself accountable for more than anything else. So, I'll post my weight every time I post, including this post (at the bottom).
Second, I'm going to post decisions. My contention throughout all of this, including past attempts to lose weight, was that a person could improve their health, lose weight, and become more fit simply by altering a few decisions every day. I know when I was at my worst, I made a slew of poor decisions. I would buy bags of Doritos and Tostitos, knowing that they didn't stand a chance of lasting more than a couple days in my house. I would decline invitations to activities that required some movement on my part (walks, games of basketball, even trips downtown). And I'd order pizza every once in a while, and devour the whole pie (or pies) in a matter of hours.
These are the kinds of decisions I need to change. So what I'm going to do is start posting decisions, good or bad, that I make and remember. If I decide to pass on pizza and eat a Lean Cuisine, I'll post that. If I falter and do order Domino's, I'll post that as well. I won't post normal lifting sessions, but if I find myself debating whether or not I want to lift on a given night, I'll post my decision on that, positive or negative. The idea is that forcing myself to share my mistakes and my triumphs will help me to more frequently make good decisions. Maybe I can't win the monetary prize in this competition at this point, but the real prize is improved health, and that's still on the table.
So, as I mentioned, I've been pretty lackluster thus far, since my initial weigh-in. I've ordered pizza more than once, I've talked myself out of going for walks a number of times, and overall I've just disappointed myself with my decisions. However, when I weighed myself Thursday morning, I was surprised to see that I had actually stayed pretty much even (up 0.4 lbs). While up is worse than down, and I'm not proud of my process so far, I can't help but be a little pleased that I haven't lost much ground from where I was at the beginning of this competition.
I'm going to set a conservative goal of losing 5.4 pounds by November 1st (so 5 pounds off of my starting weight), and 10 pounds by December 1st. From the rumors I've heard, that will still leave me well behind our top competitors, but at this point, my competition is myself. Wish me luck.
Current weight: 274.4 (+ 0.4 lbs.)
The question of "Why?" is one I've been trying to work through in my head, and I've mostly come up empty. But I think perhaps one reason is that during this period, I haven't really been holding myself accountable by posting updates. So in an effort to stifle that weakness and see if I can't turn this ship around (despite the fact that it sounds like I'm ~20 lbs. behind already), I'm going to start posting more regularly. I haven't been counting calories since late September, and I think I'd like to find a way to be productive without having to do that. So I won't be posting my daily calories or anything like that.
What I will be posting is two things. First, I'll be posting my weight. While I do believe that I've gotten marginally more muscular over the past month, I'm still way too heavy for my lifestyle, and for my own preference/confidence. Losing weight is the end goal of all of this, and the one thing I want to hold myself accountable for more than anything else. So, I'll post my weight every time I post, including this post (at the bottom).
Second, I'm going to post decisions. My contention throughout all of this, including past attempts to lose weight, was that a person could improve their health, lose weight, and become more fit simply by altering a few decisions every day. I know when I was at my worst, I made a slew of poor decisions. I would buy bags of Doritos and Tostitos, knowing that they didn't stand a chance of lasting more than a couple days in my house. I would decline invitations to activities that required some movement on my part (walks, games of basketball, even trips downtown). And I'd order pizza every once in a while, and devour the whole pie (or pies) in a matter of hours.
These are the kinds of decisions I need to change. So what I'm going to do is start posting decisions, good or bad, that I make and remember. If I decide to pass on pizza and eat a Lean Cuisine, I'll post that. If I falter and do order Domino's, I'll post that as well. I won't post normal lifting sessions, but if I find myself debating whether or not I want to lift on a given night, I'll post my decision on that, positive or negative. The idea is that forcing myself to share my mistakes and my triumphs will help me to more frequently make good decisions. Maybe I can't win the monetary prize in this competition at this point, but the real prize is improved health, and that's still on the table.
So, as I mentioned, I've been pretty lackluster thus far, since my initial weigh-in. I've ordered pizza more than once, I've talked myself out of going for walks a number of times, and overall I've just disappointed myself with my decisions. However, when I weighed myself Thursday morning, I was surprised to see that I had actually stayed pretty much even (up 0.4 lbs). While up is worse than down, and I'm not proud of my process so far, I can't help but be a little pleased that I haven't lost much ground from where I was at the beginning of this competition.
I'm going to set a conservative goal of losing 5.4 pounds by November 1st (so 5 pounds off of my starting weight), and 10 pounds by December 1st. From the rumors I've heard, that will still leave me well behind our top competitors, but at this point, my competition is myself. Wish me luck.
Current weight: 274.4 (+ 0.4 lbs.)
Sunday, September 4, 2011
More Competition
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
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
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
A New Deal - Updated
Alright, so I'm changing the rules for this new competition. Hopefully the changes will draw in some more competition.
First things first: we're going back to percentages. I want people to feel like they can get involved regardless of their starting weights, and the only way to invite people of "medium build" is to give them a chance to win. So rather than straight pounds-versus-pounds, everyone will have their own starting point, and their progress will be evaluated as a percentage of that original weight. So all you sassy 160-pound people, bring it.
The other thing I'm changing is the whole format of the wagers. As exciting as it would have been to compete with each of you individually, some recent financial changes demand that I be a little more cautious with my money. So, instead of head-to-head wagers, we're going to all be contributing $25 to a common pot. We'll compete for three months, with our final weigh-in sometime around December 1st. I'll put together a payout structure based on the number of people who participate.
Starting weights can be recorded starting today, and through September 11th. For consistency, I ask that we all use the same scale, which I'll keep at my house. Give me a heads up and you can come by to weigh in pretty much any time between now and the 11th. Obviously, the sooner you weigh in, the sooner you can start hammering away at your starting weight.
Chances are, I'll use the culmination of this competition as a reason for a party. So, even if you're not competing, you can look forward to a party. And, if for some ungodly reason you'd like to contribute a $25 share without competing, just to create a greater incentive for the competitors, you're obviously welcome to do that as well.
As before, email me at jargonfacer@gmail.com (or whatever other email address you have for me) for details, or to let me know you're interested, and to schedule your weigh-in.
First things first: we're going back to percentages. I want people to feel like they can get involved regardless of their starting weights, and the only way to invite people of "medium build" is to give them a chance to win. So rather than straight pounds-versus-pounds, everyone will have their own starting point, and their progress will be evaluated as a percentage of that original weight. So all you sassy 160-pound people, bring it.
The other thing I'm changing is the whole format of the wagers. As exciting as it would have been to compete with each of you individually, some recent financial changes demand that I be a little more cautious with my money. So, instead of head-to-head wagers, we're going to all be contributing $25 to a common pot. We'll compete for three months, with our final weigh-in sometime around December 1st. I'll put together a payout structure based on the number of people who participate.
Starting weights can be recorded starting today, and through September 11th. For consistency, I ask that we all use the same scale, which I'll keep at my house. Give me a heads up and you can come by to weigh in pretty much any time between now and the 11th. Obviously, the sooner you weigh in, the sooner you can start hammering away at your starting weight.
Chances are, I'll use the culmination of this competition as a reason for a party. So, even if you're not competing, you can look forward to a party. And, if for some ungodly reason you'd like to contribute a $25 share without competing, just to create a greater incentive for the competitors, you're obviously welcome to do that as well.
As before, email me at jargonfacer@gmail.com (or whatever other email address you have for me) for details, or to let me know you're interested, and to schedule your weigh-in.
Friday, August 26, 2011
A New Deal
It's you.
The new competition is open to any and all competitors. As many of you know, we previously used this blog to chronicle a weight loss competition between Nick (Gargantuar) and myself (Psychotron). The competition was a success for both of us, and for me in particular. I went from 346.6 lbs at the beginning of January down to 278.0 in early July.
Because the competition clearly helped me lose weight and improve my fitness, I'd like to continue to harness that motivation. The ultimate goal is to be able to generate that competitiveness internally, but I think a good intermediary step is this new scenario: challenging everyone.
In this phase of my weight loss, I'm extending a wager to anyone who wants to take me on. The wager will be a standardized amount: $25 from you, $50 from me. That's right. If you best me, I'll pay out double what you would've had to pay me if I won.
However, it's not all easy street for you challengers. Unlike the original battle between Nick and I, all of these competitions will be raw, pound-versus-pound matchups rather than percentage-based.
I'll grant you that this makes it more of a challenge for those of you who haven't spent your lives getting fat, but consider this: it's always easiest to lose weight right when you start a new diet plan. I've been dieting for over eight months now. I hit walls virtually every day. You'll have every chance to succeed. And if you happen to BE someone who's got a lot of weight to lose, you're in the driver's seat.
Regarding time frames, I'm requiring any competitor to participate for at least 8 weeks. Losing weight over the course of a month is nice; losing weight over the course of two months is evidence of a commitment. And really, while the competition is fun, and the wager is a draw, the true goal here is to help all of us get in better shape, create better fitness habits, and live healthier lives.
You don't have to declare how long you'll be competing; however, you have to give me at least 1 week's notice before you want to weigh in (both starting and ending), and we have to both agree on a date, time, and place. This is to prevent you from taking advantage when you hear I'm going to a Chinese buffet on some random Saturday. You sneaky cad.
I'll provide the scale, and we'll use the same scale for all weigh-ins, for consistency.
If you want to share your strategies or progress on the blog, you're more than welcome to. If you want posting rights, just let me know and I'll get them to you. I'll obviously know your weights, but if you're not comfortable sharing them with the world, that's up to you. I'll continue to share my status, since that's been constructive for me (269.8 right now, by the way).
One last thing. The Psychotron character has run its course, so I'll be taking on a new persona for this competition...DISNEY JOEY!
Interested in battling? Email me at jargonfacer@gmail.com, and we'll arrange what needs arrangin'.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Psychotron Challenges Everyone
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.
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.
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
Pyschotron - Final Data
It's been a long six months, and it's only the beginning, but I do feel proud of my accomplishments so far. What I've done is no small thing (get it? small?). I'm still trying to figure out how I want to harness the blog going forward. I'm playing with a couple of ideas, but for now, let's go over the data. A future post will do the post-game analysis and talk about the next step. I can let you know that I'm still keeping track of my calories.
Final Weigh-In Results
Previous weigh-in: 283.6
Final weight: 278.0
Weight lost in month 6: 5.6 pounds (2.0%)
Starting weight: 346.6
Total weight lost: 68.6 (19.8%)
Before and after pictures:
Lighting issues aside, I'd say the most distinct and believable difference is in the face. Still not "slender" or anything, but after looking at the pictures, I can't be humble or dismissive any longer. Well done, self.
Final Weigh-In Results
Previous weigh-in: 283.6
Final weight: 278.0
Weight lost in month 6: 5.6 pounds (2.0%)
Starting weight: 346.6
Total weight lost: 68.6 (19.8%)
Before and after pictures:
Lighting issues aside, I'd say the most distinct and believable difference is in the face. Still not "slender" or anything, but after looking at the pictures, I can't be humble or dismissive any longer. Well done, self.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 37
Is it early? Yes. Is it too early to make judgments on how this month is going to go? Yes. Is it too early to feel good about my direction?
No sir.
6/5/2011
Calories: 1,665
Walking: 50 minutes
A Sunday under 1,700 calories is a good sign. Normally I have a lot of trouble keeping the calories under control on weekends, Sundays especially, so I'm pretty excited. My whole mindset feels good, though. I feel like I'm just back, plain and simple.
6/6/2011
Calories: 1,613
Tennis: 45 minutes
What's interesting and encouraging here is that the tennis, on top of being a very good workout, helped me avoid snacking. I knew I didn't want to be weighed down going into the tennis, so I didn't eat anything when I got home from work. But my tennis game wasn't until 7:15 (actually 7:30 due to some miscommunication). So there was a nice two-hour period which historically has been an issue for me in which I had the extra motivation to not eat. And it worked, and it was great.
Also, after playing tennis, I definitely affirmed that, while it's good to walk and play drums and everything, there's a whole other level of exercise out there.
Looking Forward
Sure, it was only two days, but they were two good days. More than that, though, I feel a whole different mentality coming into the competition's final month. I'm not sure if it was the letdown from last month, or the fact that we're in the stretch run, or the natural high that comes from a good party. But whatever the reason, I want to harness it, capture it, and employ it going forward this month.
Bee tee dubs, anybody want to play some basketball?
No sir.
6/5/2011
Calories: 1,665
Walking: 50 minutes
A Sunday under 1,700 calories is a good sign. Normally I have a lot of trouble keeping the calories under control on weekends, Sundays especially, so I'm pretty excited. My whole mindset feels good, though. I feel like I'm just back, plain and simple.
6/6/2011
Calories: 1,613
Tennis: 45 minutes
What's interesting and encouraging here is that the tennis, on top of being a very good workout, helped me avoid snacking. I knew I didn't want to be weighed down going into the tennis, so I didn't eat anything when I got home from work. But my tennis game wasn't until 7:15 (actually 7:30 due to some miscommunication). So there was a nice two-hour period which historically has been an issue for me in which I had the extra motivation to not eat. And it worked, and it was great.
Also, after playing tennis, I definitely affirmed that, while it's good to walk and play drums and everything, there's a whole other level of exercise out there.
Looking Forward
Sure, it was only two days, but they were two good days. More than that, though, I feel a whole different mentality coming into the competition's final month. I'm not sure if it was the letdown from last month, or the fact that we're in the stretch run, or the natural high that comes from a good party. But whatever the reason, I want to harness it, capture it, and employ it going forward this month.
Bee tee dubs, anybody want to play some basketball?
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.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 35
5/19/11
Calories: 2,208
Rock Band drumming: 60 minutes
Walking: 50 minutes
A nice combo of exercise, the Rock Band drumming was a fun activity, and the walking was focused and deliberate. I like these days because it feels like I sort of make up for days in which I get little or no exercise...
5/20/11
Calories: 2,200
No activities
...like this day. Apparently I have trouble getting myself to be active on Fridays. Back to back weeks I didn't do any sort of activity on Friday (I mean, besides walking between my car and Buffalo Wild Wings). There is something to be said, though, for my decision to eat dinner at home for 650 calories, rather than scarfing down 1,000+ calories of wings...which I really, really wanted to do.
5/21/11
Calories: 2,445
Basketball: 120 minutes
The good part: I played two hours of basketball, worked up a nice sweat, got the muscles going.
The bad part: I jammed the holy hell out of my finger, which has stifled my non-walking activity since then.
5/22/11
Calories: 2,780
Walking: 15 minutes
As I said, my finger was pretty roughed up, so rather than doing any Rock Band drumming, I just went for a short walk around my neighborhood. I had thought it was longer than 15 minutes, but the clock doesn't lie.
I've also noticed that I eat/drink when I get bored, and it seems like Sundays tend to be my most boring days. So, it's about time for me to find an activity for Sundays...and other days.
5/23/11
Calories: 2,690
Walking: 40 minutes
The full caloric effect of getting drunk isn't felt until the next day, when I make foolish decisions to try to get my head back on straight. A breakfast sandwich, three servings of rice, and a variety of snacks put me into the red on my calorie goals. Blah.
Looking Forward
As I said, I think I need some activities, some distractions to keep my mind focused. Exercise is a good thought, and when he gets back from Myrtle, I think I'm going to take Spag up on his offers to play tennis. I guess I could play more Rock Band, but it's a lot more fun when used as a social event. I've also been trying to do some more writing, which is nice, but can be frustrating. And of course, frustration leads to boredom leads to snacking.
You guys got any other ideas on how to fill up time? I can only play through Dead Rising 2 so many times...well, probably. I haven't gotten to whatever that number is yet, but still, there's probably a limit.
Calories: 2,208
Rock Band drumming: 60 minutes
Walking: 50 minutes
A nice combo of exercise, the Rock Band drumming was a fun activity, and the walking was focused and deliberate. I like these days because it feels like I sort of make up for days in which I get little or no exercise...
5/20/11
Calories: 2,200
No activities
...like this day. Apparently I have trouble getting myself to be active on Fridays. Back to back weeks I didn't do any sort of activity on Friday (I mean, besides walking between my car and Buffalo Wild Wings). There is something to be said, though, for my decision to eat dinner at home for 650 calories, rather than scarfing down 1,000+ calories of wings...which I really, really wanted to do.
5/21/11
Calories: 2,445
Basketball: 120 minutes
The good part: I played two hours of basketball, worked up a nice sweat, got the muscles going.
The bad part: I jammed the holy hell out of my finger, which has stifled my non-walking activity since then.
5/22/11
Calories: 2,780
Walking: 15 minutes
As I said, my finger was pretty roughed up, so rather than doing any Rock Band drumming, I just went for a short walk around my neighborhood. I had thought it was longer than 15 minutes, but the clock doesn't lie.
I've also noticed that I eat/drink when I get bored, and it seems like Sundays tend to be my most boring days. So, it's about time for me to find an activity for Sundays...and other days.
5/23/11
Calories: 2,690
Walking: 40 minutes
The full caloric effect of getting drunk isn't felt until the next day, when I make foolish decisions to try to get my head back on straight. A breakfast sandwich, three servings of rice, and a variety of snacks put me into the red on my calorie goals. Blah.
Looking Forward
As I said, I think I need some activities, some distractions to keep my mind focused. Exercise is a good thought, and when he gets back from Myrtle, I think I'm going to take Spag up on his offers to play tennis. I guess I could play more Rock Band, but it's a lot more fun when used as a social event. I've also been trying to do some more writing, which is nice, but can be frustrating. And of course, frustration leads to boredom leads to snacking.
You guys got any other ideas on how to fill up time? I can only play through Dead Rising 2 so many times...well, probably. I haven't gotten to whatever that number is yet, but still, there's probably a limit.
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 30
I saw Nick's posts and it occurred to me that I hadn't posted in a while, even though I said I'd try to post more frequently. Sorry about that. Back to it.
4/28/11
Calories: 1,590
Activities: walk
Points: 4
I had planned to try to have a kick ass day on Thursday, since I knew the weekend was always a wild card as far as calories. I did pretty well, could've maybe done better, but well enough to call it a very good day.
4/29/11
Calories: 2,020
Activities: walk
Points: 2
I was at a pretty good pace leaving work, and even with Chipotle on the menu for the evening, I had planned out a fairly reasonable burrito (670 calories). But after the Capitals played crummy and lost Game 1 against the Lightning, I tried to snack away the blues. Really, 2,020 calories is a perfectly good day, but breaking the 2,000 calorie barrier means I lost a point. I worry that this point system might not be a good motivator, based on my personal sentiments whenever I think about it.
4/30/11
Calories: 2,390
Activities: short walk
Points: 1
As expected, Saturday was a little dicey on the calorie front. I went down to DC for Mark's engagement party, and helped myself to a hamburger, a chicken kebab, half a slice of cake, and plenty of potato chips and Miller Lite. Not eating hardly anything outside of the event kept me pretty safe, so that was good.
I didn't get much walking in. I mean, we walked to and from the party from the Union Station Metro, and I walked for about 15 minutes when I got home, but it didn't feel like dedicated walking time. More like moseying.
In case you weren't keeping track, that total put me at 16 points for the week, two points short of my original goal of 18 points. Here's my analysis of it: aren't these goals supposed to offer some kind of positive reinforcement, not just the call to action from coming up short? Even my 4 point day felt like a semi-failure because I was just 190 calories from picking up another point.
I averaged 2,057 calories per day last week, compared to 2,007 the week before. So besides being mostly a disaster for my confidence/motivation, it also doesn't seem to have offered much in the way of progress. As a result, I'm scrapping it. We're going back to the everyday goal of 2,200 calories, since that seemed most effective.
5/1/11
Calories: 2,385
Activities: walk
A doubly rough day. We had a family barbecue at my mom's house, which is the kind of event I sometimes have control problems with, as you might remember from the previous day. After that, the Caps lost a heartbreaker in overtime. Honestly, only having 2,385 calories on Sunday was pretty impressive.
5/2/11
Calories: 1,720
Activities: none
Back on track, just a good day. The one thing that I'm a little displeased with, though, is that I seem to be getting too many of my calories from snacky foods. Like, it's nice that I'm able to portion out my potato chips and cookies, thanks to the help of some 100 calories packs, but I know it'd be better if I just had regular food, like meats and vegetables and grains. Something to improve upon.
Oh, the lack of activity last night was due to a shortage of white socks. I even started out on a walk, but I was slipping around inside my shoes with my black socks on. Don't worry, laundry day was yesterday, so we're good to go.
Looking Forward
It's pretty cool that Gargantuar signed up for that 5K. I was extended an invitation to do it as well, but there seemed to be pressure to "run" it, and I'm simply not there yet. Am I doing well? Sure, and I'm happy to say that I feel like I'm having an easier time walking, and working in little spurts of jogging. But there's no way I could run for a quarter-mile straight, let alone 3+ miles. I feel like, with so many people looking to "run" the distance, I'd feel disappointed in myself for ending up so far behind the rest of the participants. Maybe next year.
I also said that I'd try to offer more opportunities for people to comment/contribute to the blog, so here we go:
What are you bringing to the party on Saturday? :)
As an FYI, I'll be buying burgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, paper plates, napkins, and a couple cases of beer. I've also got some bottles of liquor handy. Things we'll need: more beer, soda, snacks, desserts, and whatever else you think people will enjoy. Saturday's supposed to be 70 degrees and overcast, so it should be a nice evening for a cookout.
And yes, I've got a whiffle ball set.
4/28/11
Calories: 1,590
Activities: walk
Points: 4
I had planned to try to have a kick ass day on Thursday, since I knew the weekend was always a wild card as far as calories. I did pretty well, could've maybe done better, but well enough to call it a very good day.
4/29/11
Calories: 2,020
Activities: walk
Points: 2
I was at a pretty good pace leaving work, and even with Chipotle on the menu for the evening, I had planned out a fairly reasonable burrito (670 calories). But after the Capitals played crummy and lost Game 1 against the Lightning, I tried to snack away the blues. Really, 2,020 calories is a perfectly good day, but breaking the 2,000 calorie barrier means I lost a point. I worry that this point system might not be a good motivator, based on my personal sentiments whenever I think about it.
4/30/11
Calories: 2,390
Activities: short walk
Points: 1
As expected, Saturday was a little dicey on the calorie front. I went down to DC for Mark's engagement party, and helped myself to a hamburger, a chicken kebab, half a slice of cake, and plenty of potato chips and Miller Lite. Not eating hardly anything outside of the event kept me pretty safe, so that was good.
I didn't get much walking in. I mean, we walked to and from the party from the Union Station Metro, and I walked for about 15 minutes when I got home, but it didn't feel like dedicated walking time. More like moseying.
In case you weren't keeping track, that total put me at 16 points for the week, two points short of my original goal of 18 points. Here's my analysis of it: aren't these goals supposed to offer some kind of positive reinforcement, not just the call to action from coming up short? Even my 4 point day felt like a semi-failure because I was just 190 calories from picking up another point.
I averaged 2,057 calories per day last week, compared to 2,007 the week before. So besides being mostly a disaster for my confidence/motivation, it also doesn't seem to have offered much in the way of progress. As a result, I'm scrapping it. We're going back to the everyday goal of 2,200 calories, since that seemed most effective.
5/1/11
Calories: 2,385
Activities: walk
A doubly rough day. We had a family barbecue at my mom's house, which is the kind of event I sometimes have control problems with, as you might remember from the previous day. After that, the Caps lost a heartbreaker in overtime. Honestly, only having 2,385 calories on Sunday was pretty impressive.
5/2/11
Calories: 1,720
Activities: none
Back on track, just a good day. The one thing that I'm a little displeased with, though, is that I seem to be getting too many of my calories from snacky foods. Like, it's nice that I'm able to portion out my potato chips and cookies, thanks to the help of some 100 calories packs, but I know it'd be better if I just had regular food, like meats and vegetables and grains. Something to improve upon.
Oh, the lack of activity last night was due to a shortage of white socks. I even started out on a walk, but I was slipping around inside my shoes with my black socks on. Don't worry, laundry day was yesterday, so we're good to go.
Looking Forward
It's pretty cool that Gargantuar signed up for that 5K. I was extended an invitation to do it as well, but there seemed to be pressure to "run" it, and I'm simply not there yet. Am I doing well? Sure, and I'm happy to say that I feel like I'm having an easier time walking, and working in little spurts of jogging. But there's no way I could run for a quarter-mile straight, let alone 3+ miles. I feel like, with so many people looking to "run" the distance, I'd feel disappointed in myself for ending up so far behind the rest of the participants. Maybe next year.
I also said that I'd try to offer more opportunities for people to comment/contribute to the blog, so here we go:
What are you bringing to the party on Saturday? :)
As an FYI, I'll be buying burgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, paper plates, napkins, and a couple cases of beer. I've also got some bottles of liquor handy. Things we'll need: more beer, soda, snacks, desserts, and whatever else you think people will enjoy. Saturday's supposed to be 70 degrees and overcast, so it should be a nice evening for a cookout.
And yes, I've got a whiffle ball set.
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