Well, I said that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to lose weight and I meant it. I’ve organized a “Biggest Loser” contest at work and whaddya know…I ended up with 31 people signed-up and registered and willing to pay $20 each for this 8-week contest.
Crazy, eh? Two years ago, I would have never thought I’d be this proactive with my health…but I’m just at a point in my life where I think the talking needs to be over and it’s time for action. And as I mentioned in my resolution post, I need to be held accountable for this so I don’t go mucking it up.
So my tentative plan is as follows:
- Set up a long-term goal. My ultimate goal is to lose upwards of 50 lbs, which seems awful lofty but it’s what would make me 100% satisfied. Of course, this contest is only 8-weeks long so I don’t think this is a realistic goal for the contest.
- Set up a short-term goal. I really want to lose 20 lbs in the next two months, and I think that’s realistic. I mean, 2 ½ lbs each week (on average) is a healthy amount to lose, isn’t it?
- Follow an eating plan. I’m not going to just turn vegetarian overnight or anything…that’s simply not going to happen. But I’ve decided to use the Weight Watcher’s point system and have generated a spreadsheet where I can count every thing I eat as points. With my age, weight, and height…I’m allowed 34 points per day. My plan is simply to count EVERYTHING and then maintain good eating habits from that. This way, I can still sneak in an occasional Dr. Pepper and not feel totally guilty about it.
- Follow an exercise routine. Because I’m really serious about this, I’ve decided to bring back my 30/30/30 plan and actually start to do it. That’s 30 minutes on the treadmill, 30 sit-ups, and 30 push-ups every day. I’ve even got a spreadsheet set-up to track everything I do…again, just to make sure it actually gets done.
- Make the results public on a weekly basis. The initial weigh-in was yesterday, but it will be every Wednesday after that going forward…so expect a weekly post updating my progress. I need to really hold myself accountable so I don’t slip-up or slack off…and posting everything on my blog will really force me to do that.
For now, this is my plan. My initial weigh-in yesterday resulted in this:
My Biggest Loser starting point: 01-07-10
Yeesh.
So needless to say, I think this contest couldn’t have come at a better time. And my sincere hope is that once finished, I’ll have inspired myself enough to want to continue going down the same path and really push myself to get to my ultimate goal in a slow, steady, healthy way.
Wish me luck, kids.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:33 am
As a person who has lost 50 lbs., I think that 2.5 pounds per week is a lofty goal, and not entirely healthy.
You’re much better off to aim for 1 pound/week.
Now, initially, if you make a lot of dietary and lifestyle changes, you’ll lose more, but overall, it will likely take you about a year to lose 50 lbs. in a sustainable manner.
Of course everyone is different, and males generally have an easier time losing weight quickly because of their muscle mass, but your goals need to be realistic or you’re going to get overwhelmed.
While Weight Watchers is a good program, it’s also important to learn what’s IN what you’re eating. Two websites I recommend are:
http://caloriecount.about.com/
and
http://www.thedailyplate.com/
Even if you only track your calories for a couple weeks, it gives you a good idea about portion control, your ratio of protein/carbs/fats and how much healthy food you can eat and still lose weight.
Good luck!
January 11th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Random Reader — I appreciate the http://caloriecount.about.com/ website! I’m now signed-up there and will be counting calories that way. Thanks!
January 8th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
I have been on an eating healthier and exercising kick for about 6 months. I decided to do it to be healthier and not count pounds. Whenever i get on the scale and it hasn’t moved like i think it should have I get frustrated and it usually doesn’t end well so….no scale for me. So far so good…..I have lost a lot of weight—not sure how much but it sure feels good!!!
Drives other people crazy when they ask, “How much weight have you lost?” and I shrug my shoulders and say…”I dunno.” Hasn’t bothered me a bit—i know I am losing and feeling better and I have not been a slave to the scale!!
Good luck…I look forward to your updates!!!
Sunnie
January 8th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Follow Weight Watchers. When I did it, I lost 7 lbs really quickly! Then it was a pound here and there. It changed my eating habits – because if you keep doing it for a while it will – and I still eat better today than I did before WW.
I love that you’re inspiring the people at work too. I was thinking about organizing a contest like that here for the guys I work with. I don’t think they’d participate though.
Kudos to you CBG!
January 8th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
I say we start a hashtag!
#30/30/30
and tweet it as soon as you do it every day!
January 8th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Great goals you are setting up for yourself here. I wish you best of luck. This article talks about setting and keeping your weight loss resolutions
http://blogs.losethepoundsfast.com/105/practicing-your-weight-loss-resolutions/
January 10th, 2010 at 3:58 am
Good luck, CBG! I think one of the best things about trying to lose weight and exercising and eating better, is how much better you feel MENTALLY! That makes it worth it. I’m rooting for you all the way over here. Woot!
January 11th, 2010 at 3:56 am
I’m curious; are y’all doing it based on weight lost or BMI percentage lost? “The Biggest Loser” used to use weight, but now it uses BMI (much fairer to the female participants, who generally have less weight to lose!).
January 11th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Sunnie — I’m very happy that you’ve lost weight and feel better. I’m a guy who works with numbers all day, so I guess it’s just natural that I’ll keep track of how many pounds I lose. I’m just nerdy like that.
T — I think I’ll do a combo-platter of Weight Watchers and calorie counting. We’ll see how things go.
Nicole — LOL…I dunno…we can certainly try it.
Ashley — Thanks!
Amira — I appreciate that, thanks.
weekendweighin — We’re doing it on a percentage of body mass lost based on weight lost. So, for example, if you’re 155 pounds and you lose 5 pounds then you’ve lost 3.33% of your body mass. This way, regardless of how much you weigh to start, it’s fair for all involved.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
First time commenting…Weight Watchers is the way to go! It totally works and I think it teaches you how to eat properly. I still use it at times to maintain my weight.
Good Luck!