Sunday, January 20, 2008

Throwdown The Weight Contest

Ok, so I think I'm ready to make some changes to get what I want. And just for the record, here's what I want:

...to be healthy.

Yes, according to my BMI I am healthy, but what you don't know is that I binge, even at this weight, which is not good. I can eat entire large pizzas, half gallons of ice cream, whole loaves of bread, and other monstrosities -- sometimes all at once, sometimes in a few hours. Fortunately, I am blessed with an amazing metabolism and great genes (thanks, once again, mom and dad). Unfortunately, this makes my secret (and sadness) easier to hide. Basically, I have a healthy weight, with secrets that I no longer want to have.

...to be wealthy.

To help reach my first goal, I've enlisted the help of the Original Parker Sisters ~ Julie, Alisa, and Erin. They are so inspiring, each of them for different reasons. I created a Throwdown The Weight Contest where we are each going to lose 7% of our body weight (around 10 pounds). The first person to do this, and maintain it for two weeks (our Maintenance Clause), will get what's in our Weight Loss Pot. We've all contributed things like a $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card, $20 in movie bucks, a $25 gift card to Target or GAP, and a Amex card for a haircut or some other pampering. Sounds cool, huh?

...to be wise.

In the end, I want to be able to make good choices and overcome my scale phobia. At a healthy BMI, does the number really matter to me? I'm about to find out as I start my quest to be 130 (I'm really starting this time).

This week, I am actually going to count my caloric intake. Why? Because people should know these things, at least generally. I don't mean become obsessed, but it's a part of taking care of our bodies whether we admit it or not. To lessen the stress of counting all day, I've devised a scheme to trick myself into counting without an all-day worry.

My new plan is to keep each meal around 300 calories and the same for any snacking in between meals. All I have to do is calculate at each meal (instead of all day) and keep a rough estimate the two times I snack during the day -- usually between lunch and dinner and after dinner. If I skip a meal, I'll just keep on going like normal, instead of "making up" the calories later. This will help me with portion control and it will also keep me from juggling long lists of numbers in my head or on some paper I always lose and rarely have with me. Although it has been a long time since I've taken a math class (and Adam knows just how long, too!), I think I can still count to 300!

I may start blogging my daily menu, too. In part because I need to be accountable for it; and, in part because I think what I eat can be interesting sometimes. Maybe just for a week...I can do anything for a week, right?

As for exercise, I'm running, doing my Pilates once a week, and desperately trying to take a Zumba class at the YMCA I can never seem to get to. (Zumba is a Latin cardio/dance class). I try to do 5 days/week of running -- one long, one medium, and 2 short runs. I've been experimenting with my treadmill's incline a little (I'm trying to keep the bump I found on my back after a month of doing hills at my parent's house). This week may be the start of long runs outside because I've maxed out my treadmill limit, so that could be an adventure.

My stats are a little more than I wanted, but certainly what I deserve for not being serious -- although, it makes for a great Throwdown start for me :).

Current Weight: 149.8
Current BMI: 23.3

Throwdown Goal Loss (7%): 10.5
Throwdown Goal Weight: 139.3
Throwdown BMI: 21.7

So bring it on, ladies 'cause I'm about to throw you down, take your money, and run (if I still can after losing soooooooo much weight)! HEHE!

7 comments:

Alisa said...

LOL you crazy girl-- I like your spunk! This sounds like a good plan. However we never did come up with an official start did we? Now I am straight up going to tell you this. I am starting my weight loss from the weight I was at a little over a week ago when I started my diet. It went down and went back up to it again yesterday morning remember? If I weighed that much as recently as yesterday I think I deserve to count from that. But that being said I will also admit that it had to be water weight because this morning I am already 3 pounds less. I used the popcorn trick last night. I ate so much for a snack I wasn't hungry for dinner or the for rest of the night. Still the total calories for my popcorn snack was less than 300. I made a cup (two batches) and shared it with the kids. I did eat a lot of it, but they helped a good bit too! But with 25 calories for 3 TBL unpopped-- I calculated 1 cup unpopped (I almost wrote unpooped!)(16 TBL) as approx 300 calories. That is a great snack! If my calculations are correct I only at around 1000 calories yeterday and was not hungry at all! Could popcorn be the new miracle diet? I won't do that everyday I can't handle it and that is overkill. But when I am desperate, like 2 not so good days and a heavy weigh morning I might use it to my advantage. As for the throwdown, watch out I am on roll here and it feels good!

awcoburn said...

"Bring it on, ladies"?! I'm no lady. If I am, I'm a really ugly one.
Anyway, update as of last Saturday.
Starting: 230
Current: 225
Goal: 200

Julie said...

Maybe I should have GAINED some weight to start out with :)! I guess I'm just gonna have to work harder to take off the 10.6...

Nice post, though. Healthy, wealthy and wise, very nice!

Unknown said...

Adam, you are totally out of the "ladies" league -- 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks...only wrestlers do that! Ladies, maybe we've been in the wrong sport!

awcoburn said...

Ah, the good ol' days of wrestling. I'd go back to that in a second. I loved the workouts. I'm not sure I could put up with the smell of workout clothes that hadn't been washed in weeks again though.

Julie said...

No, I'm not 5 inches shorter than you. I'm 5'4". I'm the tallest girl in my family, I believe. Unless Erin's taller, but I don't think she is.

Julie said...

Erin's 5'4", too, according to Alisa. So I'm not the tallest!