I was initially going have 'crunch move my "getting into shape" thread into this forum, but I realized that it really wouldn't work so well as one is a regular thread and this is a blog...  the format just wouldn't be the same.  The reason for the change is that the thread has evolved from its original purpose: it went from being a group discussion / challenge to a record keeping event.  Comments are still accepted and welcome.

I am reposting the original thread, in its entirety, with some basic editing for visuals

{originally posted January 29 2012 by Soothsayer}

While having a phone conversation with shadowcrunch yesterday, I had an idea...  and it revolved around what shadowcrunch had said.

You see, he has purchased a membership for a fitness center.  Or he was thinking about it.  Or something.  I don't know, I hasn't really paying attention.  Anyway, I then mentioned that I was preparing to get in shape by using simpler means.

Now that you know that background...

I propose a challenge, one that would help motivate each of us.  We all want to lose weight and get in shape, right?  But sometimes we need a bit of incentive.  How does money sound?

For losing weight, we would have our start weight, and then our finish weight.  Divide the finish weight by the start weight, and you will get a percentage; that's how much weight you lost.  We cannot go by pounds, because let's face it, it'd be easier for a 300 pound person to lose 10 pounds than someone who weighs 190, right?  So we'd have to go by the percentage., as a percentage keeps a nice ratio going, it doesn't change because a person was fatter than an other in the beginning... it keeps track of the ratio.  300 pound person finishes at 260 equals 86%, as would a 190 pound person finishing at 165.  Fair enough, right?

Now then, what about getting into shape?  Haven't figured out how to do that...  would it be the narrowing of the gut?  I personnally like that, as I have a big gut, but really, what is getting in shape?  Losing waist?  Increasing bicep diameter?  We'll need to work out the kinks of this.

So now for the money thing...

Money gained would be in the amount of the percentage of weight lost.  Huh?  Let's take the above example of a 300 pound person.  He finishes at 260... that would put him at 86%.  100 minus 86 equals 14, OR he lost 14% of his initial weight.  If that person wins, he would then get $14 from each of the other participants.

How's that sound?  The more people we have in this, the better, but it really isn't needed.  Likewise, the monetary amount could be adjusted so that the loser pays out twice as much, instead of doing a diollar per pound, but let's be realistic about it.  All of us on here have families, we can't blow wads of money on a wager, so I feel a single dollar / pound would suffice.  It may not be a lot of money, but this really isn't about the money.

Of course, we'll need a start date / finish date.  The start date should be one where we give all people a chance to join in on this if they want (but then again, there's only two of us who really come on here, so the start could be fairly early).  Finish date should be realistic, but at the same time nothing too drawn out, ie, not a year from now; that'd let to procrastination.  OR we could do this on a month-to-month basis!  Ooo, I like that idea:  we do this for every month!  Follow me on this!

Let's say start date is Feb 1st.  The end would then be Feb 29th.  Calculate percentage lost, blah blah blah, we have a winner.  March 1st would start off a new competition, to end March whatever it is.  That way, if people want to join in, they can (but only on the first on the month).  If people want to stop, they can (but at the end of the month they are currently in).  Beginning weight would be set on the first of the month, so you can't have the 300 pound guy from month 1 say he was 300 pounds after he lost 50, know what I mean?

I like that.  I like that a lot.

...

Now that my train of thought has run its course, the next post is the OFFICIAL rules and times for this challenge.



{posted same day by Soothsayer}

Soothsayer's Weight Loss Challenge

1. The challenge begins on the first of every month; the first challenge starts on February 1st 2012.

2. The challenge ends on the last date of the month; the first challenge ends on February 29, 2012.

3. The challenge begins anew on the first of the next month, and repeats; when February ends, March's challenge begins

4. On the first of the month, contestants and weights should be posted on this thread. This will be done on the honor system! Be honest!

5. On the last day of the month, the contestants should post their weight, whether they have lost or not. Again, this is on the honor system!

6. Percentages will be determined by dividing the final weight by the start weight. Take that number and deduct it from 100, and that will show the percentage of weight lost.
300 pounds (start)
260 pounds (finish)
86... 100 minus 86 equals 14
14 is the percentage of weight lost

This number will be used to determine the winner.

7. Winners will be paid a cash amount to equal a dollar per pound lost, not percentage lost, to be paid by the loser(s) of that month's challenge.
300 pounds (start)
260 pounds (finish)
40 pounds lost equals a win of $40.


...

The first challenge begins on February 1st of 2012.



{posted on January 29 2012 by VaderXanth}

I'm all for this challenge. However, one thing that one must consider is this..

I too want to lose weight, but also gain muscle mass. I want to lose the gut, but I want to gain upper body strength. How would we incorporate weight loss if we are at the same time gaining muscle weight?



{posted on January 29 2012 by LadyLiterature}

I'd be in on this if it wasn't for the fact that NO woman would want to post her weight. Granted yes I have known three of you for half my life but egads man!

I'll have to think on this one!



{posted on January 29 2012 by Soothsayer}

Muscle mass would be a tricky one. What do we measure? We don't have access to a water tank that measures displacement. Muscle structure is different between men and women, so we can't very well measure chest and biceps... well, we could, but I don't want others to feel bad by my saying I have a 56 inch chest (and that's even before the fat).

If anyone can come up with something, that'd be great. I'm open for suggestions.



{posted January 30 2012 by Shadowcrunch}

Ow ow ow ow....



{posted January 30 2012 by Soothsayer}

Lady Lit... I can understand your hesitation. Since this is all being done on an honor system, then I suppose we could trust you to be honest about it. Or tell your hubby. Don't worry about posting it online, even though none of us knows you, since you claim to be from Alaska and all that.

Muscle mass... I will research this while at work this afternoon / evening. I'm thinking a measurement of the waist might need to be in order, along with neck... I recall having to do this while in the military, that there's a specific kind of ratio involved. Should have an answer posted tonight, tomorrow sometime.



{posted January 31 2012 by Soothsayer}

Okay, I haven't checked how to check muscle mass versus fat weight, I'll do that tomorrow.  In the mean time, whether we have other people participating as of tomorrow or not, I still am.  Don't care if I am doing this by myself or not.

Went and bought a digital scale from Wal*Mart yesterday, can accurately measure up to 350 pounds, so you know it's got to be good!  Anyway, to make this official, I weigh in at

*drum roll*

296.8 pounds.  This is with clothes on, mind you.  Blue jeans, shirt.  This will be my entry weight, since when I weigh myself, I'll probably be wearing the same thing.

In the event that muscle mass ever becomes a factor, I submit these following measurements, which may be off since I'm doing this by myself:

Now, I can understand my chest shrinking (used to be in the low 50s):  I've heard that smoking a lot actually expands your chest, something to do with your lungs trying to compensate... that's why coal miners of those who worked at bad factories had barrel chests.  Anyway, last time I had my chest measured was when I was smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, so it stands to reason that it would go back down to normal.

However, my waist kind of throws me; I wear 44/46 (in waist) pants, and they aren't tight.  Who knows?  Not me.

...

Just found this website, might be helpful.  You just plug in your measurements, and it gives you a calculation based on what you said.  For instance, with me, this is what it states

This website can be found by clicking HERE.



{posted March 6 2012 by Soothsayer}

I might as well continue on this thread... gives me a sense of motivation seeing everything in print. With that said, I am reporting on my weight loss (or gain) for the month of February.

Wearing the same clothing I wore for the above post, I am happy to report that I weighed in at...

(drum roll)

285.6 pounds!

That's 11.2 pounds of fat gone (3.7% of original weight). And I didn't do to much to do it. Here is what I did: went from sucking on hard candy while I smoke my pipe to sugar-free cough drops, stopped drinking canned beverages, maybe about one fountain drink from the gas station a week (versus the one or two a day I used to do), and an effort to eat MORE meals a day (albiet smaller ones) than one large meal at the end of the day.

There are still some things I can do to improve my eating habits, and I will be starting that tomorrow. Maybe I'll start getting more physical as well, but I'm mainly trying to move in stages here; the first couple steps are just trying to get me into a better habit as far as my intake goes.

Tomorrow I will take my physical measurements and post them. Yes, that means I am continuing this challenge for the month of March.

No other takers yet?



{posted August 23, 2013 by VaderXanth}

So, over a year has passed... Where are we all now??


{posted August 26, 2013 by Soothsayer}

I've pretty much stopped doing this, or at least posting about it. Kind of made little sense, continuing posting something without response. I mean, well, like you noticed... it's been over a year, so why continue it, you know? But, ironically, I was actually planning on digging this up.

But, to answer your question, I had decided to go in a different direction by taking little steps. First was to get into the habit and routine of taking vitamins and supplements on a daily basis. Second was to quit smoking. Third was to drastically cut back my soda intake. Fourth was to walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator where I work (I can now go up all six flights without dying). Fifth was to cut my food intact by half. I figure by doing things like this, one step at a time (each step was one month), my body doesn't go into shock (as it were); I didn't want to do all of this at once as my body was already accustomed to things.

The next thing I'll be doing will work on two different levels: I'll be hopefully making a bicycle powered generator. This will allow me to work on my cardio (more important than weight loss) while at the same time saves money.

*A bicycle generator is essentially a bike with the rear tire off; a belt going from the rear rim to an alternator; alternator feeds an AC/DC converter; a power trip plugs into the converter. You can charge up numerous devices while at the same time playing a portable DVD player. Think about it: beside charging your devices, you could remove the battery from a PS3 controller and hook it up to the power strip (with modification)... exercise so you can play!



{posted January 23 2013 by Soothsayer}

Okay, decided to continue this thread... keeping it as a "journal" more or less. I figure, if I work on this then it may make me more motivated to do that.

Looking back, I completely forgot about the bicycle generator. May have to check into that again. I've been saving my money for a four day excursion to Devil's Lake this summer, but I think, if the price is right, I can afford this. I've already got the weight bench set up in the basement, along with my old Dell computer that runs on XP (15 years old, but it still plays Pandora, Youtube and Netflix with no problems) to keep my entertained... so why not a bike? AND, if anyone you know has any of the components I need (that they aren't using anymore), I'd be happy to take them off their hands. Even pay for the parts, too!

Okay, let's see... where am I now? Back in December, first week of December actually, I quit drinking soda. For the most part. Went two / three weeks without soda, but then started to drink one soda during my lunch breaks. Yeah, it's technically cheating, but I did cut back by a lot. Now, I only have a soda maybe, maybe, two or three times a week. Working on it, trying to make it all go away. Supplemented my soda intact with bottled non-soda drinks, such as Fuze (mixed berry or sweet tea), Hi C Fruit Punch, or Gatorade.

Has this helped at all? Yes, kind of. The digital scale I bought from Wal*Mart a long time ago wouldn't register my weight anymore; I was too heavy. I have no idea what the maximum weight allowance on that scale is, so don't ask... I just know I was over the limit. Weighed myself a couple weeks ago, and lo and behold, it registered my weight! I'm still way beyond my ideal weight (by a hundred pounds), but the thing is, cutting back / removing soda has started to have an impact.

Now, I am going forward with my next phase: drinking nothing but water and unsweetened tea that you brew yourself. Yes yes, I've become a tea bagger, screw you. By taking things in planned steps, I'm reducing system shock or withdrawals. Haven't experienced headaches or other common symptoms from my caffeine reduction, so now I can move on to the sugar reduction. Normally, I'd have gone on the water / tea thing in February, but I'm planning on reducing or eliminating something else at that time: my lunch time dependency on fast food. I'm actually going to start that earlier, like maybe today... purposefully left my wallet at home so I can't go out (have a couple bucks on me to buy popcorn). They say that it takes you doing something 28 days in order to become a habit, so we'll just have to wait and see.

This then brings us to March. I've got nothing planned for March, just a continuation of what I am already doing or working on. I want to see how much weight I can lose, without hurting myself, before I start my next phase. The first phase was quitting smoking; as I knew eating habits would increase during this time frame, I really didn't want to impede that (as I didn't want to smoke again). Second phase, the current one, is calorie reduction; buh-bye sodas and bottled drinks, reduce fast food.

April I begin the third phase: to do general exercises on a regular and increasing basis. I'm not just talking about going for brisk walks or bicycling, either. During the months of April, May and June, I'll be attempting a boot camp type exercise / fitness plan.

There is a goal to this, besides weight loss. I mentioned earlier my trip to Devil's Lake. I'll be going in late July, and I want to be able to hike to the top of the bluffs. That is my goal, to take in that scenery, knowing that I was able to make it without dying. Sure, there's the fact that I haven't seen my, err, myself in years, there's the fact that I find it damn near difficult to find pants that fit (like my height doesn't help)... but those are basic goals. Where's the reward?

I doubt very highly that I'm going to be able to lose 100 pounds in six months... but 30? 50? That seems more attainable, especially considering that most of my problem is calorie intake.

So there you have it, an updated and complete phase schedule. Methinks it is now time to rename this thread...