Fat Monday...

Six weeks gone, nine more weeks to go, and I weighed in at 227.0 this morning. So, I'm down about 7.5 pounds in six weeks, but I need to lose another 16 pounds in the next 9 weeks. A long way to go, but at least I succeeded in my initial gameplan of getting through the Thanksgiving - Christmas - New Year's holiday triangle of obesity without dropping out of contention.

Now that the easy pounds - the holy-shit-how-did-you-add-that-extra-dime pounds - are off, the hard work begins. I'm really going to have to get working out and sticking to my diet 6+ days per week. I feel like I can throw the diet out the window for one meal per week and eat whatever I want and have a few drinks, and see how it goes. If the progress isn't there, I'll have to go 100% compliance, bootcamp style.

I have settled on a workout plan, after months of sitting on my ass and doing passive research. It will be no-nonsense strength training circuits of big movements (squats, deads, cleans, presses, lunges) a couple days per week and then sprint interval workouts 2 or 3 days per week, mixing it up between jumping rope for speed, exercise bike sprints, treadmill sprints, ski machine sprints, etc. I've read about a number of studies showing that 20 minute sprint interval workouts are twice as effective for weight loss as 60 minute steady cardio workouts like jogging or cycling at a moderate pace. Less time, more weight loss, sounds good. I have much more fat than time.

I'm not fat because of a lack of information or knowledge. It's also not for a lack of opportunity. I have a fitness center membership with a club that has a location 1 mile from office and another 3 miles from my home. I have a bench, dumbbells, jump-rope, Nordic Track and a treadmill in my fucking basement. This is nothing more than a classic struggle between righteousness and the deadly sins of gluttony and sloth. Stay tuned.

P.S. No, that is not a picture of me. However, I'd hate to be in a lineup with that guy.