Behind the cut below you’re going to find a whole slew of pictures (and lots and lots of my flesh). I’m pasting in all the progress pictures I’ve taken over the last few years.
If you don’t want to see me without my shirt on don’t click the link. Can’t say I’d blame you, really.
Here goes nothing…
Yeah, August was insane. This is the first weekend in a long time that I’ve been able to pretty much just chill out at home and not do much of anything. Unfortunately, for some reason, I had a monkey wrench thrown in that last night with a bout of nausea that turned into vomiting. I have NO idea what happened there. The only thing I can think is that I ate a few Weight Watchers quesadilla’s after doing a 50 minute workout with EA SPORTS Active. Regardless of why I got ill, a few hours after I was sick I felt fine and seem to be peachy keen again today.
Ok, yeah. I started this post talking about puke. Where the hell do I go from here?
We’ve wrapped up another Dragon*Con, and all told I think it was a pretty smashing success. We have some thing we want to improve on for next year for sure, but considering the monumental task we attempted to achieve I feel good about the work we did. On my day off I hit the dealer rooms and picked up some new snarky shirts. I also got my kilt belt re-sized (That was a nice ego boost in and of itself. The leather worker took a big chunk off of the belt to make it fit properly). I saw some good friends, had a chance to see the William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy panel, and I got to hang out for a few minutes with Felicia Day backstage before her panel on Monday morning (and yes, if you’re wondering, she’s just as nice and funny as you’d expect her to be).
On the weight front I had the satisfaction of knowing that when I left for the convention I was two pounds less than I was when I went to my first one back in 2002. I noticed a few ladies giving me the once over, and had one woman make what was (to Krystalle) a very obvious pass at me. Me? I continue my long-standing tradition of being fairly clueless in that regard and thought she was just being funny when she told me I should find someone to cover for my shift so I could come over to the Marriott at midnight to “get blown.” She was referring to Jennie Breeden’s annual kilt-blowing get together, but the directness and the way she said it apparently meant more.
I have to be told these things, you see.
Speaking of kilts – I wore my utilikilt the entire weekend, mostly because a) it makes me look good and b) it is probably going to be the last year I’m able to wear this particular kilt. It’s getting very loose at this point. Before I had my belt re-sized on Friday I thought it might actually fall off. Mind you, I’m not complaining about the fact that I’m losing weight at all. Utilikilts are expensive, though!
In other health related news I have purchased a shiny new pair of running shoes with gift cards I got through the Virgin Healthmiles program and tomorrow I’m going to start training to run a 5k. Like pull ups, running is something that my weight has always thrown up a barrier to, and it is time I knocked that barrier down. The 5k I have picked out takes place about 2 weeks after my 37th birthday, and I think that would be a delightful way to ring in the start of my next trip around the sun.
Can’t really say I have much more interesting to say at the moment. Alex and I have started rehearsals for Night of the Living Dead. I’m playing the free to play Dungeons and Dragons Online as well as Kingdom of Loathing. Now that convention season is done sticking our heads back in the sand financially and working on paying down some more debt. I still have my job, and while our company is doing everything they can to cut costs we’re still not cutting benefits or employees. All in all, life is still pretty good on my end.
Exciting? Maybe not. But adventure? Excitement? A Jedi seeks not these things.
And on that extremely nerdy note I bid you adieu.
Friday, July 3rd
30 Minutes EA SPORTS Active (Heavy Intensity)
50 Minutes Walking
Saturday, July 4th
55 Minutes EA SPORTS Active (Heavy Intensity)
Sunday, July 5th
30 Minutes EA SPORTS Active (Heavy Intensity)
50 Minutes Walking
Monday, July 6th
5×5 Assisted Pull-up – 180 pound counterweight
5×5 Pulldown – 90 pounds
5×5 Dumbell Row – 45 pounds
3×5 Bicep Curls – 30 pounds (up 5 pounds)
2×5 Bicep Curls – 20 pounds
20 Minutes Elliptical Machine
50 Minutes Treadmill
100 Pushup Challenge, Week 2, Column 1, Set 2 (5-6-4-4-7)
200 Situp Challenge Exhaustion Test (40)*
50 Minutes Walking
*Did these with my hands crossed over my chest instead of behind my head.
60 Minutes Walking at 4 MPH
100 Push-up Challenge, Week Two, Column 1, Set 2 (5-6-4-4-8)
200 Sit-up Challenge, Week Three, Column 1, Set 1 (21-27-21-21-77)
18 Minutes EA SPORTS Active
My Fitnes Coach Physical Challenge
65 Minutes Treadmill at 4 MPH (5 minute intervals on level surface followed by 1 minute intervals at 6% incline)
Assisted Pull Up – 190 pound counterweight (5 sets of 5)
Pulldown – 80 pounds (5 sets of 5)
Dumbbell Rows – 25 pounds (5 sets of 5)
Bicep Curls – 25 pounds (5 sets of 5)
100 Pushup Challenge – Week Two, Column 1, Set 1 (4-6-4-4-8)
200 Situp Challenge – Exhaustion Test (80)
I have decided to re-boot my situp challenge paying close attention to form and allowing the full one second hold time on the crunch. While I can still do 80 I’m not getting 200 in at this point methinks.
60 Minutes Treadmill at 4 MPH
5 Minutes Treadmill at 3.2 MPH
19 Minutes EA SPORTS Active (Upper Body)
60 Minutes on the treadmill at 4 MPH
10 Minutes on the treadmill at 3.2 MPH
5 sets of 5 Assisted Pull-Ups with 200 pounds counterweight
5 sets of 5 Pulldowns – 80 pounds
5 sets of 5 Dumbell Rows – 25 pounds
5 sets of 5 Bicep Curls – 25 pounds
100 Pushup Challenge – Exhaustion Test (13)
200 Situp Challenge – Week Six, Column Three, Set Three (39-39-50-50-39-39-33-33-218)
18 Minutes EA SPORTS Active
60 Minutes on the treadmill at 4 MPH with a 3% incline
10 Minutes on the treadmill at 3.2 MPH with no incline
5 sets of 5 Assisted Pull-Ups with 200 pounds counterweight
5 sets of 5 Pulldowns – 70 pounds
5 sets of 5 Dumbell Rows – 20 pounds
5 sets of 5 Bicep Curls – 20 pounds
100 Pushup Challenge – Week One, Column Two, Set Three (8-10-7-7-10)
200 Situp Challenge – Week Six, Column Three, Set Two (33-33-45-45-36-36-32-32-138)
25 Minutes EA SPORTS Active
Last night at my weekly weigh in I was just over 248 pounds. The next ten pound barrier has been broken, and it’s a big psychological one (250 has always been a big benchmark to me, and the last time I crossed it I was supposed to buy myself a leather jacket. I may have to do that this time).
I noticed in the pictures that my Mother snuck during Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that my face is really starting to look much thinner. It’s a wee bit unnerving, as I still have a monstrous cranium. I think I’ve shaken the “round” face that I’d gotten back to, though.
I am down a little over 40 pounds since returning from Goth Cruise.
None of the shorts that I currently own fit properly without a belt.
I can actually do push ups now. Not a lot of them, but I can do some.
More and more people are commenting on the amount of weight I’ve lost recently when they see me in person.
My legs and forearms are looking pretty good.
All in all, pretty damn happy with the physical bits at the moment.
Now I just gotta quit smoking again.
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