Habits

[kramday]

As most of you probably already know, I am very much a creature of habit. Sometimes the habits are good for me (I rode my bike a ton over the summer), sometimes not so much (I sat on my ass a lot after the summer ended). So, the goal this month is to create some better habits. Do I think that I'll be able to magically change the way I am currently living just because the year on the calendar changed today? No not really, although I usually do make resolutions each year. But at some point in July last year I weighed 228 lbs and really wanted to lose some of that weight. I did a pretty good job and lost a pound a week through the end of September to get to 214. I mainly lost the weight by riding my bike a lot, but didn't really make any improvements in my eating. Then I stopped riding my bike and started sitting on the couch, but I was still eating like crap.

Well, yesterday I got on the scale and it said 230 lbs. So, not only did I gain back, but I added a couple of pounds to boot. Therefore, I'm hoping that the fact that my jeans are tight again and the scale moves too much will combine with a psychological benefit to help build some decent habits. While contemplating this situation last week, I went back to a website that I hadn't visited in awhile, John Stone Fitness. Basically, he was fat guy that decided to lose some weight and document it on the web. He has since gone crazy the other way and is very intense about his fitness now. I'm not looking to go that crazy, but I think I am going to steal a couple of ideas from him.

First, every Monday I intend to take a picture of myself and post it here in this forum. That's right, you lucky bastards will get a new look at my fat, hairy gut every week. The second idea that I am stealing is his 100 Challenge, which is something that it looks like they do every month on his forums. As I mentioned above, I'm not going to get as crazy with the challenge, but I am going to try and track the same types of things in the Challenge.

Feel free to join in, or just offer comments from the peanut gallery.

Pictures
http://forums.kramday.com/viewtopic.php?t=737

January 100 Challenge
http://forums.kramday.com/viewtopic.php?t=741

January Misc Thoughts
http://forums.kramday.com/viewtopic.php?t=746

[kramday]

My trainer took a look at the new journal and pointed out that I need an incentive to the whole thing. She suggested that there is a reward whenever a certain number of points have accumulated. That would probably mean that it would be at the end of the month, since that is when the final tally would actually be known. I'm still thinking of the actual incentives, both the actual reward and the breakpoints. However does anyone have any suggestions?

[amerigoV]

You might vary it between a food option (a nice reward) and your various hobbies. You cannot get that next cool gaming book (or leisure book) unless you get enough points.

[kramday]

Still not sure about the rewards, but I am thinking of two different types of incentives. First, would just be simple point accumulation month over month. The second would be getting attaining certain point values over a three month period, three months in a row at 95 or above for example.

[BigDog]

Maybe an incentive could be getting to add something to a collection. You can't add anything unless you make the incentives. Maybe a new collection (you have enough lead and DVDs, methinks ) in something you've been interested in off and on, something you could start collecting off ebay or wherever...

All in all, I wish you the best.

[kramday]

Maybe an incentive could be getting to add something to a collection. You can't add anything unless you make the incentives. Maybe a new collection (you have enough lead and DVDs, methinks ) in something you've been interested in off and on, something you could start collecting off ebay or wherever...

That might be interesting. I might have to think some more about that.

All in all, I wish you the best.

Thanks.

[kramday]

I have been tempted to get a couple of gadgets (which is actually one of the things the trainer originally suggested in the first place). Both of these things would be in the "nice to have" category, but not something that I probably would buy impulsively like gaming stuff tends to be. First, I want to get a set of speakers for my MP3 player. I'm still actually researching this to figure out what I want anyway. Second, I have been toying with the idea of getting a nicer digital camera.

I still have to figure out the breakpoints, and I will probably add some smaller, food-type rewards as well.

[kramday]

I am still trying to figure out the whole incentives thing, but I will admit that the hording of points is kind of effective. At the half-way point, I'm still at 97 and there have been at least two days that I got in a cardio workout at lunch just to not lose one of those points. I don't know if that is sustainable, but it is working at the moment.

[BigDog]

I know you've written about 99, 98, 97 type numbers. What is the scale? What is the incentive and how does it relate to the numbers?

[kramday]

It is this thread.

http://kramday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=741

Basically, I start with 100 points at the beginning of the month. Then I lose a point every time I eat crappy (loosely defined this month, but fast food has been a no-no for sure) or I don't do the exercises that I have listed for that day. So, I have lost points for missing cardio twice and eating at Wendy's once (I believe). I am allowing myself one cheat meal a week, which doesn't count against the points.

As for the incentive, I really need to do the thing for a month to see what is realistic. I mean I could skip a workout or eat fast food for half the month and still end up with around 70 points. So, I could have four relatively bad months and still get around 300 points. Hence, I'm trying to figure out what is a good number to shoot for that will be difficult but possible to get to in that four month period.

[BigDog]

Oh, I get it now.

My work mind says, go for a month see what seems doable, up it a little for challenge and go from there.

[kramday]

Yeah, that sounds pretty reasonable. I still need to figure out the incentives though.

[BigDog]

Not sure which forum to post it in, but way to go on the weight loss, buddy! Almost 14 pounds in ~6 weeks is great. They always say that slow steady weight loss is more likely to stay off (probably because the longer it takes, the more you hopefully adopt the new healthy eating/exercise habits).

Anyway, good job!

[kramday]

Thanks. I have felt pretty good since I started with the current program. I don't feel like I have done anything too radical, just getting off the couch more often and paying attention to what I am eating.