Fit Happens Chapter 17 - Post Interview 4 (B-Bo)

The Fit Happens series is finally done. After 181 days and several post-contest interviews, we've reached our conclusion.

The last post-contest interview is of the third-person variety. Yours truly was fortunate enough to be crowned the Fit Happens champion, losing over 32 pounds (almost 14% of my body weight) in the six-month contest. 

Here, I answered the same questions that I asked the other three gentlemen. I offer a different perspective in what surprised me the most about the contest and what I have done in the first month outside of the contest to motivate myself to keep in shape and hopefully lose more weight in the process.

1. What are your overall impressions of Fit Happens? This contest did wonders for me. It was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time.  It helped that I won, but more importantly, the best thing it did for me was get me to work out again.

2. What have you changed about your exercise regimen and/or diet during the contest? After stopping my workout and weight loss in 2010, I had not worked out consistently since then - so it has changed completely. I wish I could say my diet has changed dramatically -  it hasn't. That's my next major hurdle in weight loss.

3. What challenges were the toughest during the past six months? My biggest challenge was actually in the last month, when Jen and I moved to a new place. Our last place had a gym in the basement of the building, so I focused more on running in the neighborhood in June than previous months. Outside of that, I would say the occasional overeating was the biggest challenge.

4. Did you reach the goals you set forth at the beginning? Yeah, but I adjusted my goals once April hit and did not reach those new goals (reaching and maintaining a weight under 200). I can't complain with losing the amount of weight I lost in 6 months though.

5. How much did being in the contest motivate you to lose weight? Could you have done it w/o the contest? As mentioned above, it was the biggest motivation. When I heard about this contest in late December, I liked the money aspect of the weight loss but in the back of my mind knew that I needed something like this to get me back into working out. I may have eventually started working out again (like I randomly started getting into shape in November 2008), but this definitely kick-started the process.

6. Will you continue your weight loss journey? Yes. I am still looking to lose about 20-25 more pounds to get back to my adult-low from a few years back.

7. How will you keep yourself motivated with the contest ending? Back at the end of April, I installed a running app on my phone that I have used to track outdoor runs. I've been using one of my friends (who installed the same Nike app after me) as a measuring stick and a motivational source to run about 4-5 times a week. In fact, I've set a goal of running about 35 miles this month (the first full month out of the contest).

8. Did anything or anyone surprise you during this contest? How so? As much as others have said I surprised them the most, I didn't look at it that way. I knew I could lose a lot of weight once I motivated myself and made changes (I lost 20 pounds w/in 2.5 months of working out back in 2008, so I knew I could again). So short answer long, I would say that there were not any major surprises with anyone or anything. I expected all of us to have our ups and downs (which we did). I may have had less, but we all had our issues at some point.

9. How much more weight do you want or need to lose to get to your ideal weight? I would like to first get down below 200 and keep it that way consistently. Once I've established that, I'd like to focus on getting to about 175-180 pounds. At that weight, I am very light on my feet and will be very efficient in my neighborhood runs.

10. Should we keep tabs on each other as the months pass to keep each other motivated? If so, do you think we will? No doubt. I'm gonna give these guys a little space, but not too much space. I feel like checking up on each other will keep us more personally responsible to keep up with our fitness and dieting goals.

Chapter 16 Fit Happens - Post Contest Interview 3 (Hippo)

As you have read in the last couple of Fit Happens, I've reached out to all of the participants to get a sense of what they got out of the contest and what they might need to do in the near future to keep losing weight (or at least maintaining shape).

The next interview is w/ Hippo, who at the halfway mark was challenging for the lead. While he still lost over 7% of his body weight during the contest, he faded in the last few months. He speaks of those struggles as well as what he needs to do to get back on track.

1.    What are your overall impressions of Fit Happens?
It was a pretty good success. I thought it was telling that the two most overweight of the four competitors made the least net progress. I guess this makes sense since that's how they got that way in the first place.

2.    What have you changed about your exercise regimen and/or diet during the contest?

I ate a lot less and worked out more regularly, the two things I knew I needed to do a better job of. But I changed those things at the beginning and didn't make any other major change once we got going.

 

3.    What challenges were the toughest during the past six months?

I totally fell off the wagon in May and just now (early July) have I gotten back on. It was hard to stay motivated. Even with the contest going on, after the first couple of months it seemed like our group enthusiasm had waned and we weren't as active with each other.

 

4.    Did you reach the goals you set forth at the beginning?

No. I never set a weight loss goal, I just wanted to make it to the end without a major relapse and that didn't happen.

5.    How much did being in the contest motivate you to lose weight? Could you have done it w/o the contest?

It didn't play all that big of a role. It gave some extra motivation at the end of months, and because B-Bo just kept winning, but once it was clear he wasn't going to be caught it didn't help at all.

6.    Will you continue your weight loss journey?

I never went into this thinking of it as a journey because it was about changing my lifestyle, not just losing weight. I don't think I succeeded in that transformation so I am far from done.

7.    How will you keep yourself motivated with the contest ending soon?

With the contest being over I don't think it will impact me all that much. As I already stated, the contest wasn't motivating enough for me that I will miss it.

8.    Did anything or anyone surprise you during this contest? How so?

I never thought B-Bo would lose so much weight and dominate so much. I was surprised in general with how much B-Bo and Chris lost since I didn't think they had as much to lose. I also was surprised I fell so hard off the wagon *before* the  contest ended.

9.    How much more weight do you want or need to lose to get to your ideal weight?

I don't have an ideal weight per se. I really just want to be considered "healthy". Whatever weight I get to at that point is my goal.

10.   Should we keep tabs on each other as the months pass to keep each other motivated? If so, do you think we will?

I definitely think we should keep tabs on each other. Since B-Bo and Chris don't have a lot more to lose I think the goals of the contest should vary for each person for the rest of the year. Those of us who didn't lose enough should have to lose a bunch and Chris and B-Bo should only have to keep their current weights without relapsing.

Chapter 15 Fit Happens - Post Contest Interview 2 (Magic Bus)

As you may have read in my last Fit Happens chapter, I asked all of the guys in the contest to share their thoughts on the contest and how they plan on approaching their health and fitness post-contest.

The second in the series of interviews, Magic Bus shared some of the motivational issues that he had with as the contest progressed as well as his proposal to do another Fit Happens in the future.

 

1. What are your overall impressions of Fit Happens?

It was super helpful in the beginning to have some camaraderie and competition, but that tailed off during the second half of the contest for me. I'm to blame for that; I withdrew from the social aspects about mid-way through and that definitely hurt my progress.

 

2. What have you changed about your exercise regimen and/or diet during the contest?

I've still mostly focused on diet. I each much less fast food and processed foods than I did prior to the contest and am overall more cognizant of what goes into my body. During the last couple of months I've started walking and jogging as much as I can and have found it to be quite enjoyable actually. In the future, I think that will help a lot.

 

3. What challenges were the toughest during the past six months?

Exercising has been really challenging for me. With a small child, I never feel like I have enough time to go to the gym or take a walk. Of course, that's really just an excuse. The fact is, it was not important enough to me to sacrifice my personal time.

Something I'm still struggling with is sticking to my plan after I've screwed up. I'm prone to say things like "I'll start back on it on Monday" after I've binge eaten once during the week. The rational part of me knows that I should just pick up right away instead of waiting, but for some reason I feel like the week is shot. This is probably the biggest contributor to me not losing the weight I wanted to.

 

 

4. Did you reach the goals you set forth at the beginning?

Nope. I hoped to get down to 250 lbs.

 

5. How much did being in the contest motivate you to lose weight? Could you have done it w/o the contest?

At first, a lot. I would say the first 3 months were of the contest were fun and really pushed me to lose more, but after that, I sort of withdrew. In hindsight, I would have preferred a shorter duration with smaller goals. We could have had say, 3 or 4 one month contests where we could "reset" in between. I think that would have kept me motivated longer.

 

6. Will you continue your weight loss journey?

Definitely. This is not the end for me. I've got a small person's worth of weight to lose still.

 

7. How will you keep yourself motivated with the contest ending?

My wife has recently started a much more rigorous exercise plan and is training for some races coming up. I'm planning to get in on some of those to keep myself active.

 

8. Did anything or anyone surprise you during this contest? How so?

B-Bo! It's crazy that the lightest guy was able to lose by far the most weight.

 

9. How much more weight do you want or need to lose to get to your ideal weight?

70 lbs. That would bring me down to around 200 lbs. By no means would I be a small guy, but I think that's when I would be happy.

 

10. Should we keep tabs on each other as the months pass to keep each other motivated? If so, do you think we will?

Absolutely. I think we should take a month or two to reset and maybe kick off another shorter competition.

Chapter 14 Fit Happens: Post-Contest Interview (Chris)

I've delayed a little on the release of these, still waiting for one member to submit the questionnaire (inserted passive-aggressive jab right there). Instead of waiting any longer, I will release the question/answers from everyone. 

First, starting with the runner-up Chris, who lost 28.6 pounds (11.56% of his weight) in the six-month contest. He shares his thoughts on the contest and what he is aiming to accomplish with long-term fitness goals.

1. What are your overall impressions of Fit Happens? Enjoyed it.  I accomplished exactly what I wanted and this was my motivation in part.  It helped to have some support/competition along the way.

2. What have you changed about your exercise regimen and/or diet during the contest? My exercise regimen was increased during this competition.  I barely missed a day up until about a month ago when I started tailing off.  I have since regained that steam and have been working out just about daily.  As far as diet, I still eat basically the same stuff.  I am much more hesitant to eat boatloads of things though.  I am better at portion control (although I definitely suffer lapses).  That is what I aim to continue to work on.

3. What challenges were the toughest during the past six months? I can't think of anything that was really toughest.  I guess maintaining the rigorous exercise routine was tough, but I generally enjoyed it.  The toughest part was probably resisting the urge to overeat.  I have been recalling moments where I had the willpower to do so and it is rewarding in its own.

4. Did you reach the goals you set forth at the beginning? I have surpassed my original goal and am teetering on the edge of my secondary goal of 215. 

5. How much did being in the contest motivate you to lose weight? Could you have done it w/o the contest? I probably could have done this without the contest, but it was nice to experience it with friends and have your own cheering(jeering) section.  That extra motivation made it easier, plus sharing an experience is always better than going at it alone.

6. Will you continue your weight loss journey? I hope so.  I am going to attempt to make my eating habits a lifelong deal.  As far as working out, I don't anticipate I will slow down all that much, so hopefully I will continue to slim down, even if it is at a much slower pace.

7. How will you keep yourself motivated with the contest ending? My motivation has been to continue to live healthy.  The contest was all but over about halfway through, so I have conceded that much.

8. Did anything or anyone surprise you during this contest? How so? Cannot believe B-Bo was able to drop so much weight.  Especially since he was the lightest at the start.  I guess he had a lot less of a muscular base than anticipated.

9. How much more weight do you want or need to lose to get to your ideal weight? I don't know that I really have an ideal weight at this time.  I guess long term, it would be cool to drop below 200.

10. Should we keep tabs on each other as the months pass to keep each other motivated? If so, do you think we will? Absolutely.  One of my heroes, Adam Carolla, is an advocate of public shaming as a motivator.  If any of us start to slip, I think a public shaming is in store.  On a serious note, yes - it is good to keep tabs.  Again, we have a shared experience and can relate to one another.  It should continue on that way with encouragement and the occasional shaming.

Chapter 11 Fit Happens: The B-Bo Dynasty?

Rule of thumb: if you ever have the opportunity to refer to yourself in the third person, make sure you are doing so in the context of success.

With that being said, B-Bo feels pretty confident in his ability to speak in the third person vernacular for this particular blog - the eleventh chapter of Fit Happens.

The final weigh in was earlier on Wednesday, and while B-Bo was not delighted to see his bid for a third victorious month in the contest (out of four) fail when Williams posted his weigh in for April, he was still quite satisfied with his second place finish for the month, which accompanies his second-place finish in February. Here are the results from the month, followed by the overall results through 120 days:

User	lbs	%
Dave	0.6 lbs	0.22 %
Hippo	-1.4 lbs	-0.64 %
LionEsquire	-5.6 lbs	-2.51 %
B-Bo Knows Weight Loss	-3.6 lbs	-1.73 %

User	lbs	%
Dave	-15.8 lbs	-5.47 %
Hippo	-28.8 lbs	-11.66 %
LionEsquire	-26.4 lbs	-10.82 %
B-Bo Knows Weight Loss	-30.8 lbs	-13.07 %

As expected, this month was the lowest amount of weight loss and weight loss percentage for a winner of a month. Each month has been more difficult for the contestants to lose weight. Note the totals below for monthly breakdown in weight loss:

	B-Bo	Hippo	Chris	Magic Bus
Jan 1 - Feb 1	-13	-11.4	-13.2	-11.8
Feb 1 - Mar 1	-7	-8.8	-5.4	-4.2
Mar 1 - Apr 1	-7.2	-7.2	-2.2	-0.4
Apr 1 - May 1	-3.6	-1.4	-5.6	0.6
May 1 - June 1
June 1 - July 1
	-30.8	-28.8	-26.4	-15.8

So what will be different this month? What will be the next step in B-Bo's dominance? Some thoughts:

1. Nike+ - I just got this app on my Android, which tracks my distance, time, path, and calories burned for each run I do. I plan on using it just for outdoor runs. I believe it will get me to run outside more in preparation for the Warrior Dash that I am doing in June. Also, with this being my last month in the South Loop, I need to take advantage of the nice running area by Grant Park and the Lakeside.
2. Weights - I will be trying to incorporate weights (not free weights, but more machines and dumbbells) into my workout. This should help me shed weight at a slightly faster clip.
3. Shakes - Jen just bought us a blender that we plan on putting to good use. I just finished my first shake that had strawberries, bananas and oats, among other things. I believe having these shakes on a regular basis in lieu of some of the junk I may eat will help my diet out. (Just noticed that items 2 and 3 can be rearranged to become Shake Weight)
4. Outdoor Sports? - I hope to play an outdoor sport of some sort on a somewhat regular basis (basketball, softball, whatever). Perhaps joining a league is an option.
5. Below 200 - The above items, as well as the continued intensity of workout that I've been doing throughout the months, will hopefully help dip my weight to below 200 pounds. It would signal me reaching my contest goal a month ahead of time and would be a major accomplishment for me as I look to continue my healthy journey.
6. Uncle B-Bo - I am looking to reach the Below 200 goal before I become an uncle. Whether I have a niece or a nephew, I would love to be under 200 pounds for his or her entire life. With my sister-in-law due in about three weeks, I may not achieve this goal, but I'll do my best to get there.

That about wraps 'er up for Chapter 11. Hope you enjoyed this latest edition. I will return either later this month or at the beginning of June to share my latest adventures and hopefully another winning month.

Peace.

Fit Happens Chapter 9: Halfway There

In case you missed the individual profiles on each of the contestants from the past week, click the links below to read about our individual trials and tribulations:

Profile 1 (Chris)
Profile 2 (Hippo)
Profile 3 (Magic Bus)
Profile 4 (B-Bo)

We're halfway done with the Fit Happens Weight Loss Challenge sponsored by Papa Johns. Papa John did not sponsor us unfortunately, so we will not be able to give away two million free pizzas. April Fools!

Weight as of April 1: 208.4, a loss of 27.2 pounds. Currently leading in Fit Happens.

And the good news? I'm still in the lead...but barely. Below are the standings at the halfway mark.

User	lbs	%
Dave	-17.6 lbs	-6.1 %
Hippo	-27.4 lbs	-11.1 %
LionEsquire	-20.8 lbs	-8.52 %
B-Bo Knows Weight Loss	-27.2 lbs	-11.54 %

Other good news? I won the month of March, but barely. Thanks to my slightly less plump exterior compared to Hippo, who lost the same amount of weight but lost a less of a percentage.

User	lbs	%
Dave	-1.6 lbs	-0.59 %
Hippo	-7.2 lbs	-3.18 %
LionEsquire	-2.2 lbs	-0.98 %
B-Bo Knows Weight Loss	-7.2 lbs	-3.34 %

That makes two victorious months and one second-place finish out of the three months of the contest. Can't complain with that. Hell, I'm shocked I have lost 27+ pounds so far. I figured to get about 20-22, but 27 is a nice cubed number.

So what's next?

For me personally, there's a lot going on in the next month that can help me continue going strong in the contest:

1. Exercise bike - Thanks to a client of Jen's moving to Georgia, we inherited a free exercise bike for the apartment a week ago. It currently sits in our living room behind our couch facing the TV. I have used it three times and Jen has used it once or twice. I believe this will get used more than home exercise equipment that I've used in the past. Last year when I lived with my parents like a cool 29-year old, we inherited a machine of my grandma's that was covered in dust. After cleaning the dust for that and using it a little, it is currently gathering dust in the garage. The goal: use the exercise bike 4-5 times a week to ensure it does not turn into a coat rack with a plug.
2. Warrior Dash - I signed up for the Warrior Dash on Friday, ensuring that I will continue to run on the machine (and hopefully some outside as the weather allows it) to get into better shape. I hope to be in the 190s when I'm racing in June.
3. Zoo Run in June - I may be running this with fellow Fit Happens member Chris. It would be the day after me and Jen move into our yet-to-be-determined new apartment. It's a 5K, so I shouldn't have a problem running it at a decent pace (for my first 5K in a while, it'd be nice to have a 9 minute mile pace).
4. Free Time - For reasons I'd rather not discuss right now or at least online, I may have some more time to myself coming up. If this is the case, I will focus on making sure to maximize this time to working out and getting into better shape.

Not sure when I'll update this again (maybe next month). Hope you've been enjoying this series so far.

Fit Happens Chapter 8: Participant Profile 4 (B-Bo)

What better way to close out the participant profile section of Fit Happens than to interview yourself and talk in the third person in the process.

File photo of B-Bo. He has since gotten a lot skinnier and his tan has decreased significantly.

As the last official member of Fit Happens (a name he helped coin), B-Bo knew he had a good chance of winning this contest based on his previous attempts of losing weight when joining his gym (then called Cardinal Fitness) in 2008. In his first three months of working out there, he lost over 20 pounds.

However, unlike last time, B-Bo needed a little extra push, some motivation to work out. He had tried to get back into going to the gym last year, but he was never fully able to motivate himself to go the gym as frequently as he used to, at least not enough to see a health impact from it.

The contest came a callin' and B-Bo answered. Today, he shares his story in the third person to tell us about his motivations and goals for Fit Happens:

1.       What made you decide to do Fit Happens? In December, I was emailed by Chris about this idea that they had about a weight loss contest. I had been dragging my feet about working out, despite having a pretty decent gym in the basement of our building. I've also wanted to lose a little weight for a while, but I had no motivation and drive when trying to restart my workouts last April. Thankfully for this email, I had the proper motivation. After we bickered a little bit about the layout of it, the contest was all set and ready to begin on January 1^st.

2.       What were your goals to come out of this? I won’t lie and say having a chance to win some money wasn’t a little motivation before we started the contest. But once I went to the gym on the first day of the year and weighed myself, it was all about my health at that point. It made me realize I needed to go back to Brian circa 2008 and started working out and eating a little better. I forgot how good it feels to listen to some music, dripping with sweat as I toil away on the treadmill. There's a sense of accomplishment from it, and plus, it's helped with increasing my overall energy on a daily basis. I actually look forward to my work outs because of it.

3.       What changes have you made to your daily habits during the contest? I am now way more active than I have been since starting my current job in July 2010. I try going to our basement gym about 4-5 times a week. And if I know I’m going to a bar within a couple miles, I’ll walk there instead of taking a cab or other form of transportation. Diet-wise, I have been eating a lot less. I can’t say I’ve eliminated bad foods (don’t think I ever will), but when Jen and I do order out, I will order chicken Caesar salads more frequently than I used to. The diet is probably the thing I have to work on the most—I have no problem motivating myself to work out anymore.

4.       Have you ran into any difficulties during this contest? If so, how have you overcome them or trying to overcome them? To be honest, I haven’t had any difficulties during the contest. Maybe at the beginning, it was difficult to accept that I had gotten so out of shape that walking on the treadmill at 4 miles per hour was a challenge. Now, I’m back to running my 6+ mph pace and have signed up for the Warrior Dash in June, the second time I will have participated in the race.

5.       When the contest is over, do you think it will be hard to keep up this level of intense workout and/or diet? Being a numbers guy, I will miss the weigh-ins once or twice a week and seeing how everyone has progressed and how I compare to them. Outside of that, I think this contest has done exactly what it was meant to do. It has gotten us into better eating and workout habits.  And I believe all of us are fully capable of living long, healthy lives. If this is the start of it for all of us, then I’m glad to be a part of it.

6.       Entering the second half of the contest, what are your goals for the next three months? Have you had to adjust them as time has passed? I’d like to keep losing weight at the rate I have been the past couple months (around 5-6 pounds per month). I know the first month’s output of 13+ pounds is likely unattainable again in the course of the contest. And I’ll be the only one who says it, but hell, I want to win this damn thing. It’s something I would be very proud of—even if I don’t win it, I plan on keeping up with the work outs and eating better.

As far as my goals go, the only way I’ve had to adjust them is to expect more of myself. My original goal was to get under the 200 mark (losing 35 pounds). Now that I am over 25 pounds lost at the halfway mark, I feel like readjusting the goal to a lower number (like 190 or 195) would be a good thing to do.

7.       What do you expect your final weigh-in to be? Originally, I would have been happy to be at or near 200 when we reached the end of June. Now, I’d like to be around 190 but am expecting something closer to 195.

8.       In your honest opinion, who do you think is going to win the contest? All of us are capable of winning the contest if we do the right things to our body—eating the right food, getting the proper weekly activity, etc. That being said, I think my motivation to get into shape is just as strong as these gentlemen. And with the small lead I’ve built at the halfway mark, I believe I’ll be able to carry that over into the last three months and come out ahead as the Fit Happens Champ.

Not to go cliché, but at the end of the day, we’ll all be winners as long as we continue to reach the goals we set out to reach when we started in January.

Fit Happens Chapter 7: Participant Profile 3 (Magic Bus)

The third profile of Fit Happens is on Magic Bus, a friend of Hippo and Chris who I have never met but have heard plenty about through their podcast and their famous Game-a-thon sessions where the trio plays video games for 24 hours straight.

Magic Bus had many different reasons for joining the Fit Happens challenge than the others. He has also faced some early difficulties during this contest, thanks in large part to a vacation which briefly set him back in early March. He might be trailing the pack in the contest so far, but don't count out the Bus. As you read below, you'll see plenty of reason for him to continue his weight loss journey beyond the parameters of the six month contest.

Magic Bus (middle) with Chris and Hippo at their latest Game-a-thon in Nov.

1.       What made you decide to do Fit Happens?

Honestly, as lame as it sounds, I wanted to get healthy for my daughter. I want to be a good role model for her as she gets older and continuing to eat as I was would be teaching her the wrong thing. I'd also like to be alive for her high school and college graduations.

2.       What were your goals to come out of this?

By June I'd like to be down to around 250 lbs, but I don't plan to end there. Ultimately, I'd like to get down to around 200 lbs or less. More than weight loss though, I want to change my lifestyle. In order to keep the weight off, I know I need a permanent change. I'm hoping at some point my tastebuds will change slightly and I'll crave fatty foods less and healthier foods more. That's actually already started to happen for me. I've developed a strong taste for all kinds of fruit and lots of raw vegetables. Still fighting those bad foods though!

3.       What changes have you made to your daily habits during the contest?

Most of the changes I've made have been to my diet. I used to eat a lot of fried and processed food. I've reduced those foods and have started to eat more fruit and vegetables. I've tried to make it a point to stay away from "diet" foods because I don't see that as maintainable in the long term. Way back when, I started WeightWatchers Online and that's been really helpful to me during "Fit Happens". It helps me gauge how much I should be eating and which foods I'm willing to splurge on and which I'm not.

Another thing I'm trying to do is be more physical, just in general. I take the stairs when I used to ride the elevator and try to take a walk a couple of times a day. The Nike Fuel band was nice for motivating me in the beginning, but I've gotten away from it recently.

4.       Have you ran into any difficulties during this contest? If so, how have you overcome them or trying to overcome them?

Oh Yeah! My vacation to California was really hard. I almost fell apart, but I decided that I'm not going to deprive myself from the foods I love, but try to make at least one good choice at each meal. That might have been something as simple as getting a water instead of pop, or passing on the appetizer or bread. I did end up gaining a couple of pounds, but I think it would have been a lot more if I hadn't kept "Fit Happens" in my mind.

5.       When the contest is over, do you think it will be hard to keep up this level of intense workout and/or diet?

No. I've deliberately made changes to my diet and physical activity in a gradual way for just this reason. I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to keep it up past June and hopefully into the next year!

6.       Entering the second half of the contest, what are your goals for the next three months? Have you had to adjust them as time has passed?

I'm currently behind in the contest portion of "Fit Happens". I'd really like to pull closer to the pack, so being a little more stringent on the diet and especially physical activity is going to be important for me. I think my overall goals have stayed pretty consistent though. I just want to be healthy.

7.       What do you expect your final weigh-in to be?

250 LBS!!!!! (I hope)

8.       In your honest opinion, who do you think is going to win the contest?

My initial though was B-Bo, but I'm not sure how much more weight he's got to lose. With that in mind, I'm going to say Nick.

Fit Happens Chapter 6: Participant Profile 2 (Hippo)

Looking to take the belt of Fit Happens Champion

As you may have read in Chapter 5, we are nearing the halfway point of the contest. In that chapter, you read about Chris, who shared his goals and challenges in the contest so far.

Next on the profile docket is Hippo, who is close on my tail as far as the overall percentage lost is concerned. To his credit, he started losing weight outside of the contest in December, so all things considered, he's lost the most weight of all of us the past four months.

He shares some of the same goals and concerns as Chris, as we see in the latest edition of Fit Happens, Participant Profiles.

1.       What made you decide to do Fit Happens?

I have been overweight my whole life, and as the years pass by it becomes more and more difficult to lose weight. I basically came to the conclusion that if I didn't get healthy now, I never will.

 2.       What were your goals to come out of this?

I want to be "healthy". No matter how many pounds it takes me to lose, or how much time it takes, I want to be able to walk into my doctor's office and have them tell me I am healthy. 

3.       What changes have you made to your daily habits during the contest?

First and foremost I am eating a more "normal" amount of food. In addition to that I am eating more fruit and less extremely bad foods. I am also exercising a few times a week. Most importantly I am trying to break my obsession with stuffing myself.

4.       Have you ran into any difficulties during this contest? If so, how have you overcome them or trying to overcome them?

It's definitely been hard, but it gets easier every day. Getting through the first few weeks and getting to the point where I could eat less was definitely the biggest challenge. Staying motivated has also been an issue. After the initial rush of losing a bunch of weight wore off, it's hard to keep it going day in and day out.

5.       When the contest is over, do you think it will be hard to keep up this level of intense workout and/or diet?

It will be hard for a long time. I don't plan on stopping when the contest ends because I won't be at my goal. But once I get there I won't be confident that I can keep it up for a while.

6.       Entering the second half of the contest, what are your goals for the next three months? Have you had to adjust them as time has passed?

No new goals. Just keep up the same routine, keep losing weight and trending in the right direction.

7.       What do you expect your final weigh-in to be?

Originally I wanted to drop around 30, but I am already there, so I have moved my target to 50 pounds. But as long as I am still moving in the right direction I will be happy.

8.       In your honest opinion, who do you think is going to win the contest?

Honestly, my money would not have been on B-Bo, but he has absolutely dominated so far. Chris was at a massive disadvantage since he already worked out so much. And while he is definitely in the best shape now, and will be when it's over, I think it will be tough for him to lose too much more. Even if he doesn't win, he will have still accomplished a lot. Dave doesn't seem to care enough at this point, and even though he is behind if he wanted to he could easily catch up. I like my own chances at this point, but B-Bo has gone the extra mile so far, and he is the favorite at this point. Ask me again in a month though.

Fit Happens Chapter 5 - Participant Profile 1 (Chris)

The third month of Fit Happens is about to wind down. For all four of us, it has been the most challenging month as far as weight loss goes. The toughest part of the contest by far - where motivation amid lower weight loss than previous months enters into the equation. It looks like it will come down to me versus Hippo for the monthly winner - a mere 0.03% difference in our total weight loss for March entering the last 5 days. I will provide an official blog at the beginning of April for March's results as well as the overall standings.

As the contest has entered its halfway point, I wanted to profile each of the contestants aside from myself. The only one to respond so far is Chris, who was kind enough to answer some questions about the inspiration for the contest as well as some goals and challenges he has faced as the contest has developed.

Chris cooking up some results in the weight loss category.

1.       What made you decide to do Fit Happens? I needed to lose some weight.  On a binge eating experience with Hippo and Magic Bus, Hippo started talking about a weight loss program he was trying.  That got the ball rolling.  Before too long we were creating a contest.  The motivation to lose weight as already there, the contest just made it more serious and urgent

2.       What were your goals to come out of this? To lose weight and look skinnier.  I had a goal weight in mind, but I think my number one goal is just to look and feel better.

3.       What changes have you made to your daily habits during the contest? The biggest thing I have attempted is to eat less and eat slower.  I have not modified my diet all that much in terms of what I eat.  I just try to eat less and by eating slower, I recognize when I am no longer hungry and am able to stop.  Before I would regularly shovel food as fast as possible and would stuff myself way too often.  I'd feel sick afterward.  Honestly, there have only been 1-2 times during fit happens when I felt that way.  Major progress from my few times per week before the context.

4.       Have you ran into any difficulties during this contest? If so, how have you overcome them or trying to overcome them? The only difficulty I have had is the recent plateau.  We all shed a bunch of weight in the first few weeks/month.  After that it is much more of a slow burn.  There is less motivation when you lose half a pound in a week than when you are seeing multiple pounds per day come off.  I am just trying to keep up with the diet and the exercise intensity so that it continues to come off, even if it is only a small amount at a time.

5.       When the contest is over, do you think it will be hard to keep up this level of intense workout and/or diet? I should easily be able to maintain the diet.  I just need to remember to take it easy at meals and eat slowly.  My exercise regimen has been pretty intense.  I work out a minimum of 6 days/week right now.  That will be difficult to maintain, but I should be able to keep up at least a 4X/week program without much issue.

6.       Entering the second half of the contest, what are your goals for the next three months? Have you had to adjust them as time has passed? My goal is exactly the same - lose as much weight as possible.

7.       What do you expect your final weigh-in to be? Aspiration - 210; realistic - 215 (both much lower than I anticipated)

8.       In your honest opinion, who do you think is going to win the contest? B-Bo is on a tear, but Hippo is right on his tail.  I'd say that Magic Bus and I are comfortably out of the money.  I will leave it at that.

Fit Happens Chapter 4: Weight For It...How I Met Your Weight Loss Goals

Everybody loves (another) comeback story. It all starts circa November 2008.

Step 1: Decide to join a gym.

Step 2: Work out hard core for a 2-year period and lose 45 pounds. You become a running machine.

Step 3: Get a job where you work from home and start night class at the same time.

Step 4: Stop going to the gym. Plump up and regain a whole bunch of weight (and then some). You become a washing machine.

Step 5: Join weight loss contest with several friends in order to repeat/exceed results seen in Step 2.

Step 6: Don't repeat Step 4 - ever.

As I reside in Step 6, I have been complimented quite a bit about my decreased figure, including from some people who I wouldn't expect to notice such weight loss.

It's the beauty of changing ourselves for the better. Whenever a person decides to change something about themselves like quitting smoking or losing weight and they are successful for an extended period of time, his or her friends are quick to point out how much better they look (or in the case of smoking, congratulate them on the progress made in not smoking). Never mind the fact that you should have made better decisions about your diet or not started smoking in the first place - those people who focus on these things as a habit are not complimented nearly as much as they should be. We love comeback stories in sports, but it hits closer to home when the comeback is made by you or someone close to you.

(Editor's note: I had to edit some of the paragraph below because I wrote this story last night under the notion that I would be repeating as the monthly champ of Fit Happens. Since it didn't happen, I had to bite the bullet and edit it to the truth)

In the two months of the weight loss contest, I have already lost exactly 20 pounds (down to 215.6). I got a little ahead of myself by posting a picture of my weight after working out last night. I was so close to winning the first two months of the contest. It was something that I did not think was possible when entering the month. I figured that with all the weight I lost in January that I would have great difficulty going back-to-back. Nick took Month 2, but I am still on top of the overall leaderboard w/ 8.49%.

Dave	-16.0 lbs	-5.54 %
Hippo	-20.2 lbs	-8.18 %
LionEsquire	-18.6 lbs	-7.62 %
B-Bo Knows Weight Loss	-20.0 lbs	-8.49 %

Challenge...Accepted:

As many of you have read in the previous blog, one of the challenges I set forth in February was not consuming any alcohol in the month of February after the Super Bowl. I am proud to say that I easily succeeded in this task. In addition to the happenings in Fit Happens Chapter 3, I had a few other times where drinks were present and I was really tempted. The last such instance was at Twin Anchors Ribs (great ribs), where a 40 minute wait meant that I had to stand like a sardine in a can while watching a bunch of people drink what I assumed was sweet, delicious craft beer out of the tap.

In addition to halting my alcohol consumption to nil, I have also increased the intensity of my workouts. It was my goal this month to be able to run on the treadmill for 3-4 miles by the end of the month, which I was able to do. I would have like to have worked out a few more times (I worked out 14 of the 28 days of the month - aiming for 100 gym visits during the 6 month contest), but the important thing is getting my ass motivated to the gym.

The diet has improved a little. A lot less snacking and eating/ordering out, more home-cooked meals. I ordered Pat's Pizza (the South Loop version) only once, which is a rare thing for me. I've only had Pat's twice in the current calendar year. If you've ever had their thin crust pizza, you'd know how easy it would be to down an entire pizza by yourself - ok, maybe not you, maybe the November, chubbier version of me would know.

I expected that losing 4-to-6 pounds was the realistic goal for this month, given (1) the fewer days in February and (2) the weight loss plateaus that come after a month or two of working out. Luckily, the combination above really worked in my favor, and I am happy to say that I exceeded this goal by a pound.

Not as light as the picture posted Thursday night, but still a 7 pound weight loss for February (exactly 20 lost overall)

Sandcastles in the Sand

Now as far as the challenges ahead in March?

1. Hawaii: Have I mentioned I am going to Hawaii for work this month? Oh....yeah. I'm going to Hawaii this month. Yeah, awesome. As far as my weight loss project goes, I hope I don't have to put it on hold while I am here. I know the idea of all expenses paid will make drinking tempting. I don't think it'll be much of a problem, but it does present its temptations. I'm hoping there's a gym I can work out there at least a few times.
2. March Madness: Per my usual doings, I am taking off for the March Madness tourney. This has presented itself as an ugly convergence of gambling and beer in my recent past. Again, I believe my self-control is much better than before, so I should be ok. I may need to work out a little harder in the days to follow the first two days of the tourney.
3. St. Patty's: Actually, this day shouldn't be a problem. I've never gotten into the spirit of this "holiday". In fact, I mostly despise it thanks to an incident involving my brother nearly getting ran off the road on the day of the Parade (that story is for another day). 

Clap Bet

Now that the second month of the "contest" is over - which at this point has served its purpose and then some for all involved - I am looking to continue the weight loss and have adjusted my goals slightly based on the results of the first few months. Here are a few of the things I am cheering for myself to accomplish in the next four months and beyond:

1. One of my original goals was to get under 200 pounds by the end of the contest. That still remains a goal, but I'd like to take it a step further and say I'd like to get under 195 (possibly to 190) by the end of June.
2. I am looking to run a race at some point during this contest. I have a variety of races to choose from, but may be limited in my choices. The Shamrock Shuffle is in April and is an 8K. I'm not sure if I will be in the shape I'd want to be in to run an 8K. Even when I was back in shape in 2010, I was not running 8K or more outside of my intense 7.5 mile treadmill runs.
   
   Other races I am looking to run: United Run for the Zoo at Lincoln Park and/or the Warrior Dash. Unfortunately, the latter requires me to race in the very first heat of runners, likely by myself since the group of friends I would like to go with are racing the next day. I'd be racing that day if it wasn't for a work conference in Florida I am going to that day.
   
   The likely race to run is the Run for the Zoo. If anyone wants to join me for this, please let me know. By then, I believe I will be in 8 minute-mile shape.
3. Of course, one of my goals is a "No shit, Sherlock" goal: I am looking to win this contest. But I feel all of us agree that the weight loss contest was more of a motivating technique, a means to an end, to change behaviors that needed to be changed. I am delighted that the four of us have been keeping in constant contact during the two months, sharing our positive stories, motivating each other and congratulating certain milestones reached. Everyone has lost a significant amount of weight so far. At this pace, no one will have to worry about any of the detrimental sides of the bet (like changing avatars/gamer tags or wearing a dress to dinner with the guys).
4. I am still looking to get to the gym 100 times in the 6 months. I have gone 28 times in the first 59 days of the year, meaning I have to average 18 visits to the gym per month the rest of the contest. If I am able to do that, I believe all of the goals above will be achievable.

In the next chapter or so, I am going to try interviewing some of the other contestants to see their progress in this contest and what they have done to lose weight.

I hope you enjoyed the latest legen.....wait for it.....dary Fit Happens chapter.