3/30/2013

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.

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