As I am working on Spring Cleaning, I’ve decided to run a parallel case study and challenge to see what I can do before I turn 50 in July. Let’s call it a birthday present to myself, one with ultimate importance.
Why not just finish the Spring Cleaning challenge before I dial up another? Because starting a Fit by 50 challenge today gives me 117 days, or 16.5 weeks-ish. That’s not a lot of time to go from a 240-pound desk jockey into Captain America.
However, I don’t want to quit another challenge in the middle. So, I’m sharing the data between the two.
Why a “Case Study Challenge?”
I would love to collect some new data on myself and what I can accomplish as I near 50 years old. I know I can’t do what I used to 20 years ago, but I want to know where that line lies in the sand.
Besides, I’m hoping to collect a lot of numbers for future content for both Crossing Colorado and ColoradoPlays. I want to demonstrate how much weight you can lose playing Beat Saber and other games on the Oculus.
The bottom line is that I have a lot of things banking on keeping absolute track of the data throughout the next four months. With any luck, it might even help the websites get a few more visitors and make a few extra bucks in the meantime.
The challenge part is that I have to record every piece of data for the next 117 days while doing my best to stick to diet plans and exercise routines. That’s something I’ve never been able to do longer than a few weeks at a time. That, on its own, would be a massive accomplishment.
What Does the Fit by 50 Challenge Include?
I’m trying to keep my goals realistic, especially since I don’t know what will happen once I hit my goal weight. Essentially, I want to be healthier to give me more time on this planet. Well, that, and I am tired of being tired and out of breath from a short jog. Or, perhaps playing a round of golf without feeling like it kicked my ass.
So, what’s the plan to achieve some fitness goals before my birthday?
Starting Weight: 239.8
I’m starting this challenge/case study at 239.8 pounds. I’m currently in the middle of a series of protein days, so I should drop a lot over the next day or two. So, it won’t be the most accurate of what happens when you start a diet or exercise routine.
But this isn’t about what happens when you begin a new diet plan or start going to the gym. This is about seeing what I can do to myself before I turn 50. I’m sure I’ll hit my goal weight relatively soon, as long as I can maintain the things below. That means I’ll have to change my eating habits about halfway through the challenge. You don’t want to be in a severe caloric deficit forever. That would result in catabolising muscle mass and potentially cause internal damage.
Keeping My Head in the Game
Keeping my mind on my goals is another heavy challenge that will take some work. I often come out of the gate strong, but stress and depression often derail my efforts. Or, I won’t take the challenge seriously enough and just peter out.
So, how am I going to keep myself in the game this time around? That’s a good question, actually. I’m going to start by psyching myself up every morning with music and some kind of workout. I find that if I am physical first thing in the morning, the rest of the day unfolds quite nicely.
Your mindset is the most vital component for any health and fitness challenge. If you’re not really into the process, you’re going to fail. Mental health is just as vital as your physical health.
Record Everything!
No more “red” days on the spreadsheet. I am going to record all of the things that are necessary, even if they look terrible. For one thing, those bad days will still give me some kind of data to use for a blog post, especially if I can show how they affect the next day or the rest of the week.
Recording everything isn’t a difficult aspect of the challenge. I want to get in the habit of putting in the data every morning before I start my day. That will be relatively easy to do as long as I walk or exercise shortly after getting up.
Collecting data on yourself is a great way to figure out your needs and wants. Not to mention how you can see the way you react to certain foods if you record everything you eat. There are lots of ways you can do this, but I’m a dork and use a spreadsheet and use MyFitnessPal to record calorie intake.
Keeping the Points Green
I devised a point system on the spreadsheet that emphasizes physical activity and burning more calories than I consume. You see, I don’t simply want to lose weight. I wouldn’t mind having improved strength and stamina, especially as I am near 50 years old.
As long as I am remaining active throughout the day to some degree, keeping the points green should be relatively easy. Now, whether this will have an impact on my health and fitness remains to be seen. But that’s what this challenge/case study is all about.
Gamifying fitness can help keep you motivated. In my case, I created the point system as yet another way of making the entire process fun for me. Because the more you enjoy something, the more likely you’ll continue to do it.
Minimum 100g Protein Per Day
I am seriously lacking when it comes to protein intake. Actually, I haven’t been too bad as of late, as I’ve been trying to incorporate more protein throughout the day. Yet, there are still days when I am far under the average for a male at my age.
Having a protein shake in the mornings has been very beneficial, and it’s become part of my morning routine for the past few weeks. The trick is to eat more protein throughout the day, which I’ve been struggling with. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and jelly beans don’t have a lot of protein in them.
A lack of protein leads to frailty in the elderly. And while I’m not quite 50 yet, I’m getting closer to fitting the description of “elderly.” This is aside from the fact that between 10 and 35% of caloric intake should center around protein for someone my age anyway.
Under 15% Body Fat
I’ve never seen myself with abs, and it’s something I am highly interested in accomplishing. Well, at least once in my life. I’ve always been kind of big, and this will be the first time I’ll view myself as a fit adult.
Now, do I think I have the dedication and motivation to maintain a six-pack? Hell no. I like pasta too much. However, I would love to see if I can do it before I hit 50 years old. It’s one of those things that is on my bucket list before I die, mostly out of sheer morbid curiosity.
Getting under 15% body fat is along the lines of being athletic. Although I don’t think I’ll try out for the Denver Broncos as a running back, I want to be more physically capable. So, this isn’t too far outside the realm of possibility. It’ll be tough, as I am a desk jockey, but not impossible.
Breaking Personal Exercise Records
I have quite a few personal records saved in Exercise.com. Before I turn 50, I’d like to see how many of those I can shatter. A lot of them are bodyweight exercises, but I wouldn’t mind crushing a few weight-lifting records as well.
For instance, I think my highest number of push-ups in one set is currently 22. I’d love to see if I can get that up to 30 or more.
Keep in mind that when you’re challenging yourself for fitness, you’re only in competition with yourself. It doesn’t matter how fit anyone else is, as you’re focusing on improving your level of fitness. Who cares what what’s-his-face can deadlift? What matters is how much you can handle that is more than you did before.
Weekly Updates
To help keep me motivated, I’m going back to writing weekly updates on the journey. These will be scheduled for Tuesdays while talking about the previous week. I’m also debating uploading more shorts and videos, but that depends on how much time I have in the day.
I find that when I put more effort into the Crossing Colorado blog and YouTube channel, I am far more motivated to keep on track. Essentially, I’m using my audience to hold me accountable and have even scheduled the updates as part of my workday on Mondays.
Taking Myself Seriously
I haven’t really been taking my health and fitness seriously until recently. I am going to be 50 years old this summer, and it’s getting harder to ignore the passage of time. However, I don’t need to roll over and let time hit me up without lube.
If Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman can whip out Deadpool and Wolverine, I can do the same for some of the characters in my books. I wouldn’t mind playing Gaelun Valdoraan on YouTube as a short clip from the Witcham Chronicles.
The point is that I am trying to take myself more seriously across the board. I’ve labeled 2026 the Year of Action for myself, and it’s high-time that I followed the idea. That’s especially true as my time grows shorter with each passing week. There are a lot of things I want to do before I am put into a home with senility.
Who am I kidding? No one can afford elderly care here.
When it comes to health and fitness, the only one stopping you is yourself. No one has absolute control over whether you succeed or fail. It all comes down to how badly you want it. Do you want it bad enough to do something about it?
I do.
What Can I Do in 117 Days?
In the grand scheme of things, 16 and a half weeks isn’t a lot of time to get ripped. I’m not looking to turn myself into a bodybuilder or to look like a younger Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson by my birthday. However, I am curious what I can do in 117 days if I put in the effort and mindfulness to get fit.
Trust me, I have no delusions of grandeur. I’m old, tired, and have a few physical conditions working against me, such as secondary polycythemia. Still, I’m confident that I can make some headway in this challenge and case study.
Let’s just hope that I can keep my head in the game and make some grand things happen. I would love to be in the best shape of my life by my 50th birthday. Then again, that’s a pretty low bar. I’ve never been the pinnacle of health.
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