Last Updated on September 29, 2025 by Michael Brockbank
Shortly after I decided to try a Christmas challenge, things went horribly wrong from the jump. So, I’ve changed it up a bit and decided we’ll do an End of Year Challenge instead. And I’m pretty stoked.
I know what you’re thinking; wouldn’t it be nice if I just finished something? And you’re right…it would be nice. Unfortunately, my life is simply too chaotic. Being able to schedule anything on a daily basis is virtually impossible at this point.
Nonetheless, I’ll keep trying these fitness challenges until I am able to actually complete one. And I’ve come close several times.
What is the End of Year Challenge for 2025?
Starting today, the focus is to see how much weight I can lose in 94 days and if I can make a visible impact on my physical prowess. According to Peloton, you can start to see “newbie gains” at around the six to eight week range. But I’m not exactly a newbie. In fact, I retain muscle mass better than a lot of folks thanks to genetics.
In other words, I hid my weight well at 300+ pounds. I had greater muscle mass that tipped the scale as opposed to the average man at my age and height. So, at least I have that working for me.
Anyway, the idea of the End of Year Challenge 2025 is two-fold: a) get down to the 210-pound range, and b) improve physical fitness.
For me, it’s more about living well and not dying. I’ll be hitting 50 in 2026, and I’m not in the best of shape, considering the physical complications I have. Two of the most pressing issues at the moment are secondary polycythemia and high cholesterol. The polycythemia is easy enough to treat by donating blood to the Children’s Hospital here in Denver. My ability to clot quickly and my blood type are quite sought after. So, I’m glad I can help the kids.
Then, there’s the fear of not physically handling an emergency well enough. Can I outrun that coming tidal wave? Can I trek my way out of a forest or through the desert if I survive a plane crash? Do I have the stamina to get my family to safety in the event of a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake?
Are my reflexes and skills good enough to fight back a zombie?
Anyway, long story short, I’m working on reducing body fat percentage while improving physical prowess. That means I’ll be working on breaking some personal records for various physical activities.
What’s the Plan and What Can I Do to Keep on Track?
This challenge is relatively simple until I get close to 210 pounds. That’s because I won’t know what my ideal weight is, given my body type and physique, until I lose more fat. According to the BMI, I should be 180 pounds. But with as much muscle as I have, that’s just not going to happen. At 180 pounds, I’d look like a cancer patient.
So, I’ll have to re-evaluate the methods as I continue to burn fat while retaining muscle.
Using the Point System
The point system I developed for the summer challenge actually worked quite well for several weeks. My issue was that I thought I could continue to make more points each week than I did in the last. Unfortunately, my chaotic lifestyle makes that virtually impossible unless I forgo sleep. I just have too much going on every week to commit to anything extra.
This time around, I am merely putting in the effort to generate more than 5,000 points each week. That is a sustainable level of activity as it includes steps for the day, as well as keeping my calories green according to my diet.
What Constitutes “Cardio” Activity?
During the summer, I was counting anything as a cardio activity. But if you’re standing still watering the garden, you’re not exactly burning a lot of calories. So, this time, I am only counting activities that elevate the heart beyond 105 BPM. That’s actually quite light, and is the equivalent of me walking at a pace of about 3 mph.
This is all according to the Fitbit Charge 6, which I found to be relatively accurate for my body type and physique. And because I track any activity outside of the normal routine, I can get a gauge of what works best for me and my lack of time.
Trying to Maintain My Diet Better
The few times I actually stuck to my diet plan, it worked exceptionally well. On average, I was burning about half a pound per day. Now that I am 49, I would like to see if that still holds true or if my age is going to be a deciding factor.
Then, there is the aspect of changing things up later when my body fat percentage goes to 20 or lower. Remember, I am not just looking to burn fat. I want to improve my physical strength and endurance, which will ultimately shape what the end game looks like.
Things for Daily Motivation
OK, what am I going to do to keep myself motivated this time around? I would love to finish a challenge for once, and can’t think of any better year to boost my morale than how I end 2025.
Here are a few things I’m toying with:
- Blogging more often
Blogging on this site seems to help keep me in the game longer, and I’m not just talking about weekly weight loss updates. - Involving YouTube
I would love to do more for the channel, as my audience can help keep me grounded and accountable. Plus, I would love to monetize the channel to help me retire from freelancing. - Prioritizing my health
I often skip exercise alarms and such in lieu of working. I need to make my health priority number one. I can’t help anyone if I’m dead from a heart attack or stroke. - Micro-case studies for my blogs
I would love to finish Oculus weight loss case studies and others during this challenge. It might prove to be worthwhile content to help me generate more income. - Consequences over rewards
I need to set up consequences if I don’t meet certain weekly goals. I am more apt at doing something if the consequence is great. Rewards simply don’t work for me. - Breaking personal records each week
I’ll have to find some records that I intend to break, and perhaps trying to do so will help fuel gamifying the workouts. - Disproving V Shred
I hate Vince and everything he stands for.
I’m sure I’ll have to come up with different motivations as the weeks continue. But I would truly love to finish this year strong and succeed. We’ll just have to see how motivated I am to make that happen.
Starting at 247.8 Pounds
Here we go; I’m starting at 247.8 pounds, which is still lower than I was when the year began. It’s way more than the 213 pounds I was at when I first bought my house in 2020, though. Can I get back down to that point in just over three months? I don’t know, to be honest. But I’m going to try to keep a positive attitude during the last part of this year.
I’m sure I’ll drop a bunch of weight in the beginning. I always do…as that’s what happens when you immediately shift eating habits and physical activity. The true test of whether I am staying the course will present itself during week two.
The weight-loss part of the challenge should be relatively simple. Eat less, move more. And if I can get back into the habit of being afraid of seeing the calories go negative in MyFitnessPal, I’ll lose fat quickly. It’s all a matter of self-care, if you think about it.
Will I care for myself enough to improve my health before the end of the year? I guess only time will tell. But as I write this today, I can say that I am all-in this time. Of course, I say that almost every time. So, you can’t really take my word for it. All we can do is take a look at my actions on the spreadsheet from one week to the next.
You can find the data for the End of Year Challenge on its page. I’ll be putting the link in the top nav bar as soon as I can.
Any Bets On What I Can Do in Three Months?
I have yet to complete a challenge I’ve set for myself. Sure, I’ve been able to keep off the last 80 pounds, but I’d like to be closer to a healthier weight, especially with the cardiovascular issues I have.
It’s getting harder to ignore the passage of time at 49. My years are numbered, and I need to decide how I want to spend the rest of them. The scary part is how a lot of folks died after 21.1 months of being diagnosed with secondary polycythemia. This is something I’ve lived with my entire life. When I was 12, the doctors said that I might have an issue with “thick blood” as I get older, but it wasn’t anything to worry about then.
Maybe I’m missing something somewhere…
Anyway, I plan on doing what I can to meet my goals to end 2025 on a high note. Let’s see if I can keep focused this time and do what needs to be done. At least, from a perspective of optimal health.
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