Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
Remember when I talked about not gorging on Thanksgiving? Well, I filled myself to the brim at dinner. Though, in my defense, I didn’t really eat anything beforehand. Nonetheless, I’m ready to start taking on the last six weeks of the year.
In the grand scheme of things, I really didn’t have that many calories and carbs last night. Part of that was because we forgot the pies. And this Thanksgiving was a bit disheveled simply because we didn’t have a lot of time to plan dinner.
I was supposed to be in Utah this week. So, it’s a slight miracle we were still able to slap something together for Thanksgiving, to begin with.
Anyway, it’s Friday morning, I just weighed myself, edited the 12-week fitness challenge spreadsheet, and am ready to see what I can do before December 1st.
In This Mini-Challenge, Time Management is Key
For the most part, I have the hardest time getting in exercise throughout the day because of time management. My day is pretty full, and I am easily sidetracked by some writing project or another.
For instance, writing is the first thing I think of when I wake up. If I don’t reel myself in a bit, I wind up blowing through my exercise window and forget to eat breakfast while hammering out a blog post or working on my next book.
This is especially true as of late. I’ve been on a roll with pushing myself to hit certain writing goals before the end of the year.
I need to get in the habit of sticking to the schedule that I created in Asana. It’ll give me plenty of time to work out and get things done. This means no books, blogs, or client work until 9 am.
I also need to make sure I am ready to head to the gym by 7 in the morning. Until I have the van fixed, my friend is giving me a ride on her way to work. I could walk the distance to Planet Fitness. I mean, it’s only a 7-minute walk from my house. How cold can it get?
Another thing I need to keep in mind is that I set the alarms on my phone at certain times for a reason. I need to stop turning them off to finish that “last paragraph,” and just do what needs to be done at that time.
This usually means taking a walking break around the backyard or putting in about 20 minutes or so of the Xbox Kinect.
Excited for New Case Studies Coming Up
I have a few ideas for new case studies that I’m pretty eager to start. A couple of them will run a bit parallel with each other. For instance, how much weight can I lose playing the Xbox also kicks off a muscle mass comparison?
Ever since I saw the muscle mass number on the Renpho scale, that’s all I can really think about. According to the scale, I was gaining 0.2 pounds of muscle per day playing the Kinect. I want to compare a week’s worth of those numbers against how much muscle I can add from going to the gym.
I know it’s pretty obvious which one will have the greater impact on muscle development. But I still find it quite interesting and can’t wait to share the results.
In this case study, it’ll be three parts:
- Playing the Xbox Kinect for one week
- Going to the Gym without Xbox for one week
- Going to the gym with playing the Xbox for one week
Of course, I’ll have it laid out better when I have all the data collected and share the post. And yes, I’m setting up a spreadsheet specifically for this case study to embed on the website.
I’ll also include the basic three macros of what I ate during any given day. So, perhaps we’ll see just how many grams of protein affect the next day’s muscle mass number.
I love data.
A Christmas Present to Myself
I’m going all-in on the next six weeks, mostly as a Christmas present to myself. I want to prove to myself that I can handle this and keep myself on track for longer than a week or two.
If I am able to sustain my eating habits and physical activity, I should close in on the 220-pound mark on Christmas morning. This means I’ll be starting 2023 in the 210s somewhere. And that is really exciting.
Of course, once I get to about 210 pounds, I’ll probably have to change my fitness goals. I am naturally a big guy with quite a bit of muscle mass, which is how I was able to carry 300+ pounds without looking the part.
With all of the gym and muscle work I’ll be doing soon, I highly doubt that I’ll ever be under 200. But by then, I’ll look like a lean running back.
The important thing to remember is that the scale isn’t always the best judge when it comes to losing fat. In fact, according to the BMI, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is obese.
Yep, I use that example a lot because it’s one of the most ridiculous things I can think of when it comes to fitness. But it’s a fact. The BMI is a flawed system and doesn’t take into consideration a lot of other variables.
Instead, focus more on photographic comparisons and how your clothes fit. Both of these are often a better indication of your fitness than merely how much you weigh.
Using Monday Updates on the Blog
As you probably know, I plan on getting CrossingColorado.com back to where it was pre-2018-algorithm-change. Part of this plan is to stick with a consistent publishing schedule. I think I’m going to start using the Monday posts as more of an update from the previous week.
Perhaps I can add a new category for “Monday Motivation.” The idea is to get you jazzed for the week as much as I am.
I wanted to upload update videos for YouTube on Sundays. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the time available. An update post, on the other hand, is incredibly easier to whip out while sharing how I accomplished certain goals and whatnot.
OK, I just talked myself into it, Monday Motivation it is.
Time to Get the Decorations Out!
So, there we have it. Yes, I overfilled the tank last night, but not to the point of yacking. I’m still at where I thought I would be in terms of weight and look forward to starting the next case study on Sunday.
In the meantime, the kids are up and it’s time to bust out the Christmas decorations. Have a great weekend, and be safe on this Black Friday.
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