Starting the Year at 238 Pounds, What Can I Do in 3 Months?

Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank

I’m almost afraid to write this blog post. It seems I don’t have the best of luck when I try to inspire myself to lose weight and write about it. But here we are, starting the year at 238 pounds even. Guess I should be grateful that I didn’t add more over the last couple of months.

I had a feeling this last attempt at my 12-Week Fitness Challenge was going to be difficult through the holidays. But I had to go through more than just holiday snacking.

I lost my stepdad to COVID complications just before Thanksgiving, I stressed quite a bit about publishing my first book, and I had to deal with a lot of other stuff during that time.

Needless to say, the fitness challenge really didn’t get far.

However, it’s a new year, a new attitude, and a new me. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been more positive and inspired to make things happen as I do now.

What Has Changed Since the Last Challenge?

Although the last quarter of 2021 was a difficult one to push through, I still had quite a successful year. Well, at least from a professional perspective.

When listing out everything I accomplished in 2021, it fills me with a great sense of pride. Especially when you consider that I really didn’t plan for any of it outside of writing more words throughout the year.

Perhaps it made me realize just how much I can handle while still keeping forward momentum.

Regardless of how it came about, I am in an incredibly positive mindset. It’s almost like I feel as though I’m unstoppable!

I also came to the realization that I do accomplish some of the biggest challenges I put to myself. Well, from the professional standpoint. So, what’s stopping me from putting in the same effort in my personal life?

To be perfectly honest, I have no clue.

I do know that I am exceptionally jazzed about giving the 12-Week Fitness Challenge another go. Maybe I just needed that kickstart to prove to myself that I am capable of so much more.

I’m telling ya, publishing my first book made a massive impact on my mindset.

What Am I Doing for This Next Fitness Challenge?

Not a lot is changing from all of my attempts before. I’m still using the spreadsheet I’m sharing in the nav bar above so everyone can see my progress.

Essentially, I’m sticking with my Net 600 Calorie Diet while increasing my physical activity. I’m even adding workout times to Asana so I remember I need to do them.

That’s one of the goals I have for this year, by the way. Time management.

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been able to stick to my work schedule relatively well, and have been far more productive because of it. Adding my workouts to the schedule keeps them in mind.

In reality, the workouts and data tracking I’m using for the challenge is “production” time because I’m using that information for future blog posts and videos.

Adding the Oculus to the Mix

My son gave me an Oculus Quest 2 for Christmas, and there are quite a few VR fitness games I want to try out. Mostly because I want to compare calorie burn in VR versus using the Kinect.

So far, it’s been a fun experience. Though, I wish I didn’t have to wear my glasses while using the device. It’s incredibly uncomfortable.

I’ll be doing a review on the Oculus in the next week or two on ColoradoPlays.com.

Still, I know some people who swear up and down that VR fitness is the best workout. I guess we’ll have to see what the data says from my personal experience.

In any case, it’s movement, and I’m really excited to see what I can do with the Oculus.

More Reviews Are Coming!

I’m not going back to hardcore Keto, but my friend, Sam, is. And I promised that I would be supportive and try some of the Keto things she’ll be doing this year.

That means more reviews on Keto products.

I also want to start looking at more home workout equipment and various supplements. Although I’m not a big fan of popping pills, there are a few things that I really enjoy using.

For example, I still drink Emerge almost on a daily basis. One article I want to write is comparing the three pre-workout supplements I try here at the house.

Anyway, I do plan on doing far more for the website and YouTube channel this year. I know I’ve said that before, but it’s all part of my “productivity” streak I’ve been on recently.

When is Sam Taking to the Blog?

This year, Sam wants to document her experiences with Keto and weight loss. So, she’ll be adding content to both the blog and YouTube channel. We’ve weighed ourselves this morning and started taking “before” pics for future comparison.

I’m not sure when she’ll want to start uploading content. This weekend, we’re all pretty busy. But I assume that it’ll be in the next few days or so.

I’m actually quite excited to see how well she does overall. Sam usually drops weight rather quickly while on Keto, and it’s something she enjoys doing.

That’s the real trick to getting any diet or workout routine to work: finding one that works for you.

If you’re not feeling it, you won’t get very far. In the grand scheme of things, 90% of success is mental. You have to be in the right mindset to get anywhere. Otherwise, you’ll have a far more difficult time succeeding.

My Weekly Updates

I’ll be uploading videos on Sundays, but I’ll probably do the blog updates on Saturdays. Because of my schedule, this is going to be the best schedule for now.

Since I started this 12-week fitness challenge on a Saturday, it only makes sense to push out my updates on the same day.

And yes, I’ll be going back to the weekly photo comparisons. I kind of liked doing them, especially when some of the results were very obvious.

Let’s Make 2022 the Best Year Yet!

I have never been so positive when starting the year. Sure, 365 days ago, I was in a good headspace…and I accomplished a lot because of it. This year feels very different overall, but in a positive way.

I mean, we’re talking Tony Robbins type of positivity this time around.

Let’s make this year something we can look back on with pride. For some of us, that’s going to be difficult since we accomplished so much in 2021. However, I know we can do it and feel better about ourselves.

Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

About Author

Michael Brockbank

Since 2015, Michael has put in the effort to lose more than 80 pounds by gamifying fitness and eating proper portion sizes. He conducts extensive research into various health and fitness products to provide the best answers possible according to his own experience and knowledge.

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