Last Updated on August 4, 2024 by Michael Brockbank
Well, things didn’t go according to plan this summer and turned into a dumpster fire. Everything was looking good until the Father’s Day event happened. Since then, it was a non-stop flow of chaos.
I mean, my life is pretty damn chaotic as it is, but the last couple of months have been ridiculous.
Needless to say, I just couldn’t keep the effort going. And most of it was things that were way outside of my scope of control.
I had some great plans this time around, too.
So, What Happens Next?
Currently, I’m keeping all of the data and information on the site. It’ll be on the same Summer of Effort page, along with the collection of weekly updates. However, I’ll more than likely rewrite them in 2025 when we try the Summer of Effort again.
Starting Monday, August 5th, we’ll be jumping into Hot 4 Halloween! It’s another 12-week fitness challenge that hopefully won’t get sidetracked by random elements of life. That’s because I’ll keep doing these challenges until I reach my damn goal.
There are no birthdays or holidays that should interfere with this challenge. And as long as people stay out of the emergency room or quit crashing cars, I think I have a good chance of completing this one at 100%!
As you can see on the new spreadsheet, there are no “cheat” days highlighted. This is going to be a 12-week grind, pure and simple. I’d love to show what a 48-year-old desk jockey can actually do in three months when he puts in the effort.
Plus, I’d love to do the body latex paint thing for Halloween and go as Venom.
What Will Keep Me On Task For Halloween?
Determination. I want to complete a fitness challenge and I’m not getting any younger.
Granted, a lot of chaos disrupted the flow during the Summer of Effort. However, there were plenty of times when I could have maintained myself better. So, yes, some of the failure this last time is purely my fault.
For the Halloween challenge, I am putting more thought into planning foods and exercises. I haven’t had the best track record for shooting from the hip and I think adding more solid structure will be of great benefit.
This means doing things like planning out my meals a week ahead of time, sticking to specific alarms on my phone for working out, and potentially getting more sleep. In fact, I should be buying a new bed in the next few days.
For one thing, planning out the meals will help me guarantee that I hit my protein intake every day. I’m currently terrible at making sure I get enough without a plan.
Plus, there are a lot of exciting things happening in my writing career over the next few months that have sparked a bit of energy and confidence.
The bottom line is that I would love to share more victories. I suppose I am being helpful by demonstrating just how difficult life can be when you’re working on losing weight and improving fitness. And I’ve been called an inspiration because I will never give up on trying to accomplish something.
But I would so love to say, “Yay, I did it” just once.
It’s funny; it’s almost like I am purposely making seasonal challenges as of late. Perhaps we should do one after Halloween called “Whoop-Ass Winter.” That actually sounds like a decent idea, and we can put in effort to maintain weight despite the holiday goodies.
Eh, how about we just finish the Halloween one first and go from there?
My Most Prominent Issues During a Challenge
The key to success is learning from your failures. At which point, they are no longer failures but learning experiences. The trick is to implement what held you back when making subsequent attempts.
So, what are some of the things I learned this time around?
A Lack of Sleep Is Detrimental
I’ve struggled with a lack of sleep for quite some time. Between my own mind and the extremely hard bed, it’s exceptionally difficult to get more than six hours of sleep each night.
How am I going to address a lack of sleep?
- Sleepytime Tea at 8:45 pm
If I can stick with my alarm at 8:45 to drink a glass of Sleepytime Tea and read a book, I’ll get a lot more sleep than average. - 9:30 pm Cut-off Sunday through Thursday
No matter what, I have to be in bed by 9:30 pm. Even in a crappy bed, I’ll get more sleep than normal. - Buying a new bedroom set
I’m pretty excited about getting my bedroom set this week. I look forward to not waking up with various pains and tension.
Adapting to Stress a Bit Better
To say that I’ve been stressed out lately is an understatement. And although I managed to keep myself from stress eating (which I often do), I still could have done much better to curb a few behaviors.
What can I do to adapt to stress?
- More meditation
I haven’t been meditating as often as I had in the past. I need to start doing more as a way to help me relax. - Not using stress as an excuse
It’s easy to fall back on giving yourself an excuse to not exercise or diet because of stress. But it doesn’t have to be. - More sleep
A lack of sleep is already stressful, but a tired mind doesn’t handle external stresses well. Luckily, I think I have a plan for more sleep.
A Lack of Willpower to Say No
I am easily sidetracked, especially when the kids come over and want to order a pizza or Taco Bell. I need to stop letting others influence my progress in such a way.
What are some things I’ll try this time around?
- Remembering why I am doing this challenge in the first place
- Not indulging too much when that pizza is ordered – two slices is more than enough
- Not getting tempted to dine out because it’s too hot to cook
I think my lack of willpower is one of my biggest faults. But it’s something I’ve been working on as of late, and I believe that I can manage myself during this next challenge.
Let’s Get It Into Gear!
I’m pretty excited to start Hot 4 Halloween. Nothing I have planned is outside of the scope of what I can handle. It all comes down to determination and motivation to continue. I can’t let stressful events and chaos control how everything unfolds.
That’s mostly why everything this time around is more focused on weekly averages and not daily accomplishments. I’m sure there will be days when things go south and make getting steps or eating fewer carbs more difficult. But as long as I can compensate throughout the week, I should still hit some goals.
And let’s not forget that I will be getting a whole bedroom set complete with a bed inside the next week. I might be able to sleep for longer than six hours for a change!
The plan is set, the spreadsheet is ready for numbers, and I’m psyching myself up to whoop some ass this time. I am the only one who can make or break this challenge. I just need to remember that.
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