Week 4 of 12: Still Struggling, But Not Giving Up!

Last Updated on April 8, 2024 by Michael Brockbank

This last week was a bit of a struggle. I’m not exactly sure how or why I fell apart, but I still lost 1.6 pounds from the week before. So, I suppose I can still call that a win despite being heavier than when I started this challenge.

It’s the little wins that you need to relish as they’ll help you build momentum toward something more grandiose.

How you persevere when things go wrong plays a role in how you succeed. And since I refuse to give up, I’ll keep trying until I reach a few goals.

Perhaps it’s fate that today was a solar eclipse for much of the world. Maybe this could be an omen of things to change for me. After all, everyone else seems to have conspiracy theories about today.

Seriously, though, I could use it as a sign to stir up some motivation to “eclipse” what I’ve accomplished in the past. Unfortunately, the scientist in me doesn’t see it as a sign but more of the fact that a solar eclipse happens all the time, relatively speaking. Still, convincing myself that it could be a sign may have a positive impact on me.

Eh…it’s cool, nonetheless.

How I Lost 1.6 Pounds This Week

So, I wasn’t exactly on the ball this past week with my diet or exercise. I’m not exactly sure what happened or why I couldn’t get anything kicked into gear. I guess I’ll just have to chalk last week up to sometimes, shit happens.

Still, I managed to shave off 1.6 pounds from where I was last week after gorging myself on Easter goodness. This was partially due to keeping green for a couple of days and racking up quite a few steps – before I fell apart on Friday.

Technically, I should still hit my goal weight by the end of this challenge. That is as long as I maintain my eating and physical activity. However, it also means I’m going to need to dial my effort to 11 and do a bit more if I want that summer, superhero body.

I would so love to talk more about my accomplishments instead of my shortcomings. But hey, we’re only human, right?

Right?

What Are the Goals for This Week?

This week, I’m going to keep it simple yet effective. I need to start building momentum and prove to myself that I can hit a few of my personal goals. I’ve done it before, it’s time to do it again.

It all comes down to how seriously I decide to take myself. And perhaps I need to start reminding myself of the fun things I want to do in the near future that I can’t necessarily do without shedding the weight.

For one thing, I would love to prove V Shred wrong – although most fitness influencers on YouTube have already done that in spades. Still, I know how accomplished I’ll feel once I hit my goals.

I mean, I’m already proud that I haven’t ballooned back up to 300 pounds. But I know I could do far better…if I just gave a damn.

Keep the Week Green No Matter What!

This week, I’m focusing on keeping my calories in the green for seven straight days. I haven’t done this in a very long time and came awfully close during week one.

I know, I said this last week as well, but it’s pretty much a standing goal of mine.

The reason why I put so much emphasis on my Net 600 Calorie Diet is because I know how effective it is for me. It’s how I lost a massive amount of weight. My problem today is that I have a hard time trying to get into the right mindset.

It’s all about finding that reason to care. We even did a show about finding your “why” when it comes to losing weight.

In any case, let’s see if I can do something this week to get the momentum going again. Eight weeks to lose 30+ pounds? It’s not entirely impossible without hurting or starving myself.

More Oculus for Case Study

I am currently collecting data for a case study using the Oculus for ColoradoPlays.com. I am almost done with the data for the normal difficulty. Then, I’m either going to start another 20 recorded games on the harder difficulty or by using weighted gloves.

To be honest, I’m really interested in seeing the data from both of the next sessions. So, perhaps I’ll do them both by going back and forth throughout the week.

Either way, I’m burning quite a few calories playing Beat Saber. It ranks right up there with Virtual Smash, and you know how much I love that game. I just wish my son wasn’t camped out in my living room. I’d love to get back into playing some Kinect.

Regular Nightly Updates on YouTube

I enjoy making the YouTube Shorts of my day. Amazingly, I’ve even accumulated a few views and subscribers. It makes me wish I had more time to make actual Crossing Colorado YouTube videos.

But, let’s not add any more to an overflowing plate. Perhaps this summer I’ll be able to put a few regular videos out. Right now, though, I am focused on publishing my next three books.

Anyway, the plan is to try to use my 8:45 PM alarm like I wanted to last week to remind me to upload a Short. If I can get that to become a habit, I bet a lot of things will change throughout the week.

For one thing, I love the idea of being able to read a book while drinking my Sleepytime Tea before going to bed. The few times I was able to do it last week were awesome.

Enough Talk – Time for Action

Next week, I hope to share some accomplishments instead of just re-hashing the same issues over and over. This broken record needs to be trashed and a new one spinning on the table.

Let’s see if I can actually stick with my plans and get something going. Can I find that spark that once ignited an inferno when I lost 20 pounds in a month and a half?

I guess that depends on the kindling I’m using this time around.

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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