Fuck. I just weighed in at 243.4 lbs. For context, I’m a 5’8″ 45-year-old man.
I knew I was heavier than I want to be – I can only button a couple of pairs of my pants at the moment – but holy crap. It’s no exaggeration when I say that this is the heaviest I’ve ever been.
So, I know that a weight loss New Year’s resolution is as cliche as the villain who monologues until the hero can escape. And as likely to succeed. BUT! Things are different this time. No, seriously. Quit laughing.
I have recently found myself with more time, more freedom, and less direct responsibility than I’ve had my entire life. I get to do the things I want to do, and there are SO MANY things I want to do. I intend to spend the next couple of years, at least, to explore and learn and grow. (And shrink.) The entire purpose of this page is to document this journey.
One of the core things I’m focusing on is my health, both physical and mental. That means eating better, sleeping better, getting more exercise. And losing some weight.
I’ve got at least 50 pounds I want to lose. It may be a bit more than that, but I’m starting at 50. They say that 1-2 pounds a week is a healthy, achievable, sustainable goal. I want to give myself the best chance at success, so my goal is to lose 50lbs in 2023. Approximately a pound a week.
But let’s make it interesting. Let’s put some money on it.
I’m not particularly motivated by money. What I AM motivated by are adventures and new experiences, and some of those happen to cost money.
So, here’s the plan. 50 pounds in 50 weeks. (Rounding down for simplicity.) I’m going to assign $100 per pound, or a total of $5000 for the full 50 lbs.
I’m going to set a series of goals through the year based on losing approximately one pound a week. I’ll weigh in at these intervals, and when I’ve hit the goals, I’ll reward myself with $100 per pound toward an adventure. When I fall short, I’ll donate $100 per pound to a person or organization.
It’s not going to be quite as straightforward as 1 week = 1 lb = $100. As clean and straightforward as that is, it’s not how weight loss works. I know from experience that I’ll be able to drop 20 pounds or so in a few weeks without having to try very hard. Gaining or losing 20 pounds isn’t that hard. I don’t want to get way ahead, then feel like I can coast for a while.
On the other side, if I get behind, I want to be able to catch up again. If I have a rough 2 months and am 8-10 pounds behind, I don’t want to remain behind and continue to lose, which defeats the entire purpose of this exercise.
So, here’s what I have in mind. We do it in 2-month chunks.
I will weigh in on Sunday, January 1 for my official starting weight. My goal is to lose 10 pounds by the last Sunday in February, which is the 26th. That’s a goal of losing 10lbs in 8 weeks. On the 26th, for every pound I’ve lost, I’ll put $100 into my adventure fund. For every pound I’m short of the goal, I’ll give away $100. Then I’ll set the goal for the next 2 months. Or set a date for the next 10 pounds. Whatever makes the most sense.
I’ll figure out more details tomorrow, and see about getting this out in the world in case people want to follow along.