Gaining Streak
If I had a switch, I’d be whipping myself with it right now.
You see, the company where I work has us set objectives at the beginning of each quarter. Your effectiveness as an employee is measured by whether you deliver on those objectives.
In my particular case, the objectives I’ve been laying out have all pointed toward one big fat deliverable at the end of my first year here.
That big fat deliverable is due to go live this Saturday.
As you might suppose (based on how often I’m getting friends to substitute for me here), I’m a little busy. A little stressed.
So, yesterday afternoon, after giving a presentation to the company of what my job is about and how it’s going to turn everyone’s lives upside down next Monday, I felt a little relieved. I felt a little entitled to treating myself.
And that’s when the HR director opened the big box of chocolate-fudge brownies with mint chocolate frosting.
Suffice it to say that I showed everyone in the company what I am capable of when I really apply myself to a task.
Or, if you want me to be a little less vague, how about this: I ate between five and eight brownies.
Some people fled the room in horror. Those who remained will have nightmares for the rest of their lives.
Then, when I got home, I went into full-on junkfood inhalation mode. Swedish fish (my favorite non-chocolate candy) by the handsful. Miniature marshmallows (which I don’t even particularly care for). Pop tarts. There was more, but my memory’s a little hazy.
In short, I was a nutritional train wreck.
I’m paying for it today: 164.2 pounds. Which means I’m now looking at a high likelihood of having a net gain in weight for the month of March, a slower time on my TT, and an awesome opportunity for my B7 competitors to leave me in the dust.
Re-Finding the Rhythm
From January to the beginning of March, I was the model dieter / exerciser. I had this losing streak (i.e., losing weight, not being more and more of a loser) going, and getting big results.
Then there was the two week trip.
When I got back, I made some noise about how well I managed to keep the weight off. Even as I did that, though, part of me knew that I was not in the clear. Not even close.
You see, once you break a diet streak, starting a new streak is exponentially more difficult. So far, I have not been able to do it. Every day I start with good intentions, and by the time I get halfway through the day, I’ve blown it. Yesterday wasn’t my first failure, just my most spectacular.
But now I’ve got new motivation. I’m talking with Rick Sunderlage (not his real name) about doing the Kokopelli Trail Race, a 142-mile self-supported mountain bike race on the Kokopelli Trail, together. Dug’s toying with the idea. Kenny will be doing it for sure.
I would not want to do this race in anything but the best shape I can possibly be in.
The race is May 19. That is not a lot of time.
So today, I plan to re-start my losing streak. This time, I’m hoping it’ll take.
Comment by BotchedExperiment | 03.28.2007 | 8:21 am
Ah, yes. Comforting. This is the self-defeating Fatty we know and uhm, appreciate. Hey, don’t worry about it. Leadville is MONTHS away. Months. And that KTR thing is stupid anyway.
Comment by axel | 03.28.2007 | 8:29 am
make sure you have more glucose than Kenny on his epic.
Brownies contain glucose.
Minimarshmallows contain glucose, but less than big ones
Pop tarts do, not sure about swedish fish.
Keep going, your preparation is fine…
Comment by Chris | 03.28.2007 | 8:32 am
I love Swedish Fish too!!!
Comment by Chris | 03.28.2007 | 8:41 am
I did the Kokopelli Trail with full support in the course of a week several years ago. It was awesome. Very good trail with lots of variation.
Have fun in the rcae.
Comment by dug | 03.28.2007 | 8:56 am
you realize the ktr is going the other way this year, right? north to south? which means ALL the big climbing is second half, heat of day. up from dewey bridge, up beaver mesa, up la sal.
oh, but at least you get to coast the last 5 miles (out of 140) down into moab. whew.
let’s do it and cheat, see if we can shatter the new guy’s illusions about the spirit of mountain biking, and get him to quit too.
Comment by neil on wheels | 03.28.2007 | 9:49 am
Fatty, it happens. I’ve had my share of food-benders during my 50+ lb weight-loss. Realize what you’re doing, and then stop. Over the long run, this is merely a blip in the radar.
I’ve found that if I go about two days without sweets, I don’t miss them. But once I get my hands on something sweet, it leads to the next…and the next…you see where I’m going.
axel, care to educate the rest of us on glucose?
Comment by Al Maviva | 03.28.2007 | 9:52 am
Cool.
Why don’t you get Kenny to pre-ride the course for you? Y’know, just to tell you how it looks, where the tough spots are, where you can cruise a bit, and where you’re likely to get so hungry that you resort to autocannibalism and eat your own left leg… (Shoulda brought more Gu… dagnabit… hey, Dug, pass me some of my achilles tendon, will you? It’s delightfully crispy…)
Comment by jill | 03.28.2007 | 10:12 am
Wow … you’re doing the KTR? That race seems like a true super-heated death march. Should be a lot of fun.
I guess that means you’re probably not interested in riding the White Rim on May 5. (Although, two weeks prior, you could look at it as a nice taper ride. Probably not but … don’t know if I’ll be up to it either.)
Comment by Lars | 03.28.2007 | 10:37 am
Binge eating is normally caused by boredom. The best solution is to have sex instead of eating. This may be more difficult at work.
Comment by Rick S. | 03.28.2007 | 12:28 pm
that’s the great thing about being a cyclist. You can eat like crap and justify it. This morning, on my way to spin class at 5:00am, I polished off a set of pop-tarts and a diet Mt. Dew. Pop-tarts are pretty much the breakfast of champions.
I wonder how many pop-tarts I can stuff in my jeresey pockets for the KTR.
Comment by Mrs. Coach | 03.28.2007 | 12:29 pm
Good job on your presentation. I wish I could say the same about your diet. Not like I have a lot of room to talk. I bought 2 Ben & Jerry’s last night. I wanted cold stone, but they don’t have any on the west side. Bummer.
You know what you’re supposed to do with mini marshmallows? Put them in chocolate milk! I love it. And Bob says chocolate milk is a good recovery drink. And if Bob says it, it must be true.
I finally have a goal of my own to lose weight. My work is paying for those of us who would like to run in the SLC 5k. I have two goals. 1- run the entire thing. 2- beat most of the people here at work. There are a couple that are marathon runners and I’m ok if they beat me. So I’ve been running and doing aqua aerobics. Does that make me a geek?
Comment by Mrs. Coach | 03.28.2007 | 12:30 pm
Oh, and how is saying 5-8 brownies less vague? Alright well it is *less* vague. But its still vague.
Comment by Dave Nice | 03.28.2007 | 12:54 pm
I’ll be There….. On the fixie so there well be someone slower then you even if you keep your junk food fest going =)
Comment by LMouse | 03.28.2007 | 1:39 pm
It’s trite, but try to remember “Nothing tastes as good as fit feels.”
Show ‘em what you got, Kid. Go fer it!
Comment by dkirkavitch | 03.28.2007 | 2:25 pm
Hey Fatty,
I know, you are just setting us up. Just like the two week business trip thing. You’ll be at 155 in no time. Us B7ers don’t have a chance! Have fun on the KTR in May. I’ve got the time off to do the GLR in June.
Comment by Lins | 03.28.2007 | 2:29 pm
The Kokapelli Trail Race sounds like a good place to re-start or kick start a diet. No shops, no refrigerator or a pantry to raid but take the minature marshmellows: if all goes to hell during the race you could toast them on a minature fire.
Comment by KatieA | 03.28.2007 | 5:33 pm
*rubbing hands together with glee*
I find it fun that I’m just reading through your blog and some TAFE Fitness work (whilst I’m at work, but hey, I have no boss for three weeks, I get to do what I want!) and they’re very interrelated.
The topic of my TAFE FItness notes: Motivational Psychology – The Stages of Change.
There are six stages – pre-contemplation (not yet thinking about changing), contemplation (thinking about it offhand), determination (the decision point), action (doing the change), maintenance (keeping it up) and then relapse or permanent change. Apparently, in research with smokers, they found that they tend to relapse between 3 and 7 times…
But, I’m not here to judge. I’m with you FC! I used to weigh 140kg (300lbs) and it took about 2-3 years to put that weight on. It’s taking/taken me 7 years to get to 95kg, simply because I sometimes think “gee, I earned that brownie.”
Comment by LoPhat | 03.28.2007 | 6:25 pm
My diagnosis:
The diet that you are on is too different from what you were eating before, and therefore you are making a *big* change, and big changes are 1) hard to make and therefore b) easier to fall back from and iii) when you fall back, you’ve gone all the way to square zero.
Small changes are less of an imposition, and therefore more likely to persist. Whole wheat bread for white bread. Granola instead of sugar cereal. etc.
Of course, that’s likely to be less gratifying for the rest of us.
E
Comment by Jsun | 03.28.2007 | 8:37 pm
You are a fat slob with no will power and no pedal power.
You worthless eight-brownie-eating, coaster-braked, bungee bellied bum.
You don’t know diddly about bikes or your job.
Now go eat another handful of junkfood because your high-season is over.
(All these ‘you can do it’ comments don’t work for you, glad I could help, wuss;)
Comment by Weean | 03.28.2007 | 11:02 pm
I’m really happy for you, Fatty.
As important as this blog is to you, I’m sure you don’t let it define you. Still, you were (are) dangerously close to having to call this blog ex-fatcyclist.com
I appreciate you have quite a lot *invested* in this whole B7 thing, but I hope we can look forward to reports of a spectacular binge the weekend after it all finishes.
You’re human, that’s why we love you
Comment by Big Mike In Oz | 03.29.2007 | 3:36 am
You’re going to ride with Kenny? I thought you proof read all the stuff that you put on this blog. Go back and re-read yesterdays entry and then have a long, careful think about riding with Kenny. Perhaps even get your wife to read it and then if you can convince her that it’s a good idea maybe you’ll get some sympathy when one of you winds up getting helicoptered off the mountain.
Comment by Lurch | 03.29.2007 | 4:23 am
I’ve got a spare switch, where ya want it sent?
About the KTR, have a great time. I love that trail. I’ve done it in both directions and agree that if they have reversed the race, you are in for a particular treat. First time I did it was a 2 dayer in April, only saw a couple other groups.
Would love to do it again some day, but the list of trails is long and think Durango to Moab will get done again first.
I think just deciding to do KTR should ENTITLE you to a couple more brownies. Gotta store up that “Glucose”.
Lurch
Comment by Born 4 Lycra | 03.29.2007 | 4:46 am
It’s only two days until April. Then I can say I get my FC top next month. Which begs the question will Kokopelli see the first ever public appearance of Team Fat Cyclist? Assuming that D K and R bought them.
Comment by Al Maviva | 03.29.2007 | 4:47 am
Lars Said>>>>>>Binge eating is normally caused by boredom. The best solution is to have sex instead of eating. This may be more difficult at work.
I don’t agree with that at all Lars. I’m constantly getting screwed and diddled by my clients, to the extent that it’s getting a bit boring. So I tend to eat a lot.
Comment by barry1021 | 03.29.2007 | 5:30 am
Told ya he would peak too early. He’ll be 173 by the weekend…..he still hasn’t hit his M&M stash…..
b21
Comment by GeekCyclist | 03.29.2007 | 5:42 am
I think it the April numbers will be very interesting. I know that in my history I usually hit a plateau after about 8 weeks, and it also seems like there is about a 5-7 day lag from when the diligence decreases until the weight starts to increase.
I bounced up to 224 after hitting 221 early in the month. Spent about 2.5 weeks + or – 1.5 pounds of that before I took the step of extending my two longer, easier sessions a week by about 20 min. That small change put me back on the downward slope again.
I wonder how many other B7 participants hit a solid plateau this month…
Oh, and Lars, you made Diet Mtn Dew come right out my nose.
Comment by SYJ | 03.29.2007 | 8:37 am
While I hate to see anyone go through this mid-march doldrum period (even the guy I stand to lose $50 to), I must admit that misery does indeed love company. Geek that I am, I’ve been charting my weight since January in Excel. Thus far, after a steep drop over Jan-Fab, my weight profile is beginning to look disturbingly like an EKG. Drop…spike…repeat. Hopefully, now that Winter has had it’s last hurrah, the weight loss will start again in earnest in the next couple of weeks.
SYJ
Comment by bikemike | 03.29.2007 | 12:32 pm
if this blog were to change to “Thincyclist”, i would not read it.
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Comment by em | 09.9.2008 | 9:06 pm
Wow, this is exactly how I feel. I’ll inhale anything – especially poptarts and even mini marshmallows which I don’t find particularly tasty.
When I’m on a losing streak I’m awesome – eating NO refined starches or sugars, no high fat dairy or meats, 7+ fruits and veggies. Plus, about 4+ cardio sessions a week and 3+ strength sessions. I can lose about 2 – 3 lbs a week like this. Then, I get on a bad streak and un-do about two weeks of hard work with two days of binge eating. UGh!