IMUnaware

Weigh-in Wednesday - 235.4. Essentially unchanged. not terrible though considering I had a house warming party this weekend and had another day when I went considerably off plan. I just need to redouble my efforts. I have gotten to Yoga twice per week so far, and I am making progress on pushups (only 36 so far) and pull ups (actually pretty good, did 5/3/2/1, that's great for me).

Weigh-in Wednesday - 235.2 Progress. Within standard fluctuations but hopefully we'll see a trend developing over the next two weeks. Nice to be going in the right direction. I've knocked out my push-ups all three days so far, and my pull ups are actually two sets now - 4 then 3. I'll try to get that higher as I can. Oh, and I went to Yoga on Monday. Small steps so far, but good ones.

The play is "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin. It's a very tightly written thriller. Lots of twists you don't see coming. Witty, fast paced, and well written throughout. I'm playing Clifford, the younger writer. There's a movie version with Michael Cain and Christopher Reeve.

I used to be active here a while ago, and then I stopped. Partly it was just getting busy with other things, partly it was having other goals. I probably haven't been around here for quite some time. I have stayed active (I still run, regularly went to the gym, stuff like that), but things have been back sliding a bit and I need another group to help me with accountability. SO, 1) I moved, and I'm no longer close to a reasonably priced gym. But the big one is 2) I'm in a play that opens in September and I have to lose weight for it. Some of you may remember I'm an actor. Ok who am I kidding you don't. But I am! SO, anyway, I'm in Deathtrap (which is a brilliant play and loads of fun btw) and one of my lines is "I'm one writer who's not going to get flabby. I work out with weights every morning." Also, I'm going to have my shirt off for part of the show. It opens September 18. So... yeah. Motivation right there. The funny thing is, I'm late for the challenge but in a way I started on time. I put on FB that I was trying to lose weight, and I posted my current weight on Wednesday ("weigh-in Wednesdays"!). So, my goal is to lose weight. My weigh in on Wednesday was 238.5. My goal for September 16 (a bit past the challenge deadline) is 218. That's... aggressive. Like, I am fully aware it's probable I won't hit it. But it honestly is my goal. To be really happy about my shape for the show I'd honestly want to be under 210, but that's REALLY unrealistic. As long as I work towards it consistently and I make progress, not hitting it won't be the end of the world. I'll say my goal for the challenge will be to hit 222. Again, probably won't happen but if I aim high and miss I'll at least get close. HOPEFULLY I won't let the fact that I am not hitting the goal discourage me. I don't think it will, and with the fact that I'll actually have a show looming, I think I can stay motivated. My life goals are - 1) work on my lines for the play so I do a great job (obviously). 2) Get my monologues chosen for applying to MFA programs in January. SO goals: 1) Get to 222lbs by the end of the challenge. Strict diet, low in calories. Calories in - calories out has always worked for me in the past. 2) Go to yoga at least 2 times a week. 3) Do push ups and pull ups 5 days a week (6 and 7 days/wk for the bonus). I'm starting with 30 push ups, will add one each day. I'm starting with 3 pull ups. I'll add as I can. Life goals - Work do a great job with the play while maintaining good work/life balance.

My last challenge is here. I dropped out of the updating, and I dropped the challenge a bit early. I basically lasted until about two weeks from opening, but after that the play plus work took up too much time. It was a great experience though. Here are a couple of photos from my experience being a hero. Hope this works... This is me in regal costume: This is an action shot from rehearsal. I wish I had one from performance.

Ok, I kind of dropped off the last challenge I entered (which was one challenge ago, not the most recent one). But I DID like the motivation, and I really did kick ass pretty much in my last show. I'll post some pictures of me in my last show when I get a chance. Sadly I don't think I got a good one of me in armor (I was only in armor/fighting for one scene) but I have a lot in my "kingly" garb. I'm in rehearsal for my next show. We're opening September 4th as it happens. So again we're lined up well with my show. Goal 1: Kick ass on my show. I've got a nice part and I'm working with a company I've never worked with before. They're very good, one of the more desirable companies in the area, so it's a great opportunity. sub goal: Sign up for auditions for grad school. I did this last year and didn't get in, so I'm trying again this year. Goal 2: Go to the gym 5 days a week. The first week it's just going to be cardio. I really enjoyed P90X and I'm going to keep doing two of the work outs (Chest and Back, and Shoulders/Bi/Tri) each week, but I am experiencing a bit of tendonitis in my elbow right now, so I'm giving it a rest for a week. Goal 3: No vending machine challenge. I developed good habits that I have MOSTLY been sticking to, but I'm starting to backslide a bit. Bonus: 40 in 40. Starting with next Sunday (week off etc) I'm going to do 7 pull ups and add one pull up every day of the challenge. The goal (I hope) is to do 40 pull ups on the day of my 40th birthday. Not all at once. As many sets as I need. This seems insanely aggressive (right now I can do 5 maybe 6 at one go) and I may well fail at this, but we will see. It would be kind of cool, but setting one's goal as an arbitrary number to match one's age might not make a ton of sense. We'll see. Ok, that's it. Best of luck to everyone.

The bad: My friends got engaged on Saturday and another had a birthday that night (well THAT is good) and I broke my no liquid calories rule. Just for that day, but I broke it pretty solidly. I also showed it's not just the calories from beer/wine, but the food I order because my inhibitions are lowered. Not good diet wise, though I did have fun. The good: 5k time was 26:56. Not near a PR, but it was a hilly course and it was in the middle of the day. Not terrible really. And I was second in my age group! So not so bad. I did tweak my ankle a bit. not terrible, but my Achilles gets sore sometimes after I run, and I was hobbling around yesterday and couldn't work out. But today I was able to yoga and I feel great. This week is sort of a recuperation week in P90X (which means it's hard but not crazy hard) and then the last 4 weeks of P90X start next Monday. Rehearsal is going well and I'm excited for the show. It's really coming together. All the best to everyone! -Brook

Between rehearsal, working out, and, well, working, I've been pretty busy. I'd like to update once a week, but obviously other things take priority as long as I'm doing well working towards my goals. Thus far: 1) Good! I've been busting it out on P90X. I substituted elliptical last week for plyo, which is a pretty big step down in intensity, but because of the time and how I was feeling (sore Achilles) I didn't want to jump around. I'm definitely getting stronger and fitter, though plyo totally still kicked my ass today. 2) Good! I've had a few cadbury cream eggs (a weakness) but thankfully they disappear after Easter. Still nothing from the vending machine, which is really a habit I want to keep, and NO liquid calories so far. It's going to be hard to keep up that one, but I think I can do it. :-) 3) Good! I did sign up for the Sunday night class. It will only conflict if we have a rain out of Two Nobel Kinsmen, so keeping my fingers crossed there (Sunday nights are the rain dates). I feel like we're really getting into the meat of it with our rehearsal schedule now (running Act I tomorrow night), but I'm feeling good. I just need to stay focused on being aware of my fellow actors and supporting their choices with my reactions. I feel like the Improv Class has really helped bring me mindfulness of this aspect of acting, and I want to build on that. Side quest: I ran 5k (around my neighborhood) last weekend under an 8min/mile pace, so that's encouraging. Hope the weather isn't too hot on Sunday. I might actually get that PR! Other stuff: I'm moving soon. The house I've been renting has sold, but I found a GREAT place to live with another friend, so really I'm pretty excited about that. No yard (which will make my cat sad, but me happy ... no GRASS TO MOW), but a great three bedroom townhouse that's really affordable. That's it. I'm feeling really good about this so far!

Ok, so last challenge was about getting fit for my next show. This challenge is about doing the show. The story thus far: I am an attorney, but I'm an actor, and I want to direct my life to it on a full time basis. I applied to grad school, but unfortunately I didn't get in this year. This doesn't mean it's dead, it just means the timeline is going to be delayed a bit. What I need to do is dedicate myself to doing well on what I do each day, and improving myself as much as I can to prepare myself for the next step (which will come, oh yes it will). What I'm doing right NOW is starting rehearsals for Two Noble Kinsmen co-written by John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. In fact, my first rehearsal is April 15, and my first performance is May 23, so it's almost exactly on the timeline for this challenge. I'm playing Theseus, so I am quite literally going to be a hero of ancient Greek myth. The more physically prepared I am the better I'll be at embodying the role. But that's the goal by the end of the quest: Be. A. Hero. I'm going to end my challenge a few days early: officially I'm ending on the 23rd not the 25th, just because that's opening night. Sub-goals: 1) P90X I did pretty well at sticking to this last challenge. It's going to be MUCH harder this time, as rehearsals take an extra 3.5-4hrs out of my days (not every day, but many, and they are more frequent as the challenge goes on). That means the discipline of getting up early to work out will be tested, as will going to bed early to keep myself fresh. 1.5 hrs (including changing and shower etc) of exercise plus 8hrs of work plus 3 hours of rehearsal plus 1.5hrs of commuting doesn't leave much room for anything but sleep and food. 2) No vending machine, no sugar, no liquid calories. Exception will be made for milk either with breakfast or as a recovery drink. Other than that, only water and coffee. The main thing is avoiding alcohol. I like a glass of wine or two with meals and having a beer with friends. It's going to be hard because often people like to hang out after rehearsals (especially on Friday nights). But having this rule will probably help a lot in the diet area. Also, I'm continuing my no vending machine pledge (worked well last challenge!) and my no sugar (processed sugar, honey and fruit are ok) rules from last time, which were pretty successful. 3) Acting! First, obviously, bring my best each rehearsal for Two Noble Kinsmen. Theseus is a large supporting role. Not my heaviest line load, but challenging. More importantly, I really want to listen and react and grow with the character. I want to do my best with him, and that means bringing my full concentration to each rehearsal. I'll also be continuing with my class that I started last challenge (Improv for the Actor). I have four more classes of that one. I might sign up for another class, IF it will fit with rehearsal for TNK (I think there's one on Sunday nights I can take). Side Quest: 5k PR Ok, I've got a 5k coming up on April 27. I'd really like to get to 24:30 (right under 8min/mile) on my 5k time. I don't know how much time I'll actually have to train that though with P90X. Maybe more of an aspirational goal, but I'm going to try. My legs definitely have it, and I should have good cardio prep, but we'll see. I may make one P90X day a running day, plus maybe run on the off days. That's it. Best of luck to everyone! [PS - my finishing stats from last challenge: Finishing stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 42.5" (at belly button) Hips: 44.5" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 15" (same r/l) Weight: 227 lbs]

Hey man, I just wanted to say that your tone is pretty down because you didn't reach the "goals" you set, but looking at what you did this challenge, I think it's pretty impressive! You lost a bit of weight on a consistent basis (I like the 1 week average approach!), you tried 5 new recipes (not bad!), you improved on the money bars (I can't do that very well either) and you wrote more than 10,000 words! I mean, that seems pretty good to me. It's important to have goals for accountability, and to measure progress, but don't forget the purpose of goals is to motivate you to make progress. No one cares if your achievement is running a mile or a marathon, as long as you have something your working towards, that's what the goal is there for. So sure, try harder next time, but don't forget to celebrate what you DID do, and keep moving forward!

Starting stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 43.5" Hips: 45" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 14.75" (same r/l) Weight: 231 lbs Finishing stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 42.5" (at belly button) Hips: 44.5" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 15" (same r/l) Weight: 227 lbs 1) P90X The goal here is do the workouts 6 days a week. I consistently hit 5 days a week (though on a few days I subbed in elliptical for plyo because I wanted to reduce impact around the half marathon... I also subbed in one "running outside" for a cardio since it was such a nice day!). That's not bad. It wasn't 6 days, but it was a consistent 5. Grade: B+ 2) FOOD - ZERO sugar, ZERO things from the vending machine I am happy to report complete success over the vending machine. Zero sugar... well that's a bit trickier. Definitely not a success, but I was pretty good on my diet about 5.5 days a week I'd say, and no vending machine snacking, so that's good. A for success over vending machine, B for success over sugar. Over all - Grade: B+ 3) Work on my craft - Read Six Plays, Take a Class, and get comfortable with my lines (memorize big speeches in Act V). I read only 5 plays, but saw a bunch more. I signed up for an improv for actors class, and I've had 3 so far (very happy I did). I've read my lines for Two Noble Kinsmen several times, and I've memorized my last speech more or less (though not all of Act V). I think I'm on my way to having a comfortable start to TNK, so that's good. Grade: A- Sidequest: Half Marathon! I was hoping to break 2 hours, but I was a LITTLE bit short of that. Still managed to set a PR though. Grade: A

Ok. So I'm about the same size, a bit more fit. Let's look at the goals: 1) P90X The goal here is do the workouts 6 days a week. I consistently hit 5 days a week (though on a few days I subbed in elliptical for plyo because I wanted to reduce impact around the half marathon... I also subbed in one "running outside" for a cardio since it was such a nice day!). That's not bad. It wasn't 6 days, but it was a consistent 5. Grade: B+ 2) FOOD - ZERO sugar, ZERO things from the vending machine I am happy to report complete success over the vending machine. Zero sugar... well that's a bit trickier. Definitely not a success, but I was pretty good on my diet about 5.5 days a week I'd say, and no vending machine snacking, so that's good. A for success over vending machine, B for success over sugar. Over all - Grade: B+ 3) Work on my craft - Read Six Plays, Take a Class, and get comfortable with my lines (memorize big speeches in Act V). I read only 5 plays, but saw a bunch more. I signed up for an improv for actors class, and I've had 3 so far (very happy I did). I've read my lines for Two Noble Kinsmen several times, and I've memorized my last speech more or less (though not all of Act V). I think I'm on my way to having a comfortable start to TNK, so that's good. Grade: A- Sidequest: Half Marathon! I was hoping to break 2 hours, but I was a LITTLE bit short of that. Still managed to set a PR though. Grade: A I did hear back from grad schools, and no grad school for me this year, which is a pretty big bummer honestly. BUT I'm going to start working on my monologues for next year soon. It's not dead, just in hibernation for a year.

Last day! Finishing stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 42.5" (at belly button) Hips: 44.5" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 15" (same r/l) Weight: 227 lbs More complete write up after dinner.

Getting measured for my costume tomorrow. Will be an interesting check to see if I've made any progress. [Edit/Update: 42" in the waist. A bit of progress.]

Thanks. Yeah, I could easily see doing another cycle of it. It's a high level of difficulty, but it's not impossible. It's just that I'm a LONG way from getting close to them in terms of form/reps etc... It's varied and quite scale-able, so it's difficult at lots of fitness levels. Right now I feel I'm at the bottom of the fitness scale in terms of "people who can realistically attempt the workouts." I may need to get some heavier weights next time through, but over all I am looking forward to doing it every day. Well, maybe looking forward is not quite the right phrase... let's say I'm motivated to do it and I'm 1/3 of the way through week 3 so that's something.