2012 A New Beginning

Author’s note: we all have different weight/health goals, and what is grossly overweight for one person may not be for another, but it’s all relative and we’re all rowing against the same current

215.

That’s the number.

I could lie to you and fudge the number a little, but we have all shared too much for that. Besides, that would only hurt me.

215.

That is what I weighed on the morning on January 4th, 2012. After dropping to a low of 198 back in November of 2010, I have put on nearly half the weight I lost that year. And the worst part? I did it all in just two months.

In October of 2011, just after completing the Livestrong Challenge Austin, I weighed 205 pounds. Not the 199 I managed the year before, but still thirty pounds lighter than when I started the 2Kin2K10 Unfat Project.

215.

I put on TEN POUNDS in TWO MONTHS. How? It was quite easy. I need do only two things.

1. Not ride my bike

2. Eat lots of crap.

It would be easy to sit back and make excuses – the holidays, work, needed family time, blah, blah, blah.

There are no excuses. I ate when and what I should not. And I did not ride when I should have ridden.

My body was complaining – I have now ridden enough in these last two years that my body wants to ride. Needs to ride. Just like it used to want to eat fried food, and needed to be fed to be comforted emotionally.

Bollocks. (That’s for Gaz and Clive)

My non-riding excuses were the ones we all use; too cold, too windy, not enough time for a worthwhile ride, I have to work, I want to be with my kids…

Bollocks.

Being with my kids is WHY I have ridden nearly 5,000 miles since I began this project. Is it truly worth it to “be with my kids” an extra hour here or there if it means I will die sooner? Wouldn’t my kids want me to NOT be with them several extra hours a week here or there if it means I will be around several extra years?

That’s 1st grade math in my opinion.

And in 2011, I failed 1st grade math. Well, in November and December.

Before I began this project I weighed between 235 and 245 pounds for several years. A lot of years. Yes, some of you weigh far more but see my author’s note at the top.

In 2010 I dropped to below 200 for the first time since… let me check… 1995.

And in one glorious year I erased 15 years of fat and unhealthy living.

Then in two months I began to piss it away.

But I stopped the free fall. I have caught myself. I have looked into the mirror and said, “No freaking way, Tubby. You Ain’t getting away with it.” Or words to that effect.

2012

“The Dozen” is what I have named 2012. So when you see the cool kids trending this on Twitter and hear it in movies about teen angst, you’ll know it was Fizz who started the pop culture craze.

The Dozen. The year I take back my life.

I have been so inspired by you all. Gaz, Clive, Steve, the list goes on and on. And I feel I’ve let you down as well as myself. I told Gaz I would challenge him to see who could come closest to losing 40 pounds in 2011.

Um… Gaz, you win.

But enough whining. Let’s get back to The Dozen.

I am back in Cycling Mecca. Last year I rode over 1500 miles in less than six months in Cycling Mecca. And 95% of that was riding only on weekends. I am back and ready to take full advantage of CM. I want over 2,000 miles before I leave this time.

I do not think I have ever been this focused or dedicated to healthy living/weight loss since midway through 2010. How focused?

Not only did I bring The Goat to Cycling Mecca, but I brought The Unfat Machine to have sitting on the trainer 24/7 so there will NEVER be an excuse not to do some sort of pedaling.

How focused am I?

Last night I loaded up at the grocery store. Bought everything I need for my little apartment. Last year I bought some pasta, a few fruits, almost no veggies, and many, many chips (crisps, Gaz), and other treats. After all, I knew I was riding hard and needed to be rewarded, right?

This year? Well, let’s take a look inside Fizz’s icebox; 8 apples, 4 oranges, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, carrots, boneless skinless chicken breasts, iced tea, avocado, eggs, and skim milk cheese. Gone is the nitrate-filled lunch meats, the two loaves of bread, the mounds of cheese, the bacon (God, I love bacon), the ice cream sandwiches, processed fried chicken nuggets, sausage, and other assorted yum-yums.

In the cabinets are whole-grain gluten-free pasta, brown rice, black beans, and gone are the potato chips, white rice, regular pasta, etc.

The only thing in this apartment that resembles even a hint of last year’s diet is a single box of Triscuits.

See, last year, while I was riding and climbing and riding and climbing, I was also eating crap. Not a lot of crap. Not a daily craptacular intake of enough fried food to fill an SUV, but still… crap.

This is why I did not drop another 5 or 10 or 40 pounds even though I was riding more than I did in 2010.

Eat better.

Here’s the other focused thing that is on like Donkey Kong in The Dozen: eating out.

Eating out less and not eating crap when eating out.

See, I love restaurants. I mean, I freaking love the event of dining. Check my twitter from last night and you will see how much I freaking love eating out.  @Fizzhogg

But in 2011 I would say 90% of my dining out consisted of some level of crap in each meal. Not just a side of bread, but fries and cheese and fries and did I mention fries?

I wrote here about Ladyface Ale House last year. I love Ladyface. Great food, great people, and a futbol match on at all times. Their menu has some wonderful, healthy items – which I ate last year. And their menu has the single best moules-frites (mussels and fries) I have ever had in this country.

And I ate a lot of Ladyface moules-frites last year.

Now, I’m not saying I’m turning into a food nazi. I know I cannot deny myself any moules-frites. But what I can do is be focused enough on the big picture (my gut) to only order them maybe every third or fourth time I go to Ladyface, and more importantly, go to Ladyface Ale House less.

Eat at home more. Cook my own meals more. It saves money and is much, much healthier.

Last night I went to Scarpetta – the single greatest restaurant in all of Los Angeles. I had a 7-course meal that was the single greatest meal I have ever had in my life. Nothing was fried, but master chef Freddy Vargas certainly used some oils and butter and whatnot to achieve those flavors.

That meal was a farewell to my body. The one I currently occupy. I could have found the best burger and fries in Los Angeles and said goodbye with that. But I wanted something good. I wanted something epic. All the ingredients were farm fresh and while there were many, many calories consumed, it was so much better for me than a box of chicken nuggets and two large order of fries.

It was an indulgence. Something I did way too much of in 2011. And something I will do much, much, much less this year.

2012. The Dozen. The year I take my life back.

I could set goals here – 5,000 miles, losing 30 pounds, blah, blah, blah. But goals can be tough and they leave room for excuses – “At least I tried.”

No goals this year. Only resolutions.

“New Year’s Resolutions” has become such a cliche in this world that people forget what it means.

Resolve. Having resolve.

Starting today…

I resolve to eat much, much, much healthier.

I resolve to hold myself accountable publicly – I will post my weight on this blog once a week.

I resolve to NEVER have a bag of potato chips (or tortilla chips) in my apartment at any time. Ever.

I resolve to NEVER eat after 7pm at night, unless it’s a fruit or veggie.

I resolve to manage my portion control.

I resolve to ride my bike whenever I can.

I resolve not to be lazy.

If I follow all of the above the weight will come off. It will fall off me faster than a dress off a cheerleader on homecoming night.

I want to thank you all for riding on the handlebars with me the past two years. It has been fun. It can still be fun, but it’s time to get very serious as well. I believe part of why I didn’t do so well in 2011 and really tanked in the final two months is because I wasn’t talking with you all.

Holding myself accountable. To you. I resolve to blog more in 2012. We can laugh, we can have fun, and we can get healthy. What this blog will not be used for is excuses. What is the point of having a blog like this if ever third or fourth post is “So, I ate crap yesterday, but starting tomorrow I will do better!”

Bollocks.

Gaz… Gaz is our poster boy. Our leader. Our knight battling the dragon. When any of us (especially me) thinks we can’t do it, it’s too hard, it’s too cold, too windy, I’m too tired, I want to be with my family, I deserve a treat — when any of us think any of that, we need to immediately hit the web and go to Gaz’s before & after page.

We need to remember the words of Ken Chlouber that I have hammered into you all ad nauseam:

YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 2012… The Dozen. The year WE ALL take back our lives.

EAT BETTER.

RIDE YOUR BIKE.

BE ACCOUNTABLE.

 

 

You’re very good, you are you are