2008 STR Weight-Loss Challenge (official thread)

[ODB]

OK, based on feedback from the previous thread, here's how our little three-month contest will go:

--Time frame: Jan. 1-April 1
--Winner will determined by percentage of starting weight lost (number of pounds lost divided by starting weight). Weigh yourself at roughly the same time of day, in the same state of dress/undress, and on the same scale.
--First weigh-in (let's post both our height and weight) done by Jan. 8--a week's grace period; final weigh-in is EXACTLY on April 1, by 8 p.m. PT
--Please post monthly updates (Feb. 1 and March 1, or thereabouts) or update more often, if you like.
--Guys and gals will mix it up; no separate categories
--Prize option: You can either play just for bragging rights or kick in 10 bucks. The winner of the prize contest will get all the money in the form of a gift certificate to his or her favorite bike shop.
--How to enter: PM me and let me know whether you're playing for the prize or just for the glory. You can PayPal me the money at tobyhillmail@yahoo.com (please include your STR identity in the details, so i know who has paid up). If you don't do PayPal, PM me and i'll give you my home address so you can send a personal check. Entry fees for the prize contest must be received by Dec. 31.
--Let's try to help one another. Share eating and exercise tips that are working for you or, conversely, things that have made you backslide.
--This goes without saying, but you're on your honor in this friendly contest, so don't be a cheating bastidge.

Anything i haven't covered? Drop me a PM.

I'll update the list of contestants on this post as PMs and entry fees come in. For now, here it is:

Prize contest (gift cert. or Santa Cruz Chameleon frame)
ODB -- 194 lbs. at 6' 0'' - 3/3=185 lbs., down 9 lbs., or 4.64%
Singletrack Angel -- (weight withheld)
graves.z -- 263 lbs. at 6' 0'' -3/2=242.8, down 20.2 lbs., or 7.68%
Surlygal -- (weight withheld) 2/1=up 1 lb.
Coldbrews -- 200.4 lbs. at 5' 9''
Mazer75 -- 213.4 lbs. at 5' 11''
SKINNY -- 307.5 lbs. at 6' 1'' - 2/1=290.5, down 17 lbs., or 5.53%
JoeTruth -- 211.6 lbs. at 6' 0'' - 3/3=205 lbs., down 6.6 lbs., or 3.12%
Sauce -- 125 lbs. at 5' 3''
dubl xl -- 286 lbs. at 5' 10"
speckledtrout -- 139 lbs. at 5' 5'' -2/1=134.5, down 4.5 lbs., or 3.24%
Frozen208 -- 209 lbs. at 5' 7'' - 3/3=203 lbs., down 6 lbs., or 2.87%
OpusKat -- 190 lbs. at 5' 9'' - 2/1=185.5 lbs., down 4.5 lbs., or 2.37%
Chauvinist Youth -- 217.5 lbs. at 5' 11'' - 3/4=207 lbs., down 10.5 lbs., or 4.8%
OTHRIDER -- 208.5 at 5' 11'' - 3/3=198 lbs., down 10.5 lbs., or 5.04%
boboso -- 220 lbs. - 2/1=210 lbs., down 10 lbs., or 4.5%
ohyeah89 -- 162.8 lbs. at 5' 4'' - 3/3=148 lbs., down 14.8 lbs., or 9.09%
atomrat -- 214 lbs. at 5' 11'' - 2/1=205 lbs., down 9 lbs., or 4.21%
FlatBroke -- 272 lbs. - 2/21=266.2 lbs., down 5.8lbs., or 2.13%
RustyIron -- 198.9 lbs. - 2/1=198.5 lbs., down 0.4 lb., or 0.002%
Twitch -- 243 lbs. at 6' 0'
Muddy Edgar -- 215 lbs. at 5' 10''
Big Guy -- 275.5 at 6' 1'' - 3/5=265, down 10.5 lbs, or 3.81%
Pugz -- 319.4 at 6' 0''
TEP -- 204 lbs. at 5' 9'' - 2/1=197, down 7 lbs., or 3.43%

Donors to the cause who aren't playing (big thanks to you guys!):
mp3
genusmtbkr5
caveman (10 bucks for second-place finisher)

Bragging rights (and Santa Cruz Chameleon frame for 1st place)
Capnsavem -- 240.3 lbs. at 5' 11''
thegrover -- 234 lbs. at 5' 10''
ezzyride -- (weight withheld)
mtawney (down 80 lbs.!!! just a little more to go) -- 173.5 lbs.
Dutch -- 151.5 lbs.
Dominicg -- 220 lbs.
Nomad -- 205 lbs. at 5' 6'' - 3/3=196 lbs., down 9 lbs., or 4.39%
NO GO -- 195 lbs. at 5' 10''
freedom44 -- 223 pounds at 5' 10'' - 2/29=202 lbs., down 21 lbs., or 9.42% (current leader)
Rockinthecasbah -- 189 at 5' 8''
Waldo -- 200 lbs.

Post-deadline entries (strictly bragging rights)
tkblazer -- 194 lbs. at 5' 9'' - 2/1=186 lbs., down 8 lbs., or 4.12%
Granny Ring -- 229.2 lbs. at 6' 1''
Pakiha -- 201 lbs.
KHS M.I.C. -- 245 lbs.
DBD -- 308 lbs. 3/4=290, down 18 lbs., or 5.84%

Best of luck everyone. This is gonna be fun.

[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by ODB

GODFATHER/MODS: CAN WE MAKE THIS THREAD A STICKY, PLEASE?

Done. Best of luck to all of you.

[graves.z]

Count me in. Payment sent. Any word on a group ride at the start or end of the contest? Would be nice to meet everyone face to face and to see the progress we've all made by the end.

Also any objections to me putting this contest in my sig?

[chauvinist_youth]

I'll throw a ten in at the begining of the comp, but the weight loss can't wait for me and I'm gonna start on Wednesday (after finals). So I might be at a little disadvantage already loosing the first 10 "easy" pounds and hopefully a little more.

[surlygal]

I just sent you my $10.00

Thanks for putting this together!

[allison]

I think I might join for fun. I'd like to lose 7-8lbs, but that has been my goal all year and I haven't done it yet...

[ODB]

Originally Posted by allison

I think I might join for fun. I'd like to lose 7-8lbs, but that has been my goal all year and I haven't done it yet...

(Cough) CHIPOTLE! (cough) ...

[speckledtrout]

i'm in! i'll paypal my 10 bucks to you ODB.

[allison]

Originally Posted by ODB

(Cough) CHIPOTLE! (cough) ...

Hey... gotta enjoy something in life

[Pugz]

Mmmmmmmmmmm...chipotle, I haven't had that in a long time.

[allison]

Originally Posted by Pugz

Mmmmmmmmmmm...chipotle, I haven't had that in a long time.

I guess I need to give up my one weakness.

[Pugz]

Why not make a burrito into two meals when you do have one, although I don't know how you will stop from eating the whole thing.

[mazer75]

Hey count me in too! I have already started down the weight loss path though, because in May this year I was at 225 lbs, and today I am already down to 210 lbs! I need to go down to probably 190 though, so I'd like to enter this. Can you PM me your address? I don't have Paypal, so I'll send you a check.

Good luck to everyone on this. Just by trying, you're already a winner!

I should point out that I'm mtn biking as well as running, and trying to eat much better. As additional motivation I've signed up for a 1/2 marathon on Super Bowl Sunday (in Huntington Beach). I usually do 5K runs, so this will definitely be a challenge! I need to run/train more. Thanks,

mazer/Hunter

[mp3]

I just paid $10 to show a little support for the folks entered in the challenge. Please don't sign me up.

[ODB]

Originally Posted by Pugz

Why not make a burrito into two meals when you do have one, although I don't know how you will stop from eating the whole thing.

I remember reading or hearing somewhere that just the tortilla alone in a Chipotle burrito has over 100 grams of carbohydrates--and we're not talking the good kind of carbs here, obviously. That said, Mexican food is probably my biggest weakness and will be one of the toughest things (along with beer) for me to moderate consumption of. I see high-fiber, low-carb tortillas in my future.

[mazer75]

ODB, thanks for the PM, you should see my $10 by the end of the week!

And I love your new avatar, haha. Every time I see Dom I just think of Cannonball Run

Originally Posted by mp3

I just paid $10 to show a little support for the folks entered in the challenge. Please don't sign me up.

Hey thank you for that! Very nice of you

Would you like us to send you all the (many) pounds of fat we lose to you as a trophy? I hope it's a lot!!

[DDB@OCR]

My new bike lost 2.5 lbs Friday night..... that's like 10% of it's entire weight and it's only 5 days old!

Does that count?

Weeeeeeeee!

[ODB]

Originally Posted by DDB@OCR

My new bike lost 2.5 lbs Friday night..... that's like 10% of it's entire weight and it's only 5 days old!

Does that count?

Weeeeeeeee!

But every XC bike should have at least a 2.4-inch-wide tire in the front. Once you slap that on and factor it in, your weight loss is negligible. Oh, and better add an eight-inch rotor on the front while you're at it.

[ohyeah89]

Originally Posted by ODB

I remember reading or hearing somewhere that just the tortilla alone in a Chipotle burrito has over 100 grams of carbohydrates--and we're not talking the good kind of carbs here, obviously. That said, Mexican food is probably my biggest weakness and will be one of the toughest things (along with beer) for me to moderate consumption of. I see high-fiber, low-carb tortillas in my future.

Mexican food is definately my weakness as well-- thank goodness it is easy to do in a healthy way. What I do is I use fatfree sourcream which when mixed all together with the other stuff tastes the same, Only 20cal for 30g (2 tbspns) but NOT good if you're heavily watching your carbs (I just watch calories and fat). Then about 30g of Avocado (like 1/4 a small avocado) is only 50 cal and has tons of GOOD fat. Then the key is SALSA!!! It is very low cal and that Tapatio sauce (or the hot sauce packets from del taco or the like) have basically 0 calories. I then heat up like a lean cuisine enchalada or make my own with a whole wheat tortilla and 2% mexican cheese.

Or I'll just do the mexican food toppings over broccoli or cauliflower (ff sour cream, salsa, avocado, 2% cheese).

You can have a decent (granted nothing as close to good as Chipotle but hey we're trying to lose weight here!) mexican food meal for easily under 500 calories (I like to keep my mini meals to around 300-350). It works to keep my mexican food cravings to a minimum.

[genusmtbkr5]

Hey ODB, maybe you should include the link to paypal in your post. Just a thought. I also put in $10 to show my support. Good luck to all.