Dieting for Charity: The Summer Slimdown Contest
August 4, 2009 by: Brendan
On July 18th, I signed up for “Summer Slimdown,” a summer-long fitness and weight-loss contest for charity. The contest (administrated by The Signal) runs for nine weeks, ending on Saturday, September 19th. I’ve committed myself to changing my eating and exercise habits for the contest, but hopefully for good.
Why I’m Doing This
I not only want to be healthy, but I want to feel healthy. I want this for myself, and for my family. As a father, I have to lead by example. If I’m feeling tired, sluggish, or lazy, my boys are going to see it. I want them to look up to me in a positive light, and see me exercising, eating the right foods, and feeling good about myself.
I often tell my oldest son how important it is to eat a good meal. “It will give you lots of energy and help you get through the day,” This is what I explain to him as I take another bite of my orange chicken from Panda Express. I want to be able to give him this advice, but also show him by eating more fruits, vegetables, and the right kinds of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
The Contest Rules
Here’s how the contest works: every week, all of the contestants have their weight taken and their body fat measured. The two contestants with the fewest amount of “fat pounds” lost up until that point are then nominated for elimination from the contest. Then, voting will take place online to determine which of the two contestants are allowed to remain in the contest. All of the participants are allowed to keep up with fitness and nutrition aspects of the contest, but are not eligible for any prizes.
For Charity
All of the contestants were asked to select a local charity to represent. I chose the Santa Clarita Valley Boys & Girls Club. I am fortunate enough to have a loving, and supportive family, and the SCV Boys & Girls club does a wonderful job of providing for children without that kind of support circle. My grandfather-in-law, George Pederson, was on the board of founding members for the organization, and I’m proud to be representing them as a contestant.
My Diet
I’ve completely bought into the plan that the gym, Results Fitness, has put together. They have a 90% diet weekly compliance rule, which means I can only cheat, splurge, miss a meal, or miss a protein/workout shake four times per week. Basically, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, something I know all about, but didn’t actually do until now.
I’ve rediscovered some foods already, including bananas, carrots, grapefruits, and nectarines. I’ve also learned about some new foods that are now an every day part of my diet, especially breads. I’ve started eating rye and Ezekiel breads, replacing white and wheat.
Exercise Plan
I attend two “group classes,” which are forty-five minute cardio workout classes. I also go to the gym on two other days for my strength and resistance training. For two other days, I’m on my own, which has consisted of swimming, stretching, and doing a light workout at home.
Challenges Thus Far
So far, the biggest challenge has been making time for all of this. The diet is what it is, but missing dinner once a week and cutting down on (or even skipping) my son’s bath time has been tough. I’ve had lots of support and encouragement from my wife and family so far, so I’ll just take everyone’s word and believe that I’m doing the right thing.
How You can Support and Follow Me
You can track everything that’s going on here:
Summer Slimdown Contest
http://the-signal.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=7839
My Health Blog Posts at The Signal
http://community.the-signal.com/accounts/view/3183
The Santa Clarita Valley Boys & Girls Club
http://www.scvboysandgirlsclub.org
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August 4th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Aloha Brendan!! Good for you. I agree about doing it not just for yourself, but for the kids too.
I also started a weight loss contest at work on July 1. Need to lose 15 lbs & get my bricks back by December 31. It’s a long time I know, but hopefully that will force me to continue long-term.
I’ve been running 3-4 times a week 1.5-2.5 miles, doing push-ups (hundredpushups.com) and sit-ups, and eating less. We’ve always had a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal, but my wife cooks so much I tend to eat too much. Now I try to stop when I’m sated, instead of pushing more in. My son is in 8th grade and runs with me – he’s in much better shape than me. I feel much better and have more energy after just one month & and have lost 8 lbs. too!
PS – I’ve been playing WoW with my son and daughter on another server, leveling a pally. Any tips or links you can give me for aoe grinding? I’m almost lvl 40 now.
August 4th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Aloha, John! 10-15 pounds is my goal as well. Best of luck to you and I hope it’s going well. It’s really cool that you get to run with your son. I’m trying to be more active with my son by going on walks with him while he rides his bike, and going swimming as often as we can.
I’ve quit the really, really late nights with WoW, but still squeeze in some play time when I can. I assume you’ve built your Pally with a Protection spec and Reckoning. At levels 35-40, you can grind Murlocs in Dustwallow Marsh: (http://www.wowhead.com/?npc=4359).
I highly recommend getting the Thrash Blade (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=17705) at 45. With my second Paladin, I splurged at level 42 and bought a Flurry Axe (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=871). Either weapon should carry you to Outland.