Hi GAF,
I'm BlueSteel. You may know me from way back, when I tried make post contain just Zoolander quotes. Or, you may know me from my participation in the GAF-Tape. Maybe you know me when I spent over a grand on Puzzles and Dragons and spent a good deal of time in that OT. Chances are though, you don't know me at all.
This past year has been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I hurt my shoulder doing gymnastics in January, which led me to rehab it for almost eight months. I met a girl I loved. We separated, leaving me in an emotional wreck. I hurt my back trying to get back to lifting after my shoulder injury, which has been hurting for months now, despite doctor visit and physical therapy sessions. Work has been stressful, and has caused tension with those that I love as well as my own mental health.
As a result of all my injuries and work, I have gained enough weight to be at a point that I haven't been since the end of high school. It was then that I was at the lowest of my self esteem. I was almost 180 then, and I am 163 now. Yes, there's still a big gap, but consider this:
Prior to 2014, I was as fit as I could have been at 135.
I've tried my hardest to wear the same pants from back then, and have ripped the only two that I could wear. When I had to go and buy jeans several sizes larger... it was the most humbling thing I've experienced in terms of my body image. 30 pounds, back and shoulder problems. I know it doesn't seem like much in a year, but I've struggled, and the start of this year has only gotten worse.
Now, at this point. I need to point out that I AM NOT SAYING my struggle with weight loss is unique. Nor, am I saying that I am obese or in danger. My problems are not special, I know this. What I do understand is the physical scars, even if they're not at the same magnitude as what others have and are experiencing right now.
All I know is that for the past 4-5 years, I did my best to keep the kid who was traumatized as his extended family laughed at him for the body fat scale showing 30% at bay. Injuries and a general lack of confidence right now though, has really ruined me a bit. I'm pretty low, and unfortunately one of my ways of relieving stress is eating. I see myself sliding. Hard. 2015 could be as bad, which is why I'm going to take extremely drastic measures.
I've always felt like when the chips are down, when the odds are against me, I'll find the ability to persevere. I want to show that it's true. If not, I'll pay.
Behavioral economics has shown that people strongly prefer avoiding losses to rewards. Loss aversion is something that I've used in the past to motivate me. In fact, I've done this twice before. Both times, I had the stakes at 200 dollars and 1000 dollars. I've used apps like PACT to force me to go to the gym...
Simply put, I'm going to lose weight in three months, or I'm giving away 20 dollars to the first 100 people who post in this thread.
The goal:
Go from 161.4 pounds to 145 pounds in 90 days/by May 1st. Do so using a combination of dieting, weightlifting to maintain strength, and increasing overall cardio activity.
Rules:
Short FAQ:
Q: Why so much money?
A: Because the thought of losing money scares me.
Q: Do you have enough money to pay out?
A: Yes. I have a stable job. Have enough money to do so now, and don't see myself blowing it. If I don't pay out, I'll have a mod ban me.
Q: Why the third time? How is this any different than the first 2?
A: I'll admit, I'm strongly motivated by people betting against me. I'm not feeling the best, so I need something to kick me into gear.
Q: Do you actually think you'll fail?
A: Yes, there are actually a lot of reasons why this time could be potentially disastrous:
Here are my starting measurements:
Age: 24
Height: 5'6
Weight: 161.4 pounds
Waist at naval: 33 inches
Neck: 14 inches
Thigh: 23 inches
Bicep: 13 inches.
(I should also note that I am pear shaped, meaning I can't wrap the measuring tape around my hips, because there's not enough.
Again, I want to emphasize that it is not my intention to look down upon others who are dealing with these same issues. I know I am not special, and my weight gain isn't enough to warrant this. However, I'm just feeling so low, I need this type of personal intervention.
Is this a spectacle? It most definitely is. But this is GAF. You guys deserve spectacles.
I'll let everyone know once 100 members have signed up.
I'm BlueSteel. You may know me from way back, when I tried make post contain just Zoolander quotes. Or, you may know me from my participation in the GAF-Tape. Maybe you know me when I spent over a grand on Puzzles and Dragons and spent a good deal of time in that OT. Chances are though, you don't know me at all.
This past year has been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I hurt my shoulder doing gymnastics in January, which led me to rehab it for almost eight months. I met a girl I loved. We separated, leaving me in an emotional wreck. I hurt my back trying to get back to lifting after my shoulder injury, which has been hurting for months now, despite doctor visit and physical therapy sessions. Work has been stressful, and has caused tension with those that I love as well as my own mental health.
As a result of all my injuries and work, I have gained enough weight to be at a point that I haven't been since the end of high school. It was then that I was at the lowest of my self esteem. I was almost 180 then, and I am 163 now. Yes, there's still a big gap, but consider this:
Prior to 2014, I was as fit as I could have been at 135.
I've tried my hardest to wear the same pants from back then, and have ripped the only two that I could wear. When I had to go and buy jeans several sizes larger... it was the most humbling thing I've experienced in terms of my body image. 30 pounds, back and shoulder problems. I know it doesn't seem like much in a year, but I've struggled, and the start of this year has only gotten worse.
Now, at this point. I need to point out that I AM NOT SAYING my struggle with weight loss is unique. Nor, am I saying that I am obese or in danger. My problems are not special, I know this. What I do understand is the physical scars, even if they're not at the same magnitude as what others have and are experiencing right now.
All I know is that for the past 4-5 years, I did my best to keep the kid who was traumatized as his extended family laughed at him for the body fat scale showing 30% at bay. Injuries and a general lack of confidence right now though, has really ruined me a bit. I'm pretty low, and unfortunately one of my ways of relieving stress is eating. I see myself sliding. Hard. 2015 could be as bad, which is why I'm going to take extremely drastic measures.
I've always felt like when the chips are down, when the odds are against me, I'll find the ability to persevere. I want to show that it's true. If not, I'll pay.
Behavioral economics has shown that people strongly prefer avoiding losses to rewards. Loss aversion is something that I've used in the past to motivate me. In fact, I've done this twice before. Both times, I had the stakes at 200 dollars and 1000 dollars. I've used apps like PACT to force me to go to the gym...
Simply put, I'm going to lose weight in three months, or I'm giving away 20 dollars to the first 100 people who post in this thread.
The goal:
Go from 161.4 pounds to 145 pounds in 90 days/by May 1st. Do so using a combination of dieting, weightlifting to maintain strength, and increasing overall cardio activity.
Rules:
- I must be able to pay you in either Amazon gift cards, paypal, venmo, etc. I will not be sending checks to anyone.
- I must post measurements every Sunday by 3 pm. If I don't. I'll pick one random person, and they'll receive a free game (up to $60 Value). This is independent of the $2000 I'll be paying out, but you must be of the first 100.
- Measurements must include the following: Weight, Waist, Neck, Thigh, and Bicep measurements. A picture of the scale must be taken. Progress pictures must be taken every two weeks
- At the end of every week, I'll post a summary of what happened and my difficulties
Short FAQ:
Q: Why so much money?
A: Because the thought of losing money scares me.
Q: Do you have enough money to pay out?
A: Yes. I have a stable job. Have enough money to do so now, and don't see myself blowing it. If I don't pay out, I'll have a mod ban me.
Q: Why the third time? How is this any different than the first 2?
A: I'll admit, I'm strongly motivated by people betting against me. I'm not feeling the best, so I need something to kick me into gear.
Q: Do you actually think you'll fail?
A: Yes, there are actually a lot of reasons why this time could be potentially disastrous:
- I have back tightness/pain at age 24. Before you say anything, I've been to the doctor, who recommended I keep active. However, what I can do weightliting-wise is highly dependent on this upcoming visit.
- I work at a startup, so the hours are enormous. This means a lot of stressful nights and unhealthy snacks, not to mention takeout.
- I don't have the highest motivation right now. In the past I've paid up to 15 dollars for each gym day missed, and have brushed that aside like it was nothing. I'm hoping that's not the case now, since I'm pooping my pants typing this, but we'll see.
Here are my starting measurements:
Age: 24
Height: 5'6
Weight: 161.4 pounds
Waist at naval: 33 inches
Neck: 14 inches
Thigh: 23 inches
Bicep: 13 inches.
(I should also note that I am pear shaped, meaning I can't wrap the measuring tape around my hips, because there's not enough.
Again, I want to emphasize that it is not my intention to look down upon others who are dealing with these same issues. I know I am not special, and my weight gain isn't enough to warrant this. However, I'm just feeling so low, I need this type of personal intervention.
Is this a spectacle? It most definitely is. But this is GAF. You guys deserve spectacles.
I'll let everyone know once 100 members have signed up.
