Weight: 207.5
Body Fat: 27%
My indulgences of two nights ago were curbed but did not totally subside last night, as is evidenced by today's weigh-in. However, the spirit of competition has gripped me and I can proudly say that today has seen no cheating, even in the face of temptation. I've decided that dieting is sorta like treading water. Its unnatural at first, and without the proper motivation, there's less of an incentive to do it. For example, nobody treads water in shallow water, but faced with deep water, treading water becomes your best friend. Ivan Drago is my deep water. My desire to crush him like Rocky crushed the original (Did he? I've never seen the movie.) will help to keep me focused.
I note no suggestions, nor any strokes of genius on my part regarding the wager that Drago and I will work towards. I remain open to suggestions.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Day 6 - Yo Adrian!
Weight: 208
Body Fat: 26%
I'll address my weight gain briefly. Last night I ate too much chicken, bad, yes. But these things happen. At least its allowed on the South Beach Diet. Brief, huh?
On to the promised "Big Announcement"...
I'm sure that readers of the original Fluff to Buff enjoyed the drama of the competition it was leading up to. It was the thrill of the chase. The rhythmic give and take. The lead up to a big finale.
Well readers, today is your lucky day. A challenger has emerged. Less because I respect his privacy and more because it pleases me to bestow upon him a moniker, he will be refered to in this blog as Ivan Drago. Fans of the Italian Stallion will recognize the name of Rocky's evil Russian opponent in Rocky IV. For the uninitiated I've attached a picture. You have to imagine him as shorter and chubbier, with longer brown hair and a round face.
Ivan called me and left a message on my phone a few days ago challenging me to a diet-off. I think it gives us a glimpse into his tortured soul. He also mentions his blog address, which is worth reading. You must imagine that it is all being said with a Russian accent and vodka breath.
"I have a suggestion, first of all, don’t record your message while you’re driving your car, it’s way too much background noise. Second of all, you’re going down…ummm, I haven’t decided how I’m gonna spell it yet, but my blog is gonna be called theruhlduel.blogspot.com. Third of all, I will eat Big Macs and cheeseburgers and fries and maybe even drink beer and still put you down. We haven’t decided how the criteria for this challenge is gonna go, but you’re gonna lose, there’s no question you’re gonna lose, cause that’s just the way it is. I challenge you to transcript this message and put it out for all to see it, but, you’re going down, that’s all there is to it. That is it."
That wasn't it.
"I just ate 2 hot dogs on one bun with ketchup and bacon bits and it was awful. And I didn’t drink anything af- anything that consisted of beer after I talked to you. I drank vodka sodas. I’m serious. I’m going for a run right now."
After he sobered up, Ivan and I spoke and agreed upon some rules for our challenge. The rules of our challenge are simple: whoever reaches their target weight first wins. Presently, Ivan weighs in at 199.7 pounds, his target weight is 180 pounds. I weigh 208 pounds and my target is 184 pounds. If I lose 24 pounds before Ivan Drago loses 20, I win. If Ivan loses his 20 pounds first, he wins. In spite of his defective commie moral compass, Ivan and I agreed that the weight had to be lost in a sustainable and healthy way. No Nicole Richie action.
The only thing left to do is determine a wager. Neither myself nor Ivan Drago were unable to brainstorm a suitable wager. So, I am appealing to the readers of Fluff to Buff to suggest a suitable wager. The wager could result in the loser awarding a prize to the winner, or in the loser doing something humiliating. Financial consequences are not strictly neccesary. The overriding concern is the entertainment value of the wager. The wager should exalt of the winner or shame the loser, or ideally, do both.
Thanks for bearing with me on this post, it was a long one. I look forward to reading your wager suggestions!
Body Fat: 26%
I'll address my weight gain briefly. Last night I ate too much chicken, bad, yes. But these things happen. At least its allowed on the South Beach Diet. Brief, huh?
On to the promised "Big Announcement"...
I'm sure that readers of the original Fluff to Buff enjoyed the drama of the competition it was leading up to. It was the thrill of the chase. The rhythmic give and take. The lead up to a big finale.
Well readers, today is your lucky day. A challenger has emerged. Less because I respect his privacy and more because it pleases me to bestow upon him a moniker, he will be refered to in this blog as Ivan Drago. Fans of the Italian Stallion will recognize the name of Rocky's evil Russian opponent in Rocky IV. For the uninitiated I've attached a picture. You have to imagine him as shorter and chubbier, with longer brown hair and a round face. Ivan called me and left a message on my phone a few days ago challenging me to a diet-off. I think it gives us a glimpse into his tortured soul. He also mentions his blog address, which is worth reading. You must imagine that it is all being said with a Russian accent and vodka breath.
"I have a suggestion, first of all, don’t record your message while you’re driving your car, it’s way too much background noise. Second of all, you’re going down…ummm, I haven’t decided how I’m gonna spell it yet, but my blog is gonna be called theruhlduel.blogspot.com. Third of all, I will eat Big Macs and cheeseburgers and fries and maybe even drink beer and still put you down. We haven’t decided how the criteria for this challenge is gonna go, but you’re gonna lose, there’s no question you’re gonna lose, cause that’s just the way it is. I challenge you to transcript this message and put it out for all to see it, but, you’re going down, that’s all there is to it. That is it."
That wasn't it.
"I just ate 2 hot dogs on one bun with ketchup and bacon bits and it was awful. And I didn’t drink anything af- anything that consisted of beer after I talked to you. I drank vodka sodas. I’m serious. I’m going for a run right now."
After he sobered up, Ivan and I spoke and agreed upon some rules for our challenge. The rules of our challenge are simple: whoever reaches their target weight first wins. Presently, Ivan weighs in at 199.7 pounds, his target weight is 180 pounds. I weigh 208 pounds and my target is 184 pounds. If I lose 24 pounds before Ivan Drago loses 20, I win. If Ivan loses his 20 pounds first, he wins. In spite of his defective commie moral compass, Ivan and I agreed that the weight had to be lost in a sustainable and healthy way. No Nicole Richie action.
The only thing left to do is determine a wager. Neither myself nor Ivan Drago were unable to brainstorm a suitable wager. So, I am appealing to the readers of Fluff to Buff to suggest a suitable wager. The wager could result in the loser awarding a prize to the winner, or in the loser doing something humiliating. Financial consequences are not strictly neccesary. The overriding concern is the entertainment value of the wager. The wager should exalt of the winner or shame the loser, or ideally, do both.
Thanks for bearing with me on this post, it was a long one. I look forward to reading your wager suggestions!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Day 5 - Boring, but informative. Plus Dinosaur!
Weight: 207
Body Fat: 25%
Ok, I'm willing to admit that the body fat stat is next to useless. But I'm still going to keep putting it up, because I bought a fancy scale and dammit I'm going to get my money's worth. So for all you nerds whose teeth are set on edge by imprecision, put in a mouthguard before you read.
Scales may tell me my weight, but what determines it is the food I'm eating. I've been vague in that regard thus far and I thought I'd talk a little bit about a typical eating day on the South Beach Diet. In the morning I have been eating eggs and back bacon (which, as far as I can tell, is just ham), I try to eat a relatively controlled portion, but I eat enough that I'm satisfied. I have been packing my lunch for school each day, so I take a celery stalk with a bit of cheese in it for one snack, a couple of cheese strings for another snack and some kind of salad with lean meat (tuna or chicken thus far) for lunch. For dinner I have a small salad as well as some meat and cooked vegetables. I also generally have some almonds as a snack after dinner. For the most part I feel satisfied with the diet thus far. I do find that I'm hungrier at dinner than I should be, which leads to eating snacks after dinner more than I'd like. I've kept them within the guidelines of the diet, but still, I'd prefer to limit my snacking. The other problem is, of course, variety. This is not so much a function of the diet as it is of the way food is purchased. Cooking for myself, a bunch of asparagus will last for 4 meals or so, which means that the better part of a week is spent eating the same vegetable at dinner (and having funny smelling pee). The other variety problem is my own doing. I feel like I've found meal plans that work and are easy to prepare and I'm disinterested in planning for different ones. Clearly if I intend to be successful I will have to get a little more adventurous in the kitchen. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
As promised today was a little boring, I hope the T-Rex spiced things up for you all. To make up for it, Fluff to Buff readers can expect a dramatic and exciting announcement tomorrow! Stay Tuned!
Body Fat: 25%
Ok, I'm willing to admit that the body fat stat is next to useless. But I'm still going to keep putting it up, because I bought a fancy scale and dammit I'm going to get my money's worth. So for all you nerds whose teeth are set on edge by imprecision, put in a mouthguard before you read.
Scales may tell me my weight, but what determines it is the food I'm eating. I've been vague in that regard thus far and I thought I'd talk a little bit about a typical eating day on the South Beach Diet. In the morning I have been eating eggs and back bacon (which, as far as I can tell, is just ham), I try to eat a relatively controlled portion, but I eat enough that I'm satisfied. I have been packing my lunch for school each day, so I take a celery stalk with a bit of cheese in it for one snack, a couple of cheese strings for another snack and some kind of salad with lean meat (tuna or chicken thus far) for lunch. For dinner I have a small salad as well as some meat and cooked vegetables. I also generally have some almonds as a snack after dinner. For the most part I feel satisfied with the diet thus far. I do find that I'm hungrier at dinner than I should be, which leads to eating snacks after dinner more than I'd like. I've kept them within the guidelines of the diet, but still, I'd prefer to limit my snacking. The other problem is, of course, variety. This is not so much a function of the diet as it is of the way food is purchased. Cooking for myself, a bunch of asparagus will last for 4 meals or so, which means that the better part of a week is spent eating the same vegetable at dinner (and having funny smelling pee). The other variety problem is my own doing. I feel like I've found meal plans that work and are easy to prepare and I'm disinterested in planning for different ones. Clearly if I intend to be successful I will have to get a little more adventurous in the kitchen. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. As promised today was a little boring, I hope the T-Rex spiced things up for you all. To make up for it, Fluff to Buff readers can expect a dramatic and exciting announcement tomorrow! Stay Tuned!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Day 4 - Produce Aisle or Bust
Weight: 208.0
Body Fat: 27%
In spite of last night's moderate rule breakage, I seem to have come away relatively unscathed and appear to have even dropped half a pound. I should mention that later in the evening I resisted both MacDonald's and any further drinking. Anyone who knows my weaknesses for junk food can recognize that accomplishment.
Today food again posed a challenge. A spontaneous round of golf found me without any snacks. South Beach definitely counsels its dieters against getting too hungry, as this leads to overeating. The round left me badly sunburnt, owing 3 drinks to my opponent and desperately hungry. Although we ate at the clubhouse, which offers a myriad of fried and fatty foods, I think I managed to follow at least the spirit of the diet by having a chef's salad. I will admit being jealous of my lunchmate's fries and sandwich, but my resolve held firm. I've realized that the weekends, when plans are fluid and meals go unplanned, will be the biggest challenge.
Tonight I went to the grocery store to stock up on some essentials for the coming week. To my surprise and that of at least some of my readers, I'm sure, all of my purchases were from the produce aisle. I can safely say that this is the only time I've ever only bought vegetables at the grocery store. I must have looked like a filthy vegan who's too stupid to wear sunscreen.
Body Fat: 27%
In spite of last night's moderate rule breakage, I seem to have come away relatively unscathed and appear to have even dropped half a pound. I should mention that later in the evening I resisted both MacDonald's and any further drinking. Anyone who knows my weaknesses for junk food can recognize that accomplishment.
Today food again posed a challenge. A spontaneous round of golf found me without any snacks. South Beach definitely counsels its dieters against getting too hungry, as this leads to overeating. The round left me badly sunburnt, owing 3 drinks to my opponent and desperately hungry. Although we ate at the clubhouse, which offers a myriad of fried and fatty foods, I think I managed to follow at least the spirit of the diet by having a chef's salad. I will admit being jealous of my lunchmate's fries and sandwich, but my resolve held firm. I've realized that the weekends, when plans are fluid and meals go unplanned, will be the biggest challenge.
Tonight I went to the grocery store to stock up on some essentials for the coming week. To my surprise and that of at least some of my readers, I'm sure, all of my purchases were from the produce aisle. I can safely say that this is the only time I've ever only bought vegetables at the grocery store. I must have looked like a filthy vegan who's too stupid to wear sunscreen.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Day 3 - Who cares what Zombie Ann Landers thinks?
Weight: 208.5
Body Fat: 27%
You've probably noticed a significant drop from yesterday. Before you all start wondering what kind of crazy diet this is, I want to remind you that I switched to weighing myself in the morning. Apparently I sweat off a couple of pounds each night heaving myself into bed. Anyways, expect consistency from here on in.
So, although today was simply Day 3 in Fluff to Buff land, it was a celebration in the real world. I recently graduated from law school and am also moving out of the home I've known for the last three years (my aunt and uncle's basement suite). As a result they threw a party for me. Being lawyers themselves, they knew that an appropriate gift would be alcohol related. I was given a nice martini set and my uncle insisted that we try it out. Being a pushover generally, and regarding alcohol in particular, I gave in. I also ate a baby potato, strictly forbidden by South Beach. And so, here I am, on Day 3, admitting a momentary lapse. However, I insist on chalking it up to social pressure rather than a failure of my resolve. Ann Landers probably would not approve. But she's dead and if she ever tries to tell me, I'm not letting her near me - zombies are known to eat the living and they're probably full of horrible diseases and enbalming chemicals. Frankly, none of those sound like they carry with them positive health consequences.
As proof of my still extant commitment, I am going to a party tonight at a very loud and drunken bar and intend to drink only calorie-free non-alcoholic drinks. As I may have mentioned, the no alcohol portion of South Beach is only two weeks. So, the truly painful part of my diet is only going to last for the next two weeks. It should give me a chance to observe drunks in their natural habitat, rather than being one of them. It may not be fun, but it should be informative.
Body Fat: 27%
You've probably noticed a significant drop from yesterday. Before you all start wondering what kind of crazy diet this is, I want to remind you that I switched to weighing myself in the morning. Apparently I sweat off a couple of pounds each night heaving myself into bed. Anyways, expect consistency from here on in.
So, although today was simply Day 3 in Fluff to Buff land, it was a celebration in the real world. I recently graduated from law school and am also moving out of the home I've known for the last three years (my aunt and uncle's basement suite). As a result they threw a party for me. Being lawyers themselves, they knew that an appropriate gift would be alcohol related. I was given a nice martini set and my uncle insisted that we try it out. Being a pushover generally, and regarding alcohol in particular, I gave in. I also ate a baby potato, strictly forbidden by South Beach. And so, here I am, on Day 3, admitting a momentary lapse. However, I insist on chalking it up to social pressure rather than a failure of my resolve. Ann Landers probably would not approve. But she's dead and if she ever tries to tell me, I'm not letting her near me - zombies are known to eat the living and they're probably full of horrible diseases and enbalming chemicals. Frankly, none of those sound like they carry with them positive health consequences.As proof of my still extant commitment, I am going to a party tonight at a very loud and drunken bar and intend to drink only calorie-free non-alcoholic drinks. As I may have mentioned, the no alcohol portion of South Beach is only two weeks. So, the truly painful part of my diet is only going to last for the next two weeks. It should give me a chance to observe drunks in their natural habitat, rather than being one of them. It may not be fun, but it should be informative.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Day 2 - The OTHER Other White Meat
Weight: 213.5
Body Fat: 32%
Day 2 wasn't quite as easy as Day 1, but I steadfastly resisted any temptation to cheat. My menu today was essentially identical to Day 1, I'm going to have to switch it up tomorrow - there are only so many chicken salads one man can eat and retain his sanity. Maybe I'll take a cue from this rooster - I wonder if it counts as "lean meat".
You've probably noticed some rather significant variation in the numbers I've been posting. I'm starting to think that measuring body fat is not an exact science. Even for high-tech looking scales that pass electricity through your feet. I've been weighing myself in the evenings but from now on its gonna be what I do as soon as I get out of the shower in the morning. Apparently consistency is important in order to get proper results. Its also possible that, as a friend said today, "the stupid thing doesn't work".
Body Fat: 32%
Day 2 wasn't quite as easy as Day 1, but I steadfastly resisted any temptation to cheat. My menu today was essentially identical to Day 1, I'm going to have to switch it up tomorrow - there are only so many chicken salads one man can eat and retain his sanity. Maybe I'll take a cue from this rooster - I wonder if it counts as "lean meat".You've probably noticed some rather significant variation in the numbers I've been posting. I'm starting to think that measuring body fat is not an exact science. Even for high-tech looking scales that pass electricity through your feet. I've been weighing myself in the evenings but from now on its gonna be what I do as soon as I get out of the shower in the morning. Apparently consistency is important in order to get proper results. Its also possible that, as a friend said today, "the stupid thing doesn't work".
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Day 1 - No booze? No bread? No problem.
Weight: 216.5
Body Fat: 30%
You statisticians are probably noting the 3% jump in my body fat. As I don't recall consuming 6 pounds of lard last night along with my numerous drinks, its probably safe to say that the change is a result of the dehydration that accompanies my wicked hangover.
Its the last hangover I expect to have for the next few weeks. I've officially embarked on the South Beach diet. Presently I am in Phase 1, the strictest of the 3 phases. In this phase, alcohol in all of its delicious forms is strictly banned. Additionally, fruits, bread and sugary food are absolute no-nos. In spite of the various forbidden food items, my first day on the plan went off without a hitch. I don't even feel too hard done by. I was allowed to eat regularly and had normal food - eggs, lean meat, vegetables - basically what healthy people eat every day. No doubt I'll start to miss the junk I like to eat soon enough, but for today I just felt like I was on vacation in healthy land.
No doubt you've noticed the very snazzy banner I have. I'd like to thank my friend Stevie P, a creative and talented graphic designer, blogger and knitting enthusiast. She designed it with essentially no input from me and I must say that it looks totally amazing.
Well, its off to bed in diet land, tomorrow we'll see if this is as easy when I'm well-rested and without a hangover to keep me company.
Body Fat: 30%
You statisticians are probably noting the 3% jump in my body fat. As I don't recall consuming 6 pounds of lard last night along with my numerous drinks, its probably safe to say that the change is a result of the dehydration that accompanies my wicked hangover.
Its the last hangover I expect to have for the next few weeks. I've officially embarked on the South Beach diet. Presently I am in Phase 1, the strictest of the 3 phases. In this phase, alcohol in all of its delicious forms is strictly banned. Additionally, fruits, bread and sugary food are absolute no-nos. In spite of the various forbidden food items, my first day on the plan went off without a hitch. I don't even feel too hard done by. I was allowed to eat regularly and had normal food - eggs, lean meat, vegetables - basically what healthy people eat every day. No doubt I'll start to miss the junk I like to eat soon enough, but for today I just felt like I was on vacation in healthy land.No doubt you've noticed the very snazzy banner I have. I'd like to thank my friend Stevie P, a creative and talented graphic designer, blogger and knitting enthusiast. She designed it with essentially no input from me and I must say that it looks totally amazing.
Well, its off to bed in diet land, tomorrow we'll see if this is as easy when I'm well-rested and without a hangover to keep me company.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Day -1 - Tomorrow it begins.
Weight: 214
Body Fat: 27%
Last year, I wrote a blog called Fluff to Buff. I challenged my opponent, cheerfully dubbed 'The Enemy' to a 10K foot race. Those of you who know that also know that I kept track of my training and progress in a blog. I really enjoyed both the results of the training and the act of blogging, but training was time consuming and when The Enemy surrendered, the original Fluff to Buff died from neglect and lack of purpose.
No doubt many of you read the original Fluff to Buff. Some of you told me how much you enjoyed reading it. I know that I enjoyed writing it. And so, as you've probably guessed, I'm back with Fluff to Buff 2. I've just finished my last year of law school, in fact, I graduated today. Any law student will tell you that school is bad for your health. I've been particularly bad at staying healthy and now that school is over I intend to shape up.
Taking a cue from Body Break, I'll achieve this through diet and exercise. I'll start things off by plunging into the South Beach Diet. Invented by a cardiologist to help his patients lose weight, this diet promises weight loss of between 8 and 13 pounds in the first two weeks. Impressive, no? We'll see how accurate those claims are in about 2 weeks. I've purchased my materials (various healthy foods, a couple of books and a special scale) and tomorrow the adventure begins.
To weigh myself I have purchased a new scale. This bad boy measures both your weight and your body fat percentage. I took a baseline measurement tonight and found that I'm coming in at 214 pounds with a body fat percentage of 27. My ultimate goal will be a to-be-determined weight and body fat percentage.
For now it is time to go and celebrate, as law students do, by drinking and talking to strangers in bars. Tomorrow you can expect a briefer, hopefully funnier and definitely hungover post.
Body Fat: 27%
Last year, I wrote a blog called Fluff to Buff. I challenged my opponent, cheerfully dubbed 'The Enemy' to a 10K foot race. Those of you who know that also know that I kept track of my training and progress in a blog. I really enjoyed both the results of the training and the act of blogging, but training was time consuming and when The Enemy surrendered, the original Fluff to Buff died from neglect and lack of purpose.
No doubt many of you read the original Fluff to Buff. Some of you told me how much you enjoyed reading it. I know that I enjoyed writing it. And so, as you've probably guessed, I'm back with Fluff to Buff 2. I've just finished my last year of law school, in fact, I graduated today. Any law student will tell you that school is bad for your health. I've been particularly bad at staying healthy and now that school is over I intend to shape up.
Taking a cue from Body Break, I'll achieve this through diet and exercise. I'll start things off by plunging into the South Beach Diet. Invented by a cardiologist to help his patients lose weight, this diet promises weight loss of between 8 and 13 pounds in the first two weeks. Impressive, no? We'll see how accurate those claims are in about 2 weeks. I've purchased my materials (various healthy foods, a couple of books and a special scale) and tomorrow the adventure begins.
To weigh myself I have purchased a new scale. This bad boy measures both your weight and your body fat percentage. I took a baseline measurement tonight and found that I'm coming in at 214 pounds with a body fat percentage of 27. My ultimate goal will be a to-be-determined weight and body fat percentage.
For now it is time to go and celebrate, as law students do, by drinking and talking to strangers in bars. Tomorrow you can expect a briefer, hopefully funnier and definitely hungover post.
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