$650 Weight Loss Challenge: Day 90/120

August 22, 2011 Posted by Tyler Cruz

I started my weight loss challenge against Paul Piotrowski exactly 3 months ago, which means that there are only 30 days left!

As a quick recap, we each must lose 14% of our starting body weight (which works out to 30 pounds each) within 4 months (120 days). If one of us doesn’t make it, then he will have to pay the other $650. If neither of us make it, then we will donate $650 to the BCSPCA.

With only 30 days left, things are beginning to get quite scary. Each day is increasingly precious, and weight-gains are exceedingly painful.

Also, as we continue to lose weight, it gets that much more difficult to shred it off, so this final month will definitely be stressful.

My last update on this challenge was made a bit over a month ago, so a lot has happened since then.

Below is an updated line graph comparing my daily weigh-in’s to Paul’s:

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Ever since Paul started his Dr. Bernstein diet, he has dropped weight at a surprisingly consistent rate.

Unfortunately for me, I had an extremely difficult first 2 weeks in August, bouncing up and down crazily… which didn’t make sense as I was trying hard and walking a lot of long distances, although it could be due to added leg muscles.

This graph below shows a direct comparison of our total weight loss in pounds, as opposed to just our our total weight:

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As you can see, Paul has completely crushed me over the past 5-weeks.

I’m very used to this now, since I talk to Paul everyday and we compare our weights and progress, but it may be shocking to those of you who have been following this challenge.

Below is an update on the overall numerical data, taken from the last update to today (it’s too long to show the entire thing – if you want to know all the exact numbers, simply view the past weight loss updates for this challenge):

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The Minimum Pace is taking the average amount of weight we need to lose each day (which works out to 0.25 lbs.) over 120 days in order to just barely lose 30 pounds, multiplied by the number of days so far.

The Real vs Min. Pace is the difference between our current weight loss and the Minimum Pace.

Paul’s weight loss has been very impressive, having lost 24.8 pounds so far. In fact, 2 days ago he made it into the 180’s – a weight that he literally can’t remember last being at.

Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he is 2.3 pounds AHEAD of minimum pace… giving him some good wiggle room for the final weigh-in.

I, on the other hand, have not been doing so well. It’s frustrating, because I have been losing weight… but not at the pace that is needed in order to make this challenge. To date, I have lost 18.8 pounds, which works out to an average of 0.2 pounds lost every day for the past 90 days.

But that is sadly not fast enough to put me on minimum pace… which is an average of 0.25 pounds a day. As a result, I am 3.7 pounds behind schedule 🙁

Don’t forget, too, that it’s even worse than that… as on the final weigh-in I have to my original weigh-in clothes which are heavier, plus hold my camera. The final weigh-in is also at 10pm… a time in which I always weigh more than when I first wake up.

I’m not liking my chances. I told Paul that I think I have around a 50% of making the challenge. He puts me at 80%, but I don’t think he knows just how fast these last 30 days will go.

My Efforts

I’ve been continuing to do my ‘daily list’ which consists of: walking for 24-minutes (2KM or 1.25 miles), playing badminton twice a week, eating 4 servings of fruits and vegetables, drinking 3 glasses of water, being banned from restaurants/fast food/high calorie foods/juice/pop, 12 push-up’s, and 35 crunches.

I think I’ve noticed an improvement in my capacity to walk. When I first started doing my 2KM walks around the neighbourhood, I was always very tired by the time I returned, panting heavily and labouring up the 2 floors to my apartment.

But now, I almost enjoy (keyword being ‘almost’) going out on my daily walks. And I never even notice going up the final 2 flights of stairs to my apartment anymore. I do still sweat a lot, but the panting is almost non-existent now.

I go on my daily walks rain or shine. In fact, I was working late one day and hadn’t gone for my daily walk yet, but I didn’t let that stop me. I went out in the dark and did what I had to do.

Below is a photo I took of myself during that walk. If you look very closely, you’ll see me:

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In addition to my daily 2KM walks, I started going on much longer walks about twice a week (although I didn’t do any of those in the past week).

I first started by going around the circumference of a bird sanctuary several times, but that had gravel around the whole trail, which was hard on the feet, so I didn’t return.

I then started to walk from my condo, up North. On each progressive ‘long walk’, I would walk farther to another milestone (usually a mall or grocery store of some sort).

I did a few ‘long walks’ on a trail that runs along the old highway in my city. People like to walk their dogs along it, and it’s nicely paved, but it’s very noisy being right along the highway like that.

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Then one day I decided to try the “Parkway Trail” in my city, which runs along the route of the parkway of my city, which is the faster and more direct highway.

I had heard of the trail before, but never went on it – mainly because I thought it would be too noisy (being along the faster highway and all).

But I was very pleasantly surprised! It’s a very beautiful trail, and doesn’t run nearly as close to the parkway as the other trail had.

In fact, a lot of it runs through greenery in which you can’t even tell that there is a highway nearby.

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It is nicely paved, as you can see, which makes it really easy on the feet, and you can often seen rabbits hopping about.

What is rather surprising, is that almost nobody uses the trail! It’s a very well known trail in the city and the perfect time to use it (being summer and all), but I usually only see 1 or 2 people on it when I use it, and they’re always bicyclists – nobody ever walks or runs it.

I’m thinking perhaps because it’s too long for most people. The entire length of it is 20KM, and so walking one way and back would be 40KM… plus, since it’s along the highway, it doesn’t loop, so that could be one reason.

In any case, I love that nobody uses it. I enjoy the peace and quiet, and am able to zone out much easier.

Here’s one of the views from the trail:

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There is one crappy part about the trail though: the underpass. You have to go through it, and it’s not pleasant; there is always the strong odour of urine, and you have to hold your breath as you pass through.

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As with the other trail, I started going farther and farther on this one. The last trek on it was 12.5 KM (7.8 miles), and I plan on doing 13KM (8 miles) next time.

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So, I’ve definitely been trying to lose weight. That’s partly why it has been so frustrating to see my weight loss slow down

The good news is that yesterday was a new low for me, at 194.0 pounds. I’m 18.8 pounds down, with 11.2 more pounds to go.

Paul’s Efforts

Paul has been continuing with his Dr.Bernstein diet, albeit on ‘maintenance mode’, which has continued to do extremely well for him. Basically, he’s doing 90% diet and 10% exercise, as he does walk/run on his treadmill from time to time.

However, I don’t think the maintenance mode is going too well for him. He appears to be having trouble straying just slightly off the diet – instead, he seems to go farther off it than he should be. For example, he told me about having pop and popcorn the other day, then pizza (even if it was vegetarian), ate hash browns, bacon, and eggs for breakfast, etc.

As a result, in the past week, Paul gained weight 4 days out of 7! He’s still ahead of schedule, but he does appear to be slipping 🙂

He will have an update on his weight loss very late tomorrow (August 22nd), and you can see photos of his physical weight loss here. I am not brave enough to post such photos.

Will We Make It? Cast Your Vote!

In my last 2 weight loss contest updates, I included polls to see what you guys thought would happen in this challenge.

A lot has happened in the past month, with Paul passing me and actually making me the big underdog to win, so it will be interesting to see how you guys vote now.

Below are the results of the past 2 polls. I’ve closed them now, since this post is now up with our updated stats:

What will happen in the Tyler vs. Paul $650 weight loss challenge? (Day 45/120 Stats)

  • Neither will make it (44%, 19 Votes)
  • Only Tyler will make it (26%, 11 Votes)
  • Both will make it (23%, 10 Votes)
  • Only Paul will make it (7%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 43

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What will happen in the Tyler vs. Paul $650 weight loss challenge? (Day 55/120 Stats)

  • Neither will make it (45%, 17 Votes)
  • Both will make it (42%, 16 Votes)
  • Only Paul will make it (11%, 4 Votes)
  • Only Tyler will make it (3%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 38

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What will happen in the Tyler vs. Paul $650 weight loss challenge? (Day 90/120 Stats)

  • Only Paul will make it (40%, 14 Votes)
  • Both will make it (26%, 9 Votes)
  • Neither will make it (26%, 9 Votes)
  • Only Tyler will make it (9%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 35

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Posted: August 22nd, 2011 under Personal  

22 Responses to “$650 Weight Loss Challenge: Day 90/120”

  1. Paulymath says:

    There is a Ninja behind you in that dark picture. 😉

  2. Michael says:

    Good luck with the challenge. Hope you guys both make your goals!

  3. Hi Tyler,
    Sweat on, fight on, do not give up hope, But your weight bouncing up and down a little all the time, it is not good.

  4. Jacob says:

    Three glasses of water a day isn’t enough. They say you should, on average, have eight glasses of water. If you’re working out, you should be pushing that to nine or ten. If your body doesn’t have enough water, it retains water and that’s tacked on pounds. So, drink more water and you’ll lose more weight.

    • You’re right Jacob, Water is the most essential key to lose, manage or gain weight, to maintain the muscle retention the body shouldn’t be on excessive hydration specially for a person who works out.

      BTW Tyler, Good Luck on achieving your goal.

    • Tyler Cruz says:

      Yup, you’re right… I’ve been trying to drink more… it’s just one of those things that I always forget to do…

      • Jacob says:

        Go buy a big ass water bottle like one of those Nalgenes. They hold the equivalent of four glasses of water. Drink one in the first half of the day and drink a second in the second half of the day.

        • Tyler Cruz says:

          I have two like those already… but when I fill it up, I count it as 2 glasses, not 3… so I probably drink more than 3 glasses per day on average as I actually don’t drink out of a glass but a full juice container, which I count as 6 glasses… but it’s actually 2L

  5. I think you are doing a good job keep it up and even better keep doing it after the competition.

  6. Max says:

    Cut the carbs and you’ll start to lose more weight. Only eat meat and vegetables for the next 30 days.

  7. Hi Tyler do you use a personal trainer for this challenge? Good luck man. I hope both of you will win this competition

  8. wesley says:

    Neither of you will make it.

    1. Tyler is simply not doing enough… Walks, really? What happened to the running you used to do?

    2. Paul is already ditching his diet and eating crap as soon as someone isn’t watching his every step (he went on “maintenance”, seeing his “doctor” less often). He also isn’t doing much “exercise”.

    Clearly he does not have the mindset (his 30 day or however long it was “mindset preparation” was basically pointless).

    Wesley

    • I didn’t see your comment, and I just finished making a comment how inspirational Tyler’s posting was. I have to say that I know I definitely am not fit enough to do any running, and I’d be thrilled if I could get back into doing “just walks.” 🙂

      • Paulymath says:

        Starting with walking is perfect. The lymph system in our bodies which is responsible for clearing out toxins works best when our bodies are in motion – walking or running. It doesn’t have a pump like the circulatory system does, instead relying on the “bouncing” effect that gravity has on your body while walking/running/jumping to move the toxins out of the body.

        Because of this, walking – although not as beneficial in terms of burning calories as strength training or running – is still a HUGE benefit to the body.

  9. Very inspirational post. I used to love to take walks, but I would let my mind “trick” me into thinking that “just today, I should rest, but I’ll walk tomorrow.” Eventually I stopped doing my walks. But reading your post it looks like you are totally motivated! That’s cool! If I may ask, what do you do when your mind tries to tell you to just take a day off? What keeps you focused?

    • Tyler Cruz says:

      I really don’t mind going for my daily walks – that’s the whole thing. Sometimes I don’t want to do it, but it’s more of a minor inconvenience than anything…

      I accredit it largely to very slowly building up the distance. When I first started doing my daily walks, I only walked 30 seconds a day for a while… then 1 minute… and so on, until I got up to 24-minutes (which works out to 2.1 KM).

      Eventually, one day, I’ll increase that to 25-minutes and so on… but the point is that it doesn’t feel like ‘work’ when I do it, due to the slow build up. It’s really just a matter of time and boredom.

      However, I bought a small little pocket radio a few weeks ago, which definitely helps with the boredom factor. I’d recommend buying one!

    • Paulymath says:

      Beliefs also play a large role in the process.

  10. jpassmore says:

    You don’t need to do it online. Just buy a whiteboard and keep track of everyone’s numbers.

    I would also put it somewhere in your house/dorms to make it public and keep everyone accountable. Though, and I’m not trying to be sexist, I know women may not like that idea. If not, just keep it between yourselves.

    To keep everyone consistent, choose one person’s scale and everyone weighs in on that one scale once a week.

PeerFly

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