Six pack by summer

I’m not sure what it is, but I’m in a pretty bad mood right now!
From prior experience, everything I did yesterday should make today a much better thing.

No cardio today – going to class tonight as long as everything stays up tonight

weight: 166.6
waist: 35

note: I have not read Virid’s latest comment – it came in while I was writing this.

I did a lot of thinking last night and this morning, some of it thanks to the gentle (and not-so-gentle) prodding of friends. I’ve come to a conclusion—I’m an idiot.
I made SO much progress, and I’ve just been totally lame the past few weeks.

I woke up this morning and went to the gym and did 60 minutes of cardio. It sucked. But I made a choice. I’m doing what I can.

My ambivalence towards my project was due to a few factors (these are not excuses.):

• Life changes (schedule, priorities, etc)
• The requirements set out by the Bev5
• Not reaching my first goal.

• Hating chicken

  Each one of those points could be an entire post, so let’s just say there is more then may meet the eye there.

  Well… I got stuck in a rut, and I’m digging my way out (wait, mixed metaphors!).

  I can’t say that I’m gonna do it all right – but so what? I’m gonna do what I can, when I can.

  Now, where’d I put that chicken?

  Cardio: 60 mins elliptical
  Pushups: 30 (so far)
  Waist: 35” (Slllliiiiipppppiiiinnnggg)
  Weight: 165.4 lbs

I skated for 30 minutes this morning, did 30 pushups and am heading to TaeKwonDo tonight.
I’m not giving up on the goal of getting in shape. I’m still working through a few things, but I can feel myself getting excited about this project again.
Today is wednesday – the start of a new “week” in this program. This post doesn’t have weight and waist, but I might make another post tonight.

I’m still not “there” mentally with the new way of things around here – that’s something that I need to get to.

I am also totally blown away by the comments lately. All kinds of people telling me not to give up – it’s really inspiring!

First thing – this is not a “valid” entry according to the rules. I know that.

I went skating yesterday morning for 40 minutes. It was my first time out on skates in about 2 years, and the first “real” skate in about 8.
It felt pretty good. I was tired and sweaty (the humidity was over 80%), but I wasn’t bored, I didn’t try to focus on other things – I just skated.

I think I’m going to add in skating on a regular basis, it’s a great cardio workout, and a lot of fun.

I’m not giving up on my goals, but I am very unsure about the future of the “project” as an entity. I’m not saying anything directly – just letting everyone
know where my head might be at.

Thanks everyone who has stuck by my crazyness.

weight: 165 lbs
waist: 34.75”
cardio: 45 minutes
pushups: 50

I’m having a crisis of motivation.

I’ve come so far, and for so long my one true goal was a six-pack. I don’t know why, but I can’t find that fire anymore. Maybe I just got burnt out? Maybe I have lost focus because work is so consuming right now? Maybe the new goals are overwhelming to me (not the goals themselves, but HAVING them.)
I am very satisifed at work right now. It’s challenging and rewarding. But I hate feeling out of shape. It’s only been a few weeks, but I already feel like garbage.

I was told to never complain without a solution, so here’s one:
Maybe I should forfeit the money (or half of it, or whatever) and try to find a middle ground.

I’m just looking to start a conversation about this.

weight: 165
waist: 34.5

I’m pretty upset with myself right now. I stayed up until 3am working on a project – Rocket Vote . I wasn’t able to get to the gym when I woke up because we were having server issues (the extra bad kind). Then the day totally slipped away while trying to scale our runaway success – Tag My . We’re still not out of the woods with tag my, but we’re getting closer.

I am going to throw down some pushups tonight. Something is better then nothing.

:(

Today starts the next phase in my evolution.

First – a new look for SPBS. This isn’t the final look, but a transition until I get some time to integrate much more with trackstat.us (and a chance to work on that site).

Second – I now have concrete, short-term, achievable goals that I’ll be working towards each week. If you’re not sure about how this all works, check out the previous post.

Third – Diet! I’m not going to worry about this so much. I’m going to try to eat roughly the same amounts each day, but not just chicken and apples, chicken and apples. I’m even eating Raisin Bran this morning!

If it’s not clear from my last post. I’m VERY VERY excited to be working on this new phase. It’s given me an injection of enthusiasum and drive towards the goal.

8.5%, HERE I COME!

For anyone who is reading along, you know that tomorrow is my first deadline. Also – you may know that I didn’t achieve my first goal of a four pack.

Before I get to the meat of this post, I want to take a quick jaunt down memory lane. When I started this endeavor, I put up the money for two reasons.

1. To keep myself motivated
2. To get other people (strangers and friends) to follow my progress.

I thought I’d get a ton of blog links and make a big site about my progress. I also thought the attention would bring some revenue in and I’d split that with the “Jury” when all was said and done.

Neither one worked out exactly like I planed. However, I ended up with something MUCH, MUCH better! Four of my good friends and one stranger who has been an enormous help took it upon themselves to alter the terms of this project. From what I hear, they’ve been in talks for a while now and came up with the following conditions:

Mr. Erik Kastner:

I’m writing on behalf of some the key contributors to your fitness blog “Six Pack By Summer”. We have all followed your quest, more or less since it’s inception, and have been inspired by the general enthusiasm with which you have pursued your goal. While we do intend to collect our dues from this venture, we would like to offer you—in the same spirit of chance with which you undertook this enterprise—an opportunity to both recoup a portion of your losses and follow through on your goal of achieving a six pack.

As I’ve mentioned, we intend on holding you to payment as promised, though in part not in whole. What we intend to collect is 20% of what we would otherwise be apportioned. The remaining 80% is to be allotted to yonnage as he will be acting as the treasurer for the remainder of this challenge. As you may have guessed, our challenge will afford you an opportunity to win back this 80%.

Winning back this 80% is contingent on the terms below, though a $50 penalty will be deducted from the pot for each week that you have not meet with the terms and conditions of this contest. While the aim of this goal remains your achieving a “six-pack”, we have modified it’s definition by requiring you to achieve a certain Body Fat percentage. This challenge will not end until a professional has measured and verified that you’re have attained a Body Fat percentage of no more than 8.5%.

Our requirements:
1: Minimum of one picture update per week.
2: Four gym days a week.
3: Five hours of cardio a week.
4: 250 pushups a week.
5: 300 situps a week.
6: One TaeKwon-Do session a week.
7: Six blog-updates a week (blog-updates must contain weight, Body Fat [if measured since your last update], waist size, and exercises completed).
9: Body Fat percentage measured by a professional at least once every two weeks.

Terms and conditions are subject to change at the collective discretion of the fiscal contributors to this challenge.

Feel free to post this missive, as well as your response, to your blog. We intend to begin this challenge immediately and request your answer by tomorrow. Thanks and good luck!

Your friends,
Jason, Ché, John, Greg, and Dave.

First, my response. YES! This is awesome. The only point I have a possible issue with is #6 – sometimes I won’t be able to go to class each week – would you guys be amenable to having a possible sub for that one?

What they’ve done is made the exact type of challenge I’ve been trying to make, but have been unable to. I now have a discreet set of deliverables that have small, but lasting effects on my progress (and bottom line). This is similar in spirit to the Ultimate Black Belt Test and what I envisioned for trackstat.us – but didn’t quite get right.

Now one more point. If you feel you are owed moneys from this site (and aren’t on the list above), email me (kastner @ gmail.com) with your paypal address and what you felt you’ve contributed to the community that has grown around this site. To the “Crew” (we need a name for you guys), I’ll wait to see if anyone comes out of the woodwork, then I’ll be sending out the money. The 80% to the Treasurer will be transfered after the next paycheck (It’s ok, he knows where I work).

Any questions, comments, concerns or quips?

P.S. Thanks guys. If I wasn’t sitting 3 feet away from another man writing this, I’d be balling like a baby. I can’t express how much this means to me. You’ve made it impossible for me to fail and slink away. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

“I’m not dead yet”.
I’m still not sure about what the next phase of this is just yet, but two things are certain:

1. I still want a six-pack. I need it to prove to myself that I can accomplish anything (even if I can’t shoehorn it into arbitrary time lines)

1. I need help. Specifically diet-related.

   So, if anyone knows any nutrionists or dieticians, I’d love to talk to them. Even if you know of someone who knows someone – let me know. For some reason, every gym in America has a ton of personal trainers – but look at you like your nuts when you want to talk to someone dedicated to diet. I’ve looked on google, but I tend to find that people in my social network are a better fit for me.