Get Lean and Loopyliscious Challenge - Rule Amendment #2

OK - so a couple days ago, I made The Challenge a little more flexible for myself in holding myself accountable to a weekly calorie deficit target vs having to hit a daily one every day.   So today, for example, I went over by about 200 calories but I will be making that up with some Extreme House Work tomorrow as well as my prescribed early morning merengue fiesta, given its Zumba Week! (oh joy).

HOWEVER, I think its time to implement another important rule amendment.  This one has been building for a while, not just linked to my current 10 week craziness, but I've been observing it for a while but - I finally have to just come out and say it - I'm afraid I've become addicted to my Snooze Button.  No, thats not code for something naughty, you mucky pups, but my Actual Real-Life Snooze Button.  Tragically enough, I use my Blackberry as my alarm clock so, when it goes off to wake me up in the morning, i'm awake long enough to scan my work email, sleepily answer the most pressing one from my boss - and then press the snooze button and try and cram in just a few more precious moments of sleep.  This is a fool's errand, primarily because my BB alarm is hard-wired into my cat's brains so - as soon as it wakes them up - they then seem to go into pissed-off, retaliatory mode and incessantly walk all over me, my face, my chest, scrap to try and get under the covers and generally be annoying little sods.  I think Izzie was a town cryer in a previous life, as he takes it upon himself to sit precariously on my loft ledge and shout his furry little head off at ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in particular.  So, after a couple of snooze buttons, I generally just give up and get up - immediately after which the cats jump up onto the bed and snuggle in to the warm patch i just left and promptly fall asleep.  

Does anyone want to adopt 2 Siamese cats?

Anyway, enough with the pre-amble, I hear you cry - what's your point?  Well.... today, I was supposed to get up and do my first Zumba session of Zumba Week! but I hit the snooze button so many times, I just ran out of time in the morning, so didnt do it.  This is NOT ACCEPTABLE and - with too many of these - I will most definitely have trouble staying on my Challenge fitness goals and will end up having to throw myself on your collective mercy for forfeits.  This I would rather not have to do.  So - to that end - starting tomorrow morning, the use of the Snooze Button is now Strictly Forbidden and I have to get up as soon as the alarm rings.  Any unauthorized snoozage will either require a Prince Pass or will trigger an automatic fine.  

This is going to be interesting.

A Walk in the Park
Get Lean and Loopyliscious Challenge: Week 1 Results

Well then.  What a week its been.  Week One of the Get Lean and Loopyliscious Challenge is over and  how did i do?  All in all, pretty bloody good, i think.  Just to remind you, this week was Officially Designated as Walk Week.  Despite it being quite a busy week at work, I managed to go for 2 early morning walks PLUS some excellent hiking in Yosemite as well as a bike ride (bonus activity!).  According to my Slacker Tracker, I managed - over the course of the weekend - to burn almost 6,000 calories and to take 24,000 steps!!  So.. *drum roll please* - did I hit my target for the week?

Here are the Scores on The Scales:

Necessary target for this week to avoid fine-age: 10%
Achieved target for this week: 14%

BOOOOYAH!!!  Week One and DONE!!  You can put all those forfeits back on the shelf for another week, cos I am SAFE!!  I did not use any Prince Passes AND - because of some Herculean calorie-burning efforts in Yosemite, I stayed within my weekly calorie deficit target.

IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE: instead of having to hit my daily calorie deficit target, I am changing the rules such that I now have to hit my weekly calorie deficit target.   Its not cheating cos I still, on balance, need to come under the same amount but - this way - if i go over by 10 calories on one day but then am 100 calories under the next day, I'm not going to have to use one of my precious Prince Passes.  Those will now get automatically activated should I go over for the balance of the week.  Ultimately, the expression will be in if I hit my weekly 10% additional increment towards target so - either way - plenty of opportunity for you all to screw me over if I don't stick to my goals!

OK - now onto Week 2 - Zumba Week!  All I can say is that I'm profoundly grateful that i now have enough room in my apartment here in SF that I can work along to the Zumba! DVD in the comfort and privacy of my own home, without having to inflict my appalling dyspraxic flailings on any unsuspecting member of the general public.  Elegant, I am not.  But a calorie-burning, Week 2 Target Achieving Machine?  That I (hopefully) am!!  BRING IT ON!!!!

Meandering Through Meadows and Picking Pecks of Pickled Peppers
Day 3: Sunday 26th August
So, up with the crack(ish) of dawn today, ready to check out of Hantavirus Central (sorry, Curry Village) and head over to the Ahwahnee Hotel for a very special breakfast!  I've been wanting to go to the Ahwahnee for years and check it off my 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Tragically Young book.  So, 7am we were up and about and, again, complimenting ourselves on our strategic choice of cabin near the car park.

Yeah!!!  Brunch-tastic!!

By 8am, we were all set and ready to go, so we handed in our keys, said farewell to our cabin and hopped into the car for the short drive to the Ahwahnee.  Wow.  What a fantastic place.  One of the Great American Hotels - all rustic beauty on an impressive scale.  We were there for their world-famous brunch - but in my attempts to remain Loopy-compliant, i opted not to devastate the very very tempting and comprehensive buffet, but instead ordered eggs, sausage and hash browns off the menu.  Very very tasty!  And I also managed to restrain myself and not order a Mimosa, instead chugging back probably more coffee than was sensible.  After breakfast, we hit the gift shop for a little bit of retail therapy (finally found Mumsie's mug plus a few other bits and bobs) before biding farewell to the Ahwahnee and heading off on our adventure for that day, a lovely morning's hike in Tuolumne Meadows.  Neither Lori nor myself (obviously) had been out to the Meadows before, so it was fun for both of us.

The incomparable Ahwahnee Hotel

Grand Dining Hall at the Ahwahnee

The drive out to the meadows was stunning, especially one bit where we passed an absolutely amazing view of Half Dome, over in the distance.  There were a couple of park employees with telescopes set up so, going to investigate and looking through the viewfinder, they pointed out the tiny figures of people ascending - via rope - the massive expanse of Half Dome.  Absolutely bloody terrifying.  This line of people clinging to a rope as they inch their way up to the top - no other security, so if you lose your footing or lose your grip on the rope, that's it.  You are toast.  And you'd probably also take a few other hapless souls on your way down too.  So, thanks but no thanks.  Mumsie/Loopy - you'll be glad to hear I have absolutely NO desire whatsoever to conquer Half Dome - even i have limits.

View from Olmsted Point

Half Dome in the distance

You can just see the tiny line of people hiking up

Just beautiful.  View from Olmsted Point

View on the road to Tuolumne Meadows

Anyway, it took us about an hour to drive eastward into the park and arrive at Tuolumne Meadows.  We chose a fairly short and easy hike, as both of us were a little on the sore and stiff side from yesterday's exertions!  Again, we'd got on the trail relatively early, so we would avoid both the heat and the crowds.  The hike was very pleasant, mainly through the forest with a couple of bits where it was more exposed, hiking through grassland.  Alas, still no bears (we were really hoping to see some down by the rivers or in the meadows, but no luck this time) but the scenery was beautiful and we did see a very cute little chipmunk, who obliged by playing hide and seek in his burrow. Collective "ahhhs" all round! (although, after our Tahoe trip, we are complete chipmunk afficionados!!)

Not a bad spot for a spot of lunch

After an hour or so, we stopped by the river for a quick lunch of cheese and deli meat.  After that, we walked on just a little further to the Two Bridges where suddenly the view opened up from the forests to the dramatic mountain vistas beyond.  It was very impressive, so we were glad we'd walked on the extra ten minutes or so.

But, finally it was time to say goodbye to Yosemite and hike back to the car and head home.  The drive back was pretty smooth - with a couple of stops along the way, it took us about 5 and a half hours, so really not that bad at all.  One particularly memorable stop was to Mr Pickles Sandwich shop - yum!!  Ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich (only 450 calories, so LL-compliant) and it was delish!!  A bit sticky and gloopy but I managed not to get the car (and myself) in a mess, so that was good.  We finally arrived back at Lori's in Walnut Creek just before 6pm (where Lori was immediately accosted by her uber-nosy neighbors wanting to know just who had had the temerity to park in the visitor's carpark for the weekend - geez!).  After saying goodbye and thanks for another fantastic weekend, I hopped into my car to drive home, finally making it back to my place just after 7pm. 

Where i collapsed in an exhausted, yet contented, heap on the sofa.  Yet another bonza weekend and Yosemite is every bit as magnificent as they say it is.  Yosemighty, indeed.  Here are some more pics from the day.  Enjoy.

No rainbows, but I'm sure there was a pot of gold
hiding here somewhere

Mobile moss

Lunch stop River

Lori off in search of bears.  Or beers.
Not quite sure I heard her correctly...

Chippers the Chipmunk

Yes, yes we do love Mr Pickles.

Falls, Trails, Bikes and Elks

Even the trailhead signs are beautifully done...

Day 2: Saturday 25th August

What a great day we had today.  A perfect (if absolutely knackering!) introduction to the beauty and splendor of Yosemite.  Again, I marvel at how lucky I am to live within a few hours drive of such a magnificent place - and to have such great friends in my life to share it with.

Even though they fart in the tent cabin*.

Back of Half Dome, view from the John Muir trail

So, we intended to get up at 6am, to grab an early breakfast and be on the trails by 7am.  Unfortunately, we didnt hear the alarm, so didn't actually wake up til almost 7am.  I guess it probably would have helped had I turned the volume up on my iPad to a notch above silent.  Oops.  That's what comes from playing Drunken Wildlife Bingo just before you set the alarm for the next morning.

But, despite our late start, we catch up some time by getting dressed quickly and chugging down a very speedy breakfast at Peets, so we still managed to be on the bus and at the trailhead by 8am.  There was a lovely friendly woman driving the bus who was very informative about all the trails and the camp & wildlife - I think it might actually have been Mrs Santa Claus on her summer job.

Just one or two steps on the way up!!  

So today's hike was up to Vernal Falls, a beautiful waterfall with then magnificent views up to Nevada Falls and then taking the famous John Muir trail back down.  We wanted to get onto the trail nice and early (hence the attempt to get up at 6am) - Lori said that when she and her Mum had done the trail a few weeks ago, they were up and out by 9am and it was perfect.  Not too hot, not too crowded so definitely the way to do it.

We got started on the trail and soon discovered we were both feeling quite knackered (I'm sure it had absolutely nothing to do with our choice of liquid refreshment from the day before), so we took it nice and easy with plenty of photo op stops.  I'd brought my tripod with me, so I blamed the weight of that for slowing me down...   Lori was dead right in that the trail was very exposed in places, with no cover from the sun directly overhead, so I was very glad we were not doing it later.  It was roasting enough at 9.30am, so God only knows how baking it would be in the full heat of the sun - not pleasant at all, I think.  Looking back and down our route later, our early start meant we also missed most of the people on the trail.  Though it was fairly wide in most places, there were a sh*tload of steep steps at the end and a really narrow and steep section that really was only wide enough for one person, so that bit of the trail must be an absolute nightmare to navigate when it gets really busy.

Feeling smug, looking down on the

 hoards of people still climbing

Channeling Pantene Pro-V....

As promised, the scenery was absolutely stunning and the Falls themselves were beautiful.  The view looking up was simply magnificent and we had some fun with my camera's self-timer (primarily to validate my decision to bring my tripod).  I think it took us a couple of hours to get up to the top of Vernal Falls and, when we got up there, we gratefully sought out some shade and sat by the river to rest, recharge and enjoy some well-deserved snackage.  Lori had (once again) brought some miniature and completely addictive snacks from Trader Joes (at Tahoe, they were miniature chocolate chip cookies that were like crack - once you starting eating them, you couldn't stop; this time round, it was miniature cheese sandwich biscuit things - like Ritz crackers for midgets), so i made a dent in a big bag of those.

Goofing about at Vernal Falls, giving the

self-timer a workout 

After relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view of the river and the falls for a half hour or so, it was time to get moving again, before everything seized up and we were forced to call Mountain Rescue.  It was about half ten by this stage, so it was really starting to get hot and, once again, I was very glad i was just starting out on my hike but instead was on the homeward stretch.  We came back via the John Muir trail - a very famous Scottish and American naturalist who founded the Sierra Club and was one of the earliest advocates of the preservation of wilderness within the US.  A local boy done good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir

We made great time and, hiking past the still ascending sweaty hordes, made it back down the trail, to the bus stop and back to camp by midday.  Bonza.  For lunch, we had some wraps that Lori had brought with her - they were a bit squishy and water-laden from sitting in the ice chest overnight but they still hit the spot.  We then, naturally, washed it down with a refreshing adult beverage at the bar before sitting in the lounge, hitting the Internet and recharging all our various electronic devices.

By this stage, it was around 3pm, so after a quick tool round the gift shop looking for a mug for Mum, it was too hot to do anything else but have a siesta.

Vernal Falls falling 

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

After sleeping and drooling for an hour or so, I woke to a soggy pillow and a slightly more temperate temperature outside, with a wonderfully cooling breeze that was a welcome relief to the overbearing heat.  As if we'd almost planned it that way, it was perfect weather for a bike ride, so we (eventually) found the bike rental tent and hired a bike for a couple of hours so that we could explore more of the Valley floor and get a better sense of where things were and see some more of the Park.  I think the bike itself was probably the heaviest mechanical item i've ever had to peddle but the saddle was Floridian-arse wide, so it was comfy enough even though gears and brakes also seemed to be surplus to requirements in this particular bi-pedicular design.  

Cycling around the Valley floor was - again - beautiful.  One of our stops was a place called Mirror Lake.   Unbeknownst to us, I think the idea was that you bring your own mirror to place on the ground and look at and pretend the shimmery, silver reflection is actually a lake as there was no water whatsoever in there!  But it was still interesting, if a little curiously named.  

A randomly beautiful scene - UnMirror Lake

The infamous Yosemite Waterfall 

Thieves had struck again...

The whole time we were out biking, we were keeping our eyes peeled for bears - alas, during our whole time there, we didn't see any BUT we did see some elk instead which was brilliant.  On our bikes, we managed to get really close to them, as they crossed the road in front of us - they weren't perturbed in the least by our presence - i guess they are completely used to people jumping out of cars to take their picture.  We also saw this impressive white-headed black woodpecker - but somehow i managed to eff up the settings on my camera, so singularly failed to get any photos of any worth - doh!

Faster than a speeding Elk....

Nom, nom, nom....

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille

Northern Exposure, anyone?

Antler bush

Dylan the Elk

We stopped at a deli for supper (I got a big chicken and swiss sandwich with some macaroni salad - I figured I'd burnt off enough calories during the day's exertions to warrant the carb-fest) before finally heading back to CV to return the bikes.  Then, the big decision of the evening was whether we could be arsed to go and listen to a talk by a climber about something climber-y or have another adult beverage and a round of Wildlife Bingo.  In the end, the Need to Get Clean won out and it was time to (finally) locate the shower block.  The showers were good and hot and free - I think, though, we inadvertently cut some people up who I think were outside waiting and hadn’t figured out you needed a combo code to open the shower doors.   Oops.





Afterwards, we toyed with the idea of heading back to either the bar or the wireless lounge but instead sloth won out and we just vegged out in the cabin instead.  Instead of the hoards of college kids who'd been our tent neighbors the night before (and who were very well-behaved and that we didn't hear a peep out of), instead tonight we had a bunch of redneck bikers, whose conspiracy theories and disdain for the liberal media we got to enjoy loudly until - finally, thank God - it was time for quiet hours at 10pm and they were asked to shut the f up.  And thus ended a very satisfying, exhausting day in Yosemite.  Bloody marvelous.

Psychedelic tree bark

* OK, OK.  It was me too.

YO-HO-HO-SEMITE!!!

A little light mountain goat
with your socks, madam?

Finally!!  Time to check Yosemite off my bucket list and from my 1,000 Places to See Before You Die book*.  As with all the best adventures, I was up before the sun and got up at 5.30am so I could get a quick email out (fortunately the internet was working again - huzzah!) and finished up my packing which I'd started late the night before.  I think i've probably ended up packing 10 t-shirts and 1 pair of pants, so the fashion on this trip could get rather random.  I said adios to the boys and left for Lori’s around 7am.  Lori lives in Walnut Creek and I wasn't sure how long it would take me to get there in the morning, but I actually got there super quick and arrived around quarter to 8.  I had a coffee and played with the cats while she finished her preps before setting off just before 9am.

I had a bit of work to finish, so worked on some slides for a presentation in car on way down.  I also took a couple of work calls on way, so ended up only feeling mildly guilty about being out of the office.  After about an hour, we took a quick pit-stop at a huge Bass Pro shop - I've seen these stores before but have never been inside one as I thought they only sold fishing stuff.  But Lori said that this was something I really really had to see, so inside we went.

Basil, basil, basil!!  Moose, moose, moose!!!

O.M.G.
Other than being my complete Outdoor Store Nirvana - camping equipment!  gadgets!  clothing with inordinate number of pockets!  shirts with built-in insect repellent! – it was incredible for another reason - namely the HUNDREDS of stuffed animals on the wall and scattered throughout the store. This place was literally a Temple of Taxidermy.  I've never seen anything like it.  My jaw literally hit the floor as I walked in through the (enormous) front door.  After regaining my sensibilities, we spent a fun hour tooling around – I didn't go too crazy - I only ended up buying a couple of tops, a stuffed bear pillow, some hiking socks and Wildlife Bingo.  More on that later.

We got back on the road by 11am and from there on it, it was a pretty easy drive to the Park.   On the way we drove through some old cowboy towns and gold country and - pictured - Oakdale's latest dating hotspot.

The singles scene in Oakdale can be somewhat basic

The views of the scenery got progressively more beautiful until, finally, by about 1.15pm, we rounded a corner and there it was.  My first glimpse of Half Dome.  And it was absolutely breathtaking.  And quite large.

A mighty fine lump of granite - Half Dome

Another half hour of driving got us to the entrance of Yosemite, where we paid our entrance fee and headed over to Curry Village where we were staying in one of their tented cabins.  And - yes.  In case you've been following the Yosemite story that's been in the news over the last couple of days.  Its THAT Curry Village and THOSE tented cabins where there is a current Hantavirus outbreak - its very rare but there have been a couple of deaths this summer, so its a little concerning.  If this blog goes quiet in about 1-6 weeks, then you know that it really will end up being one of those Places That I Got To See Before I Died.  Hopefully it won't come to that - that would be dead annoying, no pun intended.

Anyway, we got to CV around 2pm and lucked out with the Holy Trinity of Camping – we managed to bag a great parking spot, our tent cabin was already clean and ready for check in plus we scored one right near the car park and restrooms so didn't have to lug our stuff for miles (we were fully stocked up with earplugs and Ambien, so bring it on!).  We dumped our stuff in our cabins and finally went in search of food.  I’d had to take a work call earlier while we were parked up looking at Half Dome – although it was just for 15 mins sitting outside in the heat of the sun (it was about 100 degrees), it had already made me feel a bit heady and the lack of food probably hadn't helped.  Unlike other NPs, there is no cooking allowed at CV, so we were at the mercy of the food and concession offerings.   We checked out the Grill and settled on a turkey burger - quick, reasonably healthy and - most importantly of all - Loopyliscious-compliant.

The power-hungry Sofa Squirrel

After lunch, i hopped onto the wireless in the Lounge to send a quick email (I had to fight the squirrels for access to the power outlets), after which it was time to power down the Powerpoint and retire to the bar to relax with a couple of refreshing, low-calorie vodka sodas and Wildlife Bingo.  I'm afraid to say we caused a bit of a sensation.  Wildlife Bingo quickly became THE focus of attention of the bar, garnering envious glances from young and old alike.  The first game was extremely close and came down to the wire but - in the end - in a frenzy of card turning and no cheating whatsoever, Wolverine (me - WINNER!) took down Raccoon (Lori - LOSER!!).  After another game, I ended up 2-0 up and 3 vodkas down.

Booyah!! Drunken Wildlife Bingo
approaches its thrilling conclusion...

After that excitement, we were exhausted so a snooze seemed in order.  (getting old, moi?)  It was also VERY hot and sticky (it was still in the high 90's) so the heat just sapped your energy (OK, OK Cyprus bods - settle down - I know, I know).  It was bloody roasting in the cabin, but I think I managed to still drop off for a few minutes. 

I woke up around 4.30pm and couldn’t really be arsed to go for a bike ride that we'd talked about, so instead we headed back over to the lounge to make use of the wireless again.   Gotta love wilderness camping, right?  I ended up playing with some great new apps and checking my blog stats.   Not at all sad tecchie addicts.  Around 8pm, it was time to head to dinner.  Rather than the pizza stall or the Grill, we headed over to this large diner hall where dinner was served buffet style.  The food actually wasn't too bad – pretty basic meat, veg and starches, but the chicken was not as dry as expected and the veggies weren't completely boiled to death, although the carrots did have a somewhat unusual apple flavor to them.   Hopefully that's not the first symptom of Hantavirus infection.
After dinner, it was time for just one final nightcap before retiring for bed, ready for an early start and some great hiking in the morning! 

And we're off!!....
The Challenge has begun and, I must say, I'm off to a rollicking start.  I got back in from the Land of Big Hair and Bush last night (steady...read it again and git yer mind outta the gutter) after another day of market research excitement in Houston.  And - as a testament to the Power of the Challenge, I managed to survive the whole day without a single M&M being consumed.  I will pause there for a moment so that those of you in the industry can marvel at how spectacular and improbable a feat of self-control that represented.












Thank you.  I know.

Fortunately the flight back from Houston didn't involve flying through any lightening storms or tornado weather systems this time - although the amount of static electricity contained in my Simpson-esque bouffant, after 2 days of Texan humidity, was probably enough to have started its own weather system if I'dve shaken my head fast enough.  Obviously the lack of wine during the flight made things hairier in a different way - my work colleague feigned sleep so as to avoid the bitching.

A tall Pole.
This is for my readers from Pole-land

Anyway, am back and - with the exception of Yosemite tomorrow - I have no more travel booked for a little while, so I can focus on the task at hand!  WINNING!!!  (or at least avoiding Loopy's forfeits!).    So, to remind you - this week is Walk Week and we're off to a flying start!  Despite sitting on my arse for most of yesterday, somehow I managed to get my requisite 8000 steps in (I think it was during lunch hour when my client and I were in the HUGE shopping mall trying to find the food court and then trying to find something healthy on sale in it).  Today, in keeping with the spirit of Walk Week, I got up at 7am and went for a 30min walk in and around the Embarcadero.  It was just a little chilly, but nothing too drastic and it was just lovely, power walking along the marina and the bay, and again thinking how damned lucky I am to live here.  I took a couple of piccies - one is of the marina behind the ball park, opposite where I live; the other is of a tall constructiony-thing that (apparently) is eventually going to be turned into a recreational pier with a grassy area, shops, restaurants, the whole nine yards.  Sounds very similar to what they did with the piers on the West Side Highway back in NYC - should be lovely and will help to keep sending my property value skyward!!!

View of the Marina with the ball park in the background

Anyway, the scores on the doors at the end of Day 2 - i am NAILING my calorie deficit target, exceeded my 8,000 step target by doing 14,000 steps today (and that's even with taking the MUNI for just 2 stops to go meet my mate for her birthday drinks cos I was running late) and I refrained from any naughty food bits during drinks.  So - a strong start.

As I'd hoped, this Challenge has really kicked my naturally competitive nature into gear.  Once that's engaged and I'm focused, there's no stopping me.  I try and convince people (OK - my folks) that I'm not as competitive as I used to be - or that I don't really mind losing at cards - its just a game, right?   But I'm fooling precisely no-one!  I do try and keep it in check but, as an example of how crazily competitive I can get, tonight - after I'd got back from drinks (no wine) and was preparing a salad to go with dinner, I found myself competing with my microwave as it was defrosting my Kashi Black Bean and Mango entree to see if I could finish chopping the salad up before it pinged!  I was mildly irritated as I was still dicing up the red pepper as it finished its first 2 mins, so after stirring it, consulting the box as to how long it needed to go back in for ("3 minutes or until product is hot") and carefully assessing the amount of green gear I still had to slice, dice and chop, back into the microwave it went for a full 4 mins.  I was trying to convince myself that I wanted to be sure it was piping hot - just to be on the safe side - but who was I kidding?  After some frenzied knife work and mis en place skills that would not place well in a Top Chef Quickfire Challenge, it was all over.

The microwave pinged for the final time.

I had won.

Announcing the "Get Lean and Loopyliscous Thanksgiving Challenge"

-------Episode 1: The Clock Is Ticking-----

As in the words of the Lion King, It Is Time.  

(SIDENOTE: incidentally, I actually look like an extra from the Lion King right now - i'm in Houston for market research and the heat and humidity is making my hair frizz on out and up just like that annoying Lion King Woman who's in all the ads on the telly *sigh*).

It is Time to start my next 10 week adventure - the Get Lean and Loopyliscious Thanksgiving Challenge!  Who knew that Baked Bean and Spam pizza would be so fattening?  The only thing that got lean over KSCC was my credit card bill.  So, its time to take action before I become a permanent chubster (plus I can't fit into 95% of my wardrobe!) and before I next go home to see my folks in Cyprus over Thanksgiving.  

As I mentioned in my previous blog, the inspiration for this Challenge is my phenomenal sister, who is disappearing before my very eyes!!  In the space of just over 3 months, she has lost an incredible 33lbs!!!    The last time I was back in Cyprus, I paid for her to have her food intolerances tested and it turned out she had a severe intolerance to potato, corn, milk protein and rice, as well as needing to keep an eye on her refined carbs and sugar intake.  I also bought her a Slacker Tracker to help keep her on the straight and narrow - and, since then, she hasn't looked back!!  You can see already how much progress she's already made - and she's still going strong!!  Bloody marvelous!!

Loopy Before

Loopy Before

Loopy After - and still going!!

So - not that i'm in the least competitive - but its now GAME ON!!  Time for me to get Skinny Like Loopy.  Here are the Rules of Engagement of the Challenge*

Rules of Engagement: 

Duration: 10 weeks

Challenge: Lose a top-secret (but still sensible and healthy) amount of chubbage in time for my Thanksgiving holiday back to see the folks in Cyprus.  Don't worry - its a stretch(mark) goal, so I'm not going to cheat by aiming to lose 2lbs!

Start date: Weds Aug 22nd

End date:  Weds Oct 31st

The Fine Print

Here's how it will work:  For a 10 week challenge, each week should bring me 10% closer to my end goal.  So, by the end of week 1, I should be at 10%, at the end of week 2, 20% etc.

Every Wednesday, from now to the end of the Challenge, I will post my stats so you can see where i am vs where I should be.  Here's the first twist:

IF I AM AHEAD OF OR ON TARGET: I get to bathe in the sweet glow of success.

IF I AM MORE THAN 5% BEHIND TARGET: You, dear reader, get to pick a forfeit for me for the week.  I throw myself on your mercy.  Nothing illegal, career-limiting, overly-expensive or requiring me to engage in any dodgy romantic liaisons with skanky blokes.  You can get creative but not that creative.   The forfeit should take no longer than half a day to complete, should be flexible in timing for its completion and should not leave any lasting mental or physical scars.  At least not any that are visible.

My Recipe for Success:

1. Eat Clean.  
Firstly, no Baked Bean and Spam Pizza.  Good, clean and healthy food will be the order of the day. 

2. ChubLog.
I will be relying on my faithful Slacker Tracker to keep me honest and on schedule.  Every day, I will log my calorie intake with no fibbing.  If I don't have Internet access for whatever reason, I will write it down and enter it in as soon as i can get back online.

3. Well hello, Wine Wagon.  Can I hitch a ride?
I will be giving up The Grape for the next 10 weeks.  As its on my list of severely intolerant foods, its probably time to give the Chardonnay a break anyway, so this seems as good a time as any.  This doesn't mean i"ll be completely on the wagon, though - a stiff Rangpur and Tonic would be completely acceptable, but all wine (including Champagne) is off limits for the next 10 weeks.

4. Get moving!!
Now I'm no longer shackled to my kitchen soaking pulses and interviewing boxes of biscuit mix, its time to get my arse off the couch and start to get more active.  Over the last couple of months, my work and travel commitments have completely crushed my regular exercise schedule but now its time to take back control and make exercise the priority that it should be.

Here's the second twist: each week, I will focus on a different type of physical activity (steady on) as part of a not-at-all-well-controlled-or-scientifically-valid experiment to determine which type of activity is the best at fat burning and helping me reach my goal for that week.  I've tried to pick activities that I can do whether I'm at home or traveling on business - all are pretty self-explanatory... and I'm also open to requests if you have additional suggestions - as long as it has an exclamation mark on the end.  I will endeavor to conduct said activity as often as I can during that week and for a minimum of 25mins per session.  I'm starting slow and working my way up to getting my ass kicked by Lacey's online routines in week 9! 

Week 1: Walk Week!

Week 2: Zumba Week!

Week 3: Bounce Week!

Week 4: Gillian Michaels Week!

Week 5: Weights Week!

Week 6: House Work Week!

Week 7: Swim Week! 

Week 8: Run Week!

Week 9:  Lacey Stone Week!

Week 10: Bike Week!

I already hate Week 8.

And I will probably need to do some house work before week 6.

The Prince Pass Principle

Recognizing that Life Sometimes Intervenes, I am also instituting the Prince Pass clause.  A Prince Pass is a single-use Pass that enables the user to Party Like Its 1999! on a single occasion without guilt or judgement.  Examples of situations in which Prince Passes may be invoked include Nights Out with the Girls, Tasting Menu extravaganzas, Camping Cookouts, Market Research Boredom Defense Eating or Work Bonding Dinners.  Not reaching the day's Calorie Deficit target on the Slacker Tracker will also trigger an automatic Prince Pass.  5 Prince Passes will be issued upon initiation of the Challenge and remain in effect until the 10 week endeavor has reached its thrilling conclusion.  An additional 2 Prince Passes will be issued when the 50% of target goal has been reached and a final Prince Pass when the 80% goal has been passed.

USER NOTE: Prince Passes should be used with caution due to the heinous penalty incurred for not achieving that week's goal.  

So then - TICK TOCK.  The clock starts tomorrow at 0% of target.  7 days time, I'd better be at 10% of goal, or there'll be trouble....

* please note: other Terms and Conditions may apply