So in the challenge for the week we're supposed to write a mini-bio - is there where it is to be posted? Has anyone done that yet? Because it's Friday, right? Am I looking in the wrong place for the bios? I'm always confused, sorry!!!!

I think we're supposed to do it here (on this thread). I've been thinking about it, but I haven't made the time to actually sit down and write one out yet. I think I'll do it tonight after work! If I'm remembering correctly, it can be how you started your weight loss journey, or it can be non-weight loss related, whatever you prefer. I'm looking forward to learning more about you all!

Well here's my mini bio (thanks Emily for starting it off!);
I am 46 years old. I've known my husband since kindergarten and we will married 24 years on March 17th. We have 4 kids. I played volleyball and did karate in high school. I got my black belt in Taekwondo at age 18 and taught for a year but then quit. I always ate a lot but through college I was able to exercise enough to keep the pounds off (I taught aerobics classes in the 80's - there's a vision to behold - leotards, leg warmers, high top reboks!). I went to medical school after I was married and again, could exercise enough to keep ahead of the calories. Then kids happened! I had 1 kid in medical school and 2 in residency. I struggled with weight and health and exercise (ironic, being a doctor) until after my 4th kid was born in 2006. I hit the "obese" BMI for my height when I was 40 and that was rough. I did Take Shape for Life and lost 60 lb which I have kept off for the most part. I got back into martial arts when my son was 5 and now I have had 1 MMA fight (amateur) and am competing in Brazilian JuiJitsu! Better shape at age 46 than I ever was before! Of course, I eat a little healthier overall but I still exercise to keep ahead of my appetite! Best advice for fitness I ever got was from Dr. Wayne Anderson (TSFL) - he pointed out that my health (or lack thereof) is a choice I can make. He helped me with a deliberate plan to achieve my health goals. Setting the goals instead of just hoping to fall *kitten*-backwards into good health made all the difference to me! Go Team Rick

April, you can blame me for the sinus infection as well; I also have one of those. I just can't catch a break, apparently.

Bio time! Yay!

You may have gathered from my user name that my name is Chris. I'm 30 years old and have been with my wife for 8, though we have an assortment of pet rats rather than children so far (they're easier to clean up after).

I was actually significantly underweight for most of my early life, especially for my height. When I enlisted in the Navy at 18 (coincidentally two months before September 11th, 2001; a real fun time to be enlisted, that's for sure) I was 6'2" and 183 pounds, which even now I consider just under my ideal weight. When I left boot camp, I was 6'2" and 143 pounds with a 32" waist. It's the lowest I've weighed in my adult life, and was in no way healthy. My mother was terrified when she saw me.

While I was actually in the fleet (as a gunner; not a "light" sort of job), I was ~190 almost the entire time, despite living on the official junior enlisted diet of fast food and a gallon of vodka per night. It was a running joke that I simply didn't gain weight. I once ran my twice-a-year 1.5 mile fitness test run with a can of Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink in my hand, slurping it as I went. Once, on a bet with a coworker, I ate literally nothing but Cinnabon for a week straight just to see if it affected my weight. It actually did; the fact that the only local Cinnabon was about 5 miles away, combined with me not having a car, meant that all the walking to and from the Cinnabon caused me to LOSE weight during that week. I actually had to start fastening my belt tighter by the end of it. Meanwhile, my coworker was living on salad and spending all of his free time on the treadmill and still gained 2 pounds.

The cosmic irony wore off when I got out of the fleet and spent my 3 months of accumulated leave sitting on my butt, playing video games, eating delivery pizza, and not doing a damn thing else. By the time I went to work again, I was around 200-210 pounds. On the upside, the job was working as a cast floor operator in a steel mill, both physically intensive and often very hot (regularly 130 degrees and we were wearing 5 layers of heavy protective clothing). Despite sitting around 220 pounds, I actually feel this was a great size for me as I was also very well-muscled. I rarely did true "exercise," by which I mean a gym routine or workout regimen, but using a sledgehammer for 12-16 hours a day tends to build up some upper body strength. I lacked what you'd call definition, but I was tall and strong as an ox. This is also when I got married, for those keeping score at home. I actually met my wife online in an internet art forum. Yeah, I was a REFINED ex-Navy steel worker.

After four years there, we moved from Iowa to Washington (my wife couldn't stand Iowa winters... or summers, or springs, or falls) and, mostly due to a lack of an immediate job, I started going to college on the GI Bill. I graduated last summer with a BA in History and English, because apparently I really like writing essays or something. I work in online content development and copywriting fields, as well as a variety of other casual or volunteer jobs that I hold on the side.

Unfortunately, going to school full-time and also working at least two jobs at any given time (I also worked for 2 years in a Veterans Affairs hospital during this time), combined with rarely being home at the same time as my wife, meant that we both maintained awful eating habits and I rarely had the time or motivation to go to the gym. I joined MyFitnessPal a couple of months ago, when I hit 240 pounds for the first time. 230 was concerning, but 240 could not be ignored. I started off my trek with a 5-day juice fast, after which I never wanted to see a piece of kale for as long as I lived, and then started a "clean" eating regimen. My wife and I make as much of our food as possible, and I don't just mean making meals at home. We bake our own bread, make our own mayonnaise, and slice our own lunchmeat. I even started brewing my own alcohol; I have two batches of mead currently going on top of my liquor cabinet (one traditional honey and one mixed berry melomel; so exciting!). We didn't eliminate any specific foods from our diet, we just started eating better versions of what we already liked. We also still occasionally get "bad" foods because we know that occasional delicious treats prevent us from getting bored and going on binges. Even those foods have changed, though; I still have an occasional can of pop, but instead of a Pepsi, I'll have a Hansen's strawberry vanilla soda made with cane sugar and natural flavors. We also buy local products now rather than just buying what's cheapest at Costco.

I began the juice fast, which I consider to be the rough starting point of my change in lifestyle, in roughly the middle of December (coincidentally, New Year's had nothing to do with it). Since then, I've dropped from 240 pounds to 225. My wife has lost nearly the same amount; she's actually lost more, but she's doing almost exclusively cardio while I do more strength training than elliptical work, so I suspect I'm putting on more muscle than burning fat.

Anyway, on to what you're all actually here for; this week's numbers! It's a late posting because I spent the last 4 hours driving across western Washington in pouring rain after helping my in-laws move for the last three days.

THIS WEEK'S AVERAGES:

Cardio: 464 minutes
Strength: 164 minutes
Everyone was within their goals, and everyone did what they were supposed to. In my opinion, those are good enough numbers for me to send Sergeant Apone to tell you all how badass you are. No, really: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME9cpaNrBXk

Now, I just need to actually watch this week's episode since I was still on the highway when it aired.

I also vote for Abraham! Awesome job Team Rick! Doling out punishment should be fun :devil: Anything but squats, I'm so sick of squats! Maybe sit ups or ab crunches instead? Or an additional 60 minutes of cardio?

YAY for Abraham! Punishment - BURPEES. I hate them and did so many of them last night I want others to share in the pain! Or abs because core is key! Here's a good one:
http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/workout-detail/Fitness-Blender-Abs-and-Obliques-Workout-10-Minute-Abs-Workout/en/

Congrats on MVP to colibri23!!!

Awww thanks April! :flowerforyou:

Maybe we could get creative and make a very simple mini circuit for the punishment. Something like: 1 min jumping jacks; 10 sit ups/roll ups/crunches; 1 min jump rope; 1 min side plank (30 sec each side); 5 burpees.

Altogether it should be 5 minutes or a little less, it combines a bit of cardio and strength, and it targets the core instead of the legs (stupid squats---I think everyone could use a rest with those). Like the other punishments, we could require 5 sets over the course of the week. Of course it can be modified per everyone's thoughts, or we could do something completely different. Just a thought! What do you guys think?

ETA: I also like the look of the fitness blender video as well, that our good doctor shared with us as a possibility. Since it's level three intensity, it seems like something that's challenging but not insanely hard so that it can be done by people at all levels of fitness.

Maybe we could get creative and make a very simple mini circuit for the punishment. Something like: 1 min jumping jacks; 10 sit ups/roll ups/crunches; 1 min jump rope; 1 min side plank (30 sec each side); 5 burpees.

Altogether it should be 5 minutes or a little less, it combines a bit of cardio and strength, and it targets the core instead of the legs (stupid squats---I think everyone could use a rest with those). Like the other punishments, we could require 5 sets over the course of the week. Of course it can be modified per everyone's thoughts, or we could do something completely different. Just a thought! What do you guys think?

I like the idea of a little circuit rather than a single activity for several minutes at a time.

Get with it please.

Jumping Jack's-45
Burpees-10
Pushups-15
Plank-1 minute
Mountain climbers-50. (On each side)

Just a suggestion. :laugh: :bigsmile:

Shelley, team Michonne