Return of the Diet
So… time has passed. Paths have diverged. From San Francisco, to New York, to Washington, D.C., to Dallas, the Diet Bloggers find themselves flung far across the country. How have the intrepid Bloggers fared?
In December of 2005, I weighed about 185 pounds. By January, I had dropped ten pounds due to illness. By May, I had dropped ten more pounds due to something approximating discipline. For the better part of a year, I hovered at 165 pounds. Then another great winter drop left me at about 157 lbs. by February at Banquet.
I am visiting a wonderful young lady in New Haven this Easter. The goal in the next ten days… to drop twelve pounds to 145 lbs. Yes, this goal is ridiculous. But then again I need something toward which to work. Then, after a weekend of fun, the real journey begins.
Phase One was to complete my mass loss plan. Phase One will be complete when I reach 145 lbs. Phase Two is toning. I need to suffer the sit ups, crunches, medicine ball work, and other exerises that ought turn my German beer belly into something better defined. Phase Three is mass addition. I’ll borrow my bodybuilding buddy’s strange powdery mix called “American Whey” to add muscle mass to the upper torso and arms. Phase Four is stabilization. I need to keep whatever I develop in decent shape.
I am curious (a) how long it will take to reach Phase Two, and (b) how it will take to complete Phase Two. I imagine I can drop the last ten to twelve pounds far more quickly than the casual observer would expect. The question is whether I can tone effectively before the end of the year, or ideally before the peak of summer. Does anyone have a bet to place? I solicit insights from friends. How long does it take to firm up a belly not accustomed to shape of any sort?