How to lose weight and influence people

06-10-2006

I’m nothing if not a sucker for competitions. I like to feel challenged or I just don’t stick to something. I need that element of competition. Two of you competing for the same goal. But who says there only needs to be one goal, or one competitor for that matter?

Diet Buddy

First up is my diet buddy. We update each other each week via email on just weight loss progress. For months and months the weight goes up and down and levels out only for one of us to go on holiday and put it all back on. Well not anymore, my weight is falling as I’m tired of reporting gains or no loss. I’ve started standing on the scales two or three times a week just to check progress to ensure I‘m on track. I either cycle to work or do 30 minutes on the treadmill when I get home to make sure I‘m exercising each day. Plus with two trips to the gym each week the weight is starting to fall off! Now I look forward to each weeks update. Weekly loss target: 2lbs.

Body building

My training partner recently returned to the gym after taking some time out to do nothing but cardio. The weight fell of him and he was definitely on his way to beating me to the 6-pack! Weights wise though I’m just a little ahead with how much I can lift. The competitiveness between us is great for spurning each of us on and each workout is exhausting and great. I’m definitely bigger now than I was several years ago when I last trained properly. I can perform triceps press downs with a lot more than I weigh and my upper body strength has tripled in the last 6 months.

Clothing rewards

My final competition is where each person sets short range targets of half a stone weight loss. This is hard for me because I’m trying to bulk up with all the weights but I am still trying to shift the lard. The goal is the first one to lose half a stone. The loser pays the penalty of having to buy new clothes for the winner. Afterwards new half stone targets are set and the competition starts again.