The Grace Period Starts Now
I have gotten fat.
Again.
Somehow.
I think it might have something to do with eating more — and worse — and exercising less, though I’m open to theories that let me blame someone or something other than myself.
The thing is, I don’t want to tell you how fat I’ve gotten. I really don’t.
So I’ve made a bargain with myself, which I think (hope!) will get me motivated to get close to the weight I need to be, before the 2014 riding season really begins. A forcing function, if you will.
I have made an agreement that I have until March 1 to work on my weight in private, without telling you the astonishing number I have crept up to. On that day, I will tell you what my weight is. With discipline and luck and work and stuff, that number should be considerably lower than my current number.
I have given myself, essentially, a grace period.
Join Me
I suspect that I am not the only one who is victim to the snowball effect post-race-season weight gain, combined with winter weight gain, combined with holiday weight gain.
You might say that I suspect this strongly.
So, how about we do this together. Between now and March 1, let’s work on dropping what we can, OK? And at that point, we’ll reveal where we are and how far we’ve still got to go.
Also, at that point, I’ll be announcing a carrot / stick contest in conjunction with my friends at Beeminder, where we can work together, track each other, encourage each other, win stuff, lose stuff, and in general have some fun, combined with some serious accountability.
Will you want to participate? This grace period where you’re working on your own should give you a clue. If you’re able to make great progress between now and March 1, maybe you’re fine on your own.
If, on the other hand, you discombobulate between now and then, you probably ought to be prepared to sign up.
So, fair warning. Your grace period starts now, too.
Join Me Some More
To help me kick off my grace period redoubling of effort and weight loss, I’m joining the Tour of Sufferlandria, which starts tomorrow (Saturday, January 25). It’s nine days long, riding a Sufferfest video route each day.
I’m expecting it to be a fantastic wake-up call. Plus, it benefits the Davis Phinney foundation for Parkinson’s, and I love me some good causes. And there are some nice prizes to win: bike tours, signed jerseys, coaching, and more.
So, if it’s too cold to ride outside, maybe this is just what you need to get yourself motivated.
And the awesome thing is, if you’re a Friend of Fatty (and you are), you get a 10% discount on buying the Sufferfest videos. Just use the code FATTY when you’re checking out.
Even awesomer, every time that code is used, the King of Sufferlandria will donate $0.50 out of his own pocket to the Davis Phinney foundation, in the name of Team Fatty.
So, you know, this is a pretty good time for you to round out your Sufferfest video collection and get back into shape.
Are you in? Let me know in the comments.
Comment by ClydeinKS | 01.24.2014 | 11:33 am
hmmmm some ironic timing of this post as I published on twitter this morning as I was delivering donuts to work how I badly need to set up my trainer and pain cave. This has gone on long enough!
I have not been back to the scale in a LONG time and I will increase the activity level now and long forward to an anouncement on March 1st.
Comment by wharton_crew | 01.24.2014 | 11:39 am
I’ll take you up on your grace period, Fatty, although I have in mind already where I want to be by then (under 200 – out of Clydesdale category baby!!!).
My ultimate goal is to lose 30 lbs by my birthday – it’s my birthday gift to myself. And maybe if I achieve it, I’ll accompany that with another birthday gift – one with two wheels, gears, and knobby tires!
Can I get an AMEN!
Comment by Co coach | 01.24.2014 | 11:50 am
Weight gain I am good at it, just ask my wife… getting back down to riding weight wellll, I will take the grace period. Great idea
Comment by davidh-marin,ca | 01.24.2014 | 11:55 am
How do you watch a video while riding around the open roads of Northern California, that just sounds dangerous. Yesterday ride temp 21C (I’m trying to make it sound cold)
And what is a pain Cave?
NancyJBS has a quilt and a popcorn bucket in hers, a little Linus like when the riding gets tough. http://statigr.am/p/630039039994804676_27340301
Go for it Fatty, I still owe you those Christmas Cookies, I promise I’ll get them out soon. Or should I wait till March 1st?
OH! And Amen to Wharton_Crew! Get that bike earlier rather than later. Take it from someone with experience that riding a mtb up 15-20% grades while carrying a Clydesdale ‘load’ is far more motivating than the promise of reward in the future.
Comment by bob | 01.24.2014 | 12:03 pm
Oh sure NOWWW you tell me after I’m down 25 since the first of November and looking for 10 more! Maybe I could get in retroactively for some cool stuff?
Comment by darrin | 01.24.2014 | 12:17 pm
The gnarly weight details don’t look similar to the chart to our right, do they? Or is it (gasp!) worse? Say it ain’t so. Think of the children and the children of those who were so inspired by your racing prowess this season. THE CHILDREN!!
Comment by Jeff Bike | 01.24.2014 | 12:33 pm
Thank you for the grace period. If I told you what I weigh you won’t believe me. I stopped the gain a few weeks ago, now how to loose?
Comment by MtlDan | 01.24.2014 | 12:47 pm
Two days ago I stepped on the scale for the first time this year. Yesterday I bought lots of liquid egg whites. Game on!
Comment by Tes | 01.24.2014 | 12:56 pm
It’s time. I’m in.
Comment by Scott | 01.24.2014 | 12:58 pm
I’m in.
Pingback by The Grace Period Starts Now | Cycling News non-stop | 01.24.2014 | 1:01 pm
[...] The Grace Period Starts Now [...]
Comment by Doug (Way upstate NY) | 01.24.2014 | 1:02 pm
Bring it. Or maybe I should say take it. Either way, I’m in.
Comment by UpTheGrade, SR, CA | 01.24.2014 | 1:10 pm
My personal grace period is already over (couple of months off bike last year due to surgery) and I am now at 186 lbs and climbing hills feels awful. My goal is to get to below 170 before the May Wine Country Century. Doesn’t sound too hard, just 16 lbs, but I have been unable to break 170 for the past year, so it will take discipline: pie-avoiding-discipline to get there!
Good luck to all and may you all be lighter than your goals in no time at all!
Comment by Jeremy | 01.24.2014 | 1:22 pm
I bought them all in preparation for the Tour last weekend. Suppose the King will donate on behalf of my videos anyway?
Comment by Steve | 01.24.2014 | 1:30 pm
Great idea. But in honor of the annual “Superbowl Celebratory Festival of Queso and Guacamole” along with the added fact that the local fighting eleven are actually in the Superbowl this year, my personal grace period will begin next Sunday at approximately 8 PM PST.
Comment by owen | 01.24.2014 | 1:31 pm
My wife and I are ready for the Sufferfest Tour to begin..the new 2hr video is pure evil. Have fun Fatty see you on the virtual Tour.
Comment by Steph | 01.24.2014 | 1:55 pm
In. Finally got up the guts to get on the scale today.
Comment by Derek | 01.24.2014 | 2:00 pm
Similar to Wharton_Crew, the goal is to get under (and stay under) 200 lbs, starting now.
Comment by Dave T | 01.24.2014 | 2:15 pm
I actual started to increase my riding over the holidays unfortunately I also increased my eating resulting in more weight, so I’m in.
Comment by MicroTim (in IN) | 01.24.2014 | 2:19 pm
Whew! After the post a while back (something about being exited about cyclocross and being the lightest ever) I was hopeful you had found a magic way to break this ‘off season bulge’ cycle (and then not shared it to the rest of us!).
In any case: Challenge Accepted. By that I mean using the grace period to get into something related to cycling shape ^.^
Comment by Daniel Reeves | 01.24.2014 | 2:39 pm
Bethany and I are so excited about this! Still figuring out how the rules of the contest will work to make it less individualistic than Beeminder normally is (there will at least be a leaderboard and graph of everyone’s average weight and whatnot). We’re all ears if anyone has ideas about how they’d like it to work beyond that.
Danny of Beeminder
Comment by gingyh | 01.24.2014 | 2:40 pm
Unfortunately my grace period has followed a hysterectomy and removal of my left thyroid…6 years ago. :/ I don’t want to tell my weight. I’m in…but only because my NICA coach jersey is embarrassingly snug and I don’t want to mortify the kids on my team.
Comment by BamaJim | 01.24.2014 | 2:42 pm
In for the grace period (though things could be worse), but not for the trainer. Rather deal with the cold riding and running.
Comment by SteveB | 01.24.2014 | 2:44 pm
yeah, I’m in…
It wasn’t winter / holidays that did me in, it was a
week of bad eating while delivering my youngest to college.
I put on some weight then that I still haven’t been able
to shed.
Rockwell Relay seems to be a good motivator though.
Comment by RustyRed | 01.24.2014 | 2:46 pm
*waves flabby arm* I’m in.
Comment by Bykjunkie | 01.24.2014 | 3:06 pm
I’m in!
Honesty check-started on jan 1st and have dropped 6 so far.
Comment by rich | 01.24.2014 | 3:22 pm
I’m in….I need all the grace I can get. Although last week was when I technically started trying to think about possibly someday maybe getting ready to start getting back into shape….
Looking forward to this….boy do I need it. Rode yesterday and stopped once on a climb to make sure my brakes weren’t rubbing….nope, no such luck.
Comment by Noel | 01.24.2014 | 3:30 pm
I’m in, though I’ve been “on the wagon” for a week now and already lost about 4 pounds.
A buddy of mine and I had already planned on doing the Tour of Sufferlandria (I’m enrolled in the http://www.trainerroad.com version) so it was super sweet to find out about the discount code. Game on!
Comment by PNP | 01.24.2014 | 3:40 pm
How wrong is it that I’m reading these comments while eating Doritos?
Very wrong, that’s how wrong.
Comment by Melanie P | 01.24.2014 | 3:46 pm
Yeah, I need to join you for the weight loss challenge. For about the 300th time. (insert sarcastic laughter here). But seriously, I do need/want to dump some plump. Tour of Sufferlandia will need to wait until next year because I’m recovering from an injury.
Comment by NancyJBS | 01.24.2014 | 4:14 pm
I’m in! Signed up for the tour a few weeks back (it might have been the same day I learned about InGamba) and I’ve been learning to embrace the pain ever since.
The tour starts in the Schmidt House at 0800, riding a little stage they call “Rubber Glove”. My race number is #36, the age I’ve been for 20+years now. My pain cave is equipped with bucket (popcorn, puke, whatever!), water bottles, defibrillator and snotulum catchers. What more could a Sufferlandrian hope for? Yes, @DavidH_Marin_CA is correct. There IS a quilt on the wall. I’m ashamed.
I’ll be talking to the King of Sufferlandria about that $0.50 that they’d have donated to The Davis Phinney Foundation if I’d known that Fatty had a plan. Dumb! Fatty ALWAYS has a plan. Always. It’s probably too late to score the discount on the package, but maybe he’ll understand that it rightfully belongs to the DF Foundation. Maybe I’ll send him a picture of me with my 3rd degree black belt.
Comment by NancyJBS | 01.24.2014 | 4:21 pm
OK, Let’s try this way: I put the picture I tried to link in the above comment up on my idle blog. Maybe this link will work.*
*FC, if this clutters up the comments section and provides no entertainment value, please feel free to delete it. It’s really not all that amusing to watch old ladies struggle with technology, is it? IS IT???
Comment by NancyJBS | 01.24.2014 | 4:22 pm
Shoot me now.
Comment by Patrick | 01.24.2014 | 5:12 pm
Count me in Fatty!
Comment by CaseyM | 01.24.2014 | 5:27 pm
Oh yea. We can do this.
Comment by Frank | 01.24.2014 | 5:38 pm
I blame global warming.
And since I gained back all the weight I lost in the summer, I’m in too.
Comment by Davidh-Marin,ca | 01.24.2014 | 6:07 pm
Nancy. It’s a rarefied cast of honorees that you have joined with your latest photo ‘bomb’!
MattC, Wife#1, and yours truly, have left theirmark on this site and forever wear the crown of REALLY BIG PICTURE!
BTW, is that an echo quilting detail I see around the colored sections in the middle?
Comment by Daddystyle | 01.24.2014 | 6:26 pm
Don’t hate me, down 10 lbs since New Year, 10 to go. Got this down to an art. If I work at it I can drop 20 lbs in a month. The catch is, I’m UNBEARABLE.
Comment by Kevin | 01.24.2014 | 7:23 pm
Oh the joys of living in Houston. Would love to join but my first race of the new season is next weekend. So good luck on the Tour of Sufferlandria. I think it will be a quest for sure.
Comment by rs | 01.24.2014 | 7:32 pm
I’m in. I turn 39 on Feb 27th…and would like that to be a light 39.
Comment by Corrine | 01.24.2014 | 7:49 pm
I’d love to do the Sufferlandria challenge except I cross country ski in the winter and I’m training for a 100 mile ski race in the White Mountains http://wm100.endurancenorth.org/
at the end of March and Sufferlandria is not in my ski plans. I might have to buy the videos if I get a discount, though. And don’t worry, there will be plenty of suffering in this race! I’ll be thinking of you all suffering on your bikes as I glide over snow the next week (although I think we are warmer up here in Fairbanks this week then most of the rest of the United States!)
Comment by Davidh-Marin,ca | 01.24.2014 | 8:28 pm
@corrine Good luck in your race. You might invite AKChick to come up a break trail on her Fat Tire Bike, or just to come up and cheer you on. We all know Alaskans have a sled door team tied up outside next to their float plane, so we know she’ll be ready to go!
And when did the White Mountains get moved up there? Every Californian knows the White Mountains are on the Nevada border and home to the oldest trees in the world. Though this year, even at 10,000 ft, there may be little snow to xc ski.
http://www.livescience.com/29152-oldest-tree-in-world.html
Comment by Libby | 01.25.2014 | 1:33 am
I’d be in except for two things: 1. I’m sick (coughing up lungs) 2. Don’t own Sufferfest videos. (I know that can be fixed but due to #1 it’s a moot point)
I too have gained…or spandex DOES in fact shrink. A lot. BUT I have lost weight…4lbs since Jan. 1/14 (not eating does that).
I’m riding in a MS Ride in early June and so my training is derailed yet again…seems for every big ride I do, something derails the training (bronchitis, fractured wrist, lung coughing up). I ride anyways. Just once I’d like to do the complete ride…both days!
Comment by Al Pastor | 01.25.2014 | 9:45 am
Humph! My weight gain is because I’ve been swimming rather than riding this winter*. Muscles are heavier than fat. The fact that my pants are tight and my jerseys don’t fit have nothing to do with it.
*We didn’t get any winter this year. Went directly from fall to sprint. We’re going to pay with wildfires and water rationing all summer.
Comment by Mayhemnsuz | 01.25.2014 | 12:54 pm
Thanks for the grace period! I need it….
I am off the bike and in PT following back surgery so I am not able to officially suffer through the sufferfest. I plan to join the “fun” in my own way by getting in extra PT (exercises and the delight riddled pain cave or stretching and foam rolling) and going very clean on the food/drink.
Best of luck to those on their trainers! I wish I could join you.
Comment by Jerry Pringle | 01.25.2014 | 2:50 pm
I’m In! My wonderful and long-suffering (!) wife has ok’d the ‘fest, but I may have to take a rest day on Thursday, 1/30. Gotta kick cancer’s ass that day!
Comment by Jorge | 01.25.2014 | 6:42 pm
Count me in! Started the conditioning on January 1st.
Comment by Jase | 01.25.2014 | 6:50 pm
I set up a system for myself on December 31st. It has taken a bunch of ugly flappy kilos, strapped them to a rocket and blasted them out towards Jupiter (which big round planet I was at risk of resembling if I didn’t take action.
The system is one I suspect readers of this blog might enjoy – it plays on my fondness for bicycles getting the respect they deserve – if you’d like toc heck it out, it’s here: http://thomasthethinkengine.com/2013/12/31/january-weight-loss-challenge/
Comment by J | 01.25.2014 | 7:20 pm
I guess it would only be insulting to say I lost 40 pounds a few years back and then dropped another ten last year. While I am maintaining my weight, I can still drop more
Comment by NancyJBS | 01.26.2014 | 7:29 pm
@Davidh-Marin,ca You frighten me with the tossing about of quilting terms! No, it’s not echo quilting, but I’m astonished that you rolled out the term. Your Mom? A favorite aunt? Surely Wife_#_Whatever is too busy to make quilts.
Day two of the tour is done… a rough stage indeed, especially after a warm-up of shoveling another 4″ snow. Tomorrow should be better, as there is NO WAY it’ll snow tonight. They say it can’t snow when it’s -20F. So that’s good.
Comment by Jerry Pringle | 01.26.2014 | 9:07 pm
A little warning would have been good before committing to do this! I should have just donated to the Davis Phinney Foundation. Stage 1 and 2 done, but wow, they are tough!
Comment by davidh-marin,ca | 01.26.2014 | 11:45 pm
@NancyJBS What a manly man can’t make quilts? I’ll leave that an open ended question for another comment thread.
Couple more days and I’ll make my offer for ‘abandoned’ Sufferlandia videos.
Comment by Nadine R | 01.27.2014 | 5:24 am
Definitely suffering from this myself. I’ll definitely take you up on the grace period, and by March 1st hopefully we will have shed these unwanted lbs :)
Comment by TominAlbany | 01.27.2014 | 6:43 am
I’m NOT in. I haven’t gained more than 2-3 pounds all winter. Those will be easily disposed of come April. I haven’t stopped exercising, though I have stopped riding thanks to the frigid winter we’ve been enjoying here.
The thing is, if I don’t continue to exercise, I’m really friggin’ grumpy and my wife and kids notice. So, I do it for the family.
If it is OK with all of you, though. I will support and cheer you all on!
Comment by cece | 01.27.2014 | 10:35 am
OMG! I am in the same Fatty boat. Plus I got diagnosed with celiac disease and have been quite debilitated. Just now getting back on my bike. It is a wonder how fast I loose my endurance and have to begin again and again and again.
Comment by cece | 01.27.2014 | 10:46 am
not to mention the weight gain….that is a given…and waaaay toooo much of it.
Comment by Dan_in_Sac | 01.27.2014 | 11:21 am
I’m in.
Comment by Narcissus | 01.27.2014 | 1:13 pm
Like many of the posters (or, shall we go ahead and call them “posuers”?) here, I am far to fit and have lost far too much weight already that this idea is beneath even my scorn for those fat to join this effort.
WTF people, so happy you have lost so much weight, started already, or are all so skinny, but if you are…STFU and get on with your life.
Comment by George | 01.27.2014 | 3:10 pm
I am just going to STFU, not gloating but donating to the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s anyway. Those are good guys over there!
Comment by Bruce | 01.27.2014 | 11:10 pm
Doin’ with you brother, for exactly the same reasons, from the fabulous Pac NW/Puget Sound. 100% on the first three stages.
Comment by David | 01.28.2014 | 1:20 am
Check out https://trendweight.com for an effective way to track weight loss.
Comment by TominAlbany | 01.28.2014 | 6:43 am
Hey, Narcissus. I wasn’t bragging. I was just saying.
Sorry if it was misunderstood. Some of us like to post here on Fatty’s site.
I’ll be happy to cheer you on in whatever your efforts here are. Unless you’d rather I just STFU…
Comment by John | 01.28.2014 | 7:37 am
Jumped on the scale the other day… I’m in!
Comment by Geo | 01.28.2014 | 8:09 am
You mean it’s me and not an increased drag coefficient between the tires and road caused by cold weather that I thought I had scientifically proven? Oh man.
Comment by Fat Bike Racer | 01.28.2014 | 12:02 pm
I’m in. I hope some type of contest where if you don’t lose lbs, cash goes to cancer, if you do lose lbs, you reduce your chance of cancer.
Comment by Ron | 01.28.2014 | 3:24 pm
I AM THE EGG MAN !!
Fatty, I read your article with that title a few years ago, always wanted to try it but never did. Finally said it was time. Started it two weeks ago, and I not only got past my sticking point but dropped another 6 pounds. I’m the lightest I’ve been in the past 10 years. My goal would be to lose 25 more pounds, shooting for April’ish.
Note. The egg beaters route is way easier than separating real eggs. I can buy (from Sam’s club) four 16oz cartons for $7.xx, and 5 avocados for $6. I eat 1/2 cup of the egg beaters per meal, and have honestly been full just eating that 3 times a day. And the 4 cartons make 14 meals. Grand total is like $14, so $1 per meal. Boo freakin’ yah. All hail to Fatty, best diet ever.
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Concession Speech | 02.28.2014 | 12:38 pm
[...] Note from Fatty: Remember when I talked about the weight loss grace period? How I was giving us until the beginning of March to lose weight without having to divulge our [...]