Measuring by Small Victories

Still overweight - but progress!

Fitness Talk
Sorry for the silence of late, but life is a hectic thing. Big news for me - I won a massive psychological victory in my war on fat today. For the first time in almost 10 years, I am under 300lbs. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I was easily 350lbs or more at my heaviest, soaring up to a size 48-50 pant size.

Back in 2012 and again in 2013, I got really close to this, but would plateau before I dropped below 300lbs. Now though, I can finally say I did it!

For some context, when I started my current job in the fall of 2012, I was about 301-303lbs, but was not active beyond my previous retail job that had me moving all day. Within 3 months of starting the desk job I am at now, I put on 30lbs due to snacking and inactivity, ballooning right up again.

I have heard from plenty of folks that the idea of changing their lifestyle to be more fit and shed fat is too daunting and they don't know where to begin. Well, I am living proof that just getting off your butt and eating smart can go a long way. There is no excuse! Nothing worth having is free or easy, folks, but when you finally hit those small goals, they feel tremendous. For someone looking down the road at a now much closer long-term goal, I can't wait to hit my next target, which is 280lbs (the halfway mark to my final goal of 260lbs).

This got me thinking about how to measure your progress without being discouraged. A lot of people just say "I need to drop 50lbs!" and when they work out for a few months and the scale doesn't budge much (if at all!), they get discouraged. Or, the scale drops 10lbs in the first month and they plateau hard afterwards. That is why I don't like to look at my final goal and only work to that. I set a whole slew of smaller goals that form the path towards the end game.

Losing inches counts more
than losing pounds!

Examples of my small goals:

• Bumping my warm-up job to 6mph (achieved!)
• Bumping my steps/minute and duration on the stairmachine up (achieved!)
• Getting under 300lbs (achieved!)
• Hitting 100 push-ups (achieved!)
• Adding 5lbs to my deadlift by next month
• Adding 5lbs to my bench by next month
• Adding squats to my routine
• Getting down to size 38

Those are just my examples - many of them I have achieved already! They build up over time as your body transforms and it just feels great to see the results stack up like that. It is a positive psychological victory!

Ssssssssssssssskorne!

Hobby TalkSo, thanks to Bartertown, I was able to add a few more tidbits to my growing Skorne collection. This should prove a big project down the road. I have ordered some additional paints - some of the new Vallejo Game Air line - to bolster my reds and oranges. Right now, I have some reds, but when I realized I had so much Skorne, my Ogres, and House Taranis to paint up with reds, I thought it was time to get some more.

The Blood Angels I am working on are going slowly, but steadily. It has proven tough to cram work time for them on the weekends, but I got a whole lot done (even though it doesn't look like it). This weekend, I am going to put in another day of solid work and I hope to get them to final details by the end of the month.

Putting down those base colors

Another good thing is coming my way to paint - a Forge World Keeper of Secrets. A co-worker who plays 40k is ordering one and having me paint it (along with building a bunch of bases for his existing Daemons). That should be a real blast! What an amazing model to get the chance to paint.

With the whole End Times nonsense and possible 9th Edition Warhammer Fantasy kicking up this Summer, I am on standby with the Ogres. I do not want to paint up units that I then have to rip a part to make fit some new scheme Games Workshop springs on us. Kind of a bummer, but it happens. I have been patient, what is a few more months?

Finished bases!

On the Warmahordes front, I have been binge watching Advanced Maneuvers and they really got me motivated to put my Skorne on the table. Sadly, I haven't had the time to paint them, nor play them. They are going to need a lot of TLC, too. I pulled them out of their foam earlier this month and my-oh-my were they in rough shape. I am going to need to re-prime many and get some replacement parts too. Along with about $250 worth of new models and fresh foam to replace the ruined pluck foam they used to inhabit.

That wraps it up for this (long) post, but keep an eye out as the Blood Angels are finalized and the Keeper comes my way! Also, be sure to hit my up on Facebook and Instagram.