A Day of Firsts

Happy Monday!  It’s been a day of firsts for me.

First #1 – New Job.  I got a new job.  “Job” might be overselling it just a little bit – I was asked to help out on a project for the next couple weeks.  So, I’m gainfully employed for the time being.  It happened very quickly:  I got the call at the end of the day on Friday, and my first day was today.

Some associated firsts:

It was my first day in an office that was in a building I’ve never been in before.  The building is known around town for its biggest tenant, an entertainment company with a name that doesn’t mesh well with healthy eaters like me.  I’ll let the signage on the side of the building take it from here:

Yep, I work in the Cookie Jar building.  And guess what I saw in the Cookie Jar building?  COOKIES!

Take a close look – that’s four different types of Oreos on a shelf in the kitchen.  Three of those types I’ve never tried before.  One of those types has a name that I’ve only ever seen on toothpaste bottles before (Cool Mint, I’m talking about you).  I’m going to eat none of them.  One big reason is that I don’t want to.  Another big reason is because the people working on my project have been banned from the Oreo kitchen, as it’s only intended for staffers on another project, which happens to be a drama that airs on a major television network.  (We have our own kitchen, don’t you worry.  It’s Oreo-free, too.)

Today was also the first day that I brought my lunch with me to work:

That’s broccoli and cauliflower (raw) in the back, and that yogurt container is mostly empty, except for 6 or so ounces of yogurt, so I topped it off with strawberries and nectarine pieces.  I also brought a big container of leftovers from this weekend, but that’s purposefully left out of the picture because it’s a recipe that I intend to share on the blog, but I haven’t done it yet.  That’s right, I’m a tease.

First #2 – New Phone.  It’s my first full day with my new iPhone!  It’s my first iPhone – I used a Blackberry before this, until it died this weekend.  Dead.  Kaput.  I love my iPhone so far, and the camera is great – so much better than the Blackberry camera.  All the photos in this post are iPhone photos.  I can get used to not carrying around a camera and a phone – which is good, because in addition to my Blackberry, my camera also died.  I’m pretty sure it just needs a new battery.  I hope it just needs a new battery.

First #3 – The Insider.  It was my first time (in years) watching The Insider.  Like a mentioned a few days ago (and on Facebook and Twitter), there was a chance I might have been on TV, during a piece about Richard Simmons, but I was left on the editing room floor.  It’s no big whoop.  I suspected that might happen.  I’ve had my share of television appearances that I’m mighty proud about.

First #4 – Burpee Challenge.  You may recall Friday’s post about burpees – about how I hate them, and how Scott over at Your Inner Skinny was about to issue some sort of fitness challenge that would involve them.  Since I need to goose my workouts, I stepped up and started, on Thursday night, doing 15 burpees a day.  I did four days of this, and then, last night, Scott posted the actual challenge.  Turns out 15 burpees is only the schedule for the first day.  Every day after that, for 30 days straight, you’re supposed to add 1 burpee, meaning that by day 30, you’re doing 45 burpees!  FORTY-FIVE BURPEES!  The thought of that makes me want to lie down and never get up.  But I’m up for the challenge, sadistic as it is, so today marks the official first day of NO EXCUSES 30 DAY BURPEE CHALLENGE!

Want to join in?  A few of you have pledged to join in already – and I’m excited for that!  You don’t have to commit to starting with 15 burpees.  Check out this post on Scott’s blog – he offers variations on the challenge for people of all levels, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve worked out your whole life or are new to it, there’s a version for you.  Scott also made a great video – watch it here – where he demonstrates 5 different types of burpees, from beginner burpees to advanced burpees, so you can see exactly what a burpee is and how to do it correctly.  If you’re on Twitter, you can join in the Burpee conversation by using this hashtag: #noexcusesYIS

Day 1 of the Burpee Challenge is DONE.  That’s 15 burpees.  Tomorrow is 16 burpees.  I think I can manage that, too.

Keep it up, David!

My Weight Loss In Quarters, Oreos, Tubas and MORE!

Last November, my friend Jen and I hijacked the dog food aisle at a local K-Mart for a little photo shoot.  I had lost 147 pounds at that point, so we stacked up 147 pounds of dog food and Jen took my picture with it.  The photo turned out really wonderfully – you can see it here, and also read about the importance of dog food in my weight loss (no, I don’t eat it… ewww).

The photo got a great reaction, and since then I’ve been thinking about other ways to visualize and comprehend my weight loss.  I’ve now lost 164 pounds, which is a lot to wrap my mind around!  After a few weeks (off and on) of brainstorming, researching, and calculating (and an assist from my friend Steve), I’ve generated a list of things that weigh roughly 164 pounds.

I PRESENT TO YOU, MY WEIGHT LOSS IN…

…QUARTERS. I’ve lost the equivalent of $3,280 in quarters – that’s 13,120 of ‘em total!

…OREOS. 164 pounds would be 6,560 Oreos. That’s over 128 standard 18-oz packages.  If you were to stack up all 6,560 Oreos, they’d reach a height of 172 feet – 21 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty!   It makes me wonder how many I’ve eaten in my life.  I bet it’s a lot – I love Oreos!

…TUBAS. The Cerveny Kaiser Tuba (model CBB 701-4RX) weighs 25 pounds, so I’ve lost more than six of them.  How many are in a marching band?

…OWEN WILSON. The handsome star of “Marley & Me” and “Zoolander” (and my sister’s celebrity crush) reportedly weighs 160 pounds.  I’ve lost him.  If he lost 160 pounds, he’d disappear completely.

…LAWN MOWERS. The Craftsman 21” Rear-Bag Push Lawn Mower weighs 75 pounds, so I’ve lost more than two of them.

…OSTRICH EGGS. With an average weight of 3 pounds, I’ve lost 54 ostrich eggs.  Each egg may contain as many as 2,000 calories, so that’s 108,000 calories total!

…BILLY BOOKCASES. These popular 3-shelf bookcases, sold at Ikea, weigh in at 45 pounds apiece.  I’ve lost three of them.

…HARRY POTTER BOOKS. The hardcover edition of the heaviest book in the series, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”, weighs 1.4 pounds.  I’ve lost 117 copies.  These should fill up those Billy Bookcases.

…BIGFOOT GARDEN STATUES. This 28 1/2″ high hand-painted statue would make a lovely addition to anyone’s backyard.  But why hide him in the back?  Put him out front, and your house will quickly become the talk of the town!  While actual sasquatches probably tip the scales at hundreds of pounds, this likeness only weighs 12 pounds, meaning I’ve lost 13 Bigfoot Statues.  And, yes, this is actually available for purchase.  All you need is $99.95, plus S&H – you can buy it here.

Have a great idea for another visual way to represent weight loss?  Tell me about it in the comments section!  And…

…Keep it up, David!