What is this all about? Lemme tell ya.
One day in life you get to a point where you look back a few or 20 years and say where did that youthful, limber person go who could eat the worst of foods, drink the worst of drinks for days and weeks and months on end and still look good and feel good every day.
The you of today is still doing those things but you no longer look or feel like you think of yourself those long years ago. You think to yourself, I have to do something drastic or it will really be all downhill from here.
I reached that point. Actually I’ve reached it several times.
I’ve tried exercising more. I’ve tried eating better. I’ve tried drinking less. I’ve tried combos of these things and two dozen or more variations. And some have met with really good success. Some have failed miserably. At the end of the day nothing worked for the long term.
This is my attempt at creating something that lasts long term:
On Monday, December 8th, 2008 this experiment commenced and will continue for 100 days until Wednesday, March 18, 2009.
It’s basically a bet between myself and 6 of my friends that I can live a better and healthier life based on the 5 conditions laid out here.
1. No smoking.
2. No booze.
3. No caffeinated or carbonated beverages.
4. Exercise everyday.
5. Healthier eating.
I will break down the intricacies of these five rules momentarily, but suffice it to say that if I do not accomplish ALL FIVE of these rules during a day, that I lose that day.
What are the stakes you ask? The odds are 10 to 1 in favor of the six bettors against me: If I lose/fail a day I must pay each of the six $10 per day. Total of $60. For any day’s rules not met. A sip of diet coke. $60. No exercise. $60. A french fry… You get the idea.
If I accomplish all 5 rules, each of the 6 bettors owes me $1 per day. 10 to 1 odds.
As far as paying out goes, I’ve tried to make the onus fully on myself: if/when I fail I must pay up on the following Monday all monies due to all 6 bettors. On the other hand, the 6 bettors do not have to pay anything until this experiment is concluded.
Rules explanations:
1. No smoking. Fairly self-explanatory. No cigarettes. No cigars. No pipes. No tobacco. No lighting anything on fire and inhaling it. The obvious goal of this is to cease a bad habit and save the lungs and $5 a pack.
2. No alcohol. My family lineage is German, Irish, Scottish. Or as I like to call it the Holy Trinity of boozers. My parents, their parents and all the relatives on both side can hold their liquor. I’d like to not hold it for a couple months and see how it affects the digestion, liver processing, fluctuation of weight, sleeping ability and anything else associated with not imbibing these nectars. This does not refer to such foods or medicines or things that have alcohol in them or are created by using alcohol – for instance, vanilla, mouthwash, vinegar, pickles, apple cider (not the booze variety). Just to be clear.
3. No caffeinated or carbonated beverages. This was meant to be strictly no Diet Coke since that is the one drink that I have used as a crutch since I stopped drinking coffee a few years back. However, as I stupidly mis-worded the initial rule in order to include other sodas – for instance no Diet Pepsi or Coke to keep the caffeinated sodas out of the contest and also intended no 7-up/Sprite/Sierra Mist to mean no carbonated/sugared beverages. Well, because I misworded it, coffee and Iced black tea are caffeinated beverages, so no to these or any others like Red Bull. And Club soda and tonic water have carbonation, so none of those either or any of their relatives. As there are a few teas without caffeine I can have those but otherwise if there is a question I abstain or put it to the bettors.
4. Exercise daily. While this seems fairly self evident as well, it has to be at least 30 minutes of focused, intense exercise. For instance: yoga, weights, cardio. Once every 7 days I can use walking my dogs for 90 minutes when i have time to walk the dogs but not do the exercise.
5. Eating healthier. This means no fast food. No pizza. No fried food – like fries, etc. No chips or other junk food. Also, it means to cut down on the carbohydrates, so I’ve allocated myself one serving of the starchy carbs per day: pasta, bread, rice, etc. Turning the diet to mainly lean meats, fruits and vegetables and nuts, juices, some dairy and lots and lots of water.
**adjustment** Due to the extreme amounts of exercise taking place and my fitness adviser’s (also one of the bettors) direction, the allocations of carbs have been upped so as not to send the body into starvation mode and give the metabolism something to feed on.
So this is about me. Feeling better. Looking better. Living better.
We all make New Year’s Resolutions and then drop them when we fail for a day. This experiment is a resolution borne out of my birthday/new year and I’ve attempted to build in the carrot and the stick to success. Lots of carrots and when I get hit with the $60 a day stick, I really feel it. Oh, in case I forgot to mention, I can’t quit – unless I pay all six friends out for the remaining days out of the 100.
This process is meant to change my life.
It is also meant to be a pain in the ass and possibly costly journey to get to the destination of March 18th. For as important as the destination is, it means nothing without a worthwhile journey.
