Fat Boys

Well a lot of us are.  Seven years ago a couple of my neighbors decided to hold a weight loss contest.  It was just the two of them, and they started on January 1st, and went to St. Patricks Day ( the one guy is 100 % Irish).  They both lost wieght, and the contest was decided by less than one pound.  In the ensuing years, they opened the contest up to any and all.  This year there were a total of 74 participants. Everyone pays 20 bucks to enter, then we have a big party on weigh in day.  Nobody gets to keep their "winnings", the money goes into the pot.  They actually end up hosting and paying for the party.

I have been in the Fat Boy 4 times.  One year I bagged it because of the broken leg, and one year because of the surgery.  Last year I did pretty good--finished fourth--don't remember how much I lost but must have been in the upper 20's.  My problem has been summer rolls around and it gets too nice to go to the gym, or I would have a softball game or a track meet to go to, whatever I just wouldn't push myself to get to the gym.  Well, this year the kids are both gone to college.  I have no more youth sports that I have to go to.  I really have no more excuses.  So I have tried to eat better (some success), and have made myself get to the Y.  I started off telling myself that as long as I was paying for it somebody had better well use it.  Now it has come to the point that I almost (almost) miss it if I don't go. 

So the results are in.  We had 74 people in the Fat Boy this year.  We probably had about 40 show up to the weigh in party, probably 20 brought their wives or girlfriends.  Looking at the stat sheet (yeah we keep stats), only 1 guy actually put on weight this year, while one guy stayed even.  Our biggest weight loser lost 54 pounds.  The top five lost 196 pounds, and the total wight loss for the group was 812 pounds.  I think that's pretty impressive.  Of course, I'd like to see everyone on a scale today after all the pizzas and fries and adult beverages consumed last night!

As for me, I finished second this year.  I was able to lose 40lbs.  I feel a whole heck of a lot better.  I  actually had lost a little more, but was unable to keep it off---tried going to the gym twice a day and just burned myself out.  Now the thing is to keep it off.  It's always been the problem.  So now I'm setting some new goals and target dates, and don't plan on going back to old eating habits.  I have found there are things I can do without, things that I really don't miss.  Hopefully when the new years rolls around I can be one of the guys who just pays his entry fee for the party and not have to worry about losing the weight.