Week 2: The John Nelson Weight Loss Challenge

One week down and John's already managed to drop 7 pounds, a total of $140 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

John sent me an update, which I've included here:

Week one was not what I had planned. The snows this week put a damper on a lot of what I thought I was going to do. I only got the gym twice. And I only got on the bike to train twice as well. The rest of the time was spent on other projects and work. The snows also got to me in the form of a back ache that has me in my massage chair twice a day, and a heat patch on right now. So in the end, I was very reliant on the calories in portion of the diet, where I couldn't put too much in since I wasn't getting a chance to get more out.

Nevertheless, I dropped seven pounds to drop to 323. Not bad for an off week. The weigh-in was a bit surprising, to be honest. I didn't drop that many calories from meals. Not as much as if I weren't stuck indoors for four days. The coming weeks are a little more of the same, but I'm confident I can drop thirty or more in the end. My goal for May is to be down below 300 and best case would be 280-290. We'll see. I'm taking it day by day and week by week. Hopefully, I can keep up the drops as the weeks go on.

To be honest, what allows me to put the spoon, fork or snack down is the fact that this is being done for the Wounded Warriors, folk that are close to my heart. It is a way to say thanks. But it means much more than that. For me, this is a new beginning. For the money that we get to donate, it will be a new beginning for some soldier that has had an involuntary change in his or her life. When I put a fork in my mouth with a lump of food on it, I have their experiences in mind. I have and image of a soldier holding onto a bar to try to walk. A soldier, in a pool strengthening her legs. I see an artificial arm picking up the same fork I have in my hand. That seven pounds I lost this week, coupled with your donation, will pay for time in the pool, the therapist at the bar, and the sensor in the artificial arm. For that, I take the fork out of my mouth and put it on the table. Win win.

With that, I'll see you all next week.

Day One: The John Nelson Weight Loss Challenge

Last Friday we announced the John Nelson Weight loss challenge, with proceeds benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project.

Some numbers so far:

16$ a pound: the amount pledged thus far

108 days: how many pounds can one man lose in 108 days?

330 pounds: John Nelson, February 1st, 2010
















Here's what John had to say at weigh-in:

"Here is week 0 where I weigh 330 pounds. My first real workout was this morning; I've lost nothing in 5 hours. Pretty disappointing so far.

But then again, I have a few months to go. In that time I'll be doing the tried and true diet which is "calories in < calories out."

It's time. Let's see how far we can take this old body."

Motivate John and pledge to the Wounded Warrior Project here.

Wounded Warrior Project and the John Nelson Weight Loss Challenge

Two Great Cycling Commentators: Bobke and John Nelson

We all have stories to tell about how we got into cycling, but I doubt any of you were brought into the faith by a 300 pound Jamaican triathlete. John Nelson helped me figure out the game: stuff like not wearing underwear under my shorts, for example.

He took me on my first real ride--a 60 miler in mid-July heat. I didn't know much about cycling, but I knew that only a freak of nature could do what John did on a bike. John is proof that some people are just made differently; the guy could put out watts. Also, drafting off him was like drafting off a Smartcar.

John on last year's Wounded Warrior ride


Last year John's doctor told him he was becoming diabetic and that he should exercise. John's response: "Does 250 miles a week count?"

But then his knees gave out, he had surgery, he wasn't able to commute the 25 miles to work every day, and he gained weight.

But he still found time to ride with the Wounded Warriors up to Pennsylvania, and to do a few centuries last Fall.

Last week, John's doctor informed him that he was officially diabetic. John needs to get in shape if he wants to keep healthy and have a long life.

I want to help motivate John lose weight by pledging money to his favorite charity, and I'm hoping others will join me: first, to help John get in shape; and, second, to help raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project--a cause John has supported for a long time.

For every pound John loses between Monday, February 1st and May 20th, I'm giving an amount to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Those of you who know Dean Wagner, pretty much the coolest cyclist in MABRA, should be aware of the Wounded Warrior Project.















Dean sent me the following email last week:

Everyone – Please go to Team 4MIL and donate! Just click the donate link on the main page . Any amount will help the Wounded Warrior Project and their families. Pass the link along.

I'm a cheapass and never give to charity, which is another reason why I wanted to write this up--to commit myself to give a little (or, if John loses a lot of weight, which the hammerhead probably will do, a lot).


Details:
Pledging: The pledge spreadsheet is here. Note, I don't want to handle your money. Simply do the following:
(1) Sometime soon, commit (on the spreadsheet) to giving a dollar amount per pound John loses.
(2) When we announce how much weight John has lost (and how much you owe) on May 21st,
(3) Go to the Wounded Warrior Project website and pay up.

Timeline: On Monday, February 2nd, we'll kick off the challenge with a picture of John on a scale. The challenge will run from the initial weigh-in until the closing weigh-in on May 20th, when John and I head off to the Tour of California. On May 21st, I'll announce
-how much weight John has lost
-how much we owe
-how much we've raised for the Wounded Warrior Project

Updates: John will give regular updates on his fitness program and how he's doing.

More details to come on Monday at the weigh-in.