OK, so we have been running around like crazy lately trying to keep about 20 balls in the air at the same time. Going back and forth from client work (if you did not know, I do social media consulting, startup strategy and communications/branding work), traveling, hosting conversations, organizing events, trying to write, recording a couple of podcasts, trying to get new clients, volunteering time for friend’s community projects, spending quality time with Kristie, attending other conferences, hanging out with friends, trying to catch up on my Tivo, reading and just generally trying to relax. On top of that, for the first time in a couple of years, the number of real emails I get each day exceeds the number of spam that make it through my filters.
So when it comes to the Party Circuit 2.0 (or 2.2 if you prefer :), I am finding it really prevents me from being my best some mornings which then drags on the whole day. After the Office 2.0 party, I was a real mess the entire day (don’t mix wine and martinis, especially in those quantities). Last night at the Vloggies was a bit better – at least I stayed with beer and did not add a Jamesons rocks or switch to Jack and Coke. The thing is, we have a lot to do now, and partying like I did in college partying at about 60% of what I did in college is still too much.
So today, it’s time to get real and time to get really healthy.
Here is my official public swearing off of booze until New Year’s Eve. Call it my Year End Resolution. I am not going to go 100% dry as I will allow myself some good wine with Thanksgiving and Christmas parties, but not to the point of getting drunk. On other occasions however, its goodbye beer, hello water…
There are a number of other reasons driving this including really needing to get in shape for snowboard season and quite honestly, wanting to look better than I do now in all the photos and video that is being shot at all the different events such as this one Kristie took at the Social Media Club Boston Event. I was also inspired by how great our friend Jackie Danicki looks now since starting The Health Kick. In a really short period of time, she has come a really long way towards getting really healthy.
The thing is, my belly is beginning to look more Buddha like than my beliefs do! So time to really do something about it and make the public commitment to it that should help keep me on track. I have been hanging right around 250 pounds for the past year or so, with a brief dip down to 237 when we had a personal trainer 1 day per week. The lowest I have weighed in the past 3 years is after Montezuma’s Revenge hit me down in Costa Rica, essentailly preventing me from eating for 2 weeks, where I got down to 224 for about a month. I want to get to 210-215 as my goal – hopefully by end of Febuary so I can really enjoy being healthy on the slopes and trying to get some serious air this year rather than just some basic 2 foot hops.
So today, even though we are swamped with hundreds of tasks, Kristie and I are going for a bike ride in Golden Gate Park to kick off ‘our health kick’ on our new, uber cheap Schwin bikes we picked up from Target about 2 months ago (I say uber cheap because we got them for $79 each instead of the $250 list price). Then we will come back here and do our planning for improving our eating habits with the South Beach Diet – the recipes are so great, but it is a real bear to prepare it all and keep the veggies fresh. This is made more difficult by being so busy and on the run (I ate out every meal over the last week while traveling so it should help the wallet as well). And then we can jump back into the rest of the work we MUST finish today, including working out the Web 2point2 agenda for Thursday and Friday.
I guess it is time to put Chris Pirillo’s 50 Weight Loss Tips to the test – will keep reporting in over the next few weeks.
#1 by Kristie Wells - November 5th, 2006 at 20:34
Let the cutting of 1000’s of vegetables begin.
#2 by Andrea Weckerle - November 5th, 2006 at 21:10
Good luck Chris, with your public resolution and Kristie’s help, I’m sure you’ll get there soon.
#3 by Andrea Weckerle - November 5th, 2006 at 21:13
Oh, and about cutting those thousands of vegetables, Presto’s Salad Shooter saves hours of time — don’t laugh, it really does 🙂
#4 by Ben Casnocha - November 6th, 2006 at 09:24
I totally believe that a strong body is a strong mind. I’m going to blog about that idea soon!
#5 by Jackie Danicki - November 7th, 2006 at 17:10
Aw, thanks, Chris! Honestly, the best thing I’ve done is invest in myself by getting a personal trainer. I really need someone to hold me accountable and get my ass out the door three times a week, rain or shine. Also, I’m getting a much better workout than I could have designed on my own, with many exercises I’d never done before. If you’d told me two months ago that I’d now be doing 200 crunches a day, lifting weights, doing tons of push-ups and tricep dips, I’d have laughed in your face. It’s not cheap, but I’d take my trainer over dinners out or other expenses any day.