Real Estate’s Biggest Loser

No, this is not a rant about some real estate loser.

This is about a weight loss challenge. Yep, right smack in the middle of the holiday season. (What better time?)

Steve Belt’s been hassling me for weeks on Twitter to get back on my bicycle. Those that have seen my 242 pound frame in person might be surprised to know that I used to bike 100+ miles a week.

But that was several years and 60 or 70 pounds ago.

When I was a kid, I used to try to gain weight. Something happened at about the 40 year mark, and over the last couple of years, my waistline has ballooned. Call it “Bloggers Butt”, Francy’s great cooking, getting old, whatever. Fact is, I’m way too big for my britches – literally.

The basics of weight loss are pretty simple — burn more calories than you take in. My problem? Too much caloric intake, and not enough exercise (as in none).

How many calories do I take in?

I have no idea. A lot. I love to eat, and eat mass quantities. Starting out most days drinking a Starbucks venti eggnog latte, with whipped cream, doesn’t help. I looked it up last night and found that oh-so-tasty beverage has 680 calories. Yikes! (Incidentally, that eggnog latte costs $31.04 per gallon). Add in the 1,050 calories from 6 or 7 non-diet Cokes per day that I drink and it’s a wonder I’m not the size of Oprah a NFL defensive end. And that doesn’t even include the more than occasional Double-Double from In-n-Out (with fries and chocolate shake – 1,760 calories).

Yesterday in the Twitterverse, the dang bike riding thing came back up, and Dean Ouellette fired back with a great idea…

A little weight loss challenge. Perfect, just the added motivation that I need!

Here’s how it works:

Weigh in on Friday, December 5.
On February 1, 2009 whoever has the largest percentage weight loss wins.

What do they win? Each participant has to donate $50 to the winner’s charity of choice.

Smack talk is encouraged! If you’re on Twitter, tweet it up. You don’t have to post about it (though personally, I find posting about it motivating). No one needs to know your starting or ending weight, just the percentage loss.

Honor system rules and anyone is welcome to join (no, you don’t have to be in real estate).

It’s really that simple.

This is truly a lose/win situation. Participants lose pounds, and a charity wins.

I’ll be playing for the American Cancer Society. Dean’s in for the American Diabetes Association.

My plan? Eat less, eat well, exercise, and study about how to do this right. For a great start to studying, check out Muata Kamdibe’s fabulous blog – Mr. Low Body Fat. Muata dropped over 130 pounds and even more remarkably went from 44% body fat to 7%. SEVEN FREAKING PERCENT! I love this guys attitude and writing (hat tip to @Doug_Quance!).

What’s YOUR plan?

Drop a comment if you want to participate. Do it. Do it for charity, do it for yourself…

So far I’ve heard these folks are in!

Me (@PhoenixREGuy)
Dean Ouellette (@DeanOuellette)
Steve Heidemann (@Steve_Heidemann)
Craig Barrett (@Craig42K)
Jim Sparrow (@CalgaryRealtor)

UPDATE: OK, *BUNCHES* of people are joining! If you are in, go to the wiki HERE and sign up! It’s not too late!

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