2009: Fighting the fat, part deux

The last time I worked to lose weight, I dropped 14 pounds in the course of about two to three months. It stayed off for a while — then summer hit. Family, friends came back into town and I partook in the pageantry of food and spirits.

Enter this year: I weighed in at 186 pounds (190 with my clothes on) at the beginning of the year.

Here at the Sentinel, a few of us are trying an eight-week challenge to drop some pounds. The plan is simple: set a goal for ourselves and work to reach it.

My goal is 15 pounds. Approximately two pounds a week, which is a safe, recommended number for weight loss.

The first week's been good, with everyone participating losing weight — from 1/2 to four pounds.

I was in the middle. I lost 2.6 pounds and weighed in at 187.6 fully clothed.

Here's my gameplan:
• Return to my five- to six-day-a-week workout routine
So far, so good. I've worked out four days this week so far and I fully expect to spend six days at the gym when it's said and done. Wednesdays are my days off in order to recuperate.

My routine alternates daily with legs and upper body lifts following a 30-minute cardio warm-up. The cardio warm-up will slowly increase as I get over my cold.

Two-and-a-half weeks off from the gym — in addition to lots of eating, spirits and doing nothing — have made me a little weaker in my upper body. Mostly in my larger muscle groups. I've dropped down to 155 pounds for my bench reps, but I figure I'll be back to normal in two or three weeks.

• Eat a ton of small meals throughout the day
This isn't too hard. I've returned to the Chipotle diet. I pick up a steak or chicken fajita burrito minus the sour cream. This ends up being about 900-1,100 calories, depending on how packed it gets. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., I munch on it whenever I get hungry, which is every 75-90 minutes as I've discovered. I have a small fruit breakfast in the morning and a protein shake after my workout at night. This ends up being about 1,600 to 1,800 calories a day — something I'll need to increase in a few weeks when my metabolism increases.

Weekends I'll play by ear. Probably a heavier breakfast/lunch for my midday workout and then a light early dinner.

• Limit my alcoholic consumption to 64 ounces of beer a week
My beer intake was higher over the holiday season, but now that I'm back on my schedule, this shouldn't be too hard to do. I've hit 46 ounces this week. I may have a pint this weekend, but it's going to be something that's lower in calories (and delicious) such as a Guinness with its 125 calories in 12 oz.

I'm not much of a hard alcohol man. I'll enjoy my occasional whiskey, but for the most part, give me a good beer and I'll be your friend.

• Plenty of sleep
Sleep lets your body fix stuff. Get enough sleep and you're good to go.

• No fast food
Don't give me that "Chipotle is fast food" crap. It's good food, fast. I'm talking about the McDonald's and Taco Bells. When I eat that stuff, my body gets angry.

And if I get the urge, I just need to pop in "Super-Size Me" and I'll be turned off of fast food for months.

Simple, right?

Alright, 12.4 pounds to go by Feb. 27. Once I hit this goal, I move to my next one: drop down to 165.