Welcome back gordos and gordas!

Welcome back gordos and gordas!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Sandy and I’ll be your ECG VI moderator for the next 12 weeks. I know that participation/commitment levels vary among the group, so hopefully my posts will motivate you to do your best, whatever that may be, throughout the competition.

Last year, I lost over 25lbs—almost 13% of my body--doing ECG, and thanks to continued workouts and making exercise a priority since last April, I’m close to my same weight and wearing the same size as I was when I finished ECG V.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at me, but I still workout 5-6 times per week and I run anywhere from 8-16 miles per week—I’m not saying this to brag, it’s to show how I’ve made fitness a priority and to show that age/job/whatever is no limitation for getting healthy. I’ve found the things that work best for me (thank you, Physique 57 DVDs) and I know where my pitfalls are (hello, binge drinking at The Blarney Cove!). Still, I’m feeling good physically and mentally, and that is priceless.

Please feel free to email me anything you want brought up on the blog, or even an achievement you want highlighted among the group. Let’s be here to support each other as we do what we can to improve our health and lives.

Sandy

P.S. For those in the NYC-area who want to start earning bonus points—how about one or both of these races? Walkers welcome!

Cupid’s Chase 5K in Manhattan (Hudson River Park at Charles Street) on Saturday, Feb 11. Start time 10am, entry $35. More details: http://www.active.com/5k-race/new-york-ny/cupids-chase-5k-run-manhattan-at-10am-2012

Valentine’s Day 5K in Prospect Park, Brooklyn on Sunday, Feb 12. Start time 10am, entry $21. More details: http://www.active.com/running/brooklyn-ny/valentines-5k-run-2012

Another ECG has come to an end and a whole lot of pounds have been shed. Here are the final results. I'd like to give a special shout out to Sandy Gade, who was first overall for weight loss--an awesome 25.6 pounds! She was (closely) followed by Steven Lee, who lost 24.6 pounds, and Danny Diaz, who lost 20 pounds. I'd also like to acknowledge the Miami quartet of the three Diaz brothers and Ralph Rosado, whose team--Team 5--was tops in weight loss (68.8 pounds).

However, the winning team was determined by percentage of weight lost, and that award goes to Team 4 (Steven Lee, Ian Lee, Chris Brand and Ashley Ageeb), who lost 7.77% of their weight. Congrats, guys! You've got a nice check coming your way to splurge on a highly caloric evening out.

Please note there are two tabs on the Google doc. The second tab (labeled Sheet 3) is organized by teams.

Second to last week!

While not everyone has provided me with updates this week, the biggest contenders have and there is now a NEW leader! Check it out.

Here are updates for Week 14. For those who haven't given me an update lately, I've included their last reported weights. I hope everyone noticed the comment from Anonymous last week that says, "I look forward to winning." Anonymous, please present yourself. I hope you're not one of the non-reporters, because then I'll be really annoyed.

Here are the stats for week 12. Still missing a few updates (Miami crew, that means you!).

Finally, an update. I've posted everyone's latest reported weights--a few contestants are a little behind on their reporting...

More stats

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmGwP3Z4bY6VdG1NSFNjaDB0dFRfZUYyX0xfQ2ZyWnc&hl=en&authkey=CNXP2qUL

Bottom line

Miami > NYC
Guys > Girls

Week 7

Last place doesn't feel good. I should know, I'm there.

Week 6

Nice blog post, Chris (see below). That would certainly motivate me, and for the love of God if you've mailed that check get moving! Here are the results from week 6.

Alternative Forms of Motivation

There is no doubt a variety of motivations at work among our various ECG competitors -- look better, feel better, get healthier, don't let teammates down, win the money! Here's a gym that provides a novel form of motivation (you pay more if you don't go!)... http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/01/24/gym_pact_bases_fees_on_members_ability_to_stick_to_their_workout_schedule/

Another interesting form of (negative) motivation: In an email response to the "pay more for not going to the gym" concept, someone wrote: "My sister once lost several dozen pounds after writing a large check to the David Duke campaign and giving the check to my brother with instructions to mail it if she didn't lose the weight by a set date. It worked."

Given I've been in last place in ECG and need some more motivation, I think I'll try this latter strategy. So: Annie - my check to Sarah Palin's presidential campaign is in the mail. If I do not weigh 190lbs or less by May 15, then please proceed with mailing it in. No turning back now!

Week 5

Check out this week's results here. Notice there is a column with each person's team number too now (thanks, Greg D.), so you can assess your competition.

Also, in case you haven't noticed the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is out now. I wouldn't use it as motivation, but in case you need a bathing suit for the triathlon, ladies...

Week 4. Let's do this.

This was a weak week for most. Get in the zone, people. I got excuses such as steak dinner (Chris), or large popcorn at the movies (Dea), or discovering City Bakery hot chocolate is available in take home containers and having a day's worth of calories in one evening's margaritas (me). Remember, it's what you eat in a week, not a day. And the occasional splurge is a necessary indulgence, but Ben and Jerry's Everything But The is probably over doing it. Even if it's really, really, really good.

Here's where you can now track the El Cubanos:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AibMsY-sIqNfdEZ6Zk1ZY243SlBhSW1JWFpINTlranc&hl=en&authkey=CMTm7oQM

Walk this way

Hey fellow ECG'ers. thought i 'd let you in on a trick that's not quite working for me. Yet. Walking to/fro work each day. It's around 2 mi each way, from stuytown to times square, and bitter cold most of the time. Also trying to take the stairs up to and down from my apt on the 11th floor. Started this experiment on Monday, so we'll see how it works. Even if it doesn't help lose much weight, it could stave off dementia.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/taking-your-brain-for-a-walk/?scp=2&sq=walking&st=cse

Week 3 Results

Overall Results for Week 1 (MG takes First Place)

El Cubano Gordo Weigh In Week 1

A Slow Start...

Me & my son on New Year's Eve

When I woke up this morning the first thing that crossed my mind was, “oh crap! I’m supposed to weigh in today.” I know this is the last thing that my team wants to hear and I am so sorry, guys! For whatever reason, even though I weighed in last Sunday and my husband sent our weights into Annie, it was sometime mid-week when it really hit me that it was “go-time”. And for whatever other reason(s) (client visit, stressful work week, class cocktail party, plain ol’ lack of motivation), I just did not get my rear in gear this week.

But now I am freaked out. The nice (and not so nice) aspect of this format for El Cubano Gordo is that when you have a bad week, there are 3 other people you are letting down. And I am definitely feeling the peer pressure this morning. It’s sort of like when you were in college and had a big paper to write and kept procrastinating until the day the paper was due… then you freaked out a bit, but got to work and ended up creating the best work of your college career. That’s the effect I am going for.

So since I didn’t lose anything this week, I am putting this commitment out there (so I will be 100% held accountable by the ECG competitors)… next week, my weigh in will make up 2 weeks worth of weight loss. (I have a number in mind but don’t want to give the competition too much info.)

So how did everyone else do this week???

p.s. I've already been almost fired for my poor charting skills, so I promise to try to do better next week and make the info legible.

El Cubano Gordo V is officially underway!

Good luck, teams!

January Weight Loss Update

First, an apology to all competitors for taking so long to update the weight chart. When your mother-in-law finally asks you what's going on with that weight loss competition, it's time to get going.

What a difference a month makes. Just four weeks ago we started our yearly El Cubano challenge. At the beginning of the month, the group weighed 2,746 pounds. Since then, we've lost a respectable 58 pounds which is the equivalent of 2 Rosies. (Rosie Photo Below). YES, two little humans.


















Now let the games begin. Steve owns the top position with a commanding 10 pound weight loss. Chris Bell's 8.6 pound loss gives him a second place ranking. The third position is held by Rosemary Bell (Rosie's Nana).