Game Over: Tales of a Gamers Quest for Weight Loss

Sorry all for the slow update this week. It has been a nightmare whirlwind of a week.

Things that happened this week:

I joined Weight Watchers (which rocks.)
I was super sick with bronchitis.
I played and top8d a Grand Prix Trial
My sister passed away (not unexpectedly, but still.)

Ill put up a good Weight Watchers post tomorrow, but just letting you all know that I haven't been hiding!

Stress. We all have it, everyday. Whether it is work stress, family stress, or personal stress, it is there, looming over you.

Me? I have plenty of stress in my life. Sure, life is good for the most part. I have a wonderful home, a very good job and a lovely fiance. No matter how good things are, there is always something hanging over it.

Im not going to go into a long woe-is-me paragraph about what in my life really stresses me. Most of it is personal, and those of you close enough to me know what is going on. Suffice to say, my job is safe, my love life is stable and secure, and I have a roof over my head each night.

For me, being stressed impacts my weight in a serious way. First off, when I am stressed, my natural reaction is to find comfort, and unfortunately, that is usually through food. Eating comfort food has always been my natural way to combat being stressed out.

On top of that, studies have shown that being stressed can slow down ones metabolism. Ive been prone to a slow metabolism anyways, so when I let stress get to me, it is just hurting a process that is already running slow.

Being stressed has a lot of other side effects in general, indirectly related to my weight. Being stressed is usually because I am very busy, and when I am very busy, I tend to eat fast food. Clearly fast food is very bad for my weight issues. On top of that, being busy and stressed causes me to have little time for exercise and physical work. All of this just adds up.

Those of you that know me know that on the outside, I am a pretty easy going guy. I can get intense occasionally, but I try and be laid back. Im going to do my best to not internalize my stress and find good outlets for it, like boxing or some other sport that will let me not only burn my stress, but burn my calories as well. So when I say to you, "Dont Stress!", Im only looking out for both of our best interests! Heres to a stress-free year!

Turning the corner. Getting over the hill. Achieving something that you feel you are close to, but cannot seem to get there.

I cant help but feel that my Magic game has come to that point where I am either going to turn the corner, or stay on the current path I am on.

Its not like I'm in a bad place. I top8 1-2 PTQs a season on average, and consistently do well in my local game. I do feel that the time has come for me to take that "next" step. To "Turn the corner" if you will.

The issue is, I'm not entirely sure the right path. I play 3-4 nights a week IRL, and most other nights on MODO or MWS. I'm active in the boards, and I read nearly every article I can get my hands on. I can generally do an accurate deck critique, and I can usually spot play mistakes when they are made and correct them.

Whats the next step? Playtest more? I'm not really sure.

Any thoughts from the gamers out there?

Temptations. And I dont mean the singing ones.

They are all around us. Lets go through my temptations for today.

First, our group was thanked for getting a project completed quickly with Donuts. Donuts are a bad temptation.

Next, every day at noon, one of the translators sets out a fishbowl full of mini candy bars. It is WAY too easy to just grab one as you walk past.

Then at lunch, going to Crossroads Mall, there is all sorts of Asian food, deep fried, and desserts.

Then my wonderful Fiance suggests pizza and dessert for a "date night at home". (To be fair, she is usually VERY good with diet, just a weak moment today)

Its just too easy to cave in to some or all of these temptations. I was pretty good today, and even managed to avoid "popcorn" Friday, where everyone gets popcorn freshly popped.


Its way too easy to just sit around, play games, and snack. Same at work, where you can just sit at your desk and munch all day, and no one notices.

My worst temptation? Asian food. By far, I have some sort of inhuman craving for Asian food. Thai, Teriyaki, Chinese, it doesn't really matter, Ill take it all. Someone last night was eating Phad Thai right next to my head. I was dying.

What is your worst temptation, and how do YOU resist?

So I put a little poll on the right that asked if you were happy with your current weight. So far, we have 7 responses, all of which are "No"!

I'm surprised that so far it is 100% "No". I had figured sure, maybe quite a few of you were unhappy, but not really 100%!

So I'm starting my quest, those of you that are unhappy, what are YOU doing to improve your weight? I'm interested because I need some inspiration on things that I can do.

So I have been home sick for the past two days. Its a blessing and a curse all at once I think. I get time to set things up, like this blog, but man, I hate being sick.

The sickest I have ever been was back in 2001 or 2002 I think. I was living in my apt in Rocky Hill, CT, and I had just gotten home from a long day at work and I was feeling kind of funky.

Flash forward 6 days, and I hadnt been able to get out of bed. Im pretty sure I should have been in the hospital.

I think I have the flu. If this persists through tomorrow, Im heading to my Dr. I cant help but wonder if being sick has anything to do with my weight.

Whats the sickest you have ever been?

Hi Everyone. First off, thanks for visiting and reading my blog. This is absolutely a first attempt to put things out there, and document my journey.

Now, fair warning. Not every post will be about weight loss. I'm a gamer, and posts will be on a large swath of topics, including games, weight loss, Seattle, poker, etc.

So here's the scoop. I'm a big guy, weighing at just under 400lbs now. It pains me to even type that, to admit that I have let things get out of control for that long.

I miss being able to go outside and do stuff and not stress about my size. I miss not worrying about getting a booth at a restaurant that I cannot fit into. I hate that going up 2 flights of stairs makes me winded.

My problem is, I like food. I like eating. Its a relaxing pastime for me, and I enjoy so many different cuisines. After high school and when I left my parents house, eating out was such a treat. I became addicted to going and getting burgers, or Chinese.

Im getting into Weight Watchers this week, and Im going to try to start excercising. Part of the issue is that my hobbies have me sitting around (Magic: The Gathering, Poker, tabletop games), and my job has me sitting most of the day. I need to find a way to be more active without compromising my lifestyle.

In any event, I hope you enjoy reading this blog. I intend to update it daily, with whatever is on my mind.