…I thought "March Update" was easier to swallow.
Let's be honest though, staying healthy while cramming prep for a convention isn't the easiest of things. You're already short on time to get things done, and exercising, watching your calories and more just takes even more time away from that oh-so important prep. Not to mention anything else that life decides to throw at you. Which it did. Throw at me. Life's mean like that.
Adding to that, Adepticon is also in this month and you've got a recipe for disaster when it comes to maintaining a weight loss regimen.
So did I succumb to the pressure? Did I lose? Did I gain?
I ended February at a weight of 245.8 lb., for a current loss of 35.2 lb. Starting March first, the goal of the month was to hit 245 lb. Why so low of a goal? Because that's the goal I set back in January as the weight I wanted to be by Adepticon. That and fit into my old clothes, which we already know happened from back in February's update.
I already know what you're thinking…
".8 pounds? Easy goal. Let's coast through the month, save time from exercising to much and logging all the food you eat to put towards finishing up for Adepticon. Heck, fast food could even be an option on occasion, right?"
Okay, maybe you aren't thinking that at all, however I know I did. See? There is that temptation to take a break again. After all, I'm going to eat Convention Center food, Portillo's and more when at Adepticon, right? Maybe I shouldn't stress about…
NO.
Cutting corners and not worrying about the details isn't a way to get better at something, be it losing weight and getting healthier, or our hobby. I mean, think about it. How many different ways can you correlate cutting corners in the hobby to Bad Things™ happening because of it? Here's a handful for you just off the top of my head:
Cheap Primer
Here's an easy corner to cut, right? There's plenty of cheap primers out there, and not worrying about the performance of them is a quick way to ruin a model from the beginning. I'm not just talking about snowing a figure, that's the best case scenario as then all you have to do is strip it and start over. I'm talking about a cheap primer that ends up not adhering to the figure well, and then your paint begins to flake off later in the process when you have untold hours into a project done already.
Poor Planning
Couple this with a tendency of gamers as a whole to procrastinate, and you have a recipe for disaster. As miniature hobbyists the devil truly is in the details, and if you're striving to become a better painter, sculptor, modeler or gamer and you don't pay attention to the details? Well, just ask a Warma-Hordes player what happens when they face an opponent in a timed tournament and they aren't prepared, or a painter who wants to enter the Draconic Awards and doesn't pay attention to the color choices, base and lighting, or time and deadlines for that matter, for his or her entry.
Bargain-Basement Brushes
Okay, so maybe Jim Wappel would disagree with me here (and for the record, he would. But that's because he can be amazing with a $2 brush form the craft store), but cut this corner at your own risk. Ask any carpenter if they would rather work with good materials and tools, or…well anything else, and they will look at you like you're crazy. Buy good brushes and take care of them, and this is a detail that won't go unnoticed in your painting.
I could literally go on and on here about corners to cut in the hobby, but I'm sure you get the point.
Does all this talk about not cutting corners mean that I was a good boy, and was perfect this month? Nope, can't say that either. March was a roller coaster of life throwing crap at me this time around, the least of which was Adepticon prep, and even Adepticon itself. After all, we're talking about the whole month here. I had a wedding to attend, my uncle was in the hospital and then passed away, all before Adepticon, Adepticon was in there, then I got the Con Crud™ after I got back!
I was careful, while not being a buzzkill about going out to eat during the con. I still watched what I ate, and logged my calories. I also logged nearly 13,000 steps per day at the convention, which earned me extra calories due to exercise. I did not get lazy, cut corners, or take a break because it would be easier. Was it hard? Of course it was. Was it worth it?
I'm now at 242.6 pounds, weighed in last night. Yes, it was worth it.
I went shopping for another size smaller in pants this past Saturday. Yes, it was worth it.
I had someone at work yesterday tell me they can really see a difference in my weight and body.
Hell yes, it was worth it.
Sure I only lost an additional 3.2 pounds for the month, but you know what? Every one of them counts.
- Tim