IB Madison Blogs / After Hours / October 2012 / Is there an award for ‘not-so-improved’?

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Oct 9, 201208:26 AMAfter Hours

with Jody Glynn Patrick

Is there an award for ‘not-so-improved’?

I’ll be excited to learn, right alongside the rest of our IB Expo audience on Oct. 17, just who won the “Fittest Executive” and the “Most Improved Executive” awards for physical fitness. Though several fitness awards will be given by IB at the expo next Wednesday, I won’t take one home. I did not lose a single pound during the competition phase. However, I did improve my total pushup count by one pushup, and I also added one extra minute on Meriter’s “let’s crank this baby up(hill)” treadmill before begging for the techs to stop it, so I guess I ended the “most improved” competition in somewhat better shape than I started it.

The experience of not moving the scale needle, however, buoyed me to commit to really becoming more physically fit. I couldn’t officially win, and life had a way of happening during the contest, providing me with lots of excuses to indulge comfort food cravings. However, after stepping on the scale the last time at Meriter, I decided that it was the LAST time I’d ever weigh as much as I weighed that day – the last day I’d carry the same pounds I’d been hauling around all summer.

And so, in the past three weeks, I’ve eaten sensibly, made a few better choices, and dropped 11 pounds. I still have about 25 pounds to go, but I’ll make it by spring.

How did I lose so much weight so fast? I really didn’t go for a crazy diet. Instead, my husband and I made a little side bet: If he lost more weight than me in any given week, I would have to take over one of his chores. So I bested him the first week (and he had to feed the dogs the entire next week) and I have tied him every week since. Apparently, the threat of having to do laundry again is a real motivator for me, and he dislikes giving the dogs their cheese snack at midnight.

Now that he sees I’m actually serious about weight loss, husband Kevin is busy converting our basement into a home gym (we already had most of the unused equipment) and he’s soon going to become my personal trainer. He’s been working with trainers for a couple years, and he recognizes when I’m hurt versus whining, so I feel a little better working with him than a stranger.

Yep, Kevin has promised to whip me into shape. And I don’t mean whip in the exciting sense, lads and lassies. My hubby knows just the right words to motivate me, and they aren’t fun; they are more like, “Hey, Too-Lazy-to-Work-Out-Tonight, you might want to pick up some laundry detergent when you go to the store next time ….”

I hope to see you at the expo next Wednesday, when the REAL winners will be announced – not only of the most improved, but also in the categories of Fittest Executive (male and female). Make sure you pre-register for the expo at madisonbusinessexpo.com/attendee-registration. If you want to meet Kevin, he’ll be moderating the “Ask an Expert” series. I’m sure he’d appreciate a few kind words of encouragement or sympathy for the challenge he’s about to enter.

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