I haven't posted here in over a year, and I'm okay with that. I don't know how often I'll post here, but right now, I'm feeling it.
Whereas all the major sports outlets are furiously masturbating on early and kinda weak NFL season, the Rams are Linehan-bad, so I've got nothing to add there. I think it's an affront to all thinking people to spend most of the sports airtime talking about the NFL when playoff baseball is about to be unleashed.
Here we go.
Retirees
Mariano Rivera and Todd Helton have both hung up their gloves and spikes, and I wish them the best. Not only did they seem to carry themselves with class while also dominating in their respective roles, they both did it while playing for one team in each of their careers. Helton, arguably the greatest Rockies player ever, never pulled the 'fuck you, I'm out, I need more money, I mean a championship, uh, yeah, that' shit that we see too often in sports. Rivera, meanwhile, did nothing but win for a very dominant Yankees dynasty. While there seemed to be a revolving door of high-priced prima donnas in his clubhouse, he never fell into that trap. He just quietly went about the business of decimating hitters in the 9th inning of some of the highest-pressure games in history. Happy trails, gents.
Mo is a lock for the Hall. No discussion needed there.
Todd Helton, though ... check his stats ... I think I'd put him in. He averaged .316/27/101 over a 17-year career, and I'd say that's dominant. One of the things that he's going to suffer from, though, is a) playing out west, and b) playing out west for a team that isn't the Dodgers or Giants.
In my mind, Helton was the complete package. Solid hitter, both in terms of average and power, solid defender, solid character in the clubhouse, and to me, playing on one team your whole career counts for something, too.
Managers on the Move
The Cubbies have shown Sveum the door, something that isn't totally unexpected. To hear Theo tell it, the failures of both Rizzo and Castro to develop is the reason. I liked Sveum. He didn't take any shit, and in a city like Chicago, where negativity is the lifeblood of the sports fans out there, you've gotta be tough. Not only do you have to stand your ground with the press, but you've gotta reign in these young guys that might be getting a little fuller of themselves than their on-field performance might dictate. Castro seems to be less-than-interested at times, and it shows. I get Theo's reasoning, and I'm curious to see if a change in management turns these guys around. But, guys, I will add ... this is the Cubs we're talking about.
I've read some reports linking Joe Girardi to this job, and I think that's a great fit, even if it could potentially spell the end of his career as a well-respected manager. Girardi is a former catcher, and that's the most important requirement. Second, he did a hell of a job with the Marlins for one year before Loria lost his shit again. Third, he seems able to manage in a big city that has equally big egos.
The key, though, is this. One, managing a team with the Yankees' payroll might give a manager a slight advantage. Two, managing in the AL requires a lot less strategy. You fill out your lineup card, give some direction on in-game approach, and then you can text with Jay-Z about where you're going out later.
Being a Cardinals fan, I would love to compete against Girardi. I'd love to have the Cards-Cubs thing actually mean something in the standings. Of course, he'll have to have a roster with a bigger name on it than fucking Darwin Barney, but maybe they could dump the dumbest name in baseball, and bring in someone like ... Robinson Cano? Actually, I think he'll end up a Met, but it is fun to think about.
PLAYOFFS?!
Sort of. We have a tiebreaker tonight in the heart of Texas. I love this kinda stuff. A tie-breaker to help determine who plays in the one-game Wild Card. That's fantastic. I'm not being sarcastic, either.
I like both teams that are in it, too. I love the Rays because of Joe Maddon. I think he's arguably the best manager in the game, and is able to defy logic, year in and year out, with how much he's able to coax out of a cheap roster that's supported by like five fans.
I like the Rangers, because they're built the way an AL team is supposed to be built. Lumber upon lumber, they smack home runs and beat teams into submission, pure and simple.
I love the contrast of the teams that are playing tonight. It should be a great game.
I'd love it even more if Nelson Cruz wasn't allowed to play, after having served his joke of a suspension. I'd forgotten that these guys got off light, and were allowed to play postseason ball this year. I respected the hell out of the Giants last year when they told Melky to fuck off after he became available from his suspension, and I'm disappointed that Nolan Ryan didn't take the same approach here.
All that being said, were I Ron Washington, I'd have some serious reservations about starting Nelson Cruz after he hasn't seen a real MLB pitch in about two months. This is a do-or-die game. Are you really going to gamble on a guy that a) has been out for two months, and b) is off steroids after needing them to perform before? Yes, that's a bit of an oversimplification, but I think it's still a question worth asking.
Extra Innings
I'm told that the NHL isn't on strike yet, and they're starting their first season of the year, before 26 teams make it into the playoffs some time next spring.
NBA preseason starts. I would give up the Rams if it meant bringing an NBA team to St. Louis.
I can't imagine the impossible decisions that Matheny is faced with in regards to the post-season roster, namely as relates to the pitching staff. Luckily, it'll be far easier than the questions Mozeliak is faced with when the Hot Stove heats up this winter.
Welcome to Red October, folks!
-Blaine
20130930
20120813
(gasp)
Today's weigh-in: 272.6 (down a lot, maybe 33 pounds?)
Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional or any kind of weight-loss, diet, or exercise expert. I'm simply succeeding at losing weight.
I haven't posted here in a long time. I've been hyper-focused on some things, which is good and bad, but something I realized is that blogging is good for me. There's healing in the sharing or some such bullshit, and maybe I can help some poor fatso inch closer to feeling human again.
So, yeah, the weight loss has been proceeding, and while the slope of the line hasn't been totally consistent, the average is there, as evidenced by my above number.
I've been surprised at times, honestly, that I've been able to stick with this. On the rare occasion that I cast a glance at the past, I see a bloody trail of half-assed starts to various initiatives, with only the occasional monument to a completed effort.
This isn't to say that I've been perfect, or even totally satisfied with my progress. I've had at least three occasions in which I've knowingly sabotaged myself, as well as a handful of times in which I accidentally made a bad decision, but in each case, I was able to immediately bounce back, get back on track, and not use that idiotic 'I'll get back to it on Monday' bullshit thought process.
Also, every time I haven't had satisfactory results, I've been able to pull up my numbers on MyFitnessPal and point out where I went wrong. I then adjust, and move forward.
I'm at the point now in which many people are actually noticing my weight loss, and that's a little awkward for me, especially since I can't see a difference. However, it is positive reinforcement, and I'm glad for that.
A lot of people have asked what I've been doing to become less disgustingly obese, so I'll reiterate it here, in easy-to-read bulletpoint form:
It's real simple. Protein builds muscle mass. Building muscle raises your metabolism. An increased metabolism burns fat faster.
Your body always burns carbs and sugars first. So, if you have a bagel for breakfast, then a sandwich for lunch, then pizza for dinner, and work out for a couple hours, congrats, moron, you're still fat.
However, if you have a protein shake for breakfast, then turkey and cheese (no bread, real cheese) for lunch, then a protein bar for a snack, then a bunch of chicken for breakfast, and then run/walk about three miles in less than an hour, congrats, you're now less disgustingly obese.
Some people like to go the zero carb route, and I understand that thought process, but I don't believe in extremes. I've reduced my carbs and sugars without reaching zero, and it's been working.
Avoiding extremes is, I believe, I a key part of refining one's body. I think a lot of people fail because they throw themselves into an extreme in terms of diet or exercise (or both), burn out in a short time, and then wallow on their couch with a whole pizza or a tub of ice cream, hating themselves for fully transforming into the failure they've always suspected they are. Don't be that person. Use your brain. You don't need to run a six-minute mile every day while surviving off celery sticks. Just get off your ass and walk while rethinking your diet. Start there, then refine as you go.
I'm still refining what I'm doing. My approach isn't static, it's dynamic. I pay very, very close attention to how my body responds to different food strategies and different workouts, and tweak as I go.
Last thing - remember that what you weigh is, ultimately, irrelevant. Weight is simply an easy guideline to follow for your overall health. Your body fat, blood pressure, body mass index, and actual fatness are more important. Your weight is simply a rough indicator, and should be treated as such.
So, if you're unhappy with your weight, quit fucking around, and do something about it. You're the only one who can make you less disgustingly obese.
Think about how much better the life you'll have as a muscular, sculpted bad-ass will be. Always remember that. Think about how much power you'll wield. It's enough to make me salivate in anticipation.
I'll be back next week.
-Blaine
Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional or any kind of weight-loss, diet, or exercise expert. I'm simply succeeding at losing weight.
I haven't posted here in a long time. I've been hyper-focused on some things, which is good and bad, but something I realized is that blogging is good for me. There's healing in the sharing or some such bullshit, and maybe I can help some poor fatso inch closer to feeling human again.
So, yeah, the weight loss has been proceeding, and while the slope of the line hasn't been totally consistent, the average is there, as evidenced by my above number.
I've been surprised at times, honestly, that I've been able to stick with this. On the rare occasion that I cast a glance at the past, I see a bloody trail of half-assed starts to various initiatives, with only the occasional monument to a completed effort.
This isn't to say that I've been perfect, or even totally satisfied with my progress. I've had at least three occasions in which I've knowingly sabotaged myself, as well as a handful of times in which I accidentally made a bad decision, but in each case, I was able to immediately bounce back, get back on track, and not use that idiotic 'I'll get back to it on Monday' bullshit thought process.
Also, every time I haven't had satisfactory results, I've been able to pull up my numbers on MyFitnessPal and point out where I went wrong. I then adjust, and move forward.
I'm at the point now in which many people are actually noticing my weight loss, and that's a little awkward for me, especially since I can't see a difference. However, it is positive reinforcement, and I'm glad for that.
A lot of people have asked what I've been doing to become less disgustingly obese, so I'll reiterate it here, in easy-to-read bulletpoint form:
- MOST IMPORTANT: I track all of the food I take in
- 2nd MOST IMPORTANT: I hit 10,000 steps per day
- I eat less overall
- I have cranked my protein consumption way up
- I have reduced my carbs and sugar
- I don't eat like shit
- I constantly adjust my diet and exercise to more precisely fit my weight-loss goal
It's real simple. Protein builds muscle mass. Building muscle raises your metabolism. An increased metabolism burns fat faster.
Your body always burns carbs and sugars first. So, if you have a bagel for breakfast, then a sandwich for lunch, then pizza for dinner, and work out for a couple hours, congrats, moron, you're still fat.
However, if you have a protein shake for breakfast, then turkey and cheese (no bread, real cheese) for lunch, then a protein bar for a snack, then a bunch of chicken for breakfast, and then run/walk about three miles in less than an hour, congrats, you're now less disgustingly obese.
Some people like to go the zero carb route, and I understand that thought process, but I don't believe in extremes. I've reduced my carbs and sugars without reaching zero, and it's been working.
Avoiding extremes is, I believe, I a key part of refining one's body. I think a lot of people fail because they throw themselves into an extreme in terms of diet or exercise (or both), burn out in a short time, and then wallow on their couch with a whole pizza or a tub of ice cream, hating themselves for fully transforming into the failure they've always suspected they are. Don't be that person. Use your brain. You don't need to run a six-minute mile every day while surviving off celery sticks. Just get off your ass and walk while rethinking your diet. Start there, then refine as you go.
I'm still refining what I'm doing. My approach isn't static, it's dynamic. I pay very, very close attention to how my body responds to different food strategies and different workouts, and tweak as I go.
Last thing - remember that what you weigh is, ultimately, irrelevant. Weight is simply an easy guideline to follow for your overall health. Your body fat, blood pressure, body mass index, and actual fatness are more important. Your weight is simply a rough indicator, and should be treated as such.
So, if you're unhappy with your weight, quit fucking around, and do something about it. You're the only one who can make you less disgustingly obese.
Think about how much better the life you'll have as a muscular, sculpted bad-ass will be. Always remember that. Think about how much power you'll wield. It's enough to make me salivate in anticipation.
I'll be back next week.
-Blaine
20120625
Keep Ya Head Up: Divorce Yourself From the Fatties
Today's weigh-in: 297.8 (2.6 pounds down from last week)
The Cardinals
It's amazing to watch very smart sports writers opine that we're going to see how much the Cardinals regret not getting Oswalt signed. I wasn't aware that our starting rotation was in need of another starter. Two bad starts for Lance Lynn does not a reasonable sample size make. Chill the fuck out, guys. Where we were struggling was hitting and bullpen, and both of those performed tremendously over the weekend, with Jon Jay and Matt Carpenter back, even after Lance Lynn imploded yesterday
The Heat
I remember watching sports pundits the nation over at mid-season cry out for everything from breaking up the Big Three to firing Scott Spoelstra. Yeah. I guess that kind of knee-jerk idiocy gets clicks?
Becoming Less Fat
It seems like each week with the weight loss crusade, something new is imparted to me, and I'm able to refine this process better and better.
The big thing this week was dealing with a setback. From Tuesday to Thursday, I put a pound back on, and I wanted to put someone's head in a fucking vice. In the course of channeling my pain and anger, and drawing on the power of the Dark Side, a little voice cried out and insisted that instead of being all sulky and having a typical 'fattie' reaction (self-pity, 'this is never going to work,' giving up, all that shit), that I stop and analyze where I went wrong.
Wednesdays, I typically work from home, which means I'm moving around a lot less. I also typically eat out for lunch, and it's usually Subway. I ran out of time after work and didn't run. I experimented with making a homemade pizza with my son, and while I was under my caloric allotment for the day, I cut it very close.
None of those on their own would've done me in, but that perfect storm of bullshit probably combined into a Voltron of Fat and slapped a pound back on me.
But who knows? All I can do is learn from it and move on. I came back the next day and was down .8 pounds.
All of that led me to my next point, which is setting oneself up for success. I ate out a lot last week, which is anathema to consistent weight loss. I'm fat because I love food, and even more so because I love cramming it in my mouth. Going out to eat is an exercise in restraint, but I armed myself, every time, with my Windows Phone and used the MyFitnessPal application to research everything on the menu that I was considering, and managed to (mostly) behave myself over the weekend. It's tough, though, and I really wish we'd not eaten out as much as we did. If you're a junkie for fatty foods, putting yourself at fucking Cracker Barrel is not a good idea. Sure, I didn't succumb to temptation, despite the fact that everyone was pressuring me to eat like shit, but nor did it give me a real satisfying meal. Restaurants aren't there to help you lose weight, they're there to make as much money as possible, no matter what it does to your health.
The best way to not eat like shit and still not hate what you're eating is to make it your damn self. Odds are that you're fat because you're lazy, and if you want to lose the weight and keep it off, you gotta change things up in your life, and that means getting used to actually putting effort into some things.
But I digress ...
... my point here is that I bounced back. I didn't overreact and punish myself, nor did I throw in the towel, nor did I say, 'Well, I'll just go back on my diet on Monday.' All that kinda shit is for fatties, and I'm not one of them anymore. I got right back on the horse, and may have pushed it a little on the treadmill that night, but I was mad as hell.
The best part is that I'm now equipped with more experience and knowledge that's going to help me this week. I'm going to apply it, and I'm looking forward to adding more to my workouts. One of my long-term goals is to be at a fitness level equivalent to that of an Army Ranger. I've got family that's been in the Ranger program, and I've always looked up to them, so it seems like a fun long-term challenge. I figured this week that I might bench-mark where I am now relative to the fitness requirements, and once a week, re-rest and chart my progress until I'm there. I don't expect that I'll be anywhere near the requirements this week, but a year from now? Who knows? It seems like something that's worthwhile. And it'll come in handy when the revolution comes.
One last thing. Going to Cracker Barrel was good for one thing. It was interesting to watch the grossly obese folks, and all that little things they did to keep reinforcing their obesity. If you're trying to drop weight, go to a restaurant, pick a group of fat people and watch them all night. Try to pick out everything they're doing to reinforce their fatness, and you may identify some things that you still do that are holding you back.
One really last thing. I'm below 300, which was my first goal. Next up is getting below 290. I haven't been 280-something in YEARS, and I'm really pumped to get there. Being 280-something puts me within 100 pounds of my long-term goal weight, which, yeah, probably sounds insane to you, but for me it's a big deal (literally!)
So, how goes your weight loss? Anything to add here?
Anyway, thanks for reading!
-Blaine
Buy my book!
The Cardinals
It's amazing to watch very smart sports writers opine that we're going to see how much the Cardinals regret not getting Oswalt signed. I wasn't aware that our starting rotation was in need of another starter. Two bad starts for Lance Lynn does not a reasonable sample size make. Chill the fuck out, guys. Where we were struggling was hitting and bullpen, and both of those performed tremendously over the weekend, with Jon Jay and Matt Carpenter back, even after Lance Lynn imploded yesterday
The Heat
I remember watching sports pundits the nation over at mid-season cry out for everything from breaking up the Big Three to firing Scott Spoelstra. Yeah. I guess that kind of knee-jerk idiocy gets clicks?
Becoming Less Fat
It seems like each week with the weight loss crusade, something new is imparted to me, and I'm able to refine this process better and better.
The big thing this week was dealing with a setback. From Tuesday to Thursday, I put a pound back on, and I wanted to put someone's head in a fucking vice. In the course of channeling my pain and anger, and drawing on the power of the Dark Side, a little voice cried out and insisted that instead of being all sulky and having a typical 'fattie' reaction (self-pity, 'this is never going to work,' giving up, all that shit), that I stop and analyze where I went wrong.
Wednesdays, I typically work from home, which means I'm moving around a lot less. I also typically eat out for lunch, and it's usually Subway. I ran out of time after work and didn't run. I experimented with making a homemade pizza with my son, and while I was under my caloric allotment for the day, I cut it very close.
None of those on their own would've done me in, but that perfect storm of bullshit probably combined into a Voltron of Fat and slapped a pound back on me.
But who knows? All I can do is learn from it and move on. I came back the next day and was down .8 pounds.
All of that led me to my next point, which is setting oneself up for success. I ate out a lot last week, which is anathema to consistent weight loss. I'm fat because I love food, and even more so because I love cramming it in my mouth. Going out to eat is an exercise in restraint, but I armed myself, every time, with my Windows Phone and used the MyFitnessPal application to research everything on the menu that I was considering, and managed to (mostly) behave myself over the weekend. It's tough, though, and I really wish we'd not eaten out as much as we did. If you're a junkie for fatty foods, putting yourself at fucking Cracker Barrel is not a good idea. Sure, I didn't succumb to temptation, despite the fact that everyone was pressuring me to eat like shit, but nor did it give me a real satisfying meal. Restaurants aren't there to help you lose weight, they're there to make as much money as possible, no matter what it does to your health.
The best way to not eat like shit and still not hate what you're eating is to make it your damn self. Odds are that you're fat because you're lazy, and if you want to lose the weight and keep it off, you gotta change things up in your life, and that means getting used to actually putting effort into some things.
But I digress ...
... my point here is that I bounced back. I didn't overreact and punish myself, nor did I throw in the towel, nor did I say, 'Well, I'll just go back on my diet on Monday.' All that kinda shit is for fatties, and I'm not one of them anymore. I got right back on the horse, and may have pushed it a little on the treadmill that night, but I was mad as hell.
The best part is that I'm now equipped with more experience and knowledge that's going to help me this week. I'm going to apply it, and I'm looking forward to adding more to my workouts. One of my long-term goals is to be at a fitness level equivalent to that of an Army Ranger. I've got family that's been in the Ranger program, and I've always looked up to them, so it seems like a fun long-term challenge. I figured this week that I might bench-mark where I am now relative to the fitness requirements, and once a week, re-rest and chart my progress until I'm there. I don't expect that I'll be anywhere near the requirements this week, but a year from now? Who knows? It seems like something that's worthwhile. And it'll come in handy when the revolution comes.
One last thing. Going to Cracker Barrel was good for one thing. It was interesting to watch the grossly obese folks, and all that little things they did to keep reinforcing their obesity. If you're trying to drop weight, go to a restaurant, pick a group of fat people and watch them all night. Try to pick out everything they're doing to reinforce their fatness, and you may identify some things that you still do that are holding you back.
One really last thing. I'm below 300, which was my first goal. Next up is getting below 290. I haven't been 280-something in YEARS, and I'm really pumped to get there. Being 280-something puts me within 100 pounds of my long-term goal weight, which, yeah, probably sounds insane to you, but for me it's a big deal (literally!)
So, how goes your weight loss? Anything to add here?
Anyway, thanks for reading!
-Blaine
Buy my book!
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