by Ryan Shell on February 17, 2010
This post is part of my ongoing “Get Fit” series, an effort to lose a little weight/tone up, and save money by reducing the number of meals I eat out.
If you’re a regular reader of “Get Fit” you probably know that I’ve started inline speed skating again. This is a sport I took part in when I was a bit younger, but I’m now 30 and haven’t competed in about nine years.
I think I’m in shape, but that is completely different than being in “skating shape.” Inline speed skating is one of the most grueling things I’ve ever done, and nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever allowed me to take my body to the limit like skating has.
I’ve skated about 10 practices thus far and took part in a competition last weekend. The low amount of practices is the first thing I had going against me at the meet, but to further the chaos I also got a brand new skate setup hours before the meet began. In skating it’s important to be comfortable on your equipment – if not; you could be completely off your game.
Oh, and I should also mention that I went from 84 mm wheels to 110 mm wheels. The change in wheel size is like going from a Mini Cooper to a monster truck, and the speed is a lot faster. Click the photo to the left so you can get an idea of my old skates versus the new ones.
I did pretty well at the meet, and after my first race it was nice to hear my coach say something to the effect of, “Well, you certainly didn’t embarrass yourself.” I didn’t place, but what I did do was hang with guys that have been training and skating for quite a while. That felt good.
Now, what didn’t feel good was the time I got taken out by another skater (it happens and is normally by accident) which resulted in a nasty floor burn. Click the photo to the left to get the full “ouch” effect.
So, I’ve decided inline speed skating is my thing this year. I still plan to cycle this summer as it’s a perfect cross training sport for skating, but I’m going to spend a decent amount of time on my skates, both indoor and outdoor. There’s a national competition in July, which is where the best of the best compete, and I’d like to put myself into position to possibly place overall. It’s a pretty big goal because my division is pretty tough, but it might just be doable.
If last nights practice (3rd time on my new skates) was any indication of things to come, I’m very excited. Not only did I have a blast, I was able to take myself past my pain threshold and gave the practice maximum effort. At one point during a relay event I rolled past the coach and said, “Tony, I’ve only got a few more laps in me.” He then quickly responded by saying, “This is where it starts Ryan.” He’s 100% correct, which is why I worked through the pain.
Thanks for reading about my adventure of trying to get in shape and save money by not eating out so much. I hope this series motivates you to continue getting fit or taking steps to do so.
by Ryan Shell on February 8, 2010
This post is part of my ongoing “Get Fit” series, an effort to lose a little weight/tone up, and save money by reducing the number of meals I eat out.
I officially started this series on November 20, and want to give you an update as to how it has impacted my financial life.
First, let me backtrack a bit.
In late November I decided to start tracking my eating out expenses using FinanceWorks, a great money management tool provided through my credit union. When I saw that I’d spent $718 eating out in the month of September I nearly fell out of my seat… and I’m dumbfounded by simply typing that figure.
The amount dropped a bit in October, and in November I still managed to spend $615 eating out, which is still an insane spending level for a single guy that doesn’t drink alcohol. Thankfully in November I started the “Get Fit” series and really became committed to eating out less and getting in shape.
Note: Keep in mind that I ran for political office last year and was hardly ever at home – one of the many reasons I ate out so much.
My eating out expenses since September.
As you can see by looking at the chart above, I have nearly cut my eating out expenses in half since September. I currently budget $350 a month for eating out, and have gone over just a bit the last two months, but I’m committed to hitting the goal in February (one out of town trip might mess that up slightly).
If you consider $350 a month a lot for eating out, keep in mind that I only budget around $200 for groceries. My lifestyle simply doesn’t permit me to eat at home every night (three to four nights a week at best).
So, is the “Get Fit” series helping me accomplish my goal of toning up and saving money? Absolutely.
Thanks for reading and I hope you find this series to be helpful. If you aren’t already, it would be great to have you follow me on Twitter.
by Ryan Shell on January 29, 2010
This post is part of my ongoing “Get Fit” series, an effort to lose a little weight/tone up, and save money by reducing the number of meals I eat out.
Here’s a bit of good news. I weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost right at 5 pounds during the month of January.
If I was looking at progress simply from a weight standpoint, that number wouldn’t seem very impressive over a two month period. It’s important to remember that when building muscle you actually might put on weight, meaning that losing fat and adding muscle might make your weight stay unchanged for a bit.
But I’m not simply looking at my weight as the success factor, so all is well.
Skating
I’ve only skated once this week (Tuesday), primarily because I’m still experiencing a significant amount of pain in my left ankle from where a previous boot hurt my foot. I’m taking a few days off to let that settle down…and hopefully my new boot will arrive at some point next week.
After all, I have a skating competition in Hickory, NC in just under two weeks… which will be very interesting.
The Trap
I don’t know if you’ve fallen into this trap before, but I most certainly have. You lose a few pounds or have a stretch of eating healthy… and you suddenly feel like you can cheat a little more than you have been. Then, the next thing you know you’ve been cheating for a month and gained all your weight back.
That stinks!
This trap has me debating whether or not my cheat day (Friday) does more harm than good. Part of me says yes, but on the other hand it also seems important to reward yourself. I’m not making any decisions on this just yet, but it’s definitely on my mind.
Thanks for reading the “Get Fit” series and I hope you find it to be helpful in some way.
Oh, and I should also mention that I went from 84 mm wheels to 110 mm wheels. The change in wheel size is like going from a Mini Cooper to a monster truck, and the speed is a lot faster. Click the photo to the left so you can get an idea of my old skates versus the new ones.
Now, what didn’t feel good was the time I got taken out by another skater (it happens and is normally by accident) which resulted in a nasty floor burn. Click the photo to the left to get the full “ouch” effect.
