Monday, February 16, 2009

Allow me to make an introduction....

This is my brother.
He's the baby of the family.
He's 5.5 years younger than I.
He's ornery. Plus.
If he could, he'd make sarcasm his job.
He takes really good care of mom & dad.
He takes really good care of me.
He's a good listener.
He can give advice like Yoda.

I'm going to call him Uncle Kicks-butt.
Because he does.
If he wanted to, he could bench press me.
I'm really glad he never wanted to. There was that time, he took my hands and made me do the actions to "I'm a little tea pot" - just to prove he could.

Some days it's just not worth the words or energy to argue with him.

His slogans are: "Diplomacy is the act of getting people to do what you want." and "Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."
He loves Kung fu movies.
He loves to read weird and esoteric books.
He can run two or three Characters at once on EverQuest.

He's easy to talk to. which is where our story begins.

I decided some at the end of January, that it was time to count calories.
I know how to count calories. I found a fairly good calorie counter online. It told me how many calories I should not go over to safely lose weight over the next year. Okay. So -- I started counting calories with the support of the family. The first day was easy. The second day, not so much.

My brother is just a text away. So I would every so often (see: LOTS) text him about my struggles. Somewhere in that second or third day, He started texting me back...He was going to win.

Ha! My calorie counting had just been turned into a game.
Week one, I won the counting days because he had to keep his protein up for muscle building. I have never eaten so little!! It was actually easy to eat so few calories. There was a lot going on in the week.

Then I read that I was eating too few calories. CalorieCount said I should not go below 1250 calories. They also said that men should, generally not go below 1500 calories. So week 2 began level 2.

We can't go below our respective minimums or we automatically lose. The closest person to goal wins. We tied most of last week. We strive to hit goal.

One thing we didn't count on?? -- MATH LESSONS!!
We both feel like we're having math tests when we're trying to find that item that will help us hit goal without going over. Did you know that one almond is about 6.4 calories?? One. Almond.

He didn't make goal yesterday because he didn't feel well. It was a hollow victory. :-)

He's lost 14 pounds. That's right. 14. In 2 weeks.
He loves telling me that he's going to win the game - because he's a guy. Testosterone burns calories faster. AND he likes the gym.
I don't have either one of those - I've lost 4 pounds.
He's trying to blame me for the fact that he has to wear a belt now.
Figures.
I guess I should take the credit and not the blame. :-)
Even with the smack talk, I'm going to keep him around.

He managed to make calorie counting fun.
My brother rocks.

15 comments:

Monkey Giggles said...

wait!! what!! you don't TWITTER. It's VERY addictive. Thanks for entering my giveaway. Have a great day.

Halfmoon Girl said...

You are doing so great- men usually lose weight faster- grrr. My hubby lost weight while being laid up with his back injury- SO not fair. I think your brother found the best motivator- competition. Keep us posted!

Growin' With It said...

that expression on his face in the photo says a lot!! my husband ALWAYS loses weight faster than me and he's learning not to announce it. cuz then i want to eat more again!

Kelli said...

That was fun to read. :) He sounds like a lot of fun.

And, 4 pounds?! You're doing wonderfully!!

Dapoppins said...

Oh. I want to make a game of it.

((sigh)) I don't have a baby brother.

Oh well. Pass me the bag of M&M's please? I will eat them all for you.

Larissa said...

He sounds a lot like my older brother. I haven't seen him in about six years. I miss him. I'm glad you guys found a fun way to count calories. :)

TobyBo said...

sounds like you and your brother could make good money in coaching. Keep up the good work!

CrossView said...

Awww! He sounds like a great brother to have.... I always wanted one like that!

And congrats on having a competitor to help you stay on track.... ;o)

Mother Mayhem said...

I don't have any brothers. Can I borrow yours? :o)

The Gang's Momma! said...

Well, hello brother. It's nice to meet you!

Good job with the weight loss - both of you. I empathize with you about the disparity in weight loss between men and women - so frustrating, isn't it?!

And can I just say, you are such a HOMESCHOOLER! Turning the competition into a math lesson :) Go you.

Katie said...

Hello Uncle Kicksbutt, nice to meet you. I can't wait to hear how it goes!

Holly said...

lol-your brother sounds totally great. Way to go on losing 4 pounds. I'm a little depressed about that info on almonds, though. lol Holly

jugglingpaynes said...

Sarcasm isn't a job? I work so hard at it. :o)

It's great that you have a such a supportive brother that can help you with your calorie counting! That is one of the keys to losing weight--doing it with a friend. Your brother sounds like a great friend!

Chuckling over calling him Uncle Kicks-butt.

Peace and Laughter!
Cristina

40winkzzz said...

Fun brother, fun post. Perhaps not-so-fun diet.

Anonymous said...

I need a partner like that. Your brother sounds great!! And it's just not fair that guys always lose weight easier.