The “ORB IN ACTION photo contest” rolls on, and another happy recipient of a FREE Original Retro Brand tee has been chosen.  last week, we received an entry from bar owner Billy Allen of Atlanta, Georgia, that was “bigger than life” in the eyes of our judges.  Check it out below and we think you’ll agree:

HE'S HUSKY

Here are the comments Billy sent along with the photo: “I don’t have the opportunity to get behind the bar too often, but when I do, I need to be comfortable and look cool too.  My Original Retro Brand shirts have both those angles covered.  Customers ALWAYS ask me – where did you get that shirt?, and that is confirmation for me that I am on point.  I have one more thing to say: The Original Retro Brand is the best shirt in the world for the best bar in the world!”

We have already notified Billy about his winning entry and he has chosen the Georgia Bulldogs shirt (Now there is a man with good taste!) below, right.  We promise to send out promptly.

GOOD CHOICE BILLY!

There are only 4 weeks left in the current contest, and we would really love to see more entries.  IT’S EASY TO ENTER!!!  Just e-mail yours truly (andyphyman@gmail.com) a picture of yourself (or you and your friends) wearing an Original Retro Brand shirt at work or play, with a brief description of what you do for a living and/or what you love to do for fun while sporting your Original Retro Brand gear.  We’ll post your picture and description on this blog when we receive, and on the Original Retro Brand Facebook Fan page. The Original Retro Brand Staff will choose the photo/description each week that they believe best represents the spirit of the Original Retro Brand Fan, and the person who sent in the photo will win a FREE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND t-shirt! A new winner will be announced every Monday through Christmas Eve.  We will then take all the winners, and pick the overall best picture for our grand prize winner and announce on New Year’s Day.  The Grand Prize will be your choice of 4 Original Retro Brand t-shirts!  Also remember to stay updated on all that is Original Retro Brand by following us on Twitter and Facebook.  We need more entries NOW for week # 4, so please send them in!!!

You know what else is downright scary?  My ability to make decent college football picks!  Going into this past weekend, I had a 5-7 record, and eagerly devoured and dissected the smorgasbord of  big games on the schedule in anticipation of leap-frogging over the .500 mark and then some.  The final result of my efforts resulted in 2 wins and 5 losses, bringing my “expert” pick tally to a deplorable 7-12 (.368).  A few of the teams I picked did cover the spread (Tennessee nearly pulled it off over Bama, but got beat by the SEC refs, and Mississippi State got a little of the same against Florida…SEC officiating worse than my picks this year!), but I’ve been basing the record on straight up W’s & L’s, and must take my medicine and hope the Halloween Gods will be in my corner this Saturday.   DON’T FORGET TO ENTER CODE HWEEN AT CHECKOUT AND RECEIVE 25% OFF ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND GEAR FOR OUR FEATURED TEAMS (Florida, Georgia, USC, Oregon) FOR GAMES/PICKS OF THE WEEK!!

NICE GUY WILL FINISH LAST VS. FLORIDA

GAME # 1: Surely an easy way to improve my record will be to forget betting with my heart, and pick the Florida Gators to rout my beloved Georgia Bulldogs in the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party.   Let’s face facts: The Dawgs just ain’t SEC great this year.  The running game does not have the usual breakaway threat, and Joe Cox at QB is likeable enough, but he’s just not Matthew Stafford, David Greene, Eric Zeier, Mike Bobo, or Fran Tarkenton!  They did step up and open the season out of conference on the road, but lost a tough battle against a very strong # 10 ranked, Big 12 Oklahoma State Cowboy squad.  Certainly they got ripped off against LSU (reference SEC refs in first paragraph), but still should have taken care of business between the hedges.   The Gators are ranked # 1 for a reason: They find a way to win no matter what.  They are favored by 17, and why not?  They own the Dawgs in Jacksonville, having taken 16 out of the last 20 meetings.  I love coach Mark Richt, but his mellow persona seems to have rubbed off on his team, and being mellow does not cut it in the SEC:  Florida  42,  Georgia 21.     That was painful….and so will the trip home from Oregon for the USC Trojans……

BOBBING FOR TROJANS

GAME # 2:  Certainly this is the Pac-10 marquis game of the year (since USC clobbered CAL).  The # 10 Oregon Ducks are flat out rolling, outscoring their last 5 opponents 192 -62.  They crushed the same Washington Husky team that gave USC their only loss of the season handily on the road in Washington, 43-19.   At the same time, the # 5 Trojans were not able to cover the spread in their last two victories over Notre Dame and Oregon State.   Both teams are basically neck & neck in all statistical team categories in the Pac-10, but I think the home field advantage will lift Oregon to victory.  USC QB Matt Barkley does lead the conference in passing, but Oregon QB  Jeremiah Mesoli is not far behind and has 7 touchdown on the ground.   Can’t wait to see what quacky uniform the Ducks will wear as they continue to roll in big upset:   Oregon 28, USC 21.

Tricks and Treats:  I thought # 3 Texas would have a tougher time against Mizzou last week, but they routed them, and will do the same against # 14 Oklahoma State in Stillwater: Longhorns 38, Cowboys 17…..# 25 Ole Miss has to travel to Auburn who has dropped 3 straight after opening 5-0.  The Tigers will rise to the occasion: Auburn 28, Mississippi 24…..Both # 13 Virginia Tech and North Carolina lost brutally hard fought games to ACC rivals Georgia Tech and Florida State respectively last week.  The Hoakies must win out to have any shot at the ACC Championship game and the Tarheels are looking for their first conference win:  VTech 35, North Carolina 14.….Purdue has proven they are much better than their 3-5 record after shocking Ohio State, and Wisconsin has lost 2 straight after busting out 5-0.   Wisconsin nearly ended # 11 Iowa’s dream season and will not drop another at home:  Badgers 24, Boilermakers 14.

One last prediction for this week:  The Yankees will beat the Phillies…..in Game # 1.  Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Where did the time go?  The Original Retro Brand FIGHT FOR THE FIT challenge that started back on August 3rd, is about to come to an end this Saturday, October 31st with my final weigh-in.  12 lucky folks have won a FREE Original Retro Brand shirt, including today’s winner.  Whoever guesses my weight closest for the Halloween finale, will win a Bodybugg from 24Hr Fitness in addition to 2 Original Retro Brand shirts of their choice!

1 IS THE LONLIEST #

My goal of losing 30 lb’s in 3 months so I could fit my Georgia Bulldogs XL Original Retro Brand shirt, and dress as an Original Retro Brand model for Halloween, will not be met I am sad to report.    I was only able to lose 1 measley lb this past week, leaving me 7.5 short with just 5 days before final weigh-in (I will not be going on a 5 day fast!).  Anybody that has battled the bulge knows that it is so extremely difficult to lose the weight, and so much easier to gain.   You bust your butt all week, and then even just one day of indulgence can tip that frickin’ scale a notch against you.  I had the pleasure of working a trunk show this past Saturday with my pal Angela, and took the liberty of gorging on all of the delicacies that were offered (7 layer taco dip X 30 dips = thousands of empty calories) and that simply led into a lazy Sunday in which I will not elaborate what foodstuffs were consumed ( Egg McMuffins, pizza, chicken parm, wings, chips, and even some fruit!).

WORKIN' IT

Hey, I’m not into walking the catwalk anyway.  And even though I won’t reach my goal, my Georgia shirt actually does fit me well enough for me to proudly wear in public again.   I promise to give my all out this last week and break that dang 220 mark.   I haven’t seen the scale say 219 or less since I was in college, and that is 27 years ago.

Before I forget, the winner for this week is Dante Samuel of Brick, New Jersey.  He has chosen an orange New York Islanders shirt – one of my personal favorites.   This is the comment he left and I couldn’t agree more:  “220 is the psychological breaking point and too tough to break…..220.5″    Regardless, I am going to break that 220 barrier as my last shot at some glory!

BOSSY WAS THE MAN!

If you are just reading this blog for the first time, why not take a shot at winning a FREE shirt from Original Retro Brand.   All you have to do is enter what you think I will weigh this coming Saturday in the Post/View comment section of this blog post.  Whoever comes closest will win (in the event of a tie, which happens frequently, names will be drawn from an Original Retro Brand hat to determine the winner).   You could also win a Bodybugg from 24HR Fitness.  The Bodybugg is an excellent motivating device which counts your calories on a daily basis, in addition to nutritional breakdowns, advice, etc., and has easily helped me lose weight during this challenge.

This will also be the last week of donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society’s Relayforlife.   It’s a great cause, please check em’ out if you can.  You can follow my progress (or lack of..) on Facebook and  Twitter.

73 days are in the books – only 19 days left in the Original Retro Brand FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE.  Hang in with me just 3 more weeks!  My goal was two-fold;  firstly to get my fat a** in good physical condition after an eye opening mid-life crisis moment that occurred back in late Summer (see this post from July for details), and secondly by accomplishing step one, I could then fit comfortably into my old beloved extra-large, extra comfortable, extra durable, extra retro Georgia Bulldog Original Retro Brand shirt that used to fit just fine 4 years ago.  At the time of my mid-life crisis, it fit me like a dang sausage casing (really tight)!!

QUE IN ROCKY THEME!

I think I’ve attained step one.   After dropping 3.5 more lbs this past week, I feel like I’m truly back in good physical condition.  It was 4 years ago that I actually participated in a mini – triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride, 6 mile run) and yes, it was the “Clydesdale” division, and yes, I came in second to last, but I did finish!   The point is I can run 3 miles a day now with my eyes closed and it feels GREAT!

Step 2 still has not been attained, however.  I may be in good physical condition, but physical SHAPE is another story.  I still have that putrid rubber tire (oh, the shame of being called the “Michelin Man,” and ” The Round Mound of Rebound” most of your life)!  Losing the remaining 10.5 lbs via extra cardio, serious sit-ups, push-ups, and weight room activity should deflate that tire and get me into the shape I really need to be in – Original Retro Brand shape!!    They have so MANY shirts I want!   Soon the Harlem Globetrotters, Indy 500,  Hamilton Tiger Cats, Texas Longhorns, NY Islanders, and Denver Bears will be mine….ALL MINE I TELL YOU!!

DOING WELL THIS YEAR!

One shirt that won’t be mine, will be going to the winner of this week’s FREE Original Retro brand shirt….Veronica By of Katy, Texas, guessed 224.5 exactly!   She has chosen a Northwestern Wildcats shirt from the College Vault, and we will send it out immediately.  The Cats are an impressive 4-2, and hopefully the shirt will bring Katy and Northwestern good luck against a tough Michigan State team this Saturday.

As I’ve mentioned often in my previous posts, one of the driving motivational tools I’ve been using in this challenge has been the Bodybugg, donated generously by my friends at 24HR Fitness.   Remember, they have donated another Bodybugg to be given as a grand prize to the person who comes closest to guessing my weight for the final weigh-in, scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2009 – Halloween.   I’ve also been donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society’s Relayforlife.  It is a great cause – please check them out.

WEEK BY WEEK FIGHT FOR FIT LOSS/GAIN RESULTS:

Week # 1 : Starting weight:  244  Weigh-In:  241.5   – 2.5

Week # 2: Starting weight:  241.5  Weigh-In: 239.50   -2

Week # 3: Starting weight:  239.50  Weigh-In: 237   -2.5

Week # 4: Starting weight:  237   Weigh-In: 235  -2

Week # 5: Starting weight: 235    Weigh-In: 233   -2

Week # 6: Starting weight: 233   Weigh- in: 229  -4

Week # 7: Starting weight: 229   Weigh-in: 232  + 3

Week # 8: Starting weight: 232   Weigh-In: 229  -3

Week # 9: Starting weight: 229   Weigh-In: 231  +2

Week # 10: Starting weight: 231  Weigh-In: 228  – 3

Week # 11: Starting weight:  228   Weigh-In: 224.5  – 3.5

Week # 12: October 19th   ?

Week # 13: October 26th   ?

week # 14: October 31st – FINAL weigh-in

“There are only 4 weeks until Halloween, Daddy!”   With these words, my son reminds me that I will be dressing as Batman to go along with his Robin (from Teen Titans cartoon-he’s hooked), and NOT as a slim Original Retro Brand model when the FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE comes to an end.   While I may be wearing a bat cowl and purple tights on October 31st,  I still intend on reaching my goal of losing 30lbs and wearing my XL Georgia Bulldogs Original Retro Brand shirt too!

FIRT TIME IN 10 YEARS!

Having gained 2lbs last week with 34 days (and 17lbs to lose)  until my final weigh in, drastic measures had to go into effect.   I stepped up my cardio, and cut back on calories and the result is a loss of 3 lbs.    While I am glad to see 228 lbs on a scale for the first time since I had an afro (bald spot started to appear in a big way in 1999), I fell about a half pound short of the 3.4 lbs needed to stay on track.

When the Georgia Bulldogs lost a heart wrenching defeat to LSU on Saturday, I could easily have gone the way of the wing, (as in chicken, which averages 95 calories per wing people!!) but I honkered down like a hairy dawg and ate a bowl of delicious oatmeal instead!    27 days and 14 lbs to go!!!!

NOW, the winner of the of the FREE Original Retro brand shirt this week is …….Keith Hughes of Rye Brook, NY.   Keith, and last week’s winner Bobby Tang both guessed 228, but I pulled the name Keith out of the Original Retro Brand hat, so he gets the FREE shirt!!  I’ve already notified Keith, and he has chosen a “Smoke Edna May” cigar shirt which is prett-ay, prett-ay cool!

SMOKIN' CHOICE KEITH!

FIGHT FOR FIT CHALLENGE PRIZE UPDATE:  Our friends at 24HR Fitness have decided to donate a Bodybugg to the person who comes closest to guessing my weight on the day of the final weigh in!     The Bodybugg has really been a driving force in my motivation and success to this point.  It does a whole lot more than count your steps, I promise you that!   You can read more about it HERE.   BIG THANK YOU to 24HR FITNESS!!

You can follow my progress (or lack of) on http://twitter.com/retrobrand and the Original Retro Brand FAN page on Facebook.   I am also donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society’s Relayforlife for the duration of the challenge.   It’s a great cause, so please check it out…

At least when I gained 3 lbs a few weeks ago, I had a decent excuse; 4 days of grueling travel and a big family event.   This past week I simply have to chalk up my 2lb GAIN to old fashioned wussyness (WUSS-EE-NESS!).   I mean I worked out, but not really (walked instead of ran).   I didn’t have any 2-a-day workouts, when I normally have 2-3 each week.   I have not played basketball with Carter in 2 whole weeks-argghh!!!!

UGLY FEET & 2LB GAIN: P&U!!

EXCUSES LISTED HERE ANYWAY:  1)  My stinkin’ right neck, shoulder and back still hurt badly, which takes a little of the motivation to work out off the table.   2) That particular table had too much food on it.   I had a few days of “old Andy.”  Anybody that knows me, understands this means a 4,000 + calorie day minimum, with several trips to Ronald’s house (1/4 lber w/cheese still best foodstuff on planet.  2 of them make for a nice snack and are compact enough to eat comfortably while pulling out of drive-thru).   3) The floods and non stop rain that hit Georgia and our area this past week just left me feeling gloomy and depressed, which led to a few days of non-work outs and over eating.  4) I picked the CANES to knock off the HOKIES and bragged about it in my last post- THE “U” WILL RUN THE TABLE, blah, blah, blah….   I picked CAL to stomp OREGON.   I picked PENN STATE to beat IOWA.   I picked CLEMSON to beat TCU, and our hometown Atlanta Falcons lost to boot…..Lame excuses, lame picks.  Time to move on!!!

……And the winner of the FREE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND shirt this week is Robert Tang of Long Island City, NY who guessed my weight @ 228.  He is a huge Boston University Terrier Hockey fan, and this is the BUshirt he has chosen.  My gain is his gain – Congratulations Robert on coming closest!

I WAS NO TIGER THIS WEEK!

Here is the reality in my Original Retro Brand FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE.   I need to lose 17 lbs in 34 days (we’ll call it 5 weeks) or 3.4 lbs per week, to reach my goal of losing 30lbs by Halloween.  Even when I went 6 straight weeks with losing weight, the most I ever lost in one week was 4 lbs, and I only did it once.    So no more feeling sorry for myself and my stupid shoulder;  no more using rainy days and bad football picks as a reason to chow down and be lazy –  I will always make bad picks, and it’s always gonna rain!!!   THE NEW ANDY IS BACK AND I WILL DO THIS!!!!

On the bright side, The Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won, The Braves are making a run at the NL Wildcard, and today is YOM KIPPUR and I CAN’T EAT ANYTHING UNTIL SUNDOWN!!!

You can follow my progress (or lack of) on http://twitter.com/retrobrand and the Original Retro Brand FAN page on Facebook.   I am also donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society’s Relayforlife for the duration of the challenge.   It’s a great cause, so please check it out…

I had a plan for the FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE this past week.  Even though I would be taking my 4 year old son on a road trip from Cartersville, GA., to Rye Brook, NY  to see my cousins’ daughter get Bat Mitzvah’d*,  I was going to WORK OUT every day and at least SUSTAIN my latest weight of 229lbs.    Me and my plans.  The idea of saving $500 by driving a billion miles, instead of flying, was a bad idea.  The kid’s DVD player broke down, I had EXTREMELY painful neck & back spasms for 10 hours that a bottle of vicodin couldn’t put a dent in, and the 3 hrs it took to drive 1 mile in torrential rainfall during rush hour from the New Jersey Turnpike over the George Washington Bridge, almost had me in tears.

Things got better for me (not the diet).  On the first night of the trip,  we crashed at my friend Sean’s crib in Richmond, Virginia.   I was a beaten man upon arrival and a mouthwatering, large cheese pizza and tall iced vodka cocktail awaited me (Paul had the pizza and passed on the Vodka).    My willpower was back at the George Washington Bridge, and the imbibing began.  While Paul played gleefully with the Batman doll Sean gave him, I double-gleefully sank into the sofa, gorged on pie, and watched  Georgia Tech-Clemson/Steelers Titans; calories be damned.

DANG HOTEL BUFFET!!

Arrival at the hotel in New York meant room service.  Paul and myself  gleefully (again) spent a small fortune on all things bad for FIGHT FOR THE FIT challenge.   Let it be noted that Paul is not concerned in any way with FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE, and I enjoyed sharing his double portion of macaroni and cheese.

Up next at the temptation table was the Bat Mitzvah celebration itself.   Fully catered, fully delicious, fully fattening.   Jewish guilt fully fulfilled.   After the crowd left, I hung with my cousin (the very man who brainwashed me to be a Georgia Bulldog fan before I ever stepped foot below the Mason-Dixon line) and picked at leftovers while watching the Georgia-South Carolina shootout.  Throw on the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at the hotel, and the noshing during the 16 hour road trip BACK to Georgia, and you have your first FIGHT FOR THE FIT FAILURE!!!

So after finally breaking through last week, and LOSING 4lbs to get below 230 for the first time in about 20 years, I GAINED 3 OF THEM BACK!!!  That means this week’s winner of the FREE Original Retro Brand shirt is Peter Schrager of New York, New York.  Peter came closest and guessed 230.   Peter has been informed, and has already made his choice – this Ole Miss beauty pictured to the right below.

As always, there is a silver lining- A BIG ONE.   I got to be with my Mom & Pop, sister & niece, brood of cousins, and many family friends who I see maybe twice a year at most if I’m lucky.   On my drive back, I had plenty of time to think about the amazing few days we had.  I would happily trade the past 4 days for 3 lbs  anytime.

I will borrow a portion of a famous line from Joe Namath, and say the following:  I will lose that blasted 3 lbs this week, and weigh in at 229 next Monday – I GUARANTEE IT!

You can follow my progress (or lack of)  on Twitter and the Original Retro Brand Fan page on Facebook.

* Bat Mitzvah -  In Judaism, it is a  Jewish girl, who has turned 13 years old (or for a girl in the Orthodox movement, 12 years old), and who has gone through a ceremony that represents acceptance of some responsibilities which symbolizes their coming of age. The terms are also commonly used to refer to the ceremony celebrating this event.

With College Football season around the corner, I am finding it difficult to think of ANYTHING ELSE! …. Ok, I’m thinking NFL too, but I live in SEC country, and simply put, College is King in these parts.   So with that in mind, I will be posting a TOP TEN College list every week for the next ten weeks,  starting with the best College running backs of all time (Ok, it’s my FAVORITE of all time.)   You can click on the highlited colleges to view the Original Retro Brand selection of apparel for that school.  So with all due respect to Red Grange of Illinois,  Emmitt Smith of Florida, 2-Time Heisman winner Archie Griffin of Ohio State, and countless other great College running backs, here is my list:

10. Eric Dickerson, SMU Mustangs:  Part of the famous “Pony Express,” with Craig James, Dickerson ran for over 4,000 yards in his career.  He would go on to be an NFL Hall of Famer.

9. Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma Sooners: This all-purpose back was perhaps the most dangerous punt and kick returner in College football history.  inducted into College football Hall of Fame in 1999.

8. Earl Campbell, Texas Longhorns:  The “Tyler rose” won the Heisman Trophy in 1977 and finished his college career with 4,444 yards rushing.  He was ranked #12 on ESPN’s Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

7. Mike Garrett, USC Trojans:  Sorry O.J, Charles, Reggie, Marcus and the rest of tailback U, but mighty Mike did it all:  Ran,  caught passes, returned punts and kicks, and even threw the ball on several occasions.  The 1965 Heisman Trophy winner would return to USC as the current Athletic Director.

6. Bo Jackson, Auburn Tigers:  Bo batted over .400 for the Tigers baseball team the same year he won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.

5. Jim Brown, Syracuse Orangemen: Brown should have been a lock for the Heisman Trophy in 1956, but sadly, the country  was still in segregation mode (Paul Hornung was the winner for a losing Notre Dame team).  Brown also kicked extra points and was All-American in Track and LaCrosse.

4. Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State Cowboys:  Ran for over 300 yards in a game FOUR TIMES and averaged 7.6 yards per carry for the 1988 Heisman Trophy winning season.

3. Gale Sayers, Kansas Jayhawks:  The “Kansas Comet” finished with over 3,000 all purpose yards and was a 2-time All-American and was considered the best open field runner in College football history by many experts.

2. Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh Panthers:  led the Panthers to the National Championship in his 1976 Heisman Trophy winning season, and finished his career with a then record 6,082 yards (broken in 1998 by Ricky Williams of Texas -not on this list!)

1. Herschel Walker, Georgia Bulldogs:   1980 National Champion and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner.  Yes, I am biased for the Bulldogs, but Herschel’s memorable pile-drive over Bill Bates of Tennessee makes him #1 in my book.   The dude STILL does 500 push-ups and sit-ups a day!

Look for the next TOP TEN LIST featuring the TOP TEN College Linebackers!

PROGRESS!

One week down, eleven to go.  I’ll get right to the point: Lost 2 more lbs.  Was hoping for at least 2.5, but I’ll take it…That’s a total of 4.5 lost in 9 days.  Had several folks guess 239, but only one guessed 239.5.  The Winner of the FREE Original Retro brand shirt is Keith Hughes, from Rye New York.  I know Keith personally, and he in fact is the person who brainwashed me into becoming a Bulldog Fan before I even moved to Georgia…ok, he’s my cousin!  Sounds fishy, right?   Pick was legit, I promise.

MODEL T

I’ve really put my ORB Georgia shirt to the test, and it is passing the test with flying colors.   I mean I’ve swam in it, ran many miles in it, played basketball and tennis in it, and rode 20 miles in it.  It’s been washed at least 20 times in 9 days and HAS NOT SHRUNK, or beaded up.  It still fits…a little too tight.  BUT IN A FEW WEEKS IT WILL loosen up as I will continue this FIGHT FOR THE FIT, and keep losing the weight!    As much as I love my Georgia shirt, I wish I could mix it up a little and wear a different ORB shirt ( I think I’ve proven the shirts are durable!) every week for the remainder of the challenge.    I have this vision of wearing a San Francisco Seals t when I’m 214 lbs…..

AND THE WINNER IS?....BODYBUGG!

FIGHT FOR FIT UPDATE:   Remember Carter?   My wife’s nephew who cleaned the floor with me in basketball a few weeks ago?   Well after losing roughly 30 straight 10 point games, I finally knocked him off yesterday 10-8!  I blew an 8-0 lead (he tied it up), but hit a 2-pt desperation bomb when I could barely take one more step.    Was it luck, or am I now more fleet of foot with my under 240 lb. frame?    Coincidentally, I had just started wearing my bodybugg, and believe it brought me good luck.   What’s a bodybugg you ask?   My good friends @ 24HR Fitness caught wind of my little challenge, and decided to show their support by sending me a bodybugg (THANK YOU FELLAS!):  THIS IS NOT YOUR MOMMA’S PEDOMETER!!   The bodybugg keeps you HIGHLY motivated by providing you with daily calories burned vs calories consumed,  customized meal plans and workout plans designed  specifically for each individual.  There is a 24 HR hot line for assistance, and they even have a personal COACH assigned to you!     I’ve only used the bodybugg for 4 days, and I am hooked!   I highly recommend you check it out.

Reminder to please give generously to the charity of your choice.  I am sponsoring The American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, in my FIGHT FOR FIT challenge.   You can follow my progress daily on http://twitter.com/retrobrand and Facebook.

Thanks again to all for their encouragement and support, and be sure to guess again next week, and you may win a free shirt from Original Retro Brand!