It’s Halloween.  It’s over.  Last photo of my scale and my stanky toes has been taken.  3 months ago I had my official mid-life crisis moment after my wifes’ cousin Carter thoroughly kicked my arse in basketball, and the reality of how grotesquely fat and out of shape I was hit me like a tornado.   (http://originalretrobrand.com/blog/?p=502)  It truly was a defining moment in my life.

I was in a hurry to get to the gym that fateful night, and quickly grabbed the shirt I would change into when I got there out of my closet.   I was disgusted when I put on my favorite Original Retro Brand Georgia Bulldogs shirt.  It was not nice and loose like when I purchased it 4 years earlier.  It was a chore to get it on my blubbery, pear shaped, obese frame, and I could barely breathe it was so tight….of course I could barely breathe after Carter ran around, over, behind, upside down, and everywhere else in crushing me on the basketball court.

AFTER

BEFORE

That was it.  I wanted my life back.  For my son, for my wife, and for my BULLDOGS SHIRT!   I decided I would mix business with pleasure to help motivate myself back into shape.  Thus the “Fight For the Fit Challenge” was born.   So with my bosses blessing, and as most of you reading this know, a FREE Original Retro Brand shirt was given out the past 13 weeks to the customer who came closest to guessing my weight.   My goal was to lose 30 lbs in 3 months.  244 down to 214.   I figured putting myself in front of an audience would motivate me (and my stomach) to not embarrass myself by not losing the weight.   I also wanted people to know how strongly I do believe in the product I REALLY DO WEAR AND LOVE (I think I have about 150 Original Retro Brand shirts in my closet and that is not enough!).  I ran, played basketball, baseball, soccer, lifted weights, and even swam in my Original Retro Brand shirts the past 3 months, and they did not shrink, nor did the logo’s fade after dozens of spin cycles.   They remain as soft and as comfortable as when I originally got them.    And now they fit me again….

Yes, I am proud to say that while I did not lose all 30lbs, I did see the scale say 219 lbs, and that is a sight I have not seen in 27 years.

And after I EAT A FEAST OF FAST FOOD today, and overdose on my sons Halloween candy, I fully intend of getting back in the gym and losing that last pesky 5lbs.   I’ve had brief (very brief) moments of losing 5-10lbs in the past, and have always gained them back quickly and then some.   I guess I am like any addict when it comes to food, and realize I could always overdose at any time.   This time, however, I really think I can make it last.  I feel better, have more energy, and enjoy playing basketball without having to call an ambulance when I’m done.  Beating Carter on occasion feels good too!

5 LBS. SHORT & HAPPY ABOUT IT!

The winner of the final weigh-in has won TWO Original Retro Brand shirts and a bodybugg from 24HR Fitness ($250 value!).   As I’ve mentioned many times, the bodybugg is an amazing motivational tool that I used (and will continue to use) during the challenge.  The revolutionary new bodybugg makes it easy to manage the calories you consume and burn so you always stay in control of your weight.  Thanks again to 24HR Fitness for donating the bugg to me for the challenge.  Now to the final winner……There were 3 customers who guessed I would weigh in at 219lbs.  Thus I had to pick the winner from an Original Retro Brand hat. And the winner is Conor Cameron from Glenview, Illinois.  Conor was already notified, and has chosen a Georgia Tech, and a Northwestern shirt for his prizes.

Now that the contest is over, there is one important thing I must admit to.  I have been telling a lie.   NO, I really did lose 25 lbs.  No, the lie is that I’ve been saying that today was the last chance to win a FREE original Retro Brand tee shirt.   The truth of the matter is that the Original Retro Brand will begin a NEW
contest next Monday that will allow you an opportunity to win a FREE shirt every week AGAIN!   As long as there are 52 weeks in a year, your chance to win a FREE Original Retro Brand tee every week will be possible!   So be sure to check in next Monday, and every Monday to find out how YOU can win!

A final thanks to all of the folks who gave me words of encouragement throughout this entire process.   Thanks to Carter Deems for being my basketball buddy.  Thanks to Kevin Whitlark for his accurate cartoon renderings (onalark.com).  Thanks to the 77 people who voted for me in the poll.  And to the 20 people who voted against me?  Congratulations…you were right (except I didn’t eat one twinkie the entire time.  I think I’ll get one today).

$5 was donated each day of the challenge to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for life. Please check them out and give if you can – I believe it’s a great cause.

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.

THANK YOU HEBREW NATIONAL!!!  Yes, before I reveal the winner for week # 5 in the Original Retro Brand’s  FIGHT FOR FIT CHALLENGE,  I must pay homage to the one food in which I always crave, but thought I could not have.    The Hebrew National 97% Fat Free hot dog is delicious, spicy, filling,  and only 40 Calories!   Perhaps it is not filled with much nutritional value, but in this 1,500 calorie a day battle for flavor and fulfillment, I give it 10 out of 10 Matzoh Balls!!

OK, BUT FRUSTRATED!

Now on to the real issue at hand.  Since last Monday, I have lost another 2lbs, bringing my current weight to 233lbs.  So now I have lost 11 lbs in 33 days.  I must say I am a bit frustrated as I cut my calories 500 a day, and still can’t seem to drop 3 in a week.    The other area I need to work on is toning.  Indeed it is satisfying to lose the weight – I’m feeling better, and the pants are loosening up, BUT….being as soft as an Original Retro Brand shirt is not a good thing (these shirts are REALLY SOFT!). Time to get serious in the push-ups and pull-ups department.

Ok, ok, enough of  that stuff.   Time to announce the winner of the FREE Original Retro Brand shirt for week # 5, and that winner is John Kim who guessed 233 on the nose.  We will be sure to notify John and announce what shirt he has chosen on the Original Retro Brand,  fan page on Facebook.   If you have not won a Free shirt yet, you still have 7 more weeks to take a shot.  Simply guess my weight before next Monday, and enter that guess in the post/view comment section at the end of the latest FIGHT FOR FIT  blog post.

STILL WEARING A 2XL

As has become my weekly practice, I’d like to thank those of you wishing me good luck in my quest to lose all this dang blubber by Halloween, so I can dress up as an Original Retro Brand model, and fit my old XL Georgia shirt.   Thanks to the guys at 24HR fitness for sending me a bodybugg – I love it,  The biggest thanks have to go to my bosses at Original Retro brand for letting me do this silly thing!

I continue to sponsor the American Cancer society, by donating $5 a day to the Relayforlife.  I urge you to please give generously to the charity of your choice.  You can follow my progress (or lack of..) on Twitter and Facebook.

LOST 2 MORE!

And we have our 4th Winner in the Original Retro Brand FIGHT FOR THE FIT challenge…Chris Glavine (we don’t know where he is from yet!) guessed Andy’s weight right on the nose @ 235 lbs. We’ll notify Chris and find out which shirt he chooses and post that shirt on the ORB Facebook page.  For those of you just finding your way to this page, the FIGHT FOR THE FIT challenge is my attempt to lose 30 lbs by Halloween, so I can wear my favorite old Georgia Original Retro Brand shirt that USED to fit me, and dress up as an ORB model (then steal my kids candy and get fat again).   Whoever comes closest to guessing my weight each week wins the shirt of their choice from the Original Retro Brand website.

Another week in the books, and another 2 lbs off the body!   I was really hoping I could take off at least 3 this week, but I’ve now lost 9 lbs in 26 days and am ready to attack this week with a mad vengeance!   Mentally I am acting as if I am training for opening day of College Football season, and need to “make weight,” in time to suit up for the Dawgs in their highly anticipated match-up with the Oklahoma State Cowboys.   Remember the key word is “acting.”   I bet I could still be a kicker…

TEARING UP OSU'S "PISTOL PETE!"

There are actually 10 more weigh-ins leading up to the final weigh in which we will make a day early on Friday, October, 30th, or 67 days from today.   I need to drop another 21 lbs, or 3.1 per week.   I’ve averaged 2.8 so far, so I have to really step it up.   I have worked out for 26 days straight, and have limited my caloric intake to 2,000 calories or less.   If I want to drop that 21, it’s time to work out more, and drop the calories to 1,500 per day.  This is going to be extra difficult with football season starting.   Tailgating at Georgia Tech and Falcons games = Dogs, burgers, Wings = big problem.  Heck, the Braves are in the hunt for a Wild Card, and the “All You Can Eat,” seats are a real bargain!    I can do this….I can do this…..GOING TO BE HARD to do this.

Want to thank my friends at 24HR Fitness once again for sending me a bodybugg, which is always by my side (it’s attached!) for inspiration and motivation,  and all the folks pulling for me.   I am also donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society’s Relayforlife, and urge you to support the charity of your choice.   You can follow my progress (or lack of) daily on      http://twitter.com/retrobrand and Facebook.

STAY THE COURSE

You cheat just ONE DAY, and it screws everything up – ONE DAY!!  I stuck to under 2,000 calories EVERY day, except Saturday.   Once you take a bite of the forbidden fruit (in this case it was Pizza and Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls), the taste buds explode and the gorging begins.   I’m only disappointed because I needed to lose 3 lbs, instead of 2.5 to really stay on target, but what the heck – It’s still good!!!

The winner of the FREE Original Retro Brand shirt this week is Marybeth  Seeback  from Huntington, New York.  Weebles (her nickname) was the only person to guess 237 exactly.   We’ll find out what shirt she chooses and post it up later today.   So, I’ve lost 7 lbs in 2 1/2 weeks with 10 weeks to go, and need to drop another 23 to reach my goal by Halloween (214 lbs).    Maybe I need to put my XL Georgia shirt back on to remind myself  just how far I still have to go.  I thought I could wear a 2xl Michigan State ORB shirt comfortably, but the GUT STILL protrudes out of a 2xl!!   Well, I’m just going to fast today like it’s Yom Kippur, and ride my bike to the Georgia Dome (that would be very far from where I live!)

NO SPARTAN YET, BUB!

3 weeks – 3 winners.  Remember to follow me on http://twitter.com/retrobrand and Facebook to see how I am progressing (or not!)    It is SO easy to win a FREE Original Retro Brand shirt in this FIGHT FOR THE FIT challenge!  All you have to do is guess my weight, and enter it in the Post/View Comment section of the latest FIGHT FOR FIT post before every Monday @ NOON EST.    Whoever can guess (or come closest) wins the free shirt.

I am donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society’s Relayfor life during my FIGHT FOR FIT CHALLENGE, and urge all to give to the charity of their choice.

Quick shout out to the folks at 24HR Fitness, who sent me a bodybugg for motivation.   After the bugg shot back the disastrous results of my one day Pizza-Cinnamon bun breakdown, I ran extra hard on Sunday.  The bodybugg does not lie!