How I'm going to get my sportcoat modified to a braemer

[Alan H]

I just signed up with Stanford Univ. Health and Wellness. They have some $$ incentives for taking health classes and two free sessions with a personal trainer, stuff like that. Here's the deal. You get two "health berries" (if you rack up five berries, you get $100) for setting two personal short-term health goals and sticking to them...honor system.

The website thingamabob in which you do this urges you to give yourself a "peripheral reward" for achieving your goal. They discourage things like "If I lose 15 pounds over two months, I get to buy myself a chocolate sundae". Like, *doh*

So my two goals are:

1. get into the gym, even if it's just a light workout (on days when my back hurts) twice a week

AND

2. ride my bike to work twice a week

...for two months. That means if I start tomorrow, I have to do this until mid-April.

My "peripheral reward" is: If I pull this off, I get to take my beautiful gray sportcoat that I got at the goodwill for $12, six months ago, to a professional tailor to be adapted to a braemar, rather than I HAVE TO DO IT.

Talk about *Motivation*!

[McMurdo]

Sounds like a plan Alan, best of luck with it. I look forward the pictures as I know you will see this through.

[Rex_Tremende]

Maybe you should post your weekly success at meeting your goals here.

Good luck with that - if anyone can do it, you can.

Rex.

[Alan H]

Maybe you should post your weekly success at meeting your goals here.

Good luck with that - if anyone can do it, you can.

Rex.

Rex, that is an absolutely brilliant idea, and I'm gonna do it!

The peripheral goal of course it to drop weight. I'm currently somewhere between 265 and 270. Now, I've put on a lot of muscle over the last year, but if I got my BFI down below 25 that would be really good. According to the website, which of course is wildly inaccurate, it's 34.1, which is grossly obese. I certainly don't look obese, I just have a spare tire around my middle and a dimply rumpus. My BFI is nowhere near 34.1, but I'm sure it's at least 30. Nonetheless, it shouldn't hurt to shed about 50 pounds. I weighed about 210-215 for a very long time, and that's probably a lot closer to where I should be.

[puddlemuddle]

Hey Alan,
Good job for trying to get down to a lower weight again. I have been going to the gym now for about 2.5 months. I actually have an appointment with a trainer tomorrow which I highly recommend, because this way he can look over my routine and change it as he sees fit so that I can get the most out of my work out. I was at 234.8 and now am at 226.4 and I still have about 20 more pounds to go, plus toning up a lot more. So definitely go with a trainer for a couple of times. I twill be worth it! Keep us informed!
Cheers,
Chad

[Smayniac]

What will losing that weight do to your self built kilt wardrobe?

Bob

[pdcorlis]

Hats off to you Alan! I will follow your progress and root for you along the way! Living a healthier lifestyle is indeed a challenge in todays technological world. For all of us who slog through the rain or sweat it out in the gym there is a payoff. In fact recent studies show that long term activity programs continue to pay dividends into our advancing years. Active study subjects see those dividends paying out into their 80's and even 90's!

So here's to you sir - and all the other XMarkers out there on the trail to a better life!

[Alan H]

What will losing that weight do to your self built kilt wardrobe?

Bob

Bob, what it will mean is that....

The purchased MacNaughton, PV kilt will fit instead of straining!
The purchased Holyrood wool/poly will fit instead of straining!
My first self-made tartan kilt will fit instead of being about an inch and a half too small

The 16 ounce wool California Tartan box-pleat will be too big at the waist and about right at the hips, so I will take it apart and re-do the pleat tapers, since when I made it I put diddly taper into that kilt!

The Royal Stewart that I made for my cousin (if he ever gets back in touch and wants it) will be too big, and I'll pass it on to someone else or re-do the apron and make it a bit narrower. It won't be perfect since the apron/pleats ratio will be off, but it will work just fine..

The Fraser and Kirkbright ubiquitous gray wool/poly will fit again without straining! maybe I can re-do the left side of the apron on that kilt, it's always been a bit "off" and bugs me. Than again, that kilt is showing it's age, so I probably won't do anything to it.

The Lindsay tartan 6-yard from Fraser and Kirkbright which is now perfect, will be to small so I will re-do the apron and make it a bit narrower. It, also won't be perfect since the apron/pleats ratio will be off, but it will be fine..

My X Marks tartan kilt will be too small, so I will take that apart and somehow or other re-assemble to fit.

The USA Kilts casual will fit again...but I'll probably be passing that along to a new Highland Athlete so no worries there.

My Gold Brothers Scottish National.....don't matter, but it's a bit tight now, too so if it's owner shrinks two inches, it's all to the good. That kilt will also probably get passed on to a new athlete.

I'm making the current Gray Stewart kilt just a little bit on the small side, thinking positively. I'm not going hog wild and making it REALLY small, just a *bit* small. It will work just fine if I don't lose weight, but will look better if I drop an inch or two off my waist. I'll do the same with the Hall tartan box-pleat.

The last kilt I'll be making for me will be the MacNaughton, Ancient 8 yard, we shall see what I'll do when I get there.

It'll work out OK.