So enough about fitness already...

I figured I should balance out the blog a bit from the beginning, before the fitness aspect seems all-consuming.

As I've noted before, I've been considering getting ink for quite a while now. The main thing that has held me back is that I've never really known what I've wanted.

I don't want to do anything generic for a first tattoo. No barbs, no Celtic weaves, and though I might actually have a unique perspective and idea for one, no Chinese characters!

What?

The more and more I've thought about it, the more I'm finding the idea of some sort of neat looking hot pepper to the right choice.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a bit of a chilehead.  It would not go too far to think perhaps a hot pepper could be my totem.

A habanero would be ideal for myriad reasons, but I have not yet been convinced it can be done well, or at least in a manner which doesn't have to be explained time and time again.  I think a more well-recognized pepper of some sort would be better.

Where?

Probably the side of my left shoulder. I'll be honest, I've heard that's one of the least painful places, and thus probably a good location for a first tattoo.

How (big)?

I've seen some really cool pepper tattoos, and some really frightening ones as well. A lot of the cooler ones I have seen have been smaller and in less conspicuous places.  I don't want a start with a huge tattoo, but if I'm gonna get my first ink, I don't want to do something tiny.  I think I'll have the split the difference.  I'm guessing probably about the diameter of a baseball, no bigger.

Who?

This appears to be one of the trickiest parts about getting ink, from what I can tell. In short, I don't have an artist in mind yet. If I start seeing the weight come off, I will start consulting with some local artists, and move out from there.

When?

I guess it's true, I've never talked about my milestone.

I'm looking to lose around 30lb (13.6kg), or maybe more.  I'd like to be in the 160-170 range.  Also note that I'm not hard set on a number, necessarily. It's reasonable to think that putting on muscle mass may affect actually hitting the weight loss number. 

In short, if I'm to the point where I'm significantly happier with how I look, that might suffice.  But I consider myself a far way off from that, either way. I guess we'll see!

Some days are better than others...

I went to the gym earlier than normal today, and it was much more crowded than I was used to.  As such, the stationary bikes that I normally use (well, the two or three that actually work, of about six) were all occupied.

As such, I went to go lift first. It wasn't a bad workout.  In absolute terms of how it "felt", it wasn't the best, but it felt good, productive. Afterwards, I went over to find one of the bikes finally free.

The ride did not feel good. I upped the resistance a bit, like I did last time, but I just did not have it today.  It had been 4 days since my last bike ride, and I thought I was good and recovered from leg cramps before, but this must be something else.

It was very clear early on that I was not going to reach my sort of "target pace", but I just went with it. On my last ride, the aforementioned leg cramps hit and I couldn't do cooldown nor hit the target time I shoot for (usually around 40 minutes). Rather than repeat that, I just lumbered along, feeling wholly uninspired about this plodding ride.

I have been plotting my times in Google Sheets, doing all sorts of number crunching, because I'm kind of a statistics/metrics nerd. In any case, Sheets has a "color scale" function in Conditional Formatting, which will allow you to color, on a gradient, all your results, with the highest (or lowest) number on the scale lit up, and fades on the other end.

Putting the numbers in was quite miserable. My average speed/pace were significantly lower than all other sessions - over 20 seconds slower per mile than what I'd been hitting recently. I put the numbers in and watched the gradients shift accordingly, with miserable outputs for today's results on the raw metrics.

It wasn't all bad, however. Given that I was increasing my resistance/elevation, my calculated "calories per mile" was right there near the top of all results!

After the last two sessions, more than anything, I think I have finally hit my "ceiling" on bike performance.  Not 'finally' as in "throwing in the towel", but rather, even if I know I won't continue to improve on the pace I was, I now know what ceiling I can strive to make my floor in the future!

What's this blog about, anyway? (FAQ)

About Me

I'm a 40-something guy who has had on-again, off again relationships with the gym since college. More often than not, recently, it's been "off-again".  While I'm not what I'd consider significantly out of shape, I've nonetheless got some significant weight that I'd like to lose.

For a long time, I've also been pondering whether or not I want to get ink (a tattoo). One particular thing that has kept me from doing so is the simple fact that I've never known what I wanted.

Time passed, and now I'm fairly sure I have a general idea what I want to get.  Ink is an expensive proposition, however, and a commitment one doesn't take lightly (well, most don't). I figure I still have a little bit of time to research exactly what I want. More importantly, however, I feel like it is something I need to earn.

In short, I will be trying to use weight loss/fitness as a motivator to let myself get the ink I want.

Why the blog?

I figured I could use a blog to keep me accountable, and to both share with, and learn from, others interested in journeys of weight loss and fitness -- and potentially, tattoos. I guess it's a unique niche, maybe others will find it interesting.

Why "#fat2tat"?

It's a riff on things like #fat2fit, etc., I guess? In reality, I just thought the rhyme was funny.

Why something different? Yes, I have an end goal of getting into better shape. I hope it becomes evident through this blog, however, that I have dual goals. As such, I wanted something different that I could "own" (or at least originate).

Are you basically going to humblebrag about your workouts?

No. In fact, to be quite honest, I'm not following much of an orthodox diet/fitness plan, other than working out. I expect to have good days and (perhaps significantly) bad days. If anything, I think this blog will help me find what works well for me.

Contents will be probably along the lines of:

• Had a good workout today because...
• I'm frustrated because...
• These are some interesting ideas for ink...

I plan to be authentic.

Are you going to pimp supplements and shakes?

No, and god no. It is true that I am interested in trying new things, and I may talk about them.  I may (or may not) even link to various things I've tried, but I don't have much interest in the latest fad diets or supplements. 

What I will be is quite honest about what I like and don't like about things. You may or may not agree, and you may or may not have the same reaction(s). 

In short, I know what I like, and may branch out from time to time. I also may write about stuff I've used in the past. But it the aim isn't to market, it's to tell my story.

Would you blog about something that I want to let you try?  

I suppose, but see above. I will probably be brutally honest.

Are you trying to be anonymous?

No, and eventually I will link this to some of my other social media profiles, none of which are anonymous and most likely won't be directly associated with, or focused on #fat2tat.  I may crosspost stuff from time to time. I'll probably try to remember to use the hashtag.

It is true that I didn't use my Google profile for this blog. I am not sure why. But I'm not trying to hide or anything.