OK, they say if you write down your plan, it makes it real, right? And if you share your plan with a couple of thousand strangers on the internet, it makes you accountable to your plan, right?

So first, the background of the plan: In June, I got a promotion and a raise. The new job allowed me time to work out in the on-site gym. I started the new job after getting back from vacation, and I weighed 250+ pounds. I resolved to lose some weight, but didn't have a real goal. I'm down to 228, but decided that on 01/01/2012, my new starting point is 228. What I lost in 2011 doesn't matter.

The 10 and 50 plan is this: I'm going to lose 10% of my body weight in 2011, while dropping my handicap 50%. I really believe that my physical conditioning kept me from playing my best. With this weight loss, I will be stronger, more flexible, longer off the tee, able to hit out of rough more effectively, etc., etc., etc...

I’d bet nearly everybody here could improve their golf game by improving their physical condition… So anyone else want in? It’ll help keep me honest. It doesn’t have to be 10% of your total weight, maybe just 10 pounds, maybe lower your cholesterol by 10 points, whatever. I believe As long as there is a measurable starting point, and you want to lower your handicap.

Exercise is like two four-lettered words, only twice as bad.

My plan for 2012 was to lose 20 lbs for the year which is close to 10%,(232 last week) along with my other goals for my game. My actual goal (hope) is to knock a good portion of that 20 off before the start of Handicap season at the start of April

My plan is 100-10-1-10

100 rounds played in 2012 (9 more than my previous high)
10 lbs. lighter by March (205 now, 195 by then)
1.0 lower hdcp index by end of season.
10 years younger

That last one's gonna be tough.

My biggest hurdle is going to be sleep. They say it’s important for weight loss, but I’m lucky if I get in a full 5-6 hours a night during the week. I work 2 jobs, so I usually get up around 2 in the morning and go to bed after 8 (if I’m lucky). With the workouts I have more energy than I did before, so I’m not crashing late in the workday anymore. One of the biggest changes I’ve made is that after leaving job 1, I’d go to the gas station/store to get donuts/cookies/assorted crap. Now I rush out of Job 1 so I can get to Job 2 and workout before I start there.

working out, physcial conditioning and overall strength will help you in so many ways on and off the course....

I am down 22+ lbs from Jan '11, work out everyday for 45 minutes and fell pretty good.

good luck.

I like it, Doug... I bet if you accomplish the first 3, you'll feel 10 years younger. I bet if you just concentrate on a golf specific workout routine you'll hit the 10 puonds, and be ready to drop that stroke off of the handicap.

Any goals for '12?

10 more pounds?
10 more yards off the tee?
10% stronger?
10% more flexible?

Gotta be something you're working on...

Somehow, I came in at 227 this morning. A pound lost is no small feat after a holiday weekend where I was sick as a dog, which kept me from working out at all. Of course, I wasn't too sick to eat... I was really hoping to sneak out for a last round on Saturday...

I am intrigued by your goals. As someone who has weighed the same for about the last decade, I will attempt to offer a bit of encouragement when it comes to diet and nutrition and losing weight. In my experience you stick to it long enough eventually you develop the taste for healthy, proper nourishing food. As in eventually it will not take an active effort to "eat right", you will simply crave to eat what you need. Eventually you can throw out all this hand-wringing over What should I eat? what shouldn't I eat? how much is ok? etc.

Same goes for exercise. Do it regularly enough and eventually it ceases to be a conscious decision. It's more like an urge that needs to be fulfilled. Which is to say if I go a week or so without a breaking a sweat in some way I just ain't right, all around. I could say that I love to exercise but that's not really the story. It's more just a living breathing part of life, natural as taking a shit.

So I guess my bottom line is to say Keep at it, stick to your regimen, it may feel like work now but at some point down the road it becomes instinct. Think about it. God meant for you to eat good stuff, not to subsist on manufactured junk food, meant for you to crank up your heart rate and lift heavy things, and not to sit all day long like a veal. It may be buried deep down inside, but somewhere, your body knows and understands this and if you work enough to chip away at the artifice of bad eating habits and laziness that modern human society has taught you to build up, eventually it all makes sense.

One other thing to consider...

Depending on the type of workouts you are doing, you may be adding muscles as you lose fat. If this happens, you will actually see an increase in your weight due to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat. Do not get discouraged. It's normal, and beneficial.

Well hell, i'm in for a pound. why not?

I don't have any actual numbers, because as what was stated above, when you add muscle you may actually see an increase.

I'm not looking to add a lot of muscle. If i can - i'd like to be back under 170lbs, but i doubt that will happen with the way i've been working out.

I'm looking to trim down the waist. Say a 34 or 33 waist. Whatever comes with that is bonus, weight or otherwise.

I'm also looking to cut at least a stroke of the HCI putting me at 3.4. The main way i'll be doing that is to think through every shot beforehand. I resolved on the main page to "hit shots" this year instead of "play golf". It's not enough anymore to aim and fire. I have to pick an aim and make the ball do what i want it to. Hopefully i'll be in good shape for the WAHC this year - mentally and physically- though i do have a two week layoff with the honeymoon and all.

birdieXris wrote:

...though i do have a two week layoff with the honeymoon and all.

With all due respect sir, that is NO EXCUSE for two weeks without golf.

Next thing you know you'll have no time for golf 'cause your honey-do list is too long.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

I've got a way to go before I'll be gaining more muscle than losing fat... I think that point will be around the 200 pound mark. I do know that it's been easier for me to lose weight in the past couple of weeks because I've added more lean muscle.

I think there can always be a measurable goal. Even if it's not losing weight, it can be something like: lift/bench/curl X% more, run X% farther/faster, X% more flexible. Even though it's been a short time, I do find myself less likely to skip or cut short a workout because of the goals I've set.

DougE wrote:

birdieXris wrote: ...though i do have a two week layoff with the honeymoon and all. With all due respect sir, that is NO EXCUSE for two weeks without golf. Next thing you know you'll have no time for golf 'cause your honey-do list is too long. Don't say I didn't warn you!

actually, it's not really 2 weeks. I'm playing the friday before the wedding, then i have 2 or 3 rounds of golf booked at the resort. haha.

And she knows that golf is high on the list. She knows all about my want to make it to Open Qualifying by 2014. So no honey do list too long because there needs to be time for practice Besides, she likes to drive the cart.