My 2013 Minnesota Twins Weight Loss Challenge

My passion for the Minnesota Twins just might save my life.

I'm certainly not the only person struggling with her weight. I'm also not the only person who has tried to lose weight, and has even been successful at times, but has yet to maintain that success. For myself, my net result is a little bit worse each year.

For years, I avoided regular doctors and stuck whenever possible to in-store clinics where I could get a prescription for strep throat but wouldn't get the "you need to lose weight" speech. It's not like I didn't know that already, right? After turning 30 last May, I decided it was time to make myself grow up and find a general practitioner. She was awesome and gave me the "you need to lose weight" speech without making me feel like dirt or a failure. (Check out the Aalfa Clinic for a great team.) I tried following her advice, but I wasn't ready, and I didn't deal well with some things - small and big stressors - that happened this fall and winter. (No surprise, I ate to dull my emotions.)

What does this have to do with the Twins? Following the team, cheering for them, and blogging about them at www.puckettspond.com has become my passion. I spend ridiculous amounts of time listening to game and sport show broadcasts, reading about the latest news, writing my opinion, and dreaming about when my next trip to my Favorite Place (Target Field) will be.

The team has been in a serious slump for two seasons, and my health has been in a slump my whole life. I weigh more than Joe Mauer (and not just by a pound or two), and he's got 14 inches on me and a lot more muscle mass. Truthfully, to get to my healthy weight range, I have at least 120 pounds to lose. I can't change it all in the span of a baseball season. It may not be possible to get to that range at all. But, I can  make a significant impact on my weight, health, and self-image. Why not use the Twins' rebuilding year (don't tell GM Terry Ryan I called it that) as a rebuilding year for myself?

And so the challenge was born.

I've decided that I will match the Minnesota Twins' regular season wins in pounds lost. Spring Training for the Twins starts today (Tuesday, February 12), and I am beginning my challenge today, even though the Twins don't get to "count" Spring Training wins in the challenge. And, I am extending my challenge through the end of the World Series. Even if the Twins surprise us all and make it to any postseason play, those games don't count in the challenge. It's my pounds from now until the end of the World Series vs. the Twins' regular season wins.

The Minnesota Twins won 66 games in 2012. The local sports show I trust the most is 1500espn.com's "Reusse & Mackey", and Patrick Reusse predicts the Twins win 10-15 more in 2013, putting the team at approximately 76-81 wins.

It's a lofty goal, but I know I can do it because I know my family and friends will support me...if I have the courage to ask them to. That's part of why I will be blogging about my experience. I'll be sharing my "pounds lost" every Tuesday, and I may add a post or two in between, updating my progress, struggles, and successes. I know my posts may not be read by many people (or anyone at all), but publically committing to writing about my experience will help me to be more accountable. I'm also helping myself find healthier ways to handle physical and emotional stress. I know finding other strategies that work for me will ultimately determine whether or not I succeed in my challenge.

Every challenge needs a reward. You might think losing the weight should be enough. However, when I meet this challenge, I am going to want to celebrate. Here's my plan:

• Match the the Twins in wins (+/- 5 lbs from their win total): treat myself to 2014 lower level tickets
• Beat the Twins record by losing 6+ lbs more than their total 2013 regular season wins: treat myself to 2014 dugout box tickets

Oh, and games are a lot less fun by myself. So, those rewards will be to treat me and a friend. Be supportive, and maybe it's you who will get to join me! ;)

I have eight-and-a-half-months to complete my challenge, a perfectly reasonable amount of time to lose 75-80 lbs. I will be breaking my challenge into segments, and the first one is "Spring Training": From today until Spring Training ends, I will plan my meals in advance, taking portion control into account, and I will follow my plans strictly. I'll also gradually increase my activity to at least three workouts per week, working toward doing 20 or more minutes in each workout. This will be a stricter plan than what I'll be able to follow for the rest of my life. However, I've been doing research on weight loss, as well as some soul-searching, and a stricter kick start will be the best idea in the long run.

March 31 is Easter Sunday, and April 1 is Opening Day at Target Field, so my Spring Training deadline is March 30. At that time, I'll re-evaluate and make plans for my next phase.

Thank you for reading this post, and thank you to those of you who are willing to support me in this. I can't put into words how much it means to me.