Challenge Update #8 (& Blog Discloure Rules)
It’s been eight weeks of the This Ain’t No Freshman 15, This is the Final 10 Challenge and that means it’s WEIGH-IN time! Before you read my stats below, make sure to check out Jen, Prior Fat Girl’s, blog to see how she’s coming along!
Here we go:
- Starting Weight: 138 lbs.
- Last Weigh-In July 20: 129.2 lbs.
- Today’s Weigh-In July 27: 128.0 lbs.
- Loss since last week: 1.2 lbs.
- Total loss: 10 lbs.
- Left to go: 0.0 lbs. by 8/1/09
Here are my daily exercise and calorie consumption stats from last week:
- Monday — 2000 calories, ran 4 miles, 30 mins strength training, one hour rollerblading
- Tuesday — 2000 calories, ran 6 miles
- Wednesday —1500 calories, ran 3 miles, one hour rollerblading
- Thursday — 1800 calories, ran 4.25 miles, 30 mins strength training
- Friday — 1500 calories, 30 mins walk at beach
- Saturday – 2000 calories, ran 6.25 miles, 30 mins walking
- Sunday – 2000 calories, ran 4.25 miles, 30 mins strength training
- Thank goodness I did 3 days of strength training because, if you recall, I was going to let you guys punish me with a truth or dare! Scary!
So?
Here’s me via video going off on a little tangent about the challenge. Feel free to skip over!
URL here, too.
Since 8/1 was the challenge deadline, I will still be posting a sort of “ode to the challenge” on that day, even though it’s a Saturday. So, I will be keeping my lips partially sealed on my sentiments until then. I will also be announcing the Holey Donuts winner! If you don’t recall (it was indeed nearly two months ago, see here), a lot of you entered for a chance to win by announcing your own challenge goals! It could be you!
So how will I celebrate this 10-pound victory? By indulging in all my favorite foods, of course! LMAO! Did you think I was serious?! I was joking with the boyf that I was going to order a pizza (my fave) with toppings of all my favorite foods. So imagine a large pizza topped with orange tofu “chicken,” pita and hummus, fried rice, cheesecake, brownies… Sound yummy? Hehe. Yea…that’s not happening. I will reward myself by laying off on the compulsive scale-weighing. That is one habit I’m happy and excited to break.
Which Brings Me To…
The nature of a challenge. I see a lot of you readers out there doing challenges and it’s really inspiring. I know a lot of you have gone without caffeine, have gone raw, have challenged yourselves to complete strength training routines and eliminate sugars, all in the name of a challenge. Does it help to have someone going through these challenges with you? Is virtual support as effective as real-life support? Is it the fact that inherent in a challenge is a foreseeable end-date? I want to know what you guys think.
There’s No Such Thing As Free?
I want to address an issue of contention in the blog world and that’s the FTC wanting to impose disclosure rules on bloggers reviewing/promoting products on their pages. I would suggest reading Caitlin’s post here and looking at the comments section where some very interesting and intelligent remarks were made.
Just to clarify (since we’re all on defense-mode hehe): I will always be honest if a product is sent to me by a company and I will always be honest on whether I like it or not and why. But the real power here, I think, is always in the consumers’/readers’ hands. I enjoy reading about new products on other bloggers’ sites, but I will take the review at face-value and do my own research because I know from personal experience that I can only speak for myself when I give a review. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried something and thought it was amazing only to pass on a bite to my boyf who has belted, mid-bite, “that tastes like dirt!” So, yea, we all gotta take each others’ opinions for what they are: OPINIONS. Granted, I do realize the level of responsibility that comes from giving a product review on a blog with thousands of readers (um, not my blog, FYI), that’s why I don’t shun the FTC wanting to impose some limits. And yes, I do hand it to the marketing departments of these companies who market to bloggers. I wrote last post about a Fitness Magazine give-away on three different blogs!
But seriously — shouldn’t we be focusing on the “bigger fish?” Aren’t countless politicians and public officials able to weave through disclosure laws as they accept under-the-table bribes from lobbyists and private interest groups? Also, until recently, advertisers could market to children on t.v. commercials reaching millions in one swoop without so much as a blink of an eye. I’m just sayin’. I think the main motivating factor in these proposed laws is lost profits. Because big companies can reach thousands via a blog with very little over-head costs, this might be having a trickle-down effect on the economy. Does this mean justified cuts in marketing and PR budgets? In t.v., radio and outdoors advertising? Just a thought.
Want more on the issue? See these links:
- The New York Times, “Approval by a Blogger May Please a Sponsor” (7/12/09) here
- Ars Technica, “FTC to Crack Down on Undisclosed ‘Sponsored’ Blogging” (6/22/09) here
- BusinessWeek, “Blogola: The FTC Takes On Paid Posts” (5/19/09) here
On to something less serious, how was your weekend?!
<3, The Cranky One
Tags: blog challenges, calories, FTC, weight loss
17 People have left comments on this post
Congratulations on reaching your goal! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on that! You now weigh roughly as much as my right leg…
I love challenges! They really motivate me to do my best.
I agree with you – how many scientists, public officials, etc are in the pockets of Big Business? That’s where the real damage is done. On the whole I think bloggers handle reviews quite well. Unlike advertising, blogging is relational, so the smart bloggers will not rave about something that is of poor quality, since they really want to keep their audience. I’ve often seen bloggers criticizing the products they’re reviewing.
CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!! You did it & that is awesome! Can’t wait to hear more.
I am going to have to read more on these give away rules which I know nothing about since I am too small for anyone to offer up goods & services to me to give away.. I WISH! I want to give back to my readers!!!
As for challenges, I guess I am so used to challenging myself & pushing myself that I can do it without others BUT it is fun to have others notice that “you have done well” and fun to read about others & what they accomplish!!
Keep up the good work!
ok lady, slow down!!!!!!! I am so excited for you, making your goal! You have totally pushed through and did it! CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS!!! I can’t wait to tackle the next phase of this journey, the “maintain phase” with you. I’ll be at goal with you on Saturday ok?
Now, onto this whole FTC crapola, I wonder who it is instigating this? Is it someone who actually realizes that a majority of bloggers actually do say they received the product from the company and gives honest thoughts? I have reviewed products on my blog and used the words “Bleck!” “Horrible” and the phrase “Will not purchase this” in the review as well as glowing reviews of products.
Congratulations on meeting the goal! Wow – that was a lot of effort and determination on your part to get there!
I see no problem with freebies or giveaways on blogs as long as it is clear that the item was received. Heck – sometimes I review products that I bought just because I like them so much!
1. CONGRATS on making it to your goal! Great job!!!
2. Excellent and informative post about the disclosure situation. I haven’t made it to the big time yet so I haven’t done any official product reviews but I def read a ton and know that each person’s experiences and reviews might not be how I”ll do but I respect that, that is what they are… opinions. Thanks for sharing all the info!
CONGRATULATIONS on meeting your goal!! You ROCKED this challenge! Good job. I am so jealous by how much you run! It is all I can do to get my 3 runs a week in.
GREAT JOB! You have seriously worked your arse off this entire time. Truly an inspriation. As I said in my blog this weekend. I gave up, with good reason, no jeering allowed.
But today I’ll be donating my $50 of groceries to the food bank. And knowing the little one is growing and needs to thrive… i don’t feel any guilt over quitting. Now if I hadn’t found out i was pregnant! I’d be feeling horrible about my efforts this last month. So i guess some one shined a light on me to make it all ok. hahahaha!! Damn hubby’s sperm. hahahaha!! JK.
Anyhow, great job!
As for the proposed law. I’m not sure how I feel completely has I’d have to do some research to get fully educated. But it sounds like crap. Why is it that politicians are always trying to Dumb down our ability to be free thinkers? I could go on a rant right now… so i won’t. But that’s the first thought that came to my mind.
Have a great week!
A great big congrats A!!! Awesome!!!!
For me, it does help for others, even virtually, to be part of a challenge. The extra motivation is key!
Congrats on losing 10 lbs! That’s great. I have stayed away from challenges because I don’t want to obsess about things (which I have a tendency to do…). But I think a challenge can be a great motivator, if you have the right mindset…
congrats on reaching your goal hot mama! i am beyond proud of you!! i know how much it “kicked your butt” as you so eloquently put it
which should make you all the more proud of yourself! but i agree — weighing ourselves can get really tedious — so i’m glad you have that pressure off of you! you go girlfrienddddd!
You are so cute!! Congratulations. I looooove challenges, they help me so much. Good for you with all that strength training!
CONGRATS on your loss! I am so proud of you! Your determination and persistence sure pushed off!
I just recently received an email asking me if I wanna do a giveaway for their business…and I DO feel a bit pressured to give a positive review, which is why I have not accepted the proposal yet. So I do understand a bit of why that rule may be imposed. But then, now that I think of it, even if someone says a product is bad, sometimes I find another blogger raving abt it. Like larabars. People rave abt it, but I hate them.
First of all, a big HUGE Congrats on meeting your goal.
That is something to be proud of…but that pizza with those toppings…erm, no way. lol Just thinking about that all together makes me *not* want pizza….so its a good thing, right?
Second, yes, I do believe going through a challenge with others is motivating. Everyone checks in on each other, we all leave comments ‘atta girl’ or ‘you can do it’ type stuff that everyone likes, or needs, to hear once in a while. Plus, whether you’re losing or gaining, it can be motivational just to see others doing the exact same thing at the same time. The whole “I’m not the only one” thing makes a difference for me.
Third, Pfffffttt at the government.
While I do believe that it is ethical for a person, blogger or not, to disclose that they received a product for free from a company in their review, I agree that there are way more important things for them to be focusing on. How about the estimate that every single state in the US has a minimum of 10% Medicare/Welfare fraud with some states as high as 30%?? Want to do some healthcare reform? Go after the people who are taking money away from people who actually deserve it…the people these programs were set up for in the first place. We’re talking billions & billions of dollars!! Grrrrr
Sorry…I’m tangent prone.
My point is the same as yours – it is an opinion & if you’re willing to believe everything you read, well that is on the individual. Personally, I’m not one to buy something because Oprah says so. I’m also not one to vote a certain way because some celeb says so. Pffffft Take everything with a grain of salt & make your own opinions.
Nice post!
Congrats on reaching your goal! That is serious awesomeness right there! You are totally inspiring to me!
Off to the gym…
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