However, I see the benefits of the game. So I am going to step back into it.

I am a big proponent of the parable, “give a man fish he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”. So I think the 1000s of hours I have spent playing poker should be put to good use. So I am going to get back to playing part time. To rehash my skills and re-run the limits. I am going to start at $5.25’s with a 10 Buy in bankroll, and in true grinder form. Work it into a real bank roll over the next 30 days, playing part time.

I could deposit more, but I think that having too much money would make me complacent, starting with such a nominal amount makes it more critical that I learn to play perfectly fast and maintain composure. I will play a minimum of 100 games at each level, and will adhere to a 20 buyin move-up rule once I get there. So before I can play $10.50’s I will need to make it to $210. I will move back down if I hit 15 buyins for any limit.

My main motivation to jump back into this is to teach others to beat the low limits. I think anyone in the world can make $10/hr playing online poker. So I’d like to help out some of those people who are out of work and shit like that.

Background: I have tried “dieting” a lot of times before with no success (I weigh 265 lbs). I don’t think of this new experiment as a diet but as a new lifestyle that I am adopting. I did this experiment earlier where I said, “what would be the perfect conditions for me to get started on a new healthy lifestyle”. Well, I’ll say. My conditions right now are not super ideal. But I’m sincere in my approach and I think I’ll have success. It’s a Thursday morning in the middle of May.

Starting weight: 265 lbs as of May 20, 2010.

I am not going to be weighing myself a lot through this journey. I have an old pair of pants that are way too tight and I can’t button. I am going to slip those on week by week and see as they fit better.

My Unified Front Approach

Nutrition: I am going to be using the basic nutritional theory behind the book “Protein Power”. Which involves eating lots and lots of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrates per day, and as much fat as I want. There is a ton of great science in that book and I will be discussing it on here throughout the experience on here. Basically, I eat tons of meat and eggs, some green vegetables, and not much else. But what’s cool is, I can eat AS MUCH protein as I want every day. For drinks, I’ll have mostly water and unsweetened tea, as well as any other no calorie drinks I want like diet soda.

Exercise: For the first week I won’t be doing any special exercise. After that I will be weight lifting 2 days per week for a maximum of 1 hour each workout (maximum time in gym is 2 hours per week). The workout isn’t anything too extreme. Basically I lift my largest muscle groups (chest, legs, back, shoulders) to failure. More on the science behind this later as well.

On the days I workout I will always try to do it first thing in the morning. On days I don’t workout I will do something else active (power walking or something) first thing in the morning for 15-20 minutes. I may start running a lot during this experiment too. But the running would not be for fat loss.

Finally, I’m just gonna set out to live a more active lifestyle. Playing sports, being outside, camping, beach, going out. Like I said, I am embarking on a total lifestyle change not a diet. It’s me becoming the man I want to be.

Support: I am actively seeking out coaches, mentors, and motivators to keep me on track throughout this. The biggest thing I am going to do for support is AVOID people without anything positive to add. The people who I would say, “I do a full body lift 2 times a week for 1 hour each session” and their response would be, “AHH! WHAT!? NO MAN YOU WANNA BE BREAKING UP THE MUSCLE GROUPS AND LIFTING 1 GROUP PER DAY. BLAST YOUR CHEST MONDAY, RAPE YOUR LEGS TUESDAY, DEVASTATE YOUR BACK WEDNESDAY….” and so on. People get like fanatical religious people about dieting and weight lifting and most of it is just B.S any diet with sound theory that you strictly follow will work, any weight lifting program that involves regularly lifting heavy things will build strength. I am far less worried about adding an extra 25 pounds to my dead lift in the next 5 months and would rather have good results and quality of life.

Personal Accountability: I am going to be writing pretty much everyday in this log here and in my journal about what I do. That way at the end of this journey I can look back, analyze everything and offer other people the same journey that I’m about to take.

I will be pouring my heart and soul into this, so I hope people take some value from it. My most sincere desire is that at the end (and during this) I will have some MAJOR haters crash on me for having such flawed theory in everything. If I can accomplish that, I’ll know I’m on the right path .