Week 04: “Bad Guy”

Friday, March 20, 2020 at 10:53:43 AM

With all that’s going on in the world today, we should all take pride in ourselves as we’ve averaged 4.7 lb loss over the last 4 weeks. With that said, I’m suspending the weigh-ins until we all have access to official scales again. I will keep the final date of the contest so it will stay 15 weeks. We will all just continue losing weight until then (right?).

Once we start the weigh-ins again, I will interpolate the weights in the missing week to help maintain our linearity. I will also try to send emails periodically for more tips on weight loss.

Through 4 weeks, Major Chile Dog still defies physics by losing 3.2 lb/wk, for a total of 12.8 lb. I’m not sure what voodoo he’s using, because he’s already a skinny dude.

Chew Less Jargon and Mill at Dell Clench are putting up valiant efforts to stay with Major Chile Dog. They are 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

So during our suspension, please keep safe and healthy and congratulate yourself for losing weight.

Well, not La Babe Jar Ore. He should not congratulate himself, as he’s the only one who’s gained weight from the beginning at +1.8 lb.

Week 03: “Give me a pound, Vasily. One pound only, please.”

Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 7:50:09 AM

By the third week of the contest, any “training” you may have done prior to the first weigh-in has probably run out. Your body has noticed that it’s not getting as many calories as it had before and is starting to hoard it. If you’ve been exercising, your may have noticed that your body has become more efficient and fit, and you’re not burning as many calories as you had before.

In other words, it’s time to step it up. And move away from that Jimmy John’s submarine sandwich. Keep sticking to your diet plan and get through this phase.

Team Big White has been stepping it up as well, still leading Team Burnt Brown 3.679 lb/BFLG to 3.54 lb. Can they keep it up as they start their grill season? Only time (and the scale) will tell.

Major Chile Dog now has a commanding lead over Granola Inches, having already lost 5.6% body mass. He also still has a perfect linearity of -1.000. Granola Inches is the first to lose double digit pounds at 10.8 lb (4.0%). In third place is Chew Less Jargon, having lost 7 lb (3.0%).

La Babe Jar Ore has gained the most weight at 1.8 lb (+1.0%).

Down at the very, very end of our list are Radon Ebbs, Ah Loan, and Luau Run In Guinea. They are literally our bottom feeders.

The biggest jump in position is by Titan Rambler, who has gone up 12 places. The biggest drop is by Rev Amok Ark, who dropped 16 places.

Remember, this is a long contest. It’s about consistency every week, every day, one pound at a time.

Week 02: “Is it safe?”

Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 6:28:29 PM

As many long time BFLGs know, this contest is a marathon. It took us a long time to get to where we currently are, so it will take some time to undo all of that.

With that said, at this time Team Big White is leading Team Burnt Brown Mound 2.879 lb to 2.427 lb/BFLG. Although not all BFLGs have reported in their weight, and there are still 13 more weeks to go, I think we can safely predict that Team Big White will win this event. Because Maths.

Major Chile Dog is still leading the pack. He is averaging 3.2 lb/week with a perfect linearity. Germans are (probably) famous for their pursuit of sustainability, so I’m sure he’ll be able to keep that up for the entire 15 weeks.

In second place is Rev Amok Ark, with Granola Inches in third place. The current top 3 have already lost at least 2.8% body weight.

La Babe Jar Ore has still gained the most weight. The strategy of gaining weight to win the contest almost won once. Only deep, deep shame prevented that BFLG (Bread Snorter) from winning.

The anchor / dead weight / bottom-feeding ballast in week 2 are Titan Rambler, Radon Ebbs, and AKA Pruned Spleen. They know this.

Week 01: “Every Time a Bell Rings, a BFLG Gets a Donut”

Monday, February 24, 2020 at 12:10:52 PM

We run this contest to promote a healthier lifestyle so we can incorporate a good diet and exercise program in our lives. Also, Team Big White is totally dominating the team from the Burnt Brown Mounds, losing more overall weight (19.9 lb vs 16.9 lb) and per BFLG (1.421 lb vs 1.127 lb). But who’s counting?

Due to Team Big White’s aggressive donut policy, it will be hard for them to maintain this lead for 15 weeks.

Sneezed Rims In and Cher Jonc En had the initial early lead by virtue of bonus points (having lost weight since the last diet contest). After the first week, however, Major Chile Dog, the BFLG with currently the lowest BMI (22.7), has the lead. In second place is Lurid Walrus Ache followed by a former winner, Mill At Dell Clench.

With two Germans from Team Big White in the top spots, it’s obvious that their stereotypical efficiency and self-control helped them rise to the top. And also because Team Big White is currently out of ice cream.

How to Lose Weight

Years of research and studies over large swaths of people have generated a complex set of conditions to losing weight.

Eat less.
Move more.

Now, I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet. However, here is a list of how to accomplish these two steps. It’s not comprehensive, but at least I’m publishing it at the beginning of the contest instead of the end. I will cover other topics in later posts.

Week 00: “Engage!”

Monday, February 17, 2020 at 11:55:31 AM

The 2020 BFLG Diet Contest is officially underway. I will try to provide a weekly update after each weigh-in. I will occasionally add tips on losing weight that have been collected over the years.

The first BFLG diet contest was back in 2007, when most of us had more hair and teeth. There has been a total of 10 contests. If you think you have what it takes to win, well, with this group it generally doesn’t take much.

Here are the past winners:

Year	Winner	Weight Loss	% Loss	Final Score
2007	Sneezed Rims In	25.5 lb	12.4%	17.97
2009	Meal Urge Maniac	18.5 lb	11.5%	17.69
2010	Meal Urge Maniac	14.9 lb	9.7%	13.92
2011	Mad Urea Owner	38.6 lb	13.2%	14.18
2012	Mad Urea Owner	31.2 lb	10.8%	12.68
2013	Bread Snorter	20.8 lb	10.2%	14.66
2014	Cher Jonc En	16.0 lb	9.0%	13.85
2015	Mill at Dell Clench	22.0 lb	11.2%	16.2
2016	Big Human Lap	21.2 lb	8.1%	10.15
2017	Jack Fry Revs Free	16.6 lb	7.1%	8.94

So on average, winners lose about 22.5 lb, or about 10.3% body weight. However, we also average about 28% drop-out rate in this contest. A drop-out is someone who stops weighing in during at least the last 3 weeks of the contest. This is also called “pulling a Stanga” (okay, while this is technically a euphemism, it is not a “euphemism”). The only year when no one dropped out was in 2007.

Over the years, we’ve lost 1,484.6 lbs during the diet contests, the equivalent of a fully grown Holstein cow (which, by the way, is good for about 4,500 hamburgers.) This averages out to about 5.2 lb/BFLG. The amount of weight gained after the diet contest is classified.

The median weight this year 213.4 lb by Math Weft Wolf. Our average height is 70.5 inches, give or take, which is about the same as our overall average height for all diet contests (70.7 in). And yes, you can expect to get random, useless statistics throughout this contest unless someone pries Excel from my cold fingers. After March they will warm up and I’ll get tired of all of these statistics.

(As a side note that another way to improve your score is to get taller by the end of the contest.)

The link for the table with the results is below. Clicking your name will show your current weight graph for the contest.

http://bflg.likes-pie.com/2020/index.html

Good luck, and stay away from that 370 kcal cinnamon bagel.

Week -1: “Just When I Thought I Was Out...”

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 2:09:04 PM

A BFLGer who shall not be named (it’s totally Big Human Lap) has pulled me back in. So unfortunately we have to do another diet contest. That means 15 weeks of misery and ogling of your neighbor’s bagel (not a euphemism).

There are a number of new participants this year, so I will recommend perusing the rules. Please contact me if you need any clarification.

Charts, graphs, and tables will be posted are regularly as I get around to doing it. They will be posted at bflg.likes-pie.com.

Be warned that many of you will not make it. It will be because of that one Snicker’s bar you’ll eat. You won’t think it would matter, but it will. And you will be forever shamed because of it. Stay away from that Snicker’s bar. Eat a Twix instead.

BFLG Start

Rules

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 1:46:22 PM

The contest will start on Friday, February 14, 2020 with the initial weigh-in, height, and weight goal. Each Friday morning after that will be a weigh-in day until Friday, May 29, 2020 (15 weeks). For Good Friday, the weigh in will be either the Thursday before, or the Monday after.
Each location (Auburn Hills North and CNXMotion) will have an official weigh-in scale. Weigh-in is done with shoes off, pockets empty. Clothing is optional, but highly recommended.

If you cannot weigh in on Friday, please make arrangements with the person in charge of the scale at your facility.
Weights will be published on a website using an anagram of the participant’s name. A participant may select an anagram, or an anagram will be chosen for the participant.
Taunting is allowed, and sometimes encouraged. Complaining about the scale is tolerated, but fruitless. It is not broken.
Cook Rule: There can be a total of 2 missed weeks that will be interpolated. At the third missed weigh-in, the previous week will be used. If 3 or more consecutive weeks are missed, then I will invoke mystical weight loss contest algorithms to make something up.
Bonus points will be given if your starting weight is lower than either your starting or ending weight from the last diet contest, if you lost weight in the last contest. If your weight is lower than the previous starting weight, you will get 25% credit for that weight loss. If it is lower than your final weight, you get an additional 50% credit for being below that weight.

For those engineers without reading comprehension, this can be summed up in the following formula:

/* Bonus to be added to ContiScore (Percent_weight_change*200 + Weight_change) */
if (prev_end_weight > current_weight )
bonus = (prev_start_weight - prev_end_weight)*0.25 + (prev_end_weight - current_weight)*0.50;
else if (prev_start_weight > current_weight )
bonus = (prev_start_weight - current_weight)*0.25;
else
bonus = The_Zero_who_ate_too_much;

If you have not participated in previous contests, no bonus points for you.
Points will be awarded based on weight change and body characteristics, and how linearly you lose the weight. Highest point total wins the contest. The formula is roughly (or exactly, depending on your definition):

ContiScore = (Percent_weight_change*200 + Weight_change) ;
Score = (ABS(ContiScore)+Bonus) ÷ Linear_Density * ABS(Weight_Slope_Correlation) ;

(Please note that by using absolute values in the formula, it is possible to get points by gaining weight.)