I like finding those intelligence tests they have available online, and this is probably the most challenging one I've done. The results were too complicated to put this in a simple Google Reader share. All-in-all I don't think I did that well, maybe that Mensa top 2% is way off :P. Except for Visuospatial Processing, I rock at that.

Article is here, and the test is here. I'll show my score for each section, the mean, and then what percentage of the population did that well.

1/12 -- Visuospatial Working Memory Strategy

10.0/7.5 (Top 5.6%). This was remembering what number was in the boxes, and clicking them in order.

2/12 -- Verbal Reasoning

17.0/14.0 (Top 31.6%). True or False statements about circles and squares.

3/12 -- Focused Attention

47.0/25.0 (Top 8.0%). Stroop Effect: recognizing the word vs. the ink color.

4/12 -- Deductive Reasoning

11.0/9.9 (Top 40.2%). Find odd-one-out based on abstract rules.

5/12 -- Working Memory

7.0/5.7 (Top 16.9%). Remember the order that squares light up (Simon-style)

6/12 -- Mental Rotation

120.0/85.0 (Top 20.0%). Recognize patterns rotated.

7/12 -- Visual Attention

142.0/122.0 (Top 29.2%). Compare complex displays for matching/mismatching.

8/12 -- Verbal Working Memory

10.0/6.9 (Top 5.7%). Remember a sequence of numbers

9/12 -- Planning

31.0/22.0 (Top 23.7%). Re-order the balls on sticks (similar to Towers of Hanoi)

10/12 -- Paired Associates

5.0/5.0 (Top 50%). Remember what pictures were in which boxes (man I was terrible at this!)

11/12 -- Visuospatial Processing

108.0/47.0 (Top 1.2%). Compare a shape to a set of overlapping shapes.

12/12 -- Spatial Working Memory

9.0/6.7 (Top 22.8%). Find the yellow circles hidden in boxes.

I haven't updated about my diet recently... mostly because I haven't been that good about keeping up with it. We still eat pretty healthy, but I've gotten a lot of my cravings back. I'm thinking about maybe going back to Phase I for a week and see if that will help with my longing for sweets, but we'll see. Good news is that I bottomed out at 190 even, which is close to my goal (185), bad news is that I've started to creep upwards again. My friend Holland keeps forcing me to sign up for races though, so if that keeps up maybe I'll be getting more exercise.

[caption id="attachment_237" align="aligncenter" width="713" caption="Diet, 10/20/2009"] [/caption]

Current Stats (as of last night):

• Weight: 191.5 lbs.
• BMI: 26.82

Still got a ways to go, and I need to get back on the diet I think. But I haven't regained everything I lost yet!

So things are moving along, although the weight loss has slowed down. One thing I've noticed is that I need to be more deliberate about when I weight myself -- some of those spikes are from when I didn't weigh in before I ate dinner (but other spikes are just me being bad). I need to get back to exercising regularly. I've been keeping up with my pull-ups, but I haven't run since the B*ATL. I've signed up with Holland for the Frogtown Trail Challenge (4mi.) in October, now I just need to get ready for it.

[caption id="attachment_230" align="aligncenter" width="712" caption="Diet Week 3"] [/caption]

About a week ago (7/18) Holland and I ran the B*ATL 5K. I hadn't really prepared at all for this race, but I still managed to finish :P. Final time was slower than my last 5k, but my big accomplishment here was running the first ~2.25mi without walking. Granted, I ran it pretty slow, but I'm counting it as a win.

Pictures can be found at my Flickr site.

In theory we're done with Phase 1 now, but we might push it out a couple more days. This weekend was a bit of a wash, diet-wise. We went to an awesome wedding and I may have eaten a slice of wedding cake. Possibly even two slices. Plus some great rehearsal dinner food. Oh well...

Highlights of the last week were moving up a notch on my belt, and being able to wear a shirt and tie (with the shirt buttoned!) without choking to death. Both big improvements! Also, it doesn't really count as week two, but at my weigh in today I was 199.5 lbs. I think that's the first time I've been under 200 in 2-3 years!

Here's this week's chart:

Week 1! Halfway through the terrible phase 1. Things were fine until yesterday (Saturday) when I really started to get cravings: bread, cookies, anything really. Hopefully I'll make it :P. So here are my current results:

Monday, 7/13/2009

• BMI -- 29.20
• Weight -- 208.5 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 28

Tuesday, 7/14/2009

• BMI -- 29.14
• Weight -- 208.1 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 34

Wednesday, 7/15/2009

• BMI -- 28.83
• Weight -- 206.0 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 34

Thursday, 7/16/2009

• BMI -- 28.89
• Weight -- 206.3 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 28

Friday, 7/17/2009

• BMI -- 28.89
• Weight -- 206.3 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 20

Saturday, 7/18/2009

• BMI -- 28.67
• Weight -- 204.9 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 28

Sunday, 7/19/2009

• BMI -- 28.64
• Weight -- 204.6 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 37

[caption id="attachment_217" align="aligncenter" width="402" caption="BMI, Week 1"] [/caption]

Doh! Missed June :(

So I've started on my new diet as of Monday. We'll see how it goes :). Sarah and I are doing the South Beach diet (although she doesn't have to change many things, with her gluten-free diet... she's mostly just doing it so I won't be lonely). Way back in February 2008 I had a goal of getting in shape and losing 30 pounds without changing my diet, just exercising. That didn't work out so well :). I kept the exercise up for a little while, but there wasn't really any change, and when I stopped I think I gained another ~10 pounds. So we're starting over, hopefully with more discipline this time.

In addition to the diet, I'm going to try to start running again, and doing pull-ups. I ran the Pi Mile 5K a couple months ago, and I'm going to run another this weekend. Hopefully I'll be able to get my time down somewhat, but I haven't been training that much.

As for the weight loss, I'm going to try to make a post here once a week with progress, just to keep myself accountable. So here are the current stats (as determined by Wii Fit):

Monday, 7/13/2009

• BMI -- 29.20
• Weight -- 208.5 lbs. (which is actually down from my peak of ~220 in the spring)
• Wii Fit Age -- 28 (I think this number is fairly random and arbitrary, but i'll include it)

Tuesday, 7/14/2009

• BMI -- 29.14
• Weight -- 208.1 lbs.
• Wii Fit Age -- 34

In the future I might make a fancy graph and include it here, we'll see. Wish me luck!

Man, I used to love doing magazine quizzes. Are internet quizzes going to suck me in? At least I'm an Uber Cool Nerd King.

I had an eye appointment today, and I'm giving contacts a trial run. On the one hand, it's the weirdest feeling in the world... ever. On the other hand, as soon as I put them in my vision was significantly better. It'll take some getting used to, but I think I like it so far. We'll see how different I look :)

This past weekend we had Beulah (Sarah's cousin) and her daughter Mary visiting, and I got to do one of my favorite things -- have a baby fall asleep on my chest. That's got to be the best feeling in the world.