Week 1

Well, the first week of the Chipotle Challenge was very successful. The daily pictures are not very flattering but I'm down 3.8 pounds! Although I don't encourage close examination of my face/profile/scale pictures, for a closer look you can see a larger version of the picture below at: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/4062380188_714e4f4231_o.jpg.

Some people are still a bit skeptical about my Challenge although I have more optimism than ever. The only hindrance I see is the fact that today is a chocolate filled Halloween. I'm expecting a bit of a weight loss lull early next week but progress should keep on rolling a few days in.

As for the menu, it's been quite diverse. Despite the difference in ingredients for each burrito, the pictures look quite identical so I've only shown a few below.

As a true accountant, I used a spreadsheet to compile some statistics. You may remember from my first post that I'm to consume no more than 1,994 calories & 66 grams of fat per day to be at my ideal weight. To sum up week 1, I averaged my daily calorie & fat intake and ended up consuming roughly 2/3 of my ideal requirements. Average of 1,345 calories & 41 grams of fat per day. Not too shabby! I did notice when I actually track this stuff it makes it kind of a competition with myself. Each day my burrito's gotta be less fatty than the last. After a week of eating Chipotle twice a day, the desire to eat one more burrito is not surprisingly still going strong. And I haven't clogged an artery yet so things are going well! We'll see what happens in week 2!

28 Days

Most people I associate with know that I am no stranger to Chipotle. This will be especially true for the next 28 days. With the wife's reluctant approval I've decided to embark upon a month long Chipotle binge! Every man's dream if you ask me.

Ask college students about the "Freshman 15" and most will acknowledge that lounging around the apartment, drinking like a fish, & snarfing down T-Bell Grande Meals is a quick way to put on 15 pounds of solid love handle. Nothing wrong with a little love handle right? Well, I'm a guy and I typically don't care about these sorts of things, but in the three and a half years since graduating from college I've spent a considerable amount of time sitting around office buildings, gulping down coffee, eating on the run, and drinking away the stress of 50+ hour work weeks. Turns out that's a really excellent way to pack on 25 extra pounds. The Young Professional 25, if you will.

The solution? Chipotle . . . twice a day! Despite common belief, Chipotle is good for you and I plan to prove it by eating it for both lunch & dinner every day for the next 28 days. After determining my ideal weight (about 25 pounds less than my current weight), I calculated the number of calories (1,994) and amount of fat (66g) I should consume daily to maintain this weight. A typical fajita burrito bowl (without guacamole or sour cream) has around 500 calories & 21 grams of fat while a fajita burrito has approximately 800 calories & 30 grams of fat. In either case you can see how eating this twice a day while consuming a standard breakfast would be less calories & fat than required. The best part is that a meal from Chipotle is very well balanced and definitely fills a man up.

Everyone gives me a hard time about my love for Chipotle so, my hypotheses are: 1) I will lose 5 - 10 pounds over the next 28 days, & 2) It is impossible for me to get tired of eating Chipotle. I will do my best to photograph my daily burritos in action and will take a picture of my face, profile, and feet on the scale as a way to track progress. My ability to continue the study should prove whether or not I get tired of eating Chipotle. Fortunately I have such a cool wife that she's willing to put up with this experiment. To minimize posts & maximize suspense, check back weekly for updates!