I’ve made a $150 weight loss bet – I have 28 days to lose an inch or two off my waist.

How did this come to be?

While running is one of my regular sports, I am also a fencer.

In a sport where people poke at each other with metal sticks, it makes sense to have protective gear. The standard fencing uniform has a mask, glove jacket, extra layer of an underarm protector, and what fencers in the U.S. call knickers, which are the pants.

This is a fencing uniform, and those are the fancy pants in question.

The clothing has rankings based on how much force it can withstand to protect fencers against a puncture from a broken blade. The first level of protection defends against 350 newtons of force.  The second level protects against 800 newtons of force. A newton is the amount of force that it takes to accelerate 1 kilogram of mass at a rate of one meter per second each second.

Now, it has been awhile since freshman physics for me, but I have the Internet, which tells me that this is equal to about .224 pounds of force, or about 5 newtons per pound. This means that the higher level protects against a sharp pointy object coming at you with about 160 pounds of force. (These are rough numbers, and I am sure my math and science friends will find something to correct. That’s what the comments section is for.)

I already have an 800-newton jacket and an 800-newton underarm protector that provides a second layer of protection for the upper body. I decided I would upgrade the knickers to the higher level as well. I measured myself and ordered what I thought would be a good fit.

When the knickers arrived they were, ahem, a bit tight. They were too tight for me to spend a couple hours fencing in. So, do I return them for the next size up, or do I try to lose some weight?

Yes, that’s how big my gut is.

I have 28 days to return them, provided I don’t wear them or sweat in them. Based on the shipping date, that gives me until April 9 to either lose enough around my middle to wear them or ship them back. If I do not get the weight off or ship them back on time, then I am out a $150 on these fancy pants. (For the record $150 is about the price of expensive running shoes, and these will last much longer. I’m talking years.)

The clock is ticking, and I am two days into trying to cut calories and get my fair share of exercise in.  I will keep you posted on how it goes.

I want a cookie.

(Starting Weight: 199.2 lbs.)