Our 25 week Journey to Greatness has commenced!

7 out of 8 of our faithful pilgrims showed up on Saturday to set their goals, discuss past challenges, weigh in, and make some wagers here and there.

Here are the Starting Point photos of Bo, Stephanie, Eric, Melissa, Anna And Diane.

This week we all are going to focus on being our slightly better selves. We are also going to download an app called WhatsApp to our phones so that we  can have a private platform to keep in touch.

MESSAGE FROM OSCAR:

“This past Saturday I witnessed a group of an incredible people who are ready to commit. Support groups like the one we have will go a very long way and we can only benefit from this process. This may shock you guys but I came out as a different person right after the first session. I heard a lot of powerful stuff and can’t wait to see how everyone will progress.

Wednesdays between 12pm-1pm I am available for calls to discuss and support and give any feedback you need. My phone number is . You can call or text me, whatever works better for you. Just remember, don’t be shy! Ask for what you need.

What I would love to see these upcoming weeks is paying attention to how you practice self care in the moment, and, as people discussed in the meeting, portion-control. I will cover more on how we can work on it. Please feel free to have questions ready so we can discuss as a group.

WhatsApp is the app that would be an additional tool for us discuss and share photos and more. Try to download it to your phone if you haven’t already.”

NEXT MEETING FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9th

6-7:15PM AT 80 BORDER STREET.

OK, now don’t anybody panic, but this is what we are headed into in Venice.

Mobs of well-dressed, well-presented Europeans, all decked out in their finest art reception outfits.

Not to mention that to get around and see all that is to be seen while there, one needs a pretty high level of aerobic fitness to traverse the one million cobblestone steps of this lovely, elegant city.

You see where this is going don’t you? If not, look at the pictures for a moment and it will come to you.

Now you get it right?

Yep, we must work on ourselves a little by then to get the most out of this trip, and to have any hope of a Successful Presentation of Self while there.

Two options here:

1) Admit that this is the truth, and make vague promises to oneself to work on this as possible, etc., etc., and as usual do too little too late and later regret this course of action.

2) DO something fun and helpful (and arty!) and feel fabulous and strong and prepared for your most flattering clothes in Venice and have the best time ever, and be be proud of yourself for having taken action at a crucial moment.

We know from years of personal experience that this is a tough choice, but this time we are hoping to go for option 2, and you can too.

So now, without further ado, we present to you in more detail:

OPTION TWO

A 25 week program (beginning in November and finishing right before we go to Venice) to support us all in reaching our individual personal body/mind goals. Goals could include weight loss, increased aerobic capacity, improved muscle strength and balance – each person will set their own goals. To help each participant achieve their goals, the program will include:

Weekly 1.5 hour group meetings that will include weigh ins (for those who want them), setting of goals for coming week and review of successes and challenges in previous week, 30 minutes exercise of some kind, and a brief closing meditation. Classes will be led by Oscar E Cruz, a truly amazing trainer and lifestyle coach who has helped MANY people reach their fitness goals. Class to be held at 80 Border Street in East Boston.

Frequent communication to and from Oscar during the week to help us learn and stay on track. This will include a weekly newsletter to the group as well as info targeted to each participant’s needs and struggles, and access to Oscar to ask fitness or workout questions.

Membership in a FB group where we will share info and encouragement.

For those who want, the opportunity to participate in the performance art aspect of this group project. This part is totally optional and we will not share any info on participants who would rather not do this. But if you are into it, a fun opportunity to chart our progress via pics, videos, charts – we are a creative group so the possibilities here are endless.

The cost for this whole program is $250 per participant – which figures out to be only $10 per week. This is a steal for this kind of coaching program. We know not everyone involved will be able to come to every meeting, but if you are away or can’t come – you can still call or skype in to the meeting to give us your update and get feedback.

We have only 12 spots in the program to make sure that everyone gets the personalized support that we need.

So far Anna, Bo, Stephanie, Melissa are committed, and several others are probable.  SO, what’s it to be? Are you in?

   As Biennial Project Artists, it almost goes without saying that our Inner Selves are right On Target, and do not need improvement. 

But, it must be said, our current outer selves are not entirely in alignment with our Inner Fabulousness.

And Outer Fabulousness is obviously important in the Art World.  When projecting an image of Brooding Genius and Much-Hipper-than-Thou Coolness, the packaging really needs to support the product.

Because art is nothing if not a search life’s Fundamental Truths, and the truth is that no one wants to look at fat ugly people. This is why, in commercials and movies about artists, the artists are always Thin And Gorgeous.

We however, unlike many lesser artists before us, are not going to let our lack of complete physical perfection hold us back.

Instead, we have embarked upon a Bold Campaign of Self-Perfectification which we call are proud to introduce to you as Less of Us - The Biennial Project Guide to Better LivingTM.

The Less of UsTM project has recently taken on an added urgency since we have been selected to host a group of Famous International Artists for a Fabulous Week-Long Art-and Party-Saturated Bacchanal at the 2011 Venice Biennale.  We just MUST be perfect by then!

We will Set Sail for Venice in a mere three months from today (gulp!) – dare we say it – we must lose 45 lbs. in 90 days!

Yes, we can, and we must say it here aloud for all the world to hear – we must shout it from the rooftops -

WE WILL EAT LESS,

WE WILL LIVE BETTER,

AND WE WILL EXERCISE MORE!

             STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, last week we said we were going to lose the weight we need to lose for The Venice Biennale. After all, the packaging of an artists can be just as, if not more important, then the art itself. What we did not count on was our popularity at The Armory Show in New York City last week. We were invited to so many of the ‘right’ parties and the caloric intake quickly added up. Our pledge to you, our loyal fans, may have taken a backseat (and I mean our own growing backseats). Fame and recognition clouded our judgment and made us lose sight of what is really important in life. Eating at openings, no matter how prestigious or trendy the gallery, can result in what we refer to as ‘Cheese and Cracker Ass’. Our right ass cheek is named Cheese, our left ass check is named Cracker. The combination of these two growing life forces combined with many a glass of cheap red wine resulted in More of Us rather then Less of Us. In addition to sampling all the tasty tidbits offered around town, we had to make appearances at all the happening discotheques and important parties. Staying up all night leads to a lack of sleep that leads to bad food decisions. The empty pizza boxes and take out Chinese food containers piling up in our living room are evidence of this. So with The Armory Week behind us it is now the time to make good on our promise to you, our beloved fans, to look as hot as we can, naked, in Venice.

No goal can be executed without a good plan. Just saying we want to be thin has not worked out so well. In order for us to be as hot, naked, in bed for you all, we will spell out what we WILL DO to show you how much we care about you.

First we will throw out the piles of old take out boxes, empty vodka bottles and dirty Ben and Jerry containers from our living quarters. This may be motivated more due to the fact that cleaning lady is coming tomorrow, but nonetheless a clutter free home is a healthy home. We have even taken this purge a step further!! Instead of putting only one or two bottles or pizza boxes in our recycling bin a week (so the neighbors don’t know how bad we really are) we will throw everything in there at once. Let the whole city know how far we have fallen, and then demonstrate to them how far we will climb!!

Secondly we will go to the grocery store, and with a sound mind, buy mostly healthy options for consumption. Fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lots of protein will make it into our carts. Some Snack Pack Vanilla Pudding somehow may make its way into our shopping bags but we promise to eat it right away. A planned diet is the key to unlock our chastity belts.

Third, its time to blow the dust off that gym membership card. Last year it cost us about $100.00 dollars each time we went to the gym. The membership was $300.00 and we made it there three whole times. We pledge to you, our fans, to get our money’s worth this year. The more we go the less we pay. Bargains are just as good of a motivator as the motivation of screwing the man.

Forth, In addition to eating well and hitting the weights, we will finally follow through on returning the emails to the lady trying to sell her exercise bike on Craigslist. Just enquiring if it is still for sale has not yielded the weight loss goals we had envisioned. From now on our home exercise equipment will never accumulate any of our coats or scarves. We will even find a more appropriate place to hang the dog leash. The aforementioned equipment will be used each week while watching ‘Biggest Loser’ and ‘America’s Next Top Model’. No more devouring an large extra cheese pizza while making fun of the extremely fat, sweaty people or the stick-thin, anorexics girls. From now on it will be a handful of nuts and putting the petals to the metal while watching the ‘Real Housewives of Wherever’ overspend their inattentive husband’s money.

We cannot do this alone!! We need your help. Please send us naked, hopefully inappropriate, photographs of yourself so we can see who will be getting naked with us in Venice. The motivation of sex, as well fame and money, will get us to the gym faster and will lead to a better, more confident, attractive Biennial Project. Any suggestions you have are welcome!! Share with us your place to get a really thorough colonic. Tell us what information you have on the newest, best legal or illegal liposuction procedures. Discuss which appetite suppression pills you use that cause the least amount of road rage, don’t prevent a rock hard boner, or at least do not cause heart failure. We want to make you, our fans, very, very satisfied but now the ball is in your court. It is now up to you how attractive we will be. After all it is you looking at us naked at all the orgies in Venice? We need your help to get the hottest sex out of us!!!