AVERAGE JOE'S GYMNNASIUM

AVERAGE JOE'S GYNASIUM was the gym owned by the Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn character) in the 2004 very funny comedy, DODGEBALL: A True Underdog Story  I had purchased an Average Joe's t-shirt years ago and it simply did not fit.  It gave me much joy when I discovered it deeply buried in my closet.  It is once again my favorite new (old) t-shirt.  It gives me much pleasure to wear this shirt while working out.  I enjoy the combination of wearing this shirt with my White Castle hat.   

Now a big fat guy wearing a White Castle hat...well, that it probably to be expected.  A lot of big fat guys like White Castle.  (Surely I was one of them)  And although, I don't see myself eating at White Castle anytime soon, this restaurant was one of my absolute favorites for a very, very long tine.   So, I do still get much enjoyment out of wearing the hat even if I am not frequenting the restaurant these days.

taken moments after completing 125 minutes on the elliptical machine, Saturday June 27

I think I was able to produce a bit of a better smile for this photo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 MONDAY MENU

breakfast  two apples, oats 'n honey bar, turkey jerky, anjou pear       820 calories
lunch        green bean chips, fruit chips, wasabi peas                           715 calories
dinner       two apples, ahi tuna (sushi grade), wedding soup               600 calories
SNACK   Poppin' crunch, 5 yogurt almonds, one peanut chew           525 calories

total calories consumed 2660 calories

calories burned

STONEY POINT YMCA CEDAR RAPIDS PRECOR AMT ELLIPTICAL INTERVAL SESSION

65 MINUTES, 6.12 MILES DISTANCE, STRIDES/MINUTE 100      1019 CALORIES

Monday net calories  calories 1641 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...TRY, TRY AGAIN  (I am fairly certain that some version of this nugget of wisdom is known to everyone)

On Friday I surprised myself when I lasted for a full two hours, 125 minutes on the Precor EFX576i doing a 4:3 Interval Training Session and 'burned' 1578 calories.  I was impressed.  I also wanted to find if this was a fluke or if I could actually do it again.  So I did.  On Saturday.

TWO HOURS, FIVE MINUTE PRECOR EFX 576i (YMCA) 4:3 INTERVAL WORKOUT

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

26 JUNE FRIDAY       125 MINUTES       DISTANCE 9.93 MILES      1578 CALORIES BURNED

27 JUNE SATURDAY 125 MINUTES      DISTANCE 9.87 MILES       1556 CALORIES BURNED

28 JUNE SUNDAY     125 MINUTES       DISTANCE 10.08 MILES     1609 CALORIES BURNED

On Saturday I tried to 'break' past 10 miles, and I failed, in fact, I traveled slightly less than the day before and burned less calories.   Was this the law of diminishing returns at work?  Should I have given myself a day of rest?  Of course, I should have.  However, that is not my way.

On Sunday I was more determined to surpass a distance of 10 miles and I was successful, with a few yards (meters) to spare.   And I 'burned' more calories than on the first two attempts.

I have a mountain waiting for me on October 1st.  HALF DOME in YOSEMITE PARK.  I am training.  This expedition to the summit of HALF DOME is just a little more than 90 days away.  No pun intended, I don't want my training to 'peak' too soon.  Just like I could barely imagine the speed and intensity of my initial weight loss, I wonder how much more energy and stamina I am going to have in one month? or two months?  or by the morning of October 1st, when my brother will lead an 'expedition' of 6 middle-aged men up 4800 feet to the summit at HALF DOME.  I am going to be as ready as I possibly can.   When my brother initially suggested that I join his expedition around two months ago, I was both flattered and excited that he thought I could be successful on this journey.   I was also scared out of my mind!   I am no longer scared.  This does not mean that I think that this hike will be easy - I simply believe that I will prevail.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 SUNDAY MENU

breakfast  granola, semi-sweet chocolate chips, coconut shredded, corn snack,
                 tamari roasted almonds                                                       900 calories
lunch        dark chocolate almonds, wasabi green peas, peckham pear,
                 chewy ginger, cherry vanilla granola, sun-dried fig           930 calories
dinner       JIMMY JOHN'S #14 UNWICH, whole pickle                  250 calories
SNACK    EARTH BALANCE WHITE CHEDDAR puffs, apples   745 calories                                                                                            

total calories consumed 2825 calories

calories burned

PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER 4:3 INTERVAL SESSION

125 MINUTES, 10.08 MILES          1609 CALORIES
JACOB'S LADDER 5 minutes, 450 feet,  89 calories

total calories burned Saturday 1698 burned

Sunday net calories  calories 1127 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

from wikipedia...

William Edward Hickson (January 7, 1803 - March 22, 1870), commonly known at W.E. Hickson was a British education writer.  He is credited with popularizing the proverb:

'Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try, try again.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

This blog professed to expose the secret of diet and weight loss.   Nothing about this blog was suspenseful - the 'secret' was revealed in the blog synopsis.

Here is the secret: Eat Less. Exercise is critical to one's health.  Exercise is not he critical component to weight loss.

Until now I had never exposed the secret to successful exercise...

Once again, there is no secret.  I believe the slogan from Nike said it quite well nearly 20 years ago, in 1988.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the hours I have spent on treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines and StairMaster machines over these past 6 months while discovering and re-discovering all the music that I enjoyed (and never stopped) enjoying since I was in high school.   In coming weeks, I am going to discuss some of the great music from some of the great classic rock bands that have been providing the soundtrack to my exercise regiment.

Yesterday, I wanted to see if I could replicate my 2 hours on the Precor EFX 576i Cross Trainer and perhaps log a 10 mile session.  I did something different to distract me from the repetitive nature of taking 10000+ steps during the course of a two hour workout.  I brought my iPad to the gym and synced it with my Bluetooth headphones (for the first time) and watched two continuous hours of...
...CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM was a show that was broadcast only on HBO.   Although I have never in my life subscribed to HBO - CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM quickly became my absolute all-time favorite television show ever.   I own all 80 episodes digitally on my iPad.  Usually I only watch them during downtime at airports or during flights.  CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM is surely the FUNNIEST SHOW that has ever (or likely will ever) be produced.   It finds comedy in a lot of areas that don't often get discussed in polite conversation.  I am sure it is NOT a show that I would enjoy watching with my Mom for example.   (Still I recommend that my Mom watch it - and I dare her (or anybody) to tell me that it is NOT hilarious.)  Wait a moment....that's not good enough... I double dare you!   So what is the point of my telling you this?  Yesterday at the YMCA while I was watching two consecutive hours of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM while I was having a 1500+ calorie workout on the Precor EFX 576i Cross Trainer, time went so fast that my workout stopped suddenly.   I thought that there was something wrong with the programming of the time that I had set.   Turns out there was no problem, I simply was so engaged in the CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM episodes that I lost track of the time elapsed and I DID SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE ANOTHER TWO HOUR WORKOUT.   I didn't quite reach my goal of logging 10 miles as I 'only' logged 9.87 miles.

Still after this workout... (as all 'Curb' fans can imagine...)

I felt pretty, pretty, pretty...pretty good!

LARRY DAVID playing himself in CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 SATURDAY MENU

breakfast  red delicious apples (3), raw cacao goji, wasabi green peas    605 calories

lunch        Peckham Pear, chewy ginger, toffee almonds, wasabi peas,
                 cherry vanilla granola, sesame sticks, date coconut roll        1232 calories
dinner       Mariano's Huge Spinach Salad, vanilla macaroon                 1250 calories

                                                

total calories consumed 3087 calories

calories burned

PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER 4:3 INTERVAL SESSION

125 MINUTES, 9.87 MILES          1556 CALORIES
rowing machine 15 minutes 165 calories

total calories burned Saturday 1721 burned

Saturday net calories  calories 1366 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I was so pumped after my two hour workout - that I was not prepared to call it a day.
I jumped on the rowing machine for just 15 minutes and logged a 15 minute 165 calorie workout.
BUT AFTER THAT, I WAS TRULY EXHAUSTED.  AND IT FELT ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Listen this small number of random photos from the series do not do the show justice.  I promise you there is nothing funnier that has ever been produced.   Larry David created Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm.  If you liked Seinfeld - try to imagine a show way, way funnier.  (I know that that would be difficult - but it is true!)

These were the 4 episodes I watched from Season 4.   It would matter not which four episodes I watched...The show is unbelievably funny.   Whether these synopses sound funny or not - I don't know - I only know that they are funny when you watch them play out over a 30 minute episode.

		Title	Directed by	Story by	Original air date

		"The 5 Wood"	Bryan Gordon	Larry David	February 1, 2004
Larry faces termination from his country club if his locker is not cleaned; Larry steals a golf club from a deceased person's casket.
		"The Car Pool Lane"	Robert B. Weide	Larry David	February 8, 2004
Larry hires a prostitute (Kym Whitley) to be a passenger in his car so he can use the HOV lane while driving to a Los Angeles Dodgers game on time, and he also attempts to get medicinal marijuana for his father. Marty Funkhouser (Bob Einstein) refuses to give away his dead father's baseball ticket.
		"The Surrogate"	Larry Charles	Larry David	February 22, 2004
Larry wears a heart monitor to get a clean bill of health for his lead role in The Producers but finds himself in stressing situations such as racial encounters and dealings with David Schwimmer's father.
		"Wandering Bear"	Robert B. Weide	Larry David	February 29, 2004
Larry's purchase of an adult video causes trouble when his longtime assistant Antoinette becomes unstable after breaking up with a boyfriend. Larry gets some herbal remedies from his gardener, Wandering Bear. (synopses provided by wikipedia)

THE AUDACITY OF DOPE

THE AUDACITY OF DOPE. (no, not this one)

I have tried very hard to keep this blog apolitical.
Just because I am trying, does not mean that I am succeeding.



(This one)
THE AUDACITY OF HOPE

Yesterday morning, I had the AUDACITY OF HOPE to set the PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER to a 4:3 interval session for 2 full hours. I had never had the audacity to set any exercise equipment to 120 minutes prior to initiating a session. Yesterday I did.  I completed the two hours and it was exhilarating.

I drove to my local Chicago YMCA and arrived by 5:15AM.  I set the PRECOR EFX CROSS TRAINER to the maximum resistance and incline for a 4:3 INTERVAL TRAINING SESSION.   I set a 'TARGET' GOAL of 1500 calories burned and I completed the session and exceeded my calorie burning goal.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

217.6 lbs

I weigh 217.6 lbs.
I lost 2.4 lbs this week.

I lost 91.4 lbs in 185 days.Today begins Day186.

I have lost 14 inches from my waist. 

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 217.6 lbs. (185 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 29.6% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.11 (far away from obesity!)

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 185 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have two words to describe how my body is responding to all the exercise that I have been doing since January: INCREASED ENDURANCE

...I know how to begin this week... I think it might be another good day to visit my 'hometown' YMCA.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast   two apples, 4 jumbo turkish figs, granola                    1320 calories

lunch         asparagus spears, whole baby corn, 2 apples                 303 calories
dinner       PANERA BREAD 1/2 turkey sandwich, onion soup
                 apple                                                                               595 calories
SNACK   1 cup FRENCH VANILLA ALMOND GRANOLA      320 calories

                                                

total calories consumed 2538 calories

calories burned

PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER 4:3 INTERVAL SESSION

125 MINUTES, 9.93 MILES          1578 CALORIES

Friday net calories  calories 960 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

BUSY PEOPLE ALWAYS FIND TIME

What is the excuse that so many people (including me during my eight year 'resting period') use why they can't exercise?  It's not a trick question.  The answer is:

I don't have the time!

Such a lame excuse.   BUSY PEOPLE ALWAYS FIND TIME.  I will use my experience today as an example.  My first appointment was very early today, 8:00AM.  So, clearly no time to exercise in the morning, right?  WRONG! There was plenty of time.   Most YMCA's open at 5:00AM or as 'late' at 5:30AM.  And that's nothing compared to some of the commercial fitness centers that dot the countryside - many are open 24 hours per day!

THERE IS ALWAYS TIME!

Yesterday morning, I really wanted to get my exercise logged before my appointment.  I set my alarm for 5:00AM - but I awoke at 4:00Am and decided to start my day.  I passed through the front door of the YMCA at 5:05AM.  First I went to the locker room in order to drop off my gym bag - when I entered the cardio room at 5:10AM it was amazingly busy!  So all you folks out there who claim you don't have the time to exercise...I have one question for you:

Were you really busy doing something else real important at 5:00AM this morning?

Since I started so early I had a tremendous workout: 65 minutes on PROCOR EFX, 30 minutes ROWING, 33 minutes on a different elliptical machine.  TOTAL WORKOUT: 128 MINUTES!   CALORIES (allegedly) BURNED: 1628!

I was early for my 8:OOAM appointment. I had time to get breakfast and coffee at STARBUCKS FIRST.

BUSY PEOPLE ALWAYS FIND TIME!

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast  STARBUCKS reduced fat ham/cheese                                  230 calories

lunch WHOLE FOODS SALAD, apple, wasabi almonds, granola.     1475 calories

dinner WHOLE FOODS GRANOLA                                                     595 calories

SNACK. WHOLE FOODS MANGO SLICES.                                      120 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED   2420 CALORIES

calories burned

5:10AM  PROCOR EFX elliptical machine   65 MINUTES, 

                MACHINE SET TO MAXIMUM INCLINE, MAXIMUM RESISTANCE    877 calories

6:15AM ROWING MACHINE 30 MINUTES.  334 calories

6:50AM PRO TOUCH 4700 ELLIPTICAL 33 minutes 467 calories

                                                                           

THURSDAY TOTAL calories BURNED 1678  calories 

THURSDAY NET calories 742 CALORIES

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SNAP DECISION

Yesterday, I had to go back to my local APPLE STORE to pick up my MacBook Air which was starting to experience random shutdowns (and was not always so quick to start up again)  I should thank my computer for breaking down just two weeks BEFORE my 2-year warranty period was due to end.  It turns out that the LOGIC BOARD needed to be replaced.   I parked my car about two blocks from the store and passed a new business that I had never noticed before: SNAP KITCHEN.

This place looked interesting, so I made a SNAP DECISION to investigate.  This business is a Texas-based chain that has just entered the Chicago market.  They prepare foods daily that are both healthy and low calorie.

This is from the snapkitchen.com website:

About Us

Food you can feel good about.

Since 2010, we have worked hard to create a place for people to experience consciously crafted food that is both delicious and nutritious. We are dedicated to educating our guests and providing healthy, chef-driven creations prepared with the highest quality ingredients available. Our menu offers a wide selection of meals, snacks, and cold-pressed juices that are made fresh daily, portion controlled, and nutritionally balanced.  

The woman who approached me to offer guidance and answer my questions recommended that I try their most popular menu item.  So I did.

SNAP KITCHEN: Grass-fed BISON Quinoa "Hash" (400 CALORIES)

SNAP KITCHEN currently has locations in Texas and now Chicagoland (Illinois)  I am sure that I will be visiting again!   The food was very tasty

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 WEDNESDAY MENU

breakfast  Nori seaweed rice crackers, oats 'n honey granola bars                           710 calories
lunch        oat 'n honey granola bars                                                                          380 calories
dinner       SNAP KITCHEN bison, wasabi seaweed                                                780 calories
SNACK   WHOLE FOODS mango slices, 2 apples, coconut almond granola        540 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED   2410 CALORIES

calories burned

8:00AM  PROCOR EFX elliptical machine   65 MINUTES, 
                MACHINE SET TO MAXIMUM INCLINE, MAXIMUM RESISTANCE    826 calories
                                                                          

WEDNESDAY net calories  calories 1584 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT

Row, row, your boat...gently down the stream... Yesterday I was not really in a row boat nor was I on a stream... Nevertheless, after a 20 minute session on a STAIRMASTER (ASCENDED 100 FLOORS) I thought it might be interesting to try the rowing machine - so I did.   I strapped my feet in place and set the tension and simply started rowing.   The mechanics of the machine are quite simple.

One sits on the seat, nearly floor level, and pulls a cord which brings you closer to the machine until you relax and get in place to do it again.  This machine works on your legs and your upper body.  I thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of this different way of experiencing a calorie burning workout.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 Tuesday MENU

breakfast  three apples.                                                                        240 calories

lunch HUGE SALAD, choc cranberries, dates, cinnamon pecan.    1291 calories

dinner oats/honey granola bar, apples, seaweed rice crackers.         1256 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED   2787 CALORIES

calories burned

7AM 22 minutes STAIRMASTER (100 floors) 261 calories

7:30AM 30 minutes ROWING MACHINE 353 calories       

Total calories burned 614           

TUESDAY net calories  calories 2173 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

STATISTICAL, ANALYTICAL DISCUSSION of the ELLIPTICAL

On Sunday I had an extremely vigorous workout on the ELLIPTICAL machine, having MOVED THE DIAL all the way to LEVEL '20' and logging a 760 calorie burn in just 32 minutes.   I was personally impressed with this new achievement.   I was not sure if I could do it again.   That lack of confidence was put to rest early yesterday morning.   At 7:00AM I took the elevator up to the fitness room and once again set the dial to MAXIMUM, set the time to 30 minutes (this machine is calibrated to offer a two minute cool down - which I negate by turning the dial back up to MAXIMUM for the final two minutes) and tested myself.   My success on Sunday was no fluke, I was able to duplicate the result yesterday morning.   Which got me to thinking....

I write this blog under the idea, or perhaps illusion that there are others out there who are at least mildly interested and/or amused by my daily thoughts.   The biggest fan of this blog is actually me.  I have often gone back to read something I wrote to remember precisely what I was thinking as pounds were initially melting off.   After yesterday's workout I was curious about my first time on the ELLIPTICAL.   I found the posting I was searching for (it was not too difficult - I cleverly titled that February 1st post: ELLIPTICAL) and read about the first time I made the switch from TREADMILL to ELLIPTICAL.    On that day in February I had what I thought was a VIGOROUS WORKOUT ON THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINE.  I had set the machine to my then current weight of 272 lbs and set the "resistance" to "10" and lasted precisely 30 minutes.   AT THE TIME I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH MYSELF.  I had 'graduated' from the simplicity of simply treadmill walking to a much more interesting exercise.   MY CALORIE BURN THAT DAY WAS 322.   I could not have imagined that within 4 months I would be spending the SAME 30 MINUTES on the SAME MACHINE with a vastly different result.  Now I can set the dial to MAXIMUM, set the time to 30 minutes, enter my current weight of 220 lbs and log a 760 calorie burn.  That is truly progress!

When I turn the dial to MAXIMUM ON THE ELLIPTICAL there is a part of me that feels like Scotty being asked to give more power to the warp engines

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 Monday MENU

breakfast  DUNKIN' DONUTS EGG/HAM/CHEESE, 2 apples.             350 calories
lunch        MARIANO'S HUGE SALAD, GINGER CHEWS.                  857 calories
dinner       PANERA BREAD SOBA NOODLE, BEEF STEAK JUMBO 690 calories
SNACK    3 apples, 2 NATURE VALLEY OATS 'n HONEY BARS.       644 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED  2541 CALORIES

calories burned

7AM elliptical 32 minutes LEVEL 20                                   762 calories

SUNDAY net calories  calories 1779 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

In STAR TREK, The BORG never tire of advising the crew of the USS ENTERPRISE that RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.  Unfortunately for The BORG saying it over and over again does not make it true.  The good guys always resist and they always defeat The BORG.

RESISTANCE is certainly NOT FUTILE when stepping onto a piece of exercise equipment.   After my marathon 124 minute session on the STAIRMASTER on Saturday I thought that a modest 32 minute session on an elliptical machine would be perfect.  I set the 'RESISTANCE' to maximum, that is 'level 20.'    I needed to work harder than ever before on the elliptical - but when my 32 minutes were completed, it was very clear that my efforts paid off.   The machine recorded a caloric burn of 760.   That is quite a high number for a mere 32 minute workout.  I could barely have imagined completing 32 minutes at LEVEL 20, a couple of months ago. (or even 10 minutes)

RESISTANCE IS DEFINITELY NOT FUTILE.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 SUNDAY MENU

breakfast    Starbucks Turkey/Bacon, 3 apples, KIND bar                  660 calories

lunch          Kind Bar (2), 4 apples  (BEACH FOOD)                         760 caloriesdinner         Jimmy Johns #14 UNWICH, Kind Bar, cucumber salad   490 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED  1910 CALORIES

calories burned

7AM elliptical 32 minutes LEVEL 20                                   760 calories

SUNDAY net calories  calories 1150 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

...I simply couldn't RESIST adding this...