Monday, February 29, 2016

STAR TREK

It was only three days ago when I thought that I was publicly stating a truth. The truth being that it would be a long time before I once again spent 5 hours on an elliptical machine in one day. I was fairly certain when I posted that, that I was serious. I should have realized even as I was writing that blog post that I would want to try that again. There is a certain sense of satisfaction from reaching a physical fitness milestone. I still, so clearly remember how proud I was the very first time I stepped on a treadmill, after a decade-long rest, and logged a 20 minute workout just walking. I was extremely proud at the time, as it was a true physical milestone. It was 20 minutes more than I had spent on a treadmill in a very long time.

Sunday morning, I went to the YMCA, as I enjoy their AMT Elliptical Machines. I completed a 125 minute workout. I took a short 10 minute break and hopped back on the machine for sixty five minutes more. Later in the evening while doing my laundry at home, I spent 35 minutes on the elliptical during the wash cycle. Another 45 minutes while the clothes were in the dryer. And finally, for no particular reason, I just felt like another 35 minutes after my clothes were folded.

When the day was done, I realized that I had spent 5 hours and 5 minutes on the elliptical machine. Although, I could have watched the Academy Awards during my evening workout, I chose not to. The Oscars telecast is wildly uninteresting to me. I do casually care who might have won various rewards, and I found out this morning.

The thing that has kept me unfocused on the exercise and allowed time to speed by while I am strengthening my legs and burning a few calories has been my latest dubious idea. I am watching Star Trek - The Next Generation on Netflix. I started at the beginning and I am halfway through Season 1. This is a show that I really enjoyed during its 7 year run which made its debut nearly 30 years ago. This is not a series that where I have seen every episode multiple times (like original Star Trek, Get Smart and Seinfeld). As I watch these episodes, I am both often surprised how good (and bad) some are. I barely remember them, so for many of these shows it is almost as if watching for the first time. One thing is certain, watching these shows on Netflix makes time go fast and allows me to have a seemingly quicker workout. Yesterday, my Star Trek Marathon lasted 3 hours and 5 minutes. The day before that, the marathon was only 190 minutes. Finally, after a lifetime, Star Trek is bringing a tangible benefit to my life and well-being.

THE NEXT THING THAT I NEED TO DO: EAT LESS. OSTENSIBLY IT SHOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO EAT LESS THAN SPEND ENDLESS HOURS ON AN ELLIPTICAL MACHINE. It should be easier - but it is not. Life is not easy.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 90 g	360	72	5	9	630	27
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 5 packet (28 g)	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
	860	182	5	19	2,180	27
L U N C H
Generic - Teriyaki Salmon Steaks, 6 oz	270	3	8	47	365	5
Generic - Baked Macaroni and Cheese, 1 oz	330	32	24	15	583	7
Generic - Southwest Roasted Corn, 1.33 c	320	34	18	6	520	6
WHOLE FOODS 7608 - YOGURT PRETZELS	190	28	8	2	180	19
WHOLE FOODS 9392 - YOGURT RAISINS, 60 g (approx 34 pieces)	255	42	11	2	23	38
	1,365	139	69	71	1,671	75
D I N N E R
Hostess - Classic white bread, 2 slices	160	30	2	5	340	5
Oscar Meyer - Deli Fresh Honey Ham, 4 oz	120	2	3	20	1,120	4
	280	32	5	25	1,460	9
S N A C K S
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, 1 sandwich	260	35	15	9	350	13
	260	35	15	9	350	13

Totals	2,765	388	93	124	5,661	124
Your Daily Goal	6,909	863	230	346	2,300	259
Remaining	4,144	475	137	221	-3,360	135
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 4,979 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	125	2,292
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	1,161
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	35	605
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	45	743
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	35	572
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-394


Daily Total / Goal	306 / 30	4,979 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1380 / 210	20,801 / 4,130


Daily Total / Goal	191 / 30	2,533 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1074 / 210	15,817 / 4,130

total calories consumed 2765 calories

total calories burned (elliptical-5 HOURS) 5373 calories

total net 2608 calorie defecit

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fitbit day 179

37079 steps
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YMCA 125 minute workout, AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer) elliptical machine, 2292 calories

YMCA 65 minute workout, AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer) elliptical machine, 1161 calories

Sunday, February 28, 2016

TRUE GRIT(S)

Everyone everywhere is familiar with True Grit. True Grit was a first a popular book written by Charles Portis in 1968, then a movie starring John Wayne released in 1969 and four decades later, another movie starring Jeff Bridges released in 2010. As I said everyone everywhere is familiar with True Grit.

Likewise, everyone in the Southern United States is familiar with (true) grits. However, I am not from the south. I was not familiar with grits. I have recently had grits for breakfast a few times - I did not know anything about grits, other than the fact that when served, they look like oatmeal.

This definition of grits comes from www.grits.com

What are grits? To say it simply, crushed corn. Grits are small broken grains of corn that are often mashed apart by stone mills. There are hundreds of farms that grow corn and dry it out, and then grind the corn into grits and cornmeal (the finer ground corn).

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Packet (28g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 100

%Daily Value*

Total Fat 0g

Sodium 310mg

13%

Total Carbohydrate 22g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Protein 2g

Calcium

10%

Iron

45%

Thiamin

10%

Riboflavin

10%

Niacin

10%

Folic Acid

10%

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It does appear that grits can be a good source of iron, which is something I always need to add to my daily diet. I think I may start to eat grits more often.
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Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 6 packet	600	132	0	12	1,860	0
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 90 g	360	72	5	9	630	27
	960	204	5	21	2,490	27
L U N C H
Jamwich - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	260	35	15	9	350	13
	260	35	15	9	350	13
D I N N E R
Homemade - Baked Macaroni and Cheese, 0.75 cup	420	51	7	9	141	7
Schwan's - Southwest Roasted Corn, 1.33 c	320	34	18	6	520	6
Generic - Teriyaki Salmon Steaks, 9 oz	405	5	12	70	548	8
WHOLE FOODS YOGURT ALMONDS	330	33	21	6	30	29
	1,475	123	58	91	1,239	49
S N A C K S
Nature Valley - Crunchy Oats & Honey, 4 bars (46g)	380	58	12	8	320	24
	380	58	12	8	320	24

Totals	3,075	420	90	129	4,399	113
Your Daily Goal	4,463	558	148	224	2,300	167
Remaining	1,388	138	58	95	-2,098	54
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,533 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	125	1,659
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	1,154
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-280


Daily Total / Goal	191 / 30	2,533 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1074 / 210	15,817 / 4,130

total calories consumed 3075 calories

total calories burned (elliptical-3 HOURS) 2813 calories

total net 262 calories

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fitbit day 178

22073 steps

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session 1 YMCA AMT ELLIPTICAL MACHINE 125 MINUTES: 1659 CALORIES

session 2 YMCA AMT ELLIPTICAL MACHINE 65 MINUTES: 1154 CALORIES

Saturday, February 27, 2016

REASONS TO EXERCISE ASIDE FROM WEIGHT LOSS

Yesterday, I stumbled on an article from a website, popsugar.com written by Leta Shy and published on November 19, 2015. I have known for quite a while that exercise contributes just a small fraction of what is required for successful weight loss. Still, I have definitely 'bought in' to the idea that exercise is essential to a happy healthy life. The article by Leta Shy listed these six benefits:

1. MORE ENERGY
2. DISEASE PREVENTION
3. MOOD BOOST
4. BETTER SLEEP
5. INCREASED PAIN TOLERANCE
6. BETTER BRAIN FUNCTION

I thought I would comment a bit on each of these benefits. It seems counter-intuitive that exercise would make one feel more energetic. Nevertheless, it is true. Disease prevention is easy to understand. Exercise strengthens one's heart muscle. And it would be very difficult to imagine a more important muscle to have working at optimum efficiency. Many people have heard about 'runners high.' It turns out that this is real. A workout will release endorphins into your bloodstream and these simply will put you in a better mood. I do know that on a day that I miss exercising, I am not quite as cheerful as I like to be. It is very intuitive that exercising can improve one's sleep. Although, exercising can give you more energy during the day, it is true that when it is time to shut down, sleep comes more easily and can be more restful. The author, also claimed that regular exercise can lead to increased pain tolerance. I am not so sure that I can fully buy into this particular premise. I still find the pain of something as simple as a paper cut to be excruciating. And finally, the author claims that exercise can improve brain function. The claim is that that same endorphins that increase you mood can also help clear your mind and help you think better.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese, 0.67 Omelette	268	1	20	27	821	0
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 60 g	240	48	3	6	420	18
International Delight - Single Creamers	120	20	6	0	0	20
Fiber One - Fiber One Bar, Oats & Chocolate, 2 bar	280	58	8	4	180	20
	908	127	37	37	1,421	58
L U N C H
YOGURT PRETZELS	380	56	16	4	360	38
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD	750	0	0	0	0	0
Red Delicious - Apple, Large, 3	333	88	1	2	6	66
Add Food	1,463	144	17	6	366	104
D I N N E R
Spaghetti With Meat Sauce	480	126	3	21	0	0
DATE PIECES	300	75	0	3	25	55
	780	201	3	24	25	55
S N A C K S
Banana Chip	300	34	20	2	0	20
	300	34	20	2	0	20

Totals	3,451	506	77	68	1,812	237
Your Daily Goal	5,598	700	186	280	2,300	210
Remaining	2,147	194	108	212	488	-27
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,668 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,187
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,750
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-269


Daily Total / Goal	185 / 30	3,668 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	883 / 210	13,284 / 4,130

total calories consumed 3451 calories

total calories burned (elliptical-3 HOURS) 3937 calories

total net 486 calorie deficit

. . . . . . . . . . .

fitbit day 177

22375 steps

. . . . . . . ..

SATURDAY WEIGHT 228.3 lbs

down slightly from last week...I'll take it...

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