Not a spectacular day, I've eaten better, definitely eaten worse

Wednesday was an all day tradeshow in Shipshewana, Indiana.  At the conclusion of that show, I packed my bags and headed to Rockford, Illinois, in order to be in place for an appointment in Pecatonica on Thursday morning.





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It is actually surprising that I reached 10,000 steps yesterday without making an effort... I simply walked 10,000 steps living my life... walking back and forth during a tradeshow, and walking back and forth to the car to load and unload my samples.

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STILL OFF THE RAILS (DAY 111)

I am slipping into some bad habits again.... What is my problem?
No seriously, I need to know.

EASY WAY vs. HARD WAY

Just one week ago I was 'celebrating' the dubious achievement of working out for 7 hours in one day. I am not advocating this regiment for anyone.  I am not even advocating this for myself. And yet, yesterday, I repeated this 'dubious achievement.'

There are two ways of getting anywhere. It appears that I have chosen the hard way.

Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, March 18, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	125	2,327
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	1,226
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	1,235
MATRIX TREADMILL	22	208
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	62	1,042
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,469
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-493
Daily Total / Goal	432 / 30	7,014 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1429 / 210	22,814 / 4,130

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Apparently, I broke my record of exercising for 7 hours in one day.  My totals yesterday were:

TIME SPENT EXERCISING:  431 minutes   (7 hours, 11 minutes)
STEPS CALCULATED BY FITBIT: 52,010
CALORIES BURNED CALCULATED BY FITBIT: 10,250 CALORIES BURNED
(The fitbit counts calories burned during during the entire day - including sleeping)

I have not registered this many steps in one day since late December. Most normal people strive and hope to reach 10,000 steps per day.  I am not a normal person. I have never been a normal person. And the prospects for normalcy for me in the future remain dim.

Only three other times since I became a fitbitter back in September have I seen my fitbit calculate a calorie burn above 10,000.  And here's the weird thing: The day that I made the summit at Half Dome in Yosemite Park was NOT one of those days!  (Think about it...half of that hike WAS downhill...and how hard is that? It may be difficult on one's knees to walk downhill, but as I remember it, it was not particularly stressful)

There are usually two ways of accomplishing anything.  There is the easy (easier) way and the hard (more difficult) way.  I am trying to recapture the the feeling that I felt when my weight loss was closer to 90 pounds, not the 80 pounds that it has been in recent weeks.  It appears that I am halfway to that interim goal.  This morning, I weighed myself as I have done every Saturday since December 24th, 2014.  The imaginary needle on my completely digital scale rested at 224.2 lbs. I apparently managed to lose three pounds this week.  I did it the hard way. I might consider eating less. That would be a more normal way of approaching this desire to shed some excess poundage.  Apparently, though, this is not my weigh!

After flirting with 230 lbs in recent weeks, I am very glad to be on  route 224.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, March 18, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
2 Egg Omelette With Ham and Cheese	383	2	21	32	810	2
Tuna Salad on Rye, 0.5 Sandwich	117	15	2	8	360	0
	500	17	23	40	1,170	2
L U N C H
Pasta - Orechiette Pasta	280	59	1	9	0	3
Teriyaki Salmon Steaks, 6 oz	270	3	8	47	365	5
Cranberry Walnut Cabbage Slaw	124	12	9	2	104	0
Trader Joes - Roasted Coconut Chips	480	45	30	3	390	27
	1,154	119	48	61	859	35
D I N N E R
Beef, cured, corned beef, brisket	427	1	32	31	1,654	0
Cabbage	88	22	0	4	64	12
Potatoes, red, flesh and skin, baked	132	29	0	3	18	2
	647	51	32	39	1,736	14
S N A C K S
Natural Dark Chocolate With Cherries	500	44	32	6	0	22
Banana Chips	200	23	13	1	0	13
YOGURT PRETZELS	300	44	0	3	284	30
	1,000	111	45	10	284	65
Totals	3,301	298	149	150	4,049	116
Your Daily Goal	8,944	1,118	298	448	2,300	335
Remaining	5,643	820	148	297	-1,748	218
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 7,014 extra calories from exercise today

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total calories consumed 3301 calories

total calories burned (elliptical) 7507 calories

total net 4206 calorie deficit

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fitbit day 198

52010 steps  

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first two hour session at YMCA

before I left the YMCA, I stepped right back on the elliptical machine for another hour

This was my third session (fourth hour) spent at the YMCA.
Later in the evening, I spent some additional time (3 hours) on my home elliptical machine.
THERE ARE WORSE WAYS TO SPEND TIME DURING A DAY (That's what I tell myself, anyway)

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HOW DOES FITBIT CALCULATE CALORIES?

This information was provided within the fitbit app on my phone.  

How does Fitbit estimate how many calories I've burned?

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which you burn calories at rest just to maintain vital body functions like breathing, heartbeat, and brain activity. Your BMR usually accounts for at least half of the calories you burn in a day and is estimated based on the physical data you entered when you set up your account: gender, age, height, and weight. The calorie burn estimate that Fitbit provides takes into account your BMR, the activity recorded by your tracker, and any activities you log manually. Your tracker's calorie count will reset each night at midnight and begin counting immediately thereafter. BMR is the reason your tracker starts the day with calories already burned—you've still burned calories even if you haven't gotten out of bed yet.

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HOW EASY WOULD IT BE TO BURN CALORIES IF ALL ONE HAD TO DO WAS LIE IN BED ALL DAY?   The problem with this theory is that people still tend to have hearty appetites and the rate that one would burn calories would not keep pace with the rate that one would consume food.  This is why it is either a good idea to eat less and/or spend some time exercising to turn up the internal calorie furnace up a notch or two.  I have seemingly conquered the desire to be a couch potato.  In fact, I have slayed that 'dragon'.  I have not yet conquered the desire to (over)eat.  And perhaps conquest of that particular 'dragon' may be beyond my abilities - but I will never give up trying to tame it.  And that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, March 13, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
2 Egg Omelette With Ham and Cheese	383	2	21	32	810	2
Bacon	320	0	24	24	1,400	0
	703	2	45	56	2,210	2
L U N C H
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	520	70	30	18	700	26
CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA	360	60	11	8	90	23
	880	130	41	26	790	49
D I N N E R
Teriyaki Salmon Steaks, 6 oz	270	3	8	47	365	5
Spicy Curried & Kale Walnut Salad	540	54	39	9	690	0
Beet and Carrot Salad	300	38	12	8	0	30
	1,110	95	59	63	1,055	35
S N A C K S
Chocolate Hazelnut Pirouttes	360	57	12	3	180	30
Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium	190	50	1	1	4	38
	550	107	13	4	184	68
Totals	3,243	333	157	149	4,238	153
Your Daily Goal	4,582	573	152	230	2,300	171
Remaining	1,339	239	-5	81	-1,938	17
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,652 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,582
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,569
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-170
Daily Total / Goal	185 / 30	2,981 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1266 / 210	19,740 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3243 calories

total calories burned (elliptical) 3151 calories

total net 92 calories

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fitbit day 193

25121 steps  

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10000 STEPS IS EASY, 10000 CALORIES IS HARD

As the millions of 'fitbitters' around the country know - 10000 steps is the recommended target to shoot for each day. 10000 steps is estimated to be the equivalent of walking 5 miles.

It's not that attaining 10,000 steps per day is easy.  It is not.  Trying to 'burn' 10,000 calories in a day is nearly, but not quite, impossible.  Certainly, it is hard to argue against the fact that it is highly improbable.

Today I wanted to shine a spotlight on my dubious accomplishment on Friday when I spent 7 hours on an elliptical machine over the course of the day.  My fitbit recorded 'only' 45,774 steps. Those steps were not just walking around the neighborhood, or strolling through a mall: the steps on the elliptical machine were calculated by the fitbit to have burned 10,160 calories. As I have discussed many times before, I know that these numbers are likely wildly overestimated - but it is clear that I must have burned some large number of calories having spent 7 hours on an elliptical machine.

In contrast, back on October 1, 2015, all I did was hike up to the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite Park and back down again in one day.  The fitbit on that day recorded 54,101 steps - but 'only' recorded 7,212 calories burned.

And finally, on October 11, 2015, I walked nearly 40 miles over the course of the day... (26 miles Chicago Marathon route, with other miscellaneous walks that day that totaled nearly 40 miles) That day was my personal record for steps and calories burned. The fitbit recorded an astounding 75,029 steps and recorded a calorie burn of 10,891.

No matter how inflated the calorie burn recorded by the fitbit and/or elliptical machines are.... It is still some kind of accomplishment to end a day with an alleged burn of 10000+ calories.

My exercise on Saturday kept me far away from any elliptical machine.  Still, I did not exactly take a day off.  I took a long 10 mile walk.  I took a short break to pick up a snack in downtown Chicago. Then I walked 2 miles more to get home. Walking 12 miles at 4.5 miles per hour is excellent exercise.  In fact, it is my favorite exercise. I enjoy watching TV and/or Netflix movies while working on the elliptical machine - but nothing beats being outdoors in the sunshine.

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, March 12, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
2 Egg Omelette With Ham and Cheese	383	2	21	32	810	2
Kirkland - Pre-Cooked Bacon, 6 slices	240	0	18	18	1,050	0
Apple - Braeburn, 2 medium apple	142	38	0	1	0	29
	765	40	40	51	1,860	31
L U N C H
CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA	240	40	7	5	60	15
Campbell's Manhattan Clam Chowder	480	72	12	20	3,200	12
Organic Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Baton	190	21	11	3	5	11
	910	133	30	28	3,265	38
D I N N E R
Grilled Brussel Sprouts, 1 cup	65	13	3	6	23	0
BLACK ANGUS TOP SIRLOIN	360	0	24	33	0	0
Baked Stuff Potatoes, 2 cooked	480	54	24	16	800	8
	905	67	51	55	823	8
S N A C K S
Organic Dark Chocolate Baton Espresso	400	38	26	6	10	26
	400	38	26	6	10	26
Totals	2,980	278	146	139	5,958	103
Your Daily Goal	4,066	508	135	204	2,300	152
Remaining	1,086	230	-11	64	-3,657	49
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,136 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	133	1,938
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	27	379
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-181
Daily Total / Goal	161 / 30	2,136 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1081 / 210	16,759 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2980 calories

total calories burned (twelve miles walking) 2317 calories

total net 663 calories

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fitbit day 192

22765 steps  

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One thing that you can't see while working out indoors on an elliptical machine is a RHINO.  Oh sure, the GOP debate stages have been chock full of RINOS (Republicans in Name Only) but I prefer the real ones at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

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This lion at the Lincoln Park Zoo was enjoying the day while relaxing on a big rock. 

I enjoy working out on an elliptical machine, but you'd never see a lion working out indoors.

BENEFIT OF LATE NIGHT DRINKING

Today is a completely tongue-in-cheek look at the benefits of late night drinking.  Yesterday, I spent too much time with the dentist getting a temporary tooth which will eventually become a permanent implant.  By the time 5:00PM came around, I noticed that my fitbit had only recorded something in the neighborhood of 4000 steps.  Last week, after spending one night drinking and socializing until 2:00AM, I woke up the next day with nearly 5000 steps!  The silly lesson to be learned here is that when one is active, steps accumulate.  And the steps one takes in a bar late at night still count.  The steps one takes walking in the early hours of the day back to your hotel, or walking home still count.  There is something invigorating about waking up and realizing before you shave, that you already have 5000 steps 'in the bank.'   Likewise, it is 'alarming' to glance at one's fitbit at 5:00 PM in the afternoon and discover that one only has 4000 steps.  I suppose that the only reason that this is important to me is that I have vowed to myself to try to never let a day pass with less than 10000 steps.  I noticed too, today, that a step earned on an elliptical machine set to the highest resistance is a lot tougher to earn than a simple step walking outside, even at a 4.5mph pace.  Obviously a step earned on the elliptical machine is harder to earn by several orders of magnitude, the steps earned just shuffling back and forth from the refrigerator.  The best gauge of measuring physical activity still comes from stepping on the scale.  The scale does not lie. Although sometimes it does appear to be fibbing...

Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, October 29, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Whole Foods 365 - Seaweed Rice Crackers, 52.5 Crackers	420	88	5	7	210	4
Clif Bar - Mint Chocolate , 68 g	250	43	5	10	170	22
	670	131	10	17	380	26
L U N C H
FRESH THYME - JOYVA. SESAME CRUNCH, 30 g (3 pieces)	160	14	8	2	50	14
Generic - Fresh Homemade Fruit Salad, 2 cup	480	88	18	0	420	56
WHOLE FOODS 5938 - UNSWEETENED BANANA CHIPS, 120 g (1/4 cup)	680	64	40	8	20	4
	1,320	166	66	10	490	74
D I N N E R
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Nabisco - Oyster Crackers, 66 crackers	180	30	6	3	420	0
	420	66	12	13	2,020	6
S N A C K S
Totals	2,410	363	88	40	2,890	106
Your Daily Goal	3,923	490	130	197	2,300	147
Remaining	1,513	127	41	157	-590	41
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,993 extra calories from exercise today

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
elliptical	22	473
elliptical	22	508
elliptical	22	535
elliptical	22	545
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-68
Daily Total / Goal	89 / 30	1,993 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	409 / 210	8,449 / 4,130

For some reason, I could not set the timer on the elliptical machine to 60 or 90 minutes.  The workout cut out after 20 minutes, with a 2 minutes cool down.  I simply had four (4) sessions of 22 minutes.  What I found interesting is that although, I felt as if I was getting tired as the nearly 90 minutes session continued.  I increasingly had more endurance with each passing session as the calories burned continued to climb, just a bit from one workout to the next. 

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 2410 CALORIES
TOTAL CALORIES BURNED 1993 CALORIES
TOTAL NET CALORIES 417 CALORIES

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fitbit day 57

13585 steps

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The Tongue-in-cheek figure of speech is used to imply that a statement or other production is humorously or otherwise not seriously intended, and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort.