BANANA REPUBLIC BLUE JEANS

Different brands of clothing adhere to sizes a bit, well... differently. It is my belief that Banana Republic 'runs small.' (In other words, if one usually wears a waist size of 40, perhaps if shopping at Banana Republic one would have to consider a 42. Many months ago when I was confident that my weight loss would continue (before my hernia operation) I purchased a pair of BANANA REPUBLIC BLUE JEANS at a huge discount, even though at the time they did not even remotely fit me.  This pair of blue jeans was 36" waist.  I tried them on last night. They are tight, but in a pinch, they could be worn. The waist size that I was forced to wear when I started this little journey on December 24, 2014 was 50" - and they were tight.  A man wearing tight 50" blue jeans is not a pleasant sight. It is even less pleasant being that man.  I don't know if a man wearing tight 36" blue jeans is a pleasant sight or not. I do know, that I enjoy being that man.

.

I am looking forward to wearing these Banana Republic 36" blue jeans when they are a bit more comfortable.

Yesterday I think some physical fatigue was setting in. I walked, but 'only' 8 miles.  I thought that was all I would do, but later in the evening my daughter wanted to talk a walk downtown. So although that second 4 mile walk was not as vigorous - I did walk twelve miles yesterday.

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, August 27, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Kroger - Grits, 2 cup	200	42	2	4	680	2
365 Organic Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter - Chewy Granola Bars, 3 bar	450	69	15	9	270	30
	650	111	17	13	950	32
L U N C H
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Nabisco Ritz Fresh Stacks - Crackers, 1 fresh stack	220	26	12	2	280	4
Skippy - Creamy Peanut Butter	300	9	25	11	237	5
Quaker Chewy - 90 Cal Chocolate Chunk, 1 bar	90	19	2	1	80	7
	910	119	39	19	2,097	56
D I N N E R
banana bread flax bar	190	25	9	3	5	12
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
	430	61	15	13	1,605	18
S N A C K S
DARK CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHEWS	266	27	19	3	33	17
Vanilla Gellato	300	34	15	7	105	0
	566	61	34	10	138	17
Totals	2,556	352	105	55	4,790	123
Your Daily Goal	4,193	524	139	210	2,300	157
Remaining	1,637	172	34	155	-2,490	34
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,263 extra calories from exercise today

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
8 mile hike	108	1,525
4 mile walk	71	664
Daily Total / Goal	179 / 30	2,189 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1032 / 210	13,014 / 4,130

CHANGE AT JAMAICA

When I lived in Long Island, I often took the LIRR (Long Island Railroad) from the city (Manhattan) back home to Lynbrook.  One would board a train in Penn Station, underneath the world famous Madison Square Garden, and the train would head east.  Shortly after the train departed, a voice over the loudspeaker would announce its destination, for example Babylon, and for all other destinations one would have to 'change at Jamaica (Jamaica, Queens).

Jamaica Station, Queens, New York (Long Island Railroad)

I have personally been on my own tracks since last December, 24th, 2014. I have reached my 'Jamaica' and it is time to change tracks.  Early this year, my interim destination was to lose something in the neighborhood of 100 pounds. I have arrived at this point.  In recent weeks, I have found it personally interesting to revisit some of my earlier posts on this blog.  This was my post from last January that was very dryly titled INTERIM & LONG TERM GOALS.

The long term goal is simple.  Look healthy and be healthy.   My goal is to lose a lot of weight that I don't need to be carting around.   So far, I have 'only' lost 15 lbs.  My father had an excellent way of explaining just how much that really is.  He suggested going to the grocery store and picking up a piece of meat that weighed 15 lbs.   Carry that around all day, or all week - and then you can answer the question whether 15 lbs is a big deal or not.  I am convinced that my initial success has been dramatic and meaningful.   I think my knee does not hurt any more when I wake up in the morning - Is that real? Is it my imagination?  My goal is to lose something in the neighborhood of 100 lbs from my position at the starting line on December 24, 2014.  In order to lose 100 lbs, I will have to lose one pound at a time.  One interim goal would be the ability to shop at COSTCO.   This store, and most retail stores don't stock trousers or blue jeans for those with a 50 inch waist.   Costco 'only' caters to those 'svelte' individuals with a 44" waistline.  Even that goal might be nearly forty pounds away.   I will have to get to 44" before I get to 40" or 38."  I recently stumbled upon a decade old article on WebMD that explored the seemingly preposterous idea that health secrets could be divined from the members of the Rolling Stones. This article claimed that Mick Jagger has a 28" waist.   That is not my goal.

I will assume that it is not quite as fascinating for you, my readers, to re-read these old posts from the past.  I promise you, for me, it is amazingly fascinating.  This post, duplicated above reminds me where I was one year ago.  After initially losing 15 pounds, I was still only dreaming about having the opportunity someday to shop at Costco.  I no longer 'dream' of shopping at Costco. In fact, now that I actually can shop at Costco, I do not.  I prefer to find nice clothing with a bit more flair.  I find it much more fun to shop at a place like Banana Republic.  The real point is, these days, I can shop anywhere. One year ago,  I could shop nowhere.

MOVING FORWARD

As the new year approaches, now only 18 days away, I will try to change my mindset.  I will need to mentally, 'change at Jamaica.'  I need to hop aboard a new train.  I need a new destination.  I need new goals.

GOALS

1. DO NOT TRAVEL BACKWARDS.  Is it inevitable that a person can tack on 5 lbs, 7 lbs?  Likely, it is.  When that happens.  I need to quickly apply the brakes and reverse course.

2. 200 lbs. The next logical stop on my journey is to join my fellow citizens who weigh 200 lbs, not 200+ lbs.

3. 190+ lbs. When I arrive at 200 lbs, I will be eager for the next stop which is the world of 190+ lbs.

4. Know when to quit.  I do not aspire to look like Mick Jagger, I am too tall anyway.  And way too young!

5. Continue exercising.  This is hardly a goal anymore, as its importance has become part of who I am.  Now that I have 'recently' discovered walking as exercise, it is re-assuring that I have an effective exercise that I will be able to do for the rest of my life.  I may have to adjust my speed, but the option of walking will always be there waiting for me.
.

After driving my wife and daughter  to the Eckhart Park Pool for  a swim meet, I drove the car back to the Honda Dealership for a scheduled oil change. After dropping off my car,  I walked back to Eckart Park to watch my daughter swim.  In order to make this a 3 mile walk, I had to walk a bit in the field before I entered the pool. After the swim meet, I had to walk back to the Honda Dealership.  I found a different way to walk.  The goal was to make create two three mile walks - I was successful

.....

.....

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, December 12, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Starbucks - Reduced-fat Turkey Bacon Sandwich, 1 sandwich	230	28	6	13	560	3
Cheerios - Cheerios, 4 cup (28 g)	400	80	8	12	560	4
	630	108	14	25	1,120	7
L U N C H
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
Kind - Fruit & Nut - Almond & Coconut, 1 bar	190	21	12	3	25	12
	380	71	13	4	29	50
D I N N E R
Campbell's Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Pampa - Asparagus Spears, 375 g	45	6	0	6	1,020	0
	285	42	6	16	2,620	6
S N A C K S
Van's - blueberry walnut granola clusters	390	57	15	6	90	18
	390	57	15	6	90	18
Totals	1,685	278	48	51	3,859	81
Your Daily Goal	3,899	487	130	195	2,300	146
Remaining	2,214	208	82	144	-1,558	65
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,969 extra calories from exercise today         .

BREAKFAST

Calories

Carbs

Fat

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

Starbucks - Reduced-fat Turkey Bacon Sandwich, 1 sandwich

230

28

6

13

560

3

Cheerios - Cheerios, 4 cup (28 g)

400

80

8

12

560

4

630

108

14

25

1,120

7

L U N C H

Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple

190

50

1

1

4

38

Kind - Fruit & Nut - Almond & Coconut, 1 bar 

190

21

12

3

25

12

380

71

13

4

29

50

D I N N E R

Campbell's Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup

240

36

6

10

1,600

6

Pampa - Asparagus Spears, 375 g

45

6

0

6

1,020

0

285

42

6

16

2,620

6

S N A C K S

Van's - blueberry walnut granola clusters

390

57

15

6

90

18

390

57

15

6

90

18

Totals

1,685

278

48

51

3,859

81

Your Daily Goal

3,899

487

130

195

2,300

146

Remaining

2,214

208

82

144

-1,558

65

Calories

Carbs

Fat

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

*You've earned 1,969 extra calories from exercise today         .

.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 5.0 mph	35	700
Walking, 5.0 mph	36	659
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	15	300
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	310
Daily Total / Goal	87 / 30	1,969 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	479 / 210	6,734 / 4,130

.
.

total calories consumed 1685 calories

total calories burned (6 miles walking, 15 min elliptical) 1659 calories

total net calories 26 calories

.....................

fitbit day 101
23357 steps

.....................

This postcard, which was mailed in 1910, depicts Lynbrook Long Island Railroad Station. By the time that I was growing up in Lynbrook, the station had already been renovated a bit!

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

Somewhere within the past decade, the term, BLACK FRIDAY, became a marketing sensation.  When I was younger, Black Friday, simply meant the busy shopping day on the Friday after Thanksgiving that retailers finally went 'into the black' and starting actually booking profits for the year.  Nowadays, whether that it still true or not, is no longer the point.  BLACK FRIDAY, today, means that retail stores are making extraordinary efforts to earn the dollars of consumers.  Some stores offer impossibly low prices on very limited numbers of items, other stores have markdowns on the entire inventory of their store and still more stores open for business on Friday morning at ridiculous times like 5:00AM.  The latest trend has been for BLACK FRIDAY to start on Thursday.  More and more stores are opening sometime on Thanksgiving Day and then staying open all through the night until closing time on Friday.  In Chicago, we took notice of this trend at Banana Republic, The Gap and Macy*s. Our family had some minor shopping to do for the final preparation of our daughters' Bat-Mitzvah next weekend.  Me?  I am always looking for an 'excuse' to walk downtown and build up my 'steps.'  My family walked along Michigan Avenue, we took a detour to check out Millenium Park and then we finally headed to the legendary Macy*s store on State Street. (This location was the original home of Marshall Fields flagship store)  Before a dress and shoes were purchased for my wife and daughter - we stopped by the Marc Jacobs section where his handbags were for sale. Our shopping expedition was complete by 1:30AM early Friday morning, and since it was raining, we relented and took the subway home.  

.

Yesterday morning, I awoke around 7:30 for my 10 mile walk.  Although when I started it wasn't exactly raining, it wasn't exactly not raining either.  The gusty winds were quite evident and the temperature had dropped around 20° from the relative warmth of the night before.  It wasn't too long during my walk that it started to unambiguously rain.  The lakefront looked much more like an ocean than a lake.  I was walking on a paved path close to the waters, and a wave surprised me and I found myself standing in 2" of cold lake water.  This made the last 1.5 miles of my walk just a bit more uncomfortable.  (note to self: when the Lake Michigan waters are so evidently choppy - stay away)

.

.

Your Food Diary For:

Friday, November 27, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quakers - Rice Cake Lightly Salted, 14 Cake (9g)	490	98	0	14	210	0
michiganApples - red delicious apple, 1 large	130	34	0	1	0	25
Kind Healthy Grains - Dark Chocolate Chunk, 1 bar (35g)	150	23	5	2	70	8
	770	155	5	17	280	33
L U N C H
Libby's - Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, 1 3/4 cup cooked	210	32	5	7	700	25
Campbell's - Home Style Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup, 2 cup	260	40	4	14	1,700	8
	470	72	9	21	2,400	33
D I N N E R
Bobak's - Polish Sausage, 1 link	230	1	21	10	0	0
Wegmans - Herb Stuffing, 4 oz	160	20	7	4	360	2
Broccoli - Broccoli, 1 cup	60	6	1	5	49	0
	450	27	29	19	409	2
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS 7700 - ORGANIC DATE PIECES w/OAT FLOWER, 80 g (2 TBSP)	240	60	0	2	20	44
WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 77.0 g (3/4 cup)	336	56	10	7	84	21
	576	116	10	9	104	65
Totals	2,266	370	53	66	3,193	132
Your Daily Goal	5,043	630	168	253	2,300	189
Remaining	2,777	260	115	186	-892	56
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,113 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, November 27, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	132	1,968
Walking, 3.5 mph, brisk pace	123	1,091
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	54
Daily Total / Goal	256 / 30	3,113 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1050 / 210	16,306 / 4,130

.
total calories consumed 2266 calories
total calories burned (10 mile walk) 1968 calories
total net calories 298 calories

.....................

fitbit day 86

40912 steps

.....................

ten mile walking streak reached 19 days.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

214.8 lbs

I weigh 214.8 lbs.

I lost 2.2 lb this week

I have lost 94.2 lbs in 339 days. Today begins Day 340.

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

I weigh 214.8 lbs (339 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 30.48% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 28.73

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 339 days ago (Class III obesity)

.......................

.







.

My daughter does not share my opinion that this is a clever photograph.

BANANA REPUBLIC

BANANA REPUBIC JACKET

Yesterday on my way to Onalaska, Wisconsin near the Minnesota border, I stopped at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Wisconsin Dells that I zipped by scores and scores of times over the past 20 years and never had the desire to visit. I was shopping for some top quality dress shirts and a lightweight jacket.   I found something that I liked at Banana Republic.   For most of my life, no one has accused me of being a 'snappy dresser.'  Of course, when one is 100+ pounds overweight - there isn't a garment in the universe that can be called snappy.  These days, while I still have plenty of weight to shed, I can attempt to dress a bit more 'snappily.'  One thing, that I felt that I needed was a lightweight spring jacket.  (My collection of XXL just don't look good anymore - and they never did.)  I was very pleased to find something real sharp at Banana Republic. It is fun to buy such a quality garment marked down 60% from $99.99.  In addition, I opened a Banana Republic Visa account which earned me an additional 15% discount.  Wisconsin has a much lower sales tax rate than Chicago, so my complete receipt shows that I spent just $36.30 for this gorgeous jacket. Is it possible that in the future, this Marc Jacobs, might become a bit more fashionable? Yep, that's the plan.

modeling my  BANANA REPUBLIC JACKET

It's a good thing that I was shopping at Banana Republic today and not two weeks ago. This jacket fits well, but it is snug. If I should tack on just a couple of pounds - it will no longer fit. On the other hand, since the plan is to shed perhaps at least twenty pounds more, this jacket will only fit a little bit better over the coming weeks. Slipping on this jacket on made me feel like 'a million bucks,' even if it cost me only $36 bucks!


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

MONDAY MENU

breakfast   one cup oatmeal w/prune, two poached eggs, two strips turkey 'bacon'       355 calories
lunch         JIMMY JOHNS #14 BOOTLEGGER UNWICH, one whole pickle           250 calories
sinner        JIMMY JOHNS #14 BOOTLEGGER UNWICH, one whole pickle
                 CAMPBELL'S SLOW KETTLE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, spinach      480 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED  1085 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED
6:30AM elliptical 32 minutes 437 calories

MONDAY NET CALORIES 648 CALORIES