CASINO ROYALE

I had three amazing workout sessions on three consecutive days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In each of those three days, I had lasted a full two hours on the elliptical machine.   I guess one can say that Monday was my relaxing day - as I only spent one hour on the elliptical.

Yesterday morning I thought it would be fun to watch a James Bond movie during my workout.  The movie I selected was CASINO ROYALE starring Daniel Craig.  This movie is 144 minutes - and yesterday - so was my workout!   Another exhilarating day at the YMCA.   This particular YMCA in Moline, Illinois had a hot tub which I made use of after my workout.   Since I started my day around 6:00AM, I was able to enjoy a very intense morning workout and still be ready to face my first customer right on time.

I was always a Sean Connery guy when it came to Bond - but Daniel Craig is (also) James Bond!

My first customer was not just any customer.  My appointment was with Harlene Rivelli at Quilts by the Oz.  Harlene has owned this quilt shop since the late 80's and I have known her since I started in the business back in 1993.  I had recently seen Harlene at a small fabric show in February when my weight loss was just beginning.   It turns out, that Harlene (all 5 feet • no inches of her) was also embarking on a weight loss program.   At this February show we wished each other success. (which we both found)   From the time that Harlene began she has lost 48 lbs!   This is not easy for a woman, and it is less easy for a woman that is 80 years old!   Harlene has managed this success without adding exercise to her lifestyle.

But she did have one secret weapon.  (which she cheerfully shared with me)

Harlene had discovered a very healthy, low calorie CABBAGE SOUP recipe and was crediting a lot of her success to this menu item which she consumed at least once per day, Monday through Friday.   I had gotten the recipe from her, although I can't claim to have been the chef.   This was prepared at home a number of times and it is filling, tasty, healthy and low calorie.  When I visited my Mom in April - even she made the soup for me.   Harlene makes one batch each week - she estimates that she has made at least 20 batches since February!

My appointment with Harlene today was allegedly to sell her some fabrics (which I did)   The thing that I was really looking forward to during my visit was having lunch with Harlene - and I did.  Harlene was gracious enough to bring a bowl to her shop today which I could have with her around lunchtime. (I had specifically made this request when I booked the appointment!)   She always tweaks the recipe and today's batch had bok choy, and quite a few other specialized items.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!

Harlene and I, 'The Low Calorie Cousins'  had to pose for a photograph.   Between the two of us we have lost 139 pounds (and counting....)

If you find yourself in Moline, Illinois or anywhere in the Quad Cities - may I recommend that you visit this quilt shop.

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 TUESDAY MENU

breakfast  Starbucks Turkey sandwich, green apple, anjou pears (2)   510 calories
lunch        HARLENE RIVELLI'S CABBAGE SOUP
                 smoked chicken, granola                                                      455 calories
dinner      Fresh Market: cashews, wasabi peas, green bean chips
                fruit chips, Bahama Breeze blend, wasabi mix, chili lemon  1624 calories
SNACK   teriyaki beef jerky, delicious apple                                          225 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 2926

calories burned

MOLINE YMCA PRECOR AMT ELLIPTICAL INTERVAL SESSION

65 MINUTES, 6.43 MILES DISTANCE     1029 CALORIES
short 5 minute intermission
65 MINUTES, 6.17 MILES DISTANCE     1021 CALORIES
short 5 minute intermission
14 MINUTES, 2.03 MILES DISTANCE         228 CALORIES

TOTAL WORKOUT 144 MINUTES, 14.63 MILES
(I really dont know exactly what this mileage stat means when one is on the elliptical - surely it indicates that I took a lot of strides!)

Tuesday net calories burned 2291 calories

TUESDAY NET CALORIES  635 CALORIES

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I will say this... The amount of calories burned watching a James Bond movie while sitting on the couch chomping on popcorn is not quite as high as the amount of calories burned while watching a James Bond movie while working out on an elliptical machine.   As far as the workout is concerned, it went by in a flash... Excellent flick.  (Although SKYFALL was somehow amazingly better after a lackluster Quantum of Solace)   I am looking forward to November later this year when the 4th Daniel Craig Bond movie will debut in the theatre:

SPECTRE

JAMES BOND WILL RETURN - NOVEMBER 2015

SMALL RECOVERY

Yesterday my 'weigh-in' was extremely annoying.  After being under the impression that my weight had dropped to 214 - my scale sucker punched me back and informed me that I was 222 lbs.  This seemed utterly impossible - how does one gain 8 lbs in one week?  It's not like I had been on an all-you-can-eat 8-days 7-nights cruise ship for the past week!  Nevertheless, one must accept reality.

This morning, I did weigh myself again and the scale taunted me with an improved reading.  This morning, the scale indicates 219.5 lbs.  (After yesterdays shock - I'll take it) As if I have a choice...

All the clothing that I had been fitting into and/or nearly fitting into has not changed.  What I know now is that I did not gain 8.2 lbs in one week...but apparently my weight loss the week before was a bit overestimated.  So really, things are still going according to plan.  In fact, I will continue to INCREASE my calories a little bit as I simply require the additional fuel to operate efficiently.  Although my doctor had given me the blessing to continue on 1000 calories per day somewhat indefinitely - that decision was predicated on the fact that I was feeling good.  As I reported recently, lately I have NOT felt that I was giving my body enough fuel.  So I am going to carefully increase my calories consumed each day.

SATURDAY MENU

breakfast cup oatmeal, w/prune, two poached eggs, two slices turkey 'bacon'            355 calories

lunch       spinach salad w/hearts of palm, cherry tomato, mushrooms

                CABBAGE SOUP                                                                                        167 calories

dinner     TRADER JOE'S SALMON BURGER, bowl MISO SOUP, 8 pickles

                spinach salad w/hearts of palm, cherry tomato, 4 small apples                    490 calories

TOTAL CALORIES 1012 CALORIES

calories burned

10PM elliptical machine 446 calories

SATURDAY NET CALORIES   568 CALORIES

CYBEX

Before my workday began yesterday, I finally had an appointment with a fitness trainer at the local YMCA to get a 'tour' of all the CYBEX STRENGTH TRAINING MACHINES.   I think there were at least a dozen that I sampled today.  I am really a novice.  Without the instruction, I did have not had any idea how to do anything on these machines.  In some cases, it was barely obvious to me which way to face when getting ready to work the weights.

So, now, finally I have a clue how to proceed with my exercise regimen.   The trainer that worked with me today, suggested that I try to use the Strength Training Machines twice per week.   He suggested that I do a 15 minutes cardio session to loosen up first.  The suggestion was that I do three sets of 10 'reps' on four machines to get started.   As the tour progressed this morning, from one machine to the next, I heard the names of muscles that were completely unfamiliar to me.

This is clearly the next step for me.  Once I get more familiar with these machines I am sure that I will be able to create a challenging workout for myself.   Early today before my first appointment, I am going to head back to the YMCA and do some 'Strength Training.'

TUESDAY MENU

breakfast   two poached eggs, cup oatmeal w/orune, two strips turkey 'bacon'             355 calories
lunch        My wife sent me off today with a pre-made salad to eat 'on the fly'
                 Baby Spinach salad with PINK SALMON and Roma Tomato and egg       305 calories
dinner      Baby Spinach salad w/roma tomato, CABBAGE SOUP, Turkey Sausage    283 calories

total calories  943 calories

CALORIES BURNED
7AM elliptical machine 38 minutes  595 calories

NET CALORIES  348 CALORIES

I knew that I would not have any spare time between my visit at the YMCA for my CYBEX tour and my first business appointment.   I left my home 'armed' with a salad that I was able to 'eat on the fly.'

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CYBEX should not be confused with CYBERDYNE.

CYBEX MANUFACTURES THINGS LIKE THIS:

In the future, CYBERDYNE will be responsible for manufacturing things like this:

THE TERMINATOR

COFFEE COMEBACK

I have gone from a casual coffee drinker who used to add three or four creamers on the rare occasions that I had a cup.  Since, December 24th when I flipped my life around, I have basically stayed away from coffee completely - that is, until now.

I was in a Bed, Bath and Beyond during the weekend and discovered Jordan's Skinny Syrups  (zero calorie sweeteners)   All kinds of flavors were available.  I selected vanilla.  I add one ounce of the sweetener to my coffee and it tastes delicious.  Of course, I do not use any creamer.  It is the first time that my taste buds have been exposed to something so sweet since December.  Coffee is a stimulant and I do believe that it stimulates the metabolism somewhat.  In addition, with my recent 'discovery' of the cabbage soup I have been somehow consuming even less calories the past few days.  (My wife, Jennifer, has already made the second batch of cabbage soup - our entire family finds it very tasty)    It might just be my imagination, but I am feeling thinner by the day, the past few days.   I know that that is ridiculous.  I guess I will find out on Saturday morning.

Jordan's Skinny Syrups - vanilla  0 CALORIES

Jordan's Skinny Syrups Nutrition Facts

TUESDAY MENU

breakfast  two poached eggs, cup oatmeal w/prune, two strips turkey 'bacon'    355 calories
lunch       chicken tortilla soup, baby spinach w/roma tomato,                             180 calories
dinner      baby spinach w/roma tomato, salmon burger, CABBAGE SOUP       233 calories

total calories   758 calories

CALORIES BURNED
630AM  elliptical 37 minutes   585 calories

NET CALORIES    173 CALORIES

dinner: spinach salad w/roma tomato, salmon burger, CABBAGE SOUP
233 CALORIES   

THIN PEOPLE ARE NOT LUCKY

As a big fat person, (and I think that when I walking around at 309 lbs I was over qualified for that moniker) I always saw thin people and I thought how lucky they were.  There might be some overweight people that are satisfied and at ease with their weight, but many millions are not.  I would guess that many fat people are at least a little bit jealous of the thin people that they see each day.

Is it really luck that explains why some people are fit and thin?  I know that I used to think that was the case. Surely that was a more emotional thought than a carefully reasoned one. It has recently occurred to me that thin people might be thin because they work at it.

~> I am guessing that thin people probably don't buy a family size box of M&M's at the cineplex and eat the whole thing before the 'coming attractions' finish and the movie begins.

~> I am guessing that thin people think there just might be more than one serving size in a pint container of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.

~> I am guessing that even in the case where a thin person might actually go to a McDonalds or Burger King to eat a less than completely healthy meal - they don't augment it with a chocolate milkshake.

~> I am guessing that even if a thin person were to go to Costco to have a slice of pizza - they probably don't sample every single food at every single sampling station before they eat, sometimes more than once.

~> I am guessing that thin people might exercise more once per year.

~> I am guessing that thin people can enjoy a home-cooked meal without reaching for a second helping, or even a third helping.

~> I am guessing that thin people can actually stop at a gas station to fill their tank and use the rest room and manage not to buy two chocolate bars just because they walked past the candy aisle.

~> I am guessing that a thin person might enjoy a sweet snack from time to time - but does not need to have one every single night without fail (and sometimes more than once per evening)

~> I am guessing that a thin person might see the lack of wisdom in eating a high calorie snack, or any snack, 15 minutes before going to sleep at midnight.

~>I am guessing that a thin person knows to try to mostly avoid a thick rich creamy soup,  and if they do get such a soup, they probably don't get it in a bread bowl, and if they do get a soup in a bread bowl, they probably don't eat the entire bowl.

~> I am guessing that you have figured out that the above 'guesses' describe me as I was on the morning  of December 24th when I awoke and headed to the doctor's office for a 'wellness' exam.  By the time I returned home - I was no longer that person.  It is as if I 'flipped a switch' in my head.  I must insure that that switch is never be flipped back.

Thin people are not lucky.
Thin people make good decisions.

Pretty soon, people will look at me and (wrongly) think to themselves: 
'Wow, look at that guy, he's lucky he's so thin.'
They will be correct in assessing that I am thin.
They will be incorrect in assessing that I am lucky.
Luck will have had very little to do with it.

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SUNDAY MENU
breakfast  two poached eggs, cup oatmeal w/prune, two strips turkey 'bacon'    355 calories
lunch       spring mix salad w/tomato, turkey sausage, cabbage soup                  283 calories
dinner      spinach salad w/chicken & tomato, cabbage soup                               253 calories

total calories consumed    891 calories

CALORIE BURNED
2PM elliptical machine 36 minutes     570 calories

TOTAL NET    321 CALORIES

dinner: spinach salad w/chunk chicken & tomato, cabbage soup  253 calories 

CABBAGE SOUP

I have started making a collection of all kinds of diet books which are so easy to find used for a dollar or less.  I enjoy flipping through them and finding nuggets of interesting information. Often an entire chapter can grab my attention.  Each book has something of great value to offer.  I have noticed that many of these book are filled with recipes. Another thing that I have noticed about the myriad of weight loss blogs that my fellow 'losers' publish is that they are often replete with all kinds of recipes. My blog has been bereft of a single recipe.  Until now.

I have a customer who is 81 years old and she tells me she is not quite 5' tall.  She had gained too much weight over the years and was having trouble with her mobility.  She told me that she started her weight loss in the beginning of December and had successfully shed nearly 30 pounds!  She has done this, she says without any exercise.  And when I first saw her in early February she was raving about this cabbage soup.  She says she has it twice per day.  That may be a little extreme. But should I judge?  I have been living on a 1000 calorie per day diet since December 24th.  Even my doctor who gave me the 'blessing' to continue said it was "a little extreme."

On Saturday afternoon, my wife, Jennifer went to the store with ingredient list in hand and purchased everything required to make this soup.   Jennifer whipped this up quickly and I must say it was absolutely delicious.   In fact, Jennifer has made every breakfast, lunch and dinner when I am home exactly to my specifications.  She has carefully measured every teaspoon, tablespoon and cup of everything that has been served to me.  I would never have been as successful without her tireless enthusiasm and help.  Thank you, Jennifer!

CABBAGE SOUP SIMMERING ON THE STOVE

So...without further adieu....CABBAGE SOUP
(recipe comes from Divas Can Cook, Old School Living For The Modern Woman)

I N G R E D I E N T S
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1 cup of celery, diced
1 cup of white or yellow onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
14 oz. can basil, oregano, garlic diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
few shakes of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

 I N S T R U C T I O N S
 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
 2. Add celery, onions, bell peppers, and carrots.
 3. Saute until slightly tender.
 4. Stir in garlic.
 5. Pour in chicken broth.
 6. Stir in tomatoes and cabbage.
 7. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
 8. Cook until cabbage is tender
 9. Stir in oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt (optional)
10. Taste broth and adjust seasoning if needed.
11. Serve and enjoy!

N O T E S

Jazz it up by adding lots of spices, herbs and a variety of veggies.
Keeps well in the fridge for about 3 day.

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SATURDAY MENU

breakfast   cup oatmeal w/prune, two poached eggs, two strips turkey 'bacon'    355 calories
lunch        organic herb blend salad, 6 oz Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon (can)
                 chunky grilled chicken & sausage Gumbo Soup                                 330 calories
dinner       organic herb blend salad w/tomato & 2 cups CABBAGE SOUP       123 calories

total calories consumed     808 calories

CALORIES BURNED
3PM elliptical machine 36 minutes        550 calories

SATURDAY NET CALORIES 258 CALORIES

dinner: Organic Herb Blend Salad w/tomato, 2 cups CABBAGE SOUP  123 CALORIES