Showing posts with label Eric Bloom. Show all posts

Saturday, August 27, 2016

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

During the month of August I have had an amazing active hiking streak - I have not missed a day (yet). Lots of hiking. Each day, I try to find a new trail or park. For the past ten months or so, I have had a free BLUE ÖYSTER CULT concert in Skokie marked on my calendar. A normal person would have driven to this Chicago suburb or taken the CTA (subway). I am not a normal person. I took an urban hike which I extended to 13 miles before I found a seat at the SKOKIE BACKLOT BASH STREET FESTIVAL. The first time that I saw BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, I was a young lad, 18 years old. The date was December 31, 1975. During the interim 40+ years since that first show and the show that I saw last evening - I have probably seen this band at least 30 times. Virtually all of the shows in the past 20 years have been free concerts at various street festivals or 'fests' (for example, Cornfest and Ribfest are two that I remember well). My day started with an errand downtown, and that was turned into a four mile walk. My day ended after the concert, and I did chose to take the CTA (subway) back home, but still I had to walk one mile more to catch the 'YELLOW' line. By the time that the clock struck twelve on Friday, I had walked/hiked 18 miles. I call that a good day of fitness.

Blue Öyster Cult at Skokie Backlot Bash Street Festival August 26, 2016

After my 13 mile urban hike from Chicago to Skokie I found a spot about 15 feet from the stage.

Thirteen mile urban hike from Chicago to Skokie

After arriving home from my Kentucky trip at 2:30AM early Friday morning, I was getting tired, and although I considered walking back from Skokie after the concert, I was overtaken by common sense and took the CTA (subway) back home. The 'YELLOW' line is the extension from Evanston that runs into Skokie. I had always thought that it was fairly new. It is not quite as new as I thought. This extension has been running since 1964. Last night was the first time that I had utilized this part of the subway system.

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210.2 lbs

I weighed 214.6 lbs just one week ago on August 20, 2016

I weigh 210.2 lbs. today, August 27, 2016

I lost 4.4 lbs this week
(I did cut back on my walking - this week I 'only' walked 84 miles)

I have lost 98.8 lbs in 611 days. Today begins Day 612.

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

I weigh 210.2 lbs (611 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 32% of my weight since Dec 24, 2015

I have a BMI, body mass index of 28.12

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 604 days ago (Class III obesity)

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ACCORDING TO MY BMI APP... even now, 98.8 lbs less than when I started on December 24, 2014 - I am 'officially' overweight. C'mon, really?
Even f I weighed 186.9 lbs, my BMI would be 25.00 and still classified as overweight!
I will need to get down to 186.8 lbs (BMI 24.99) to finally be considered NORMAL.
There is a possibility that I am not destined for life of normalcy...

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Questbar - Cookies & Cream	190	20	9	21	210	0
Oatmeal	300	54	5	10	180	2
Bacon Slice - Bacon	320	0	20	6	420	0
YOGURT ALMONDS	250	25	16	5	23	22
	1,060	99	50	42	833	24
L U N C H
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Protein	200	17	13	7	50	9
	500	82	13	12	1,550	49
D I N N E R
Pot Roast Pork	200	1	9	28	0	0
Fried Shrimp	100	4	0	42	0	0
Roasted Cauliflower	100	3	10	1	497	1
	400	8	19	71	497	1
S N A C K S
Dark Chocolate Bar	500	48	34	9	341	34
	500	48	34	9	341	34

Totals	2,460	237	116	134	3,221	108
Your Daily Goal	6,081	760	202	305	2,300	228
Remaining	3,621	523	86	171	-921	120
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 4,151 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today... You'd weigh 168.1 lbs in 5 weeks

Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
4 mile walk	58	707
13 Mile Urban Hike	195	2,228
1 mile walk	18	148



Daily Total / Goal	272 / 30	4,151 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	852 / 210	10,785 / 4,130

Ever since my high weight of 241.9 lbs during my recovery from my hernia surgery - my weight has been steadily headed downward - it is down a very significant 31.7 lbs since May 7, 2014

My weight loss journey began on December 24, 2014 when I weighed 309 lbs. For one week, I actually touched down at 209 lbs on December 12th. I came to realize that this was an aberrant false reading, as the very next week, December 19, 2015 my weight popped back up to 218 lbs. This current particular glide down that I am on has seemed much more real. My weight this morning at 210.2 lbs is down by a full 98.8 lbs from the day that I changed my life. I am convinced that this weight is real.

* * * * * * * * *

ALBUMS RELEASED BY BLUE ÖYSTER CULT...

Saturday, May 23, 2015

STAIRWEIGH TO THE STARS

STAIRWAY TO THE STARS was unleashed upon the world on the first BLUE OYSTER CULT album in 1972. Even today, both lead vocalists from that band provide the core of a reformed band that still plays concerts year-round. This band was great in 1972 (although it was not until 1975 that I personally discovered them) They are still great today. Perhaps the name of the band was ill-advised, while they did have a heyday when they packed 20,000 seat stadium for their shows, those days are long gone, and today they really do have a 'cult' following. Count me in as part of that cult.

The eponymously titled debut album: BLUE OYSTER CULT

I have been trying to come to terms with allowing myself to eat more and still wanting to lose more weight. I am no longer in a hurry to drop the pounds. But while I adjust to yet another lifestyle change, that is upping my daily caloric intake from 1000 to nearly 2000 calories per day, I do want to be careful not to go in the wrong direction. My Friday started at 5:30AM when I woke up in order to get ready to be at the hospital for my colonoscopy at 6:45AM. On Thursday, my total calories were just 240. On Friday, after my colonoscopy had a oversized appetite. My caloric intake on Friday was just under 2000. I was also awake and still drinking fluids until around 3AM as I was simply 'wired' as I had taken a nap during the day, as the after-affects of the hospital 'procedure' had gotten to me a bit. I did weigh myself on THURSDAY MORNING before I started playing havoc with my digestive system, and on Thursday morning I did weigh 219 lbs. So, as I jump on the scale today, Saturday, if the weight is signficantly higher than that, I am going to assume that most of it is water weight as my body tries to re-balance after emptying my colon on Thursday. Friday night's dinner was also extra late in the evening, and I am not sure that my body has had the normal time to digest my meal completely. That's my story - and I am sticking to it.

218.2 lbs

I weigh 218.2 lbs.
I gained 1.4 lbs this week.
I lost 90.8 lbs in 150 days. Today begins Day 151.
I have lost 14 inches from my waist.
I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.
I weigh 218.2 lbs. (143 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)
I have lost 29.4% of my weight since Dec 24.
Considering how different my calorie count has been - eating much larger portions of still mostly nutritious foods - I am satisfied. I must consider cutting back just a bit to continue to lose weight.
I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.19 (far away from obesity!)
I had a 42.0 BMI on 12.24.14 just 150 days ago (Class III obesity)
I wonder about achieving a 'normal weight' - the charts say 186.8 lbs - I'm not too sure about that...
I know this, regardless of what the BMI charts show - Marc Jacobs is no longer a fat man!
I have three words to describe how I feel right now - ready to proceed
...I know how to begin this week...
32 minutes ELLIPTICAL

 FRIDAY MENU
breakfast not applicable/colonoscopy ----
lunch huge spinach salad with chicken, tomato, mushroom, hearts of palm,
imitation crab, onion, beets, cucumber, artichokes
28 almonds, red delicious apple, nut bar, 2 Medjool dates 1087 calories
dinner 6 ounce broiled walleye fish, spinach salad, 28 almonds,
two medjool dates, cucumber 847 calories

total calories 1934 calories

calories burned
7PM ELLIPTICAL 32 MINUTES 494 calories

Friday net calories 1440 calories

dinner was a major improvement of Thursday's menu of broth and jell-o!

Eric Bloom & Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roeser of Blue Oyster Cult a long time ago...

Eric Bloom & Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roeser of Blue Oyster Cult much more recently...

There is some irony in that Blue Oyster Cult somehow managed
to never be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
Nevertheless, Blue Oyster Cult and the their use of a 'cowbell'
on their hit song 'Don't Fear the Reaper' were parodied on one of the
most famous and funniest skits in the history of SNL.
Will Ferrell plays the part of Eric Bloom. Simply Hilarious.
Creepy, freaky actor, Christopher Walken plays the role of their producer
who needs...MORE COWBELL!

You would have to be familiar with the MORE COWBELL
skit from Saturday Night Live to understand what
Christopher Walken is doing here....