236.6 lbs (DAY 124)

Weighed myself this morning... 236.6 lbs

I think that is enough gaining for a bit...

OY! (DAY 123)

OY.... going nowhere fast

MORE EATING, NO WALKING (DAY 122)

ANOTHER DAY WHEN WORK INTERFERES WITH HIKING TIME (DAY 121)

I did not find time to hike yesterday... In fact, I was particularly INACTIVE - check out my 'steps' for the day - I didn't get past 7000.  On the other hand, I am a salesman. It is my selling career that propels me about the state and affords me the opportunity to hike in all kinds of different locales. Wednesday was a hikeless day, but it was a particularly fruitful day at work - and that is important too.

I NEED TO FIND MYSELF AGAIN (DAY 120)

Where is that guy who spent weeks consuming approximately 1000 calories per day?
Recently I have not kept my breakfast under that number.

SHORT DAY IN CHICAGO (DAY 118)

My weekend at home was cut short.
Cut short by the need to leave Chicago to avoid a predicted snow storm.
But not before I found the time to take a hike.

STILL OFF THE RAILS (DAY 111)

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

MONGOLIAN GRILL (DAY 110)

I guess I did not successfully cut down on calories on Saturday.... A trip to BD's Mongolian Grill in Bollingbrook nixed that plan after a quick trip to Ikea.

ELLIPTICAL (DAY 106)

It has been a very, very long time since I have spent time on an elliptical machine... I am guessing that it's been way more than one year... And yet, that is precisely where I found myself for one hour on Tuesday night... 

one hour on an elliptical machine, allegedly burned 535 calories

SMILE, Y'ALL ARE IN HOUSTON (DAY 97)

Houston Saturday.
Woke up 4:45AM
Checked the weather: 57°
Checked sunrise 7:35AM
Left for my 10 mile hike at 5:03AM and returned to my hotel room at sunrise.
Great way to start a day!

.

.

.

.

.

NEARLY 18 MILES (DAY 90)

I needed to pick up my daughter from her ACT testing location on Saturday. I took a rather long circuitous route to get there. 13 miles. I met my daughter after her test, and we walked home nearly 5 miles. When the day was over I had hiked nearly 18 miles.

Montrose Avenue under Lake Michigan

The walk home from the ACT testing site was a bit more direct than my walk to get there.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEK (DAY 89)

I returned home to Chicago late Friday afternoon.

I immediately changed clothes and took a ten mile hike.

It's been a long time since I have not walked/hiked on any given day.

* * * * * * * * * *

and here is one more fun fact, that I am likely the only guy in the world who cares about. When I initially made the decision to lose weight (even though I gained so much of it back before I recently lost it again) I was 309 lbs on December 24, 2014. So here is something that I can 'hang my hat on.' I am down 80 pounds from my all-time fattest. The thing is...even at 229.4 lbs I am ain't slim, in fact, if I check the charts, I am still officially obese. Damn those charts!  I feel good!

....

This chart 'only' shows a loss of 53.6 lbs in the past 3 months.... That is because, I 'dipped' UP another .6 lbs from the initial weight shown here.... At my most recent fattest, I was 283.6 lbs on July 31, 2018.  On Saturday morning, today, October 27, 2018 I checked in at 229.4 lbs. I am in  a very good mood right now. I think I am going to celebrate...

...and I know just how to do that...

I am going to take a hike!

HOW I WALKED TO MICHIGAN (DAY 87)

Yes, I walked to Michigan on Wednesday morning, long before sunrise.
It really was not such a major accomplishment.
My hotel was in HOWE, Indiana less than one mile from the state line.
An eight and a half mile is a healthy walk considering I still had 30 minutes to drive to my first appointment at 9:00AM.