I HAVE LOST 27.4 POUNDS

Gee, this 'program' seems so easy to me every time I get on it.
What's the program?
Essentially do not eat sh*t foods!
I am no health nut - I still consume artificial sweeteners
I am enjoying the croutons on my salad
I am enjoying the salad dressing on my Casesar's salad
I am enjoying a portion of French Baguette with my soups
I am eating the turkey, vegetable, pork and other sausages as part of breakfast with my eggs

But what I am not doing since January 1st....

No Reese's Pieces
No M&M's
No candy
No chocolate brownie with sprinkles
No sprinkles
No chocolate brownie
No chocolate cake
No vanilla cake
No cake
No doughnuts
No donuts either
No milkshakes
No Chocolate Milk
No Klondike Bar
No Nestle's chipwich
No Ice-cream
No flavored yogurt
No potato chips
No Cheetos
No McDonalds
No Arby's
No Jack-in-the-Box
No Taco Bell
No Burger King
No Culvers
No Panda Express (although there are some healthier options there I could consider)
No Chick Fil A
No Fast Food
No French Fries anywhere
No Cheeseburger with or without french fries
No Hamburger with or without french fires
No Costco Hot Dogs
No Pizza with extra cheese
No Pizza with regular cheese
No Foot Long subs at Subway
No Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
No freshly baked free cookies from the Marriott when I check in
No free cookies left in my room as a reward for being a frequent traveler
No cookies from anyone from anywhere at any time

The Result...

Since January 1st, I am down 27.4 lbs - This morning I weighed 269.6 lbs.

This decal is for marathon runners, to announce to the world that they ran more than the required 26.2  miles.  Today I am using this to remind myself that although I have never been nor never will be a marathon runner, and therefore will never get lost on a marathon course.... I have coincidentally lost 27.4 (pounds) - and that is worth shouting about.

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JANUARY

JANUARY
SUCCESS
one complete month eating well
no chocolate chip cookies, no Oreos, no Hot Chocolate, no chocolate cake, no Hi Ho's, No M&M's (plain or peanut) No Potato Chips, no Bugles, no Hamburger, no Pizza, no Soft Pretzel, no gas-station hot dogs, no free cookies at the hotel, no flavored oatmeal, no Culver's, no Chick-Fil-A, no bacon, egg, cheese bagels at McDonald's, no White Castle, no Tacos at Taco Bell, no Whoppers, no cheeseburgers, no Klondike Bars, no milk shakes, no Brownies, no Hershey chocolate bar, no donuts, no doughnuts either.... In fact, no snacks since this decade began!

I will weigh myself Sunday to see just how much progress I have made.
January was a success!

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POKÉMON GO

Have you heard about this new game called Pokémon Go? It seems to me that about half the country in America is already playing this new game. And the half that isn't playing now, will likely be playing soon. I know why I hadn't heard about this game until just recently - it was only released this very month on the 5th of July. I took a walk with my daughter yesterday around Chicago and at her urging I downloaded the game. I am glad to have a rudimentary idea about what this is all about - but I think I may be impervious to its charms.

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Pokémon Go is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile gamedeveloped by Niantic and published by The Pokémon Company. It was released in July 2016 for iOS and Android devices.

The game allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world. It makes use of GPS and the camera of compatible devices.  (wikipedia)

This was an edited screen shot from the game...I thought this was a mildly amusing photo.

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The weather in Chicago yesterday was spectacular: temperature in the eighties, low humidity, under a  deep blue, cloudless sky. My daughter and I took a walk that was not completed until we had logged 8 miles. Among her rewards were a visit to a boutique Donut Shop and for some reason she decided that she wanted to taste a Big Mac. I have not eaten at a McDonalds for the past 18 months. Although I reminded my daughter that a Big Mac was not exactly health food - I allowed her to order one and bring it home to eat. This photo shows her biting into her first Big Mac ever. As long as it does not become an addiction like it did for me - I think that she will survive the experience. I am certain that my dinner was far more healthy. My wife prepared a delicious homemade lasagna. 

My daughter taking her first taste of a McDonald's Big Mac
(As long as this does not lead to an addiction that afflicted me, I think that she should survive the experience)

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On a walk with my daughter, I was not walking at my normal speedy(4.3 mph) pace. This walk was about shared time together. It is a wonderful thing that my daughter, at least somewhat, enjoys our long urban hikes.

I made time for a quick 97 minute session on the elliptical machine after dinner.

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, July 16, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
HOUSE RECIPE - OATMEAL	500	90	8	20	400	5
	500	90	8	20	400	5
L U N C H
Read 4 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Corn Thins Organic	575	100	0	13	325	0
	875	165	0	18	1,825	40
D I N N E R
Homemade - Lasagna	800	53	25	40	1,053	21
Sirloin Burger Country Vegetables	260	34	8	14	1,580	6
	1,060	87	33	54	2,633	27
S N A C K S
DARK CHOCOLATE GINGER	300	51	12	2	9	44
Nestle 100 Grand - Candy Bar	190	30	8	1	90	22
	490	81	20	3	99	66
Totals	2,925	423	61	95	4,957	138
Your Daily Goal	3,899	487	130	195	2,300	146
Remaining	974	64	69	100	-2,657	8
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,969 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	146	1,249
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	97	998
Daily Total / Goal	243 / 30	2,247 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1489 / 210	14,045 / 4,130

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One of the 'stops' on our 8 mile urban hike today was the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool.  We visited this specific ledge that my daughter stood under many times over the years. Fast forward ten years to yesterday. Same Park, same rocks, same girl, different appearance.

circa 2006 (my daughter could stand straight under this ledge)

circa 2007 (at this age, my daughter could no longer stand under this ledge)

circa yesterday (It is hard for me to believe that this girl was once able to stand straight under this ledge)

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, also known as Lincoln Park Lily Pool, is an example of Prairie School landscape architecture designed by Alfred Caldwell and located at 125 W. Fullerton Parkway (between Stockton and Cannon Drives) in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. It was designated a Chicago Landmark on November 6, 2002. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark on February 17, 2006. (wikipedia)
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with William Shakespeare, circa 2007

with William Shakespeare, circa yesterday

This statue of a seated William Shakespeare, designed by William Ordway Partridge, has been around for quite a while. It was unveiled in Lincoln Park, Chicago in 1894. 
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William Shakespeare..
by William Ordway Partridge [1861-1930]
Installed: 1894
Location: Lincoln Park: Grandmother's Garden..
On the base is inscribed Shakespeare's words from Hamlet..
What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty!
On the opposite side is Samuel T. Coleridge's words..
he was not for an age but for all time, our myriad- minded Shakespeare....

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one final (and wildly obscure) note about Pokémon Go...
The way that this game appears to be taking over America...
...reminds me of a specific episode from Star Trek The Next Generation that aired back in 1991.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

7.4/10

1,115

The Game 

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FRENCH FRIES IN THE NEWS

From New York Daily News

BY KERI BLAKINGER       

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS      Wednesday, January 20, 2016, 11:40 AM

Micky D's has figured out a way to make its food even unhealthier. McDonald's Japan just announced the launch of a new menu item — chocolate French fries. Dubbed McChoco Potatoes, the high-calorie concoction features two sauces — chocolate with cacao flavor and white milk chocolate — drizzled over crispy fries. "The combination creates a wonderful salty and sweet harmonious taste," the company said in a statement. The new side is a limited-time menu addition available in the Land of the Rising Sun starting Tuesday. Sadly, there's no mention of whether this artery-clogging awesomeness will ever be available stateside.

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This seems to me to be a ridiculous combination.... I suppose if McDonald's could create a menu item where chocolate and vanilla sauces were drizzled over an order of Spinach or Kale - perhaps then, there could be a benefit to society. Seriously, how many people don't already find the taste of French Fries compelling enough?  Anyone who pays attention to financial news knows that McDonald's has faced real problems with increased competition as well as a shift to healthier foods by more and more people. This might be an example of a company going in the wrong direction. Then again.... chocolate covered potato chips have already been available for some time...

Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Instant Oatmeal - Original, 6 packet (28 g)	600	114	12	24	450	0
Thomas Cinammon Raisin Bread - Cinammon Raisin Bread, 2 slice	220	44	3	8	340	0
KELLOGGS - RAISIN BRAN (dry cereal)	380	92	2	10	420	36
	1,200	250	17	42	1,210	36
L U N C H
Jason's Deli - SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO, 1 Bowl	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Jason's Deli - Flatbread Crackers	500	60	20	20	950	10
Jason's Deli - Amy's Turkey-o, 1 sandwich	480	56	17	29	1,380	11
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	1,305	167	45	62	4,042	43
D I N N E R
Whole Foods - Creamed Kale, 14 oz	280	32	12	18	180	6
Whole Foods - Blackened Trout, 3 fillet	660	63	24	54	1,950	0
	940	95	36	72	2,130	6
Totals	3,445	512	98	176	7,382	85
Your Daily Goal	3,450	431	115	173	2,300	129
Remaining	5	-81	16	-2	-5,081	44
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,520 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR EFX576i ELLIPTICAL	125	1,668
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-148
Daily Total / Goal	126 / 30	1,520 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	350 / 210	5,084 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3445 calories

total calories burned (125 min elliptical) 1668 calories

total net 1777 calories

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fitbit day 139

17960 steps
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CHILLY OUTSIDE - CHILI INSIDE

After finishing up with my customer around 1:30PM today I got into my car and used my GARMIN GPS to locate the nearest Panera Bread restaurant.  Last evening, while checking nutritional information posted by virtually every chain restaurant - I 'discovered' a 'Natural Turkey Chili with Beans' that looked tasty.   The caloric content really grabbed my attention.   Honestly, I couldn't believe that a bowl 1.5 Cups (402g) was only 280 Calories.   In the past I would have left my appointment and scooted over to Burger King or McDonalds (it is hard to drive more than 1/2 mile in parts of America and not find one of those restaurants)   Today, I navigated to the Panera Bread restaurant and enjoyed what seemed like the most delicious meal I can ever remember.  It is helpful to be truly hungry before sitting down to a meal.   I feel like I just landed on an exotic planet and I am discovering all its strange and new delicacies.    Sure, I know that this all sounds somewhat ridiculous - for the past many years I have been a victim of my laziness and stupidity.   I am experiencing my own personal Exodus out of a self-imposed slavery.  I am free.   Tomorrow I will weigh myself with my clothes on - as I was weighed in the doctors office.  I am curious to learn how much weight I have lost in this first week.   Happy New Year!

PANERA BREAD TURKEY CHILI WITH BEANS 280 CALORIES

CONFESSIONS

It is said that confession is good for the soul.  I will use this post to confess the sins of eating like a moron.   On the road, my lunches and dinners were really not too varied.  Favorite spots were McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Panda Express or White Castle.   The purpose of this blog is ultimately to share secrets of successful weight loss.   But before I get to that subject I am going to share the 'secrets' of successful weight gain.   Here were some of my favorite meals with the calories as provided on various websites that I checked today.

Panda Express Two-Entree Dinner HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP, ORANGE CHICKEN, CHOW MEIN and an EGG ROLL   1480 calories

Subway Footlong Sweet Onion Teriyaki and Harvest Sun Chips 950 calories
              or
              Footlong Seafood Sensation and Harvest Sun Chips 1050 calories
              or
              Footlong Meatball Marinara and Harvest Sun Chips 1170 calories
             (Jared famously lost weight at Subway, surely he made better choices!)

McDonalds Four (4) Hamburgers (almost never ordered fries) 960 Calories
                     or
                    Three (3) McChicken Sandwiches 1110 Calories
                    (I had thought that chicken was a somewhat 'healthy choice'  WRONG!)

Burger King Four (4) Hamburgers (almost never ordered fries) 960 Calories

White Castle Ten (10) Hamburgers (140 calories per burger)    1400 Calories

Ok, that's it... I have officially bared my 'diet' of the past many years.   In between these breakfasts, lunches and dinners would be an array of chocolate cakes, candy bars and ice-cream.   Now that I have finished divulging my secrets of weight gain, the secrets of my upcoming weight loss are fairly obvious.   STOP EATING THIS CRAP!   My brother, has asked me many times if I enjoyed eating at these places.   My answer was always the same: Yes.   It is time for me to find some new alternatives.

In order to end this post on an upbeat note:  I made friends with a nearby treadmill and walked 1.9 miles in 30 minutes.   The machine indicates that I burned approximately 190 calories.   That is not the amount of calories in one chocolate bar!   It will serve to make me think long and hard before I stick another chocolate bar in my mouth.

               

MyFitnessPal

Yesterday I downloaded an app from iTunes: MyFitnessPal.   Among the things that it does is allows you to enter all the food you eat in a day.   Psychologically this is a very good idea.   Fat people like me don't like to eat in front of friends and family.  It has always been more enjoyable to stuff my face in privacy.  This cuts down on the shame and guilt - sadly it does not cut down on the waistline.  This app destroys the privacy factor - now as long as I use this app - privacy is gone.   Today, Saturday, I woke up late and by 10AM - The App alerted me to the fact that I hadn't entered my breakfast yet and asked if I wanted to do so.   It appears forgetting to think about this app is also out of the question.   There is a 'game' component to this which may be enjoyable.   It will be a challenge to see how little I can eat without being hungry.   Hunger is an interesting thing.   The 'secret' to ballooning to 315lbs is to always be hungry.   Always be eating. Non-stop eating never cured my false feeling of hunger - I might as well be a little be hungry and be losing weight instead of being constantly hungry and piling on the pounds.   Truth is, I don't think I was any hungrier yesterday than I  have been on any typical day - in fact, I might have been less hungrier during most of the day.  At the conclusion of the day, the app indicated that I consumed less than 900 calories.   It is not my goal to go through life on only 900 calories per day - it is completely unrealistic - but I see no harm in going a bit overboard in the very beginning of this new lifestyle.   Part of the new lifestyle is to think about everything that I stuff in my mouth.   I certainly was not giving that much thought prior to three days ago.
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I am a salesman who spends an average of 10 nights per month on the road in hotel rooms. This is a good place to commit to admitting what a pretty typical breakfast has been for me 'on the road'.    Two (2) Bacon, Egg, Cheese Bagels from McDonalds (620 Calories EACH) followed by a package of Three (3) Hostess Ho Ho's (120 calories EACH) all enjoyed with a DIET COKE! Total Calories for an extremely common breakfast that I had been eating recently 1600 CALORIES. I knew I was eating poorly, but as God is my witness, I never did the math until this very moment.
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I will reserve a future post to reveal my typical lunch and dinner.    It won't be anything to brag about.