SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

While most of the civilized and uncivilized world was watching the Super Bowl and downing beers, chips, chicken wings and and zillion other high calorie treats... I stayed on 'the program.'  I also watched the game - I just did it without consuming hundreds of unwanted, unneeded, unwelcome empty calories.

Weirdly, I had a salad for breakfast, as that was readily available at home in the morning...

Other than that, I have logged another good day of careful eating.

I have been eating a lot of fish lately... it was time to eat some actual meat, so I did.

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FLOATING ON AIR (DAY 94)

Three months ago, on August 1, 2018 I fired up my blog again after months of dormancy. (It wasn't just my blog that was dormant - it was me too)  This is how the blog started after months of inactivity.

On that first day that I blogged, after a months long hiatus I spoke about how I just didn't want to look like a fat pig when I had to spend three days at a national tradeshow in Houston. I will be flying to that tradeshow tomorrow, Friday, November 2.  I was successful. I will not be attending as a fat pig. You wanna know how I feel about this. I will let this picture below answer that question:

Check out the shadow that my body is casting... I am floating on air. I am ecstatic. I have lost nearly 55 pounds since July 31, 2018. I feel great. I know I look OK. I can arrive to Houston in clothing that fits, does not make me look like a blob and I will be able to enjoy socializing with all the people I must interact with: fellow reps, sales managers, company presidents and customers. I am ready.  And just to make sure that I stay ready, I took a hike on Wednesday.

Why is the bear so angry? I am wearing my BEARS hat.

NEW FAVORITE GOOFY HAT

I always have to wear a hat when I am outside. In the summer, I wear a baseball cap to avoid sunburn on the top of my head. In the winter, I always have to wear a hat to keep my head warm. Last week I found my new favorite and highly goofy hat. This NFL Licensed product produced by 'New Era' fits snugly on my head and emulates the look of the leather football helmets from days gone by. I never would have purchased this for the full retail price of $24.99, but I was lucky to find just this one on sale for $6.99. At that price, I didn't hesitate. You don't have to tell me that I look goofy wearing this. I know it. 

Your Food Diary For:

Monday, November 6, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Grits	400	88	6	8	1,240	4
Special Recipe Bread - Nutty Oat, 4 slice	280	52	6	12	440	8
	680	140	12	20	1,680	12
L U N C H
Hissho Sushi - Sushicado Tuna Roll	400	71	5	14	669	0
Chunky Campbell's New England Clam Chowder	360	36	20	10	1,780	2
	760	107	25	24	2,449	2
D I N N E R
Taco Bell - Hard Shell Taco	680	48	40	32	1,240	4
	680	48	40	32	1,240	4
S N A C K S
Fruitfull - Coconut Ice Cream	135	14	8	2	35	13
Fresh Thyme - Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites	300	32	20	3	38	27
	435	46	28	5	73	40
Totals	2,555	341	105	81	5,442	58
Your Daily Goal	3,607	451	120	181	2,300	135
Remaining	1,052	110	15	100	-3,142	77
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,677 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 213.4 lbs in 5 weeks

NFL Hall of Fame Sid Luckman of the Chicago Bears (1939-1950) wearing a leather helmet.  It is hard to imagine how this protected a player. This is the style of helmet that my goofy hat is trying to emulate.

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I believe that I look far less like Sid Luckman and much more like Rocket J. Squirrel.

Rocket J. Squirrel

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THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Yesterday my alarm started blaring at 5:00AM. by 6:00AM, I was on the road on the way to Goshen, Indiana. I returned in the late afternoon, with enough time to walk over to the local stadium where my daughter's high school team was playing football. My daughter is a cheerleader. So, for us in Chicago, it was 'Thursday Night Lights.' The infection in the NFL of players disrespecting the National Anthem and the American Flag, as has been well documented, has spread to high schools all across the United States. My daughter's school is not immune. Four morons on the football team took a knee, and scores of students couldn't be bothered to stand for the National Anthem. Apparently, the coach of the Cheerleading squad informed the girls that that behavior was not to be tolerated. Finally, someone in charge of kids, shows some leadership skills and exerts their authority as they should. Yeah, Thursday Night Lights ain't what it used to be in America. It is maddening and it is sad. 

Speaking of sports... How about those New York Yankees? They were down two games to none in a best of five series against the Cleveland Indians. They won three games in a row, and they have progressed to the American League Championship Series. Way to go, Yankees!

Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, October 12, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Oats Instant Grits	300	66	5	6	930	0
	300	66	5	6	930	0
L U N C H
Chick-fil-a - Original-Chicken Sandwich, 1 sandwich	440	41	18	28	1,390	5
Chick-fil-a - Grilled Chicken Sandwich, 1 sandwich	320	40	5	30	800	7
	760	81	23	58	2,190	12
D I N N E R
Sushi - Spicy Tuna Maki	400	40	16	21	0	0
	400	40	16	21	0	0
S N A C K S
Trader Joes - Pumpkin O's	220	50	2	4	280	18
Snack Cheese	100	0	9	6	163	0
Yogurt Almonds	300	30	19	5	27	26
	620	80	30	15	470	44
Totals	2,080	267	74	100	3,590	56
Your Daily Goal	2,994	374	99	150	2,300	112
Remaining	914	107	25	50	-1,290	56
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,064 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 223.5 lbs in 5 weeks     

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SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK

"Speak softly and carry a big stick." This quotation has been attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt.  Although I did carry my big (walking) stick during my 10 mile hike at Indiana Dunes yesterday, today I want to speak loudly.

Our President, Donald Trump has been saying lots about the ungrateful, unpatriotic, unthinking NFL Football Players who have been disrespecting our flag and our country. Does anyone really know what this protest is about? There is no one, including me, who denies that these players have the 'right' to 'take a knee' or sit or even fail to appear on the field during the National Anthem. Good, so we all agree to this. The thing is, the NFL is a private organization and they have lots of rules that impinge on the players 'rights.'  For example, let's say that a player scores a touchdown and wants to do a little jig, waltz or cha cha in the End Zone... Now, I don't know too much about football, but I do know that this is not allowed.  Apparently his right to free speech is curtailed. Say for example, a player wanted to wear pink socks to honor someone in his family that was fighting breast cancer... Again, I repeat, I don't know too much about football, but I do know that this is not allowed. Apparently his right to free speech is curtailed. So this is what I want to see to the football players, the owners, the sportswriters and every other dope who thinks this 'taking a knee' is a good idea. Shut up. Respect our flag, Respect our country, and respect yourselves. Because if you do not,  the 11% decline  in television viewership will only accelerate, while more and more Americans will simply find another diversion. Dennis Prager, astute radio host, and author, has been suggesting lately that badminton is an exciting game. Now, if I can only find my shuttlecock...

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My day yesterday started at 4:00AM when my alarm went off. I needed to be in Warsaw, Indiana for a 9:00AM appointment about 2.5 hours from Chicago. Unfortunately, Indiana is in the Eastern Time Zone, so I needed to be well on my way by 5:00AM to insure that I would be on time.  On my return trip home, I stopped at Indiana Dunes and took an actual hike of 10 miles. I do enjoy my urban hikes. But I much prefer a hike at the Dunes which is evenly divided between walking through a forested area and walking right on the beach where Lake Michigan meets the beach. Plus, I like breaking out my recently acquired walking stick, which comes in real handy when one is trying to climb a mountain of sand. 

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Oats instant grits - Instant Grits, 4	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
L U N C H
Jimmy John's - Bootlegger, 1 sandwich	684	67	24	42	1,660	0
Fresh Thyme Coconut Water w/pulp	140	32	0	0	0	0
	824	99	24	42	1,660	0
D I N N E R
Trader Joe's - Mahi Mahi Burgers, 1 patty	110	1	5	15	320	0
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Campbell's Manhattan Clam Chowder	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
	650	102	11	30	3,420	46
S N A C K S
Fruitfull - Coconut Ice Cream, 3 cup	135	14	8	2	35	13
	135	14	8	2	35	13
Totals	2,009	303	49	82	6,355	59
Your Daily Goal	3,330	416	111	167	2,300	125
Remaining	1,321	113	62	85	-4,055	66
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,400 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 224.4 lbs in 5 weeks     

SUPER SUPER BOWL

I watch (approximately) one football game per year on TV. Last night I was out walking with my daughter during most of the first half of yesterday's game. I know enough about football to know that the New England Patriots were favored to win the game. I purposely tuned into the Half-Time show in order to see what all the fuss was about with 'Lady GaGa.'  As I settled in to watch the second half of the game, I was truly surprised to find that the Patriots were trailing by 25 points late in the third quarter. Sometime soon after, the comeback started. I went into the game not rooting for either team. Watching a blowout game is never too much fun, so with the Patriots down 25 points, I was rooting for them to make it close. I heard a lot of hype over the past week that the Patriot Quarterback, Tom Brady, was the best quarterback ever. By the time that that game ended last night, it would be hard to argue that point. Last night's game was a SUPER SUPER BOWL.

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Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, February 5, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Egg - Poached Egg, 3 Large Eggs	213	1	14	18	447	1
Hostess - Classic Wheat Bread	280	54	3	10	580	10
	493	55	17	28	1,027	11
L U N C H
Read 4 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
Lucrene - Provolone Cheese	160	2	12	10	360	0
Aldi Savoritz - Buttery Round Crackers, 10	160	20	9	2	300	2
	715	112	21	18	2,162	61
D I N N E R
Fried Chicken Tenders	450	26	30	21	1,149	2
	450	26	30	21	1,149	2
Totals	1,658	193	68	67	4,338	74
Your Daily Goal	2,633	329	87	132	2,300	98
Remaining	975	136	19	65	-2,038	24
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 703 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
4 mile walk	66	623
Daily Total / Goal	66 / 30	623 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	638 / 210	6,846 / 4,130

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THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

This comes from wikipedia...

The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms and was adopted on December 15, 1791, as part of the first ten amendments contained in the Bill of Rights. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the right belongs to individuals.

Today, however, I am not talking about bearing arms. I am talking about baring arms. To be more specific, I am speaking of the right of the Chicago Bears to bare their arms.

On February 26, 2013, failed presidential candidate, tax avoider, American hero, John Kerry who has vowed to fight the biggest threat mankind has ever faced, global warming, shared this brilliance with the world to German students. "In America. you have a right to be stupid if you want to be." John Kerry has often exercised this right. This afternoon, a few players on the Chicago Bears NFL Football team will apparently exercise their right to be stupid. (Although I am sure it will add to the intrigue of the game and boost TV ratings)

from the Chicago SunTimes

BEARS 12/15/2016, 06:36pm

Record lows, but Bears vow to bear weather with bare arms.

Sunday could mark the coldest Bears home game ever. Pernell McPhee still won’t wear long sleeves. “As a D-lineman, as a front-seven guy, as a guy who plays defense, I think it’s a sign of weakness,” he said. The outside linebacker told his fellow defenders as much —that it’s a long-held Bears tradition to go bare-armed in cold weather, no matter what. Sunday qualifies as just that: with the high expected to be 3 degrees, the Packers rivalry game will rival the coldest Bears home games ever. The Bears’ Dec. 22, 2008 contest was the coldest, at 2 degrees. The wind chill low, of -15, happened Dec. 18, 1983. Both games were against the Packers.The Bears prepared for the chill Thursday, stretching inside the Walter Payton Center — albeit with the doors flung open — and then spending the last 75 minutes of practice outside in single-digit temperatures. Rookie center Cody Whitehair was ashamed to admit that, when the team got to the outdoor field, he finally put on a long-sleeved undershirt. At the end of the day if it keeps me warm and healthy for the game day,” he said. “Then, hopefully, I can not wear sleeves on game day.” Whitehair has never worn long sleeves in a game, but also has never played in temperatures as low as are predicted for Sunday. He and other Bears players still plan to abide by an ultra-masculine, if admittedly moronic, code. “I’ve told them the macho stuff’s all great,” coach John Fox said. “But there comes a point where people might question your intelligence.” Guard Josh Sitton, who played eight years in Green Bay, will go bare-armed — but he tapes his forearms and wears elbow sleeves. His advice for players uncomfortable in the cold: “Tell them to grow up.” Defensive end Akiem Hicks will meet McPhee halfway, cutting his long sleeves above the elbow. “I’m trying to hold that Chicago tradition down,” he said. Quarterback Matt Barkley won’t. “I’m not a polar bear,” he said. The Bears teased Barkley about his Newport Beach, Calif., hometown Thursday, but offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said he did a “nice job” given the circumstances. The Bears will enter Sunday with a typical game plan, Loggains said, and adjust based on game-day condition changes. The Bears practiced outside to test the proper cleat length and clothing. If the wind is as light Sunday as it was Thursday, Fox said, neither team should have much trouble. “I think it’s just a race to the heaters when you come off the field,” Fox said. Fox reminds his players to hydrate, even in the cold, to prevent cramping. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said his team was lucky to have the same conditions at home. “We’re blessed, I guess, that we can practice in the same weather the next couple days to prepare for it,” he said. The Bears play with heated benches and space heaters on the sideline, and remind players often to not leave their helmets in front of them — or risk them melting. Players also smear Vaseline on their skin to block the wind, and use insulating lotion. New Bears tight end MyCole Pruitt took all those precautions when he started in the third-coldest NFL game on record, an NFC divisional playoff in January. The Vikings’ gjallarhorn shattered in the -6 degree weather. “It felt like the wind just had a bunch of small icicles in it,” Pruitt, who the Bears claimed from the Vikings this week, said. “And it’s just hitting you in the face every time you try to run a route.” Sleeves can’t stop that. “I’m at war, I’m at combat,” McPhee said. “I ain’t got time to think about sleeves.”

Coldest home games in Bears history

Dec. 22, 2008 vs. Packers: 2 degrees, -13 wind chill

Dec. 18, 1983 vs. Packers: 3 degrees, -15 wind chill

Jan. 10, 1988 vs. Redskins: 4 degrees, -12 wind chill.

The Chicago Bears should consider themselves luck that this is not a late afternoon game.... Shortly after 4PM, the weather will 'start' to actually get cold, that is, fall into the minuses!

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GREEN BAY

PACKERS

Sun Dec. 18

12:00P

FOX

CHICAGO

BEARS

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, December 17, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal, 6 packet	780	162	9	18	960	54
Arrowhead Mills - Gluten Free Puffed Corn Cereal	660	132	11	22	55	0
	1,440	294	20	40	1,015	54
L U N C H
Peanut Butter - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	760	60	34	18	310	34
	760	60	34	18	310	34
D I N N E R
Costco Beef Brisket Sandwich, 1 Sandwich	610	20	33	28	1,630	40
Vanilla Creme Filled Donut, 1 Donut	330	35	20	3	350	17
	940	55	53	31	1,980	57
S N A C K S
Oreo - Sandwich Cookies - Golden Original	850	125	35	5	600	60
	850	125	35	5	600	60
Totals	3,990	534	142	94	3,905	205
Your Daily Goal	2,248	281	75	113	2,300	84
Remaining	-1,742	-253	-67	19	-1,605	-121
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 318 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
MATRIX ELLIPTICAL	97	987
MATRIX ELLIPTICAL	97	947
Daily Total / Goal	194 / 30	1,934 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	990 / 210	9,607 / 4,130

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and one final note....

I should not be so hard on the Chicago Bears for being a bit stupid... I know myself... Before this day is over, I expect to experience this cold weather too.  I, however, unlike the Chicago Bears, I will wear long sleeves!