REGGIE JACKSON 44

Today, I am 'borrowing' Reggie Jackson's retired 44 New York Yankees Uniform to make note that I have now kept my calorie consumption in the neighborhood of 1000 for 44 consecutive days. Reggie was known as Mr. October as he had so many clutch hits in October post-season games. Regarding October, I am hoping that I can maintain my low calorie consumption going through the end of September and into October....  

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AIRPORT NEAR MIDNIGHT

My appointment in Danville, Illinois was for 1:00PM.  I left Chicago right around 9:30AM to insure that I would arrive on time. My visit to the Danville location lasted until about 5:30PM. My hotel reservation for the night was still an additional two hours away in Springfield. My plans to watch the New York Yankees play was amended. I did not arrive at my hotel room until about 8:30PM. By this time the Yankee game was already underway and the score was tied 3-3. Apparently the 1st inning took 45 minutes. I had flirted with the idea of watching the game while stepping in place in my hotel room. But the mild night, the bright sky lit up by the near full moon beckoned me outdoors. I decided to head for Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport and hike around its complete perimeter. When I finished my hike, I had logged ten miles and it was near midnight. It felt so good to maintain my recent streak of walking everyday which began anew in September. I don't know how active this airport is, I never saw even one plane land or take-off. 

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Oats Instant Grits	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
Bagel w/Cream Cheese	400	58	12	13	780	4
	800	146	18	21	2,020	4
L U N C H
Culvers - Butterburger Plain Hamburger	360	39	16	20	510	6
	360	39	16	20	510	6
D I N N E R
Landshire Sandwiches - Ham & Cheese, 2	520	64	16	36	2,480	14
	520	64	16	36	2,480	14
S N A C K S
Nature Valley - Oats 'n Honey	190	29	7	3	180	11
Ice Cream Sandwich	100	14	4	1	50	7
	290	43	11	4	230	18
Totals	1,970	292	61	81	5,240	42
Your Daily Goal	3,310	414	110	166	2,300	124
Remaining	1,340	122	49	85	-2,940	82
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,380 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 223.7 lbs in 5 weeks     

JABBA THE HUTT - NO MORE

In the same way that a person is usually incapable of being a fan of the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, or the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox, or CNN and FOX NEWS... I am a Star Trek fan (not a Star Wars fan.)  Nevertheless, today I will use a character from Star Wars to illustrate that I no longer look like I recently did.

On August 21, 2014 my family spent the day on the world famous Jersey Shore, specifically the Asbury Park Beach before attending a beautiful wedding of our friend Jack and his bride, Esther.  My wife took a picture of me that I did not treasure.  In fact, I wanted no part of it. The photo made me feel ill. And here it is:

GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, AUGUST 21, 2014 (309 lbs)

As you can see, I could have easily played the part of Jabba the Hutt in any of the Star Wars films:

I look at my photo form August 2,1 2014 - and Jabba don't look so bad....

Fast forward to yesterday, the first day of the Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago.  The weather was glorious, and the temperature finally tipped over 80º F. (27º C)  I thought that this would be a good opportunity to try to replicate my August 21, 2014 photo - so I did.   My 13 year old daughter, Sara,  was the photographer.  Here is me today (well, actually yesterday.)

May 23, 2015 North Avenue Beach, Chicago, Illinois (218 lbs)

In the August 2014 photo, your Jabba the Hutt impersonator is (un)proudly wearing 50" waist khaki shorts and an XXL (extra extra large) t-shirt and a one-size-fits-all, Glenn Beck baseball cap.

In the May 2015 photo, your intrepid blogger, weighing 90 pounds less,  who much more closely resembles a normal human being is PROUDLY wearing a pair of 36" waist khaki Columbia™ shorts and simple L (large North Face™ t-Shirt) and just to be consistent, the same Glenn Beck baseball cap. Have I mentioned before that I am a fan of Glenn Beck?  

SATURDAY MENU

breakfast   Steel Cut OatMeal w/prune, two eggs, two strips turkey 'bacon'              505 calories
lunch        *Huge Supermarket Salad w/chicken, imitation crab, ham, egg, etc
                 red delicious apple, 4 Medjool dates                                                       1109 calories
dinner       Spinach salad w/hearts of palm, beets, cucumber, tomato, mushroom
                 4 ounces Black Angus Sirloin                                                                     339 calories

total calories   1953 calories

calories burned
elliptical 32 minutes 518 calories**

*One thing I know is that I really make a feast of a supermarket salad.  I add imitation crab, ham, chicken, tomato, onion, cucumber, beets, small portion of sunflower seeds, baby corn, small portion of chick peas, artichokes, sometimes maybe even ten croutons, hard boiled egg.  THE THINGS THAT I DO NOT INCLUDE ARE CHEESE AND DRESSING.  Previously I had estimated the calories of such a salad at 500 calories.   I am going to start estimating it at 750 calories.   I am extremely confident that at 750 calories I am wildly OVERSTATING THE CALORIES.   However, I believe it is better to overestimate than underestimate.  So, I will just assume 750 calories and 'know' that the actual number almost certainly has to be far less.

**today after my workout, I took the elevator 5 floors lower than my floor in order to WALK UP five flights.   I remember so well, when I was 300+ pounds attempting to walk up twelve floors from ground level to my floor, and although I managed it - I was winded beyond winded, and in order to complete this I needed to rest multiple times along the way.  Today I bounced up those five flights like it was absolutely nothing. So the next time I exercise, I am going attempt to WALK UP THE THIRTEEN FLIGHTS OF STAIRS from the 12th floor to the 25th floor where the fitness room is before I workout on the elliptical machine.  I know that I could barely accomplish this a year ago when I tried it.  And I better start doing some stair climbing if I am serious about training for and hiking up HALF DOME at YOSEMITE. STAIR CLIMBING WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST THE VERY NEXT TIME I EXERCISE.  My building does not have a stair master machine, but I now intend to become a STAIR MASTER. Right now, I am a stair apprentice.

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More information regarding Jabba the Hutt (from Wikipedia)

Jabba the Hutt is a character appearing in George Lucas's space opera film saga Star Wars.  He is depicted as a large, slug-like alien.  His appearance has been described by film critic Roger Ebert as a cross between a toad and a Cheshire Cat.

Jabba the Hutt - profile
Species	Hutt
Gender	Male
Position	Crime lord
Homeworld	Nal Hutta;  resident of Tatooine
Affiliation	Hutt Cartel The thing is.... I really did resemble this creature when I was 309 lbs.

CHUTZPAH

2015 has been a very momentous year in my life.  Just two days past four months ago, on December 24, 2014, I visited my doctor for 'wellness' exam.  As I have mentioned a few times, on this date I 'discovered' that my weight had ballooned up to 309 pounds.  I didn't need to see a doctor to learn that I was a clinically morbidly obese man - the world has no shortage of mirrors - I was aware of my condition. Sometime, during that appointment while discussing my weight with my doctor - I flipped a switch in my head - and decided right then and there that I was going to change the direction of my life.  I had planned on doing this 'starting tomorrow' for the past decade - my decision just made 'tomorrow' actually arrive.  Starting with my lunch that I had that very first day, I started making new decision regarding what I would be cramming into my 'pie hole.' (an expression I learned from Glenn Beck, a man that I greatly admire)

After merely two days of eating like a normal human being, in fact, restricting my daily caloric consumption from somewhere north of 5000 calories per day to south of 1000 calories per day,  I made another decision. The decision was to lose weight.  lots of weight.

CHUTZPAH

I figured that my anticipated journey from a 309 pound morbidly obese man to normal weight human being would make an interesting story.   I decided, that I was going to go public with my thoughts and actions via a blog.  On the very first day of my blog I posted 'before' pictures. Well, actually, they were not 'before' pictures at all - they were 'current' pictures.   I tried as best I could to capture my obesity in photos,  some photos were even 'topless.'   It took some real chutzpah to start this blog at this early date.  After all, if I failed, my failure would be broadcast not only to my immediate family - but to the world (or at least those in the world that would pay attention to my blog.)

It takes CHUTZPAH to start a blog documenting a 100+ weigh loss (before the first ounce has been shed!)

Today, April 27, 2015 means that four months have passed since this journey began. My success has been spectacular.  I have exceeded my own expectations in speed but not the result. I certainly expected to be successful, but I never dreamed that I would come this far in only four months.  It is the speed of my success which has astounded me. If I hadn't expected to be successful, I never would have summoned the chutzpah to start this journey.

This past Saturday, just two days ago, when I stepped onto my scale, I learned and announced to the world that my weight loss had reached 95 pounds.  This is no small accomplishment.  I am not done.

Time for some sports analogies.  I do think that I am in the 'late innings' of this part of the journey. Maybe it's only the 'seventh inning stretch.'   It's certainly the 'fourth quarter.'  It's late in the 'third period.'  As New York Yankees Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over." Now the truth is, in this type of journey, it's never going to be over.  The whole trip will have been an exercise in futility if I fail to commit to a lifelong program of eating well. I anticipate that I have become too smart (and way too happy) to backslide (again).

7th Inning Stretch

I have not yet posted side by side BEFORE/AFTER photos.  I am not quite ready to do so, just yet. I will be visiting my doctor for my third time during this journey in two weeks.  I remember, shocking him when I showed up after 60 days and had lost more than 50 pounds.  I presume he will be less shocked, but still somewhat amazed that after an additional 90 days I will have lost perhaps ANOTHER 50 POUNDS on top of the first 50 pounds!  I will be using this visit to discuss how long I  could/should continue my 1000 calorie per day diet.  I will be using this visit to discuss where my goal could/should be.  I have some ideas,  but I will be seeking his guidance.

A weight loss journey is never over.  

2015 HAS BEEN A MOMENTOUS YEAR IN MY LIFE.  This whole trip started just four months ago.  The journey that really never ends, has only just started...  I don't know if you are amazed - but I am!

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SUNDAY MENU
breakfast oatmeal w/prune, two poached eggs, two slices turkey 'bacon'                     355 calories
lunch       Spinach salad w/hearts of palm, mushrooms, 9 cherry tomato, onions  
                Trader Joe's All Natural Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
                Miso Soup (2 cups)   4 Dill Baby Pickles,  2 ounces Seaweed Salad            334 calories
dinner     Spinach salad w/hearts of palm, mushrooms, 9 cherry tomato, onions
               Trader Joe's All Natural Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
               Bowl Miso Soup, 4 Dill Baby Pickles, Seaweed Salad, 12 asparagus spears 359 calories

TOTAL CALORIE CONSUMPTION 1048 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED
6PM elliptical 32 minutes 431 calories

SUNDAY NET CALORIES  617 CALORIES

HUGE DINNER, SMALL CALORIC CONTENT
SPINACH SALAD w/mushrooms, hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes, onions, zero calorie dressing (79 CALORIES)
TWO CUPS MISO SOUP (90 CALORIES)
TWELVE FRESH ASPARAGUS SPEARS, TWO OUNCES SEAWEED SALAD (60 CALORIES)
TRADER JOE'S ALL NATURAL SWEET APPLE CHICKEN SAUSAGE (120 CALORIES)
FOUR BABY DILL PICKLES (10 CALORIES)
GRAND TOTAL 359 CALORIES

chutz·pah

ˈho͝otspə,ˈKHo͝otspə/

noun

informal

1. shameless audacity; impudence.

   synonyms:

   audacity, cheek, guts, nerve, boldness, temerity "it took a lot of chutzpah for her to walk in on Owen's bachelor party"

   
   

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   You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.
   

   Yogi Berra

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YANKEES I KNOW. WHAT ARE METS?

The Yankees, I know.  I have been a fan since I was 10 years old, maybe even earlier.  Mickey Mantle was still on the team when I started paying attention.  And he wasn't the DH, as that ridiculous idea hadn't been invented yet.

The Mets, I know (and have always 'hated')   

But until recently, I had not noticed the word, 'mets' on exercise equipment.  The explanation is very technical and I have simply reproduced an entry from wikipedia.com to offer a definition.

• Scope of usage of the MET concept 

• MET (Metabolic Equivalent): The ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as 1 kcal/kg/hour and is roughly equivalent to the energy cost of sitting quietly. A MET also is defined as oxygen uptake in ml/kg/min with one MET equal to the oxygen cost of sitting quietly, equivalent to 3.5 ml/kg/min. 

• Moreover MET is used to provide general medical thresholds and guidelines to a population.A MET is the ratio of the rate of energy expended during an activity to the rate of energy expended at rest. For example, 1 MET is the rate of energy expenditure while at rest. A 4 MET activity expends 4 times the energy used by the body at rest. If a person does a 4 MET activity for 30 minutes, he or she has done 4 x 30 = 120 MET-minutes (or 2.0 MET-hours) of physical activity. A person could also achieve 120 MET-minutes by doing an 8 MET activity for 15 minutes.

• Physical activity	MET
  Light intensity activities	< 3
  sleeping	0.9
  watching television	1.0
  writing, desk work, typing	1.8
  walking, 1.7 mph (2.7 km/h), level ground, strolling, very slow	2.3
  walking, 2.5 mph (4 km/h)	2.9
  Moderate intensity activities	3 to 6
  bicycling, stationary, 50 watts, very light effort	3.0
  walking 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h)	3.3
  calisthenics, home exercise, light or moderate effort, general	3.5
  walking 3.4 mph (5.5 km/h)	3.6
  bicycling, <10 mph (16 km/h), leisure, to work or for pleasure	4.0
  bicycling, stationary, 100 watts, light effort	5.5
  sexual activity	5.8
  Vigorous intensity activities	> 6
  jogging, general	7.0
  calisthenics (e.g. pushups, situps, pullups,jumping jacks), heavy, vigorous effort	8.0
  running jogging, in place	8.0
  rope jumping	10.0

As I understand this information, watching TV has the equivalent MET (Metabolic Equivalent) of 1.0.  Bicycling on a stationary bike with very light effort has a MET of 3.0.  The body needs three times the energy for biking as TV watching.  However, it could also be said that WATCHING TV FOR 3 HOURS would equal the energy needed to bike (lightly) for one hour.  JOGGING REQUIRES 8 TIMES the energy than TV watching.  However, if one could watch TV for 8 hours, one would use the same energy as a one hour jog.

CONCLUSION:  Although many of us use exercise to assist in weight loss, as we know that vigorous exercise will burn calories - SIMPLY LIVING BURNS CALORIES TOO.  This should not be a surprise as for many people that hardly exercise at all - we still burn nearly 2000 calories per day.

RIDICULOUS CONCLUSION:  You could watch one season of '24' and really burn some calories. Each episode without commercials runs about 42 minutes.  There are 24 episodes x 42 minutes/episode which is 1008 minutes.  This translates to about 17 hours.  So, if you sat on your couch and watched one complete season of '24' you would 'burn' even more calories than you would doing TWO HOURS OF VIGOROUS CALISTHENICS.  A 17 hour TV watching marathon would be a very dubious achievement. It doesn't really seem very practical.  Especially as a weight loss idea, as most of those 17 hours of TV watching would likely be augmented  by 17 hours of  TV SNACKING!  It's probably just best to burn some extra calories doing an actual physical activity.

Sit down, watch an entire season, 24 episodes of '24'  (17 hours) and you will burn even more calories than you would doing TWO HOURS OF VIGOROUS CALISTHENICS.  (NOT VERY PRACTICAL)

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast    apple & hard-boiled egg                                                              158 calories
lunch          Panera Soba Noodle Bowl w/Chicken                                         390 calories
dinner         two salmon burgers, spinach salad w/balsamic, pumpkin soup  372 calories

total calories consumed 921 calories

calories burned
6AM LaQuinta StarTrac Elliptical 30 minutes    310 calories
6PM  Home StarTrac Elliptical 31 minutes         420 calories

total calories burned 730 calories

net caloric consumption 191 CALORIES

...and one more thing...

Here is something else somewhat confusing.  I was very happy to discover the same brand of elliptical machine at the hotel I had stayed at the last two nights.  I set the machine with precisely the same settings that I do at home.  I was disappointed that in both of the two workouts on that machine I was only able to log a 310 calorie workout.  It seemed odd to me.  When I returned  home yesterday for my early evening session on the elliptical I was able to last for 31 minutes and log 420 CALORIES.  The question that I have for myself is this:  Why such a discrepancy between two machines with the same settings?   HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?  

Tomorrow,  Saturday,  is the day that I look forward to with tremendous anticipation.  I only weigh myself once per week.  It is very exciting and gratifying to get a numeric value for my efforts the week before.  Basically it is my version of  'report card' day.   Unlike in school when my report card was not always reflective of my potential,  I have prepared well.  I am expecting a good grade.  


SEE YOU TOMORROW!