THE HARD WEIGH

'THE HARD WAY' is a song written by Ray Davies of The Kinks and first released on their 1976 album, Schoolboys in Disgrace.

For the past seven months, I have tried to limit myself to one trip to the scale per week.   Every once in a while I take preview to see where I am headed. Sometimes the scales makes me very happy and seemingly just as often the result is a hard weigh - which is always annoying.   I lost most of my weight in the first four months.  In the last three months I have been bouncing between 215 lbs and 224 lbs.  I take some satisfaction in that I have been successful in maintaining my weight.   I am aware that it has only been three months since I dropped 90 lbs - but up until now - I have NEVER been successful in keeping weight off after it was lost. In the two previous times that I have lost weight, the moment I stopped losing - I started gaining.  Not this time.   My weight has recently leveled off as I have nearly TRIPLED my calorie consumption.   For the first four months I was consuming 1000 calories per day maximum.   In recent weeks, I have been consuming nearly 3000 calories per day.   It is true that I have also increased the time spent working out each day.  More importantly, my workouts have become much more efficient as I am working out harder than ever and burning more calories per session.  I can do this as I am in much better shape and far stronger now than when I began in January.

Still, each Saturday morning I wake up and step onto the scale and I am usually unsure if I will have a good weigh or a hard weigh.   This morning, I had a good weigh!

The Kinks Schoolboys in Disgrace, 1976

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218.9 lbs

I weigh 218.9 lbs.

I lost 2 lbs this week

I lost 90.1 lbs in 206 days. Today begins Day 207.

I have lost nearly 16 inches from my waist. 

(I am just beginning to wear (squeeze into) 34" waist blue jeans and slacks.

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

I weigh 218.9 lbs. (206 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 29.2% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.28 (far away from obesity!)

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 206 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have one word to describe how I feel this morning: PLEASED

...I know how to begin this week... I think it might be another good day to visit my 'hometown' YMCA.  

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 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast  steel cut oat meal, medjool dates, dried mango             791 calories
lunch        Whole Foods Salad Bar, Turkish Figs                           440 calories
dinner      White Fish, Southern Collared Greens, Trail Mix          999 calories
SNACK   granola, dried mango, medjool dates, pistachios            703 calories

total calories consumed 2934 calories

calories burned

HOME ELLIPTICAL 65 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20'  1528 CALORIES

Friday net calories  1406 calories

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Kinks Album Covers

Wisdom from THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD

THE HARD WEIGH

The Hard Way is one of the more obscure songs from The Kinks.  The Kinks were part of the original British Invasion in the 1960's.  Led by Ray Davies, The Kinks disbanded in 1986.  Rumors have been swirling for many months that The Kinks would reform and tour in honor of their 50th Anniversary - and that still may or may not happen - although the 50th Anniversary is already passed.  The Hard Way was released on their 1975 album, Schoolboys in Disgrace.  I have recently rediscovered this gem and I now love this album.  Of course, it helps that I already kinda love The Kinks and have for many years.  I have been listening to so much music lately that I have been discovering and rediscovering lots of music from many bands that I have forgotten how much I enjoyed.

The Hard Way - The Kinks

There are two ways of approaching 200 lbs.  One can slowly gain enough weight to reach that point.  That's the easy way.  The Hard Way is to first get to 309 pounds and then try to lose 109 pounds to reach 200 lbs.  That's The Hard Way.  I am in the middle of attempting to reach 200 pounds - The Hard Way.   

The Kinks - Schoolboys in Disgrace (terrific album!)

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I weigh 222.2 lbs.
I gained 8.3 lbs this week?
I admit I am confused.
late dinner last night, not yet fully digested?
retaining water?
I don't know.
Either my reading was very wrong last week.
Or my scale is malfunctioning... I don't know which it is. But if this new reading is correct...
I lost 86.8 lbs in 129 days. Today begins Day 130.


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

I NEED TO GET TO A RELIABLE SCALE AND FIND OUT HOW MUCH I WEIGH.

I have one word to describe how I feel right now - confused
...I know how to begin this week... 
32 minutes ELLIPTICAL

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FRIDAY MENU

breakfast  cup Quaker Oats Oatmeal, two apples, one pear                            391 calories
lunch       THAI STYLE PEANUT SALAD, 2 APPLES                               580 calories
dinner      CHABAD SHABBAT DINNER: tomato salad, zucchini salad,
                 one small piece of Challah, one slice Gefilte Fish
                chicken soup w/Matzo Ball, three pieces chicken (estimated calories)  600 calories
                four 'L'Chaims' (one ounce Whiskey)                                                     276 calories


TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION 1847 CALORIES

calories burned
St Paul YMCA 8:00AM elliptical 40 minutes 360 calories

FRIDAY NET CALORIES 1487 CALORIES
 

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