STATISTICAL, ANALYTICAL DISCUSSION of the ELLIPTICAL

On Sunday I had an extremely vigorous workout on the ELLIPTICAL machine, having MOVED THE DIAL all the way to LEVEL '20' and logging a 760 calorie burn in just 32 minutes.   I was personally impressed with this new achievement.   I was not sure if I could do it again.   That lack of confidence was put to rest early yesterday morning.   At 7:00AM I took the elevator up to the fitness room and once again set the dial to MAXIMUM, set the time to 30 minutes (this machine is calibrated to offer a two minute cool down - which I negate by turning the dial back up to MAXIMUM for the final two minutes) and tested myself.   My success on Sunday was no fluke, I was able to duplicate the result yesterday morning.   Which got me to thinking....

I write this blog under the idea, or perhaps illusion that there are others out there who are at least mildly interested and/or amused by my daily thoughts.   The biggest fan of this blog is actually me.  I have often gone back to read something I wrote to remember precisely what I was thinking as pounds were initially melting off.   After yesterday's workout I was curious about my first time on the ELLIPTICAL.   I found the posting I was searching for (it was not too difficult - I cleverly titled that February 1st post: ELLIPTICAL) and read about the first time I made the switch from TREADMILL to ELLIPTICAL.    On that day in February I had what I thought was a VIGOROUS WORKOUT ON THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINE.  I had set the machine to my then current weight of 272 lbs and set the "resistance" to "10" and lasted precisely 30 minutes.   AT THE TIME I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH MYSELF.  I had 'graduated' from the simplicity of simply treadmill walking to a much more interesting exercise.   MY CALORIE BURN THAT DAY WAS 322.   I could not have imagined that within 4 months I would be spending the SAME 30 MINUTES on the SAME MACHINE with a vastly different result.  Now I can set the dial to MAXIMUM, set the time to 30 minutes, enter my current weight of 220 lbs and log a 760 calorie burn.  That is truly progress!

When I turn the dial to MAXIMUM ON THE ELLIPTICAL there is a part of me that feels like Scotty being asked to give more power to the warp engines

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 Monday MENU

breakfast  DUNKIN' DONUTS EGG/HAM/CHEESE, 2 apples.             350 calories
lunch        MARIANO'S HUGE SALAD, GINGER CHEWS.                  857 calories
dinner       PANERA BREAD SOBA NOODLE, BEEF STEAK JUMBO 690 calories
SNACK    3 apples, 2 NATURE VALLEY OATS 'n HONEY BARS.       644 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED  2541 CALORIES

calories burned

7AM elliptical 32 minutes LEVEL 20                                   762 calories

SUNDAY net calories  calories 1779 calories

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BECOMING OVERWEIGHT - A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT

Since this journey began I have been dreaming of becoming overweight.   Huh?  You ask.   Well, I must remind you that I began this adventure at 309 lbs and was classified at CLASS III MORBID OBESITY.  Eventually I 'graduated' from that classification and into 'only' CLASS II OBESITY and then into CLASS I OBESITY.  I am currently nearing the end of my membership in CLASS I OBESITY.   I bought a pair of 36" waist cargo summer shorts for my next stop on the 'waistline express.'   I tried them on last night to see just how far away I was from wearing them.  To my, happy shock, I actually could get them on and I could zip them up!  Now they are far too tight and uncomfortable to wear (aside from the fact that here in Chicago it is not shorts wearing season just yet)  The point is, I do think that there is a chance of me graduating out of CLASS I OBESITY tomorrow when I step onto the scale.   If not I do not reach this goal tomorrow morning, it's sure bet that I will graduate from CLASS I OBESITY within days.   Graduation out of the CLASS I OBESITY will give me a brand-new classification - OVERWEIGHT.   Not that many people would be so happy being officially overweight - but under my circumstances - I will be ecstatic.

I must admit that the BMI tables that generate these classifications are somewhat controversial.   At 309 lbs - there isn't a soul on planet earth that would have seen me as anything but obese.   At my last current recorded weight, 229.6 lbs - I do not think that there would be too many people who would look at me who say, "Wow, look at that guy - he's obese."   I do somehow manage to wear my clothes well - but when that shirt comes off, I can see that I do still have plenty of extra flab that needs to be David Copperfield(ed) into 'thin air' (pun intended).

STAR TREK: SO VERY TIRED  (SIMPSONS SPOOF)

I only have to remember back to December 2014 to be sympathetic to Scotty.

Announcer: "Star Trek XII: So Very Tired"... see the original cast in the latest and greatest adventure!

[three Birds of Prey confront the Enterprise]

Sulu: Captain, Klingons off the starboard bow.

Cpt. Kirk: [exasperated] Again with the Klingons.

[activates communicator]

Cpt. Kirk: Mr. Scott, give me full power.

[in the engine room]

Scotty: It's no good, captain.

[Scotty is too fat reach the engineering computer]

Scotty: I ca'not reach the control panel!

This is not exactly the type of 'bucket list' that's too healthy!

Even skinny people probably have difficulty with
today's cell phones.

Fat AND Happy?  That's a myth.
HOWEVER, SOON I WILL BE OVERWEIGHT AND HAPPY!
I THINK I HAVE EXPLAINED THAT UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE.

I am apparently very close to being (only) OVERWEIGHT.  I am very excited. I am getting close to tipping the scale at a weight that my body has not seen since the 1980's. Although I did get down to 220 lbs for about 5 minutes 8 years ago - I never saw 219 lbs. This time, I expect to take this journey much further.  I still have the life-long dream of a Grand Canyon mule ride beckoning me...if a donkey trip is to be in my future...I still have a long way to go...  This is an exciting time in my life.

I still kinda cracks me up and amazes me...

...that only two days after 'discovering' that I weighed 309 lbs at a doctor visit...
...and only 48 hours after managing to eat like a normal human being for two consecutive days...
...I decided that I was going to lose (at least) 100 lbs AND BLOG ABOUT IT. (daily)
...I believe that's called CHUTZPAH!
...Who does that?
...Who does that, and puts their own name on their so-called diet plan, RABBI HILLEL DIET?
...and who names their own program and prints up their own business cards?
...apparently, I do - because I did.

I titled today's blog entry: BECOMING OVERWEIGHT - A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT.
There might be something oxymoronic about that title...

You see, as I am about to become ONLY 'overweight' for the first time in nearly a decade...
This particular achievement has seen me become far LESS huge.
So, in a way, it's a SMALL achievement.
(Getting to 309 lbs - that was an unwise, unwanted, undesired, unhealthy LARGE achievement)
I am glad to be forfeiting that dubious accomplishment!

BMI	Classification
< 18.5	underweight
18.5–24.9	normal weight
25.0–29.9	overweight
30.0–34.9	class I obesity
35.0–39.9	class II obesity
≥ 40.0	class III obesity

My 'magic' number is 224.2. (6ft, 1/2 inches tall) to exit OBESITY.

224.2 lbs will officially classify me as overweight!
The question: Did I manage to drop 5.4 lbs this week?  It's a tall order...

VISIT ME TOMORROW AND FIND OUT...
...I KNOW I WILL!


THURSDAY MENU

breakfast  one scrambled egg, two sausage links, SHMURAH MATZO                 280 CALORIES
lunch        JACK'S DELI & RESTAURANT (yep I did go back!)
                 SCRAMBLED EGGS w/NOVA LOX, PICKLE, TOMATO, MATZO   439 CALORIES
dinner      JIMMY JOHN'S bootlegger club UMWICH w/veggies                           280 CALORIES

total caloric consumption     939 CALORIES

CALORIES CONSUMED
YMCA 9AM elliptical machine 35 minutes     485 calories

THURSDAY NET CALORIES      454 CALORIES

JACK'S DELI & RESTAURANT: On my return visit, I ordered SCRAMBLED EGGS w/NOVA LOX, tomato and matzo.  UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS!  no, seriously!

more from JACK'S YIDDISH 101
I didn't see this sign during my first visit on Tuesday...and this one is the best of  all of them!