This blog disappeared from December 1, 2018 thru May 25, 2019

This blog disappeared from December 1, 2018 thru May 25, 2019
When I am not blogging, I am gaining weight.
Publicly logging my meals keeps my caloric intake within normal human levels.
When I am not blogging, I eat with reckless abandon.
Is this stupid?
Obviously.
What is the answer?
Keep Blogging.

During my hiatus... I did take three notable hikes in December 2018 and one hike in April which I saved to my phone, but now want to post here... so I can delete them from my phone.

I also achieved a notable milestone on fitbit, which has thus far not been memorialized on my blog...

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Lynbrook - Rockville Centre Hike

JFK Airport Hike

Sharon, Connecticut Hike

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Notre Dame

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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     

SHELBYVILLE

Shelbyville is the fictional town next to fictional Springfield where The Simpsons live. Shelbyville and Springfield are twin cities that have an intense rivalry. The city motto of Shelbyville is: Springfield Sucks. Yesterday I was in Shelbyville. I was in the real Shelbyville, Illinois which is about thirty miles from the real Springfield in Illinois. I hiked at Lake Shelbyville.

My hike at Lake Shelbyville included The General Dacey Trail, the Boulder Loop Trail and Split Rock Trail. When my hike concluded, I had hiked 12 miles

This was the part of the hike that included the 1.8 mile Split Rock Trail (top) and the 2.7 mile Boulder Loop Trail (bottom)

For the second day in a row I managed to maintain an (alleged) calorie deficit. My MapMyWalk application credited me with 1798 calories burned during my 12 mile hike. I am well aware that this is likely vastly overstated, still one surely burns a few calories hiking in the woods which included changes in elevation that my fitbit recorded as climbing 71 flight of stairs will all the up and down hiking.

Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Kellogg's - Raisin Bran Crunch	500	118	3	11	526	50
	500	118	3	11	526	50
L U N C H
Subway - Chicken Salad With Cheese	280	13	8	39	890	5
	280	13	8	39	890	5
D I N N E R
Turkey and Bacon Club Wrap	600	57	21	20	1,535	0
	600	57	21	20	1,535	0
S N A C K S
Fit Crunch Protein Bar - Cookies and Cream	380	27	16	30	490	6
	380	27	16	30	490	6
Totals	1,760	215	48	100	3,441	61
Your Daily Goal	3,360	420	112	169	2,300	126
Remaining	1,600	205	64	69	-1,141	65
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

Your Exercise Diary for:

         Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
12 Mile Hike Lake Shelbyville	219	1,798
Daily Total / Goal	219 / 30	1,798 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	415 / 210	4,093 / 4,130

LOST BRIDGE TRAIL

Once I 'discovered' this trail searching for nearby trails along my route from Chicago to Staunton, it was imperative that I check it out. The name 'Lost Bridge Trail' was too interesting. The trail was a straight run from Springfield to Rochester, Illinois. In fact, the trail included two bridges, and neither seemed lost. So I needed to check with wikipedia.

The Lost Bridge Trail is a 5.0-mile (8.0 km) rail trail in Sangamon County, Illinois. It was built by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) along an abandoned Baltimore and Ohio Railroad corridor between the east side of Springfield, Illinois to the center of Rochester, Illinois.

The trail crosses the South Fork of the Sangamon River near Rochester, and crosses Sugar Creek near Springfield. Sugar Creek carries the outflow from Lake Springfield, a sizable nearby reservoir. The Lost Bridge trail name recalls IDOT's failure to prevent salvagers affiliated with the B&O from dismantling the Sugar Creek bridge for scrap.

After completing the 5 mile Lost Bridge Trail, I figured out another way to return to the trailhead where my car was parked. I often try to avoid a complete out and back route where I would simply retrace my steps. It is not always possible. My return trip was 6 miles.

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I was tempted to walk into these cornfields and perhaps find out what happened to Terence Mann (James Earl Jones, Field of Dreams) but I didn't have my baseball glove with me and I wasn't in Iowa. There was no way of knowing where these Illinois cornfields might lead...

Film Field of Dreams  

Author Phil Alden Robinson  

Role Terence Mann  

Actor James Earl Jones 

Ray. People will come, Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn into your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door, as innocent as children, longing for the past. “Of course, we won’t mind if you look around,” you’ll say, “It’s only twenty dollars per person.” And they’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it, for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk off to the bleachers and sit in their short sleeves on a perfect afternoon. And find they have reserved seats somewhere along the baselines where they sat when they were children. And cheer their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.

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As I was finishing my hike I traversed this dam which appeared to be art deco in design. When I saw this sign, I realized that I had just about perfectly pegged the date of its construction. Once again, I consulted wikipedia to learn more about this dam.

Lake Springfield is a 4,260 acre (17.2 km²) reservoir located in the city of Springfield, Illinois, southeast of downtown. It is 560 feet (171 m) above sea level. It was formed in 1931-1935 by building Spaulding Dam across Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River.

The lake was created, at a cost of $2.5 million in 1930s $USD, as a source of water for Springfield and to provide coolant for the City Water, Light & Power coal-fired electrical generating plant. It has also served as a focus of local recreation. Owners of high-powered motor boats enjoy the lack of a power limit on much of the lake, and the lake is known for warm-water fish such as largemouth bass, bluegill, blue catfish, flathead catfish, and crappie.

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Spalding Dam is on the northernmost part of Lake Springfield

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BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Kroger - Grits, 2 cup	200	42	2	4	680	2
Trader Joes - Strawberry Cereal Bar, 1 bar	140	28	3	2	90	17
	340	70	5	6	770	19
L U N C H
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD	1,000	0	0	0	0	0
	1,000	0	0	0	0	0
D I N N E R
Quaker - Rice Cakes	490	98	0	14	210	0
Campbell's - Chunky Soup - Hearty Beef Barley, 2 cup	280	48	3	16	1,580	12
	770	146	3	30	1,790	12
S N A C K S
Natural Dark Chocolate	500	44	32	6	0	22
	500	44	32	6	0	22
Totals	2,610	260	40	42	2,560	53
Your Daily Goal	4,943	618	164	248	2,300	185
Remaining	2,333	358	124	206	-260	132
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 3,013 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 190.5 lbs in 5 weeks 

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, August 1, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	165	1,888
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	1,125
Daily Total / Goal	166 / 30	3,013 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	166 / 210	3,013 / 4,130

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RALPH LAUREN NO LONGER SAYS THAT I AM BIG

Way back on January 3, 2015 my blog was titled:

RALPH LAUREN SAYS THAT I AM BIG

A few weeks ago as I was continuing to pack on the pounds, it became necessary to search for new clothes yet again.   My blue jeans did not fit, the black trousers that I had purchased before summer were no longer comfortable.   My final purchase of jeans on the way up to 309 lbs was a two pair of WRANGLERS 50" WAIST, 32" LENGTH RELAXED FIT.   When I bought those Wranglers in Mid-November they fit, however by the end of December they were becoming tight and uncomfortable.   Fast forward to today, January 3, 2014.   I am able to wear my RALPH LAUREN trousers again.   The size of these trousers is somewhat ironic.   I feel thin (thinner) wearing them.   They look much better than the 50/32 relaxed fit Wranglers.  The size of the Ralph Lauren Trousers: BIG.  You would have to search for a smaller tag near the zipper to discover that these are a 48" waist. (48B/32 - Mr. Lauren thinks that without the 'B' people won't know that they are big?) I have successfully reduced my size so that I am BIG.   If I am BIG now, what size was I two weeks ago?  (BIGGER?) The irony is that I am pleased to be wearing these trousers, as I know that they may be BIG, they are still smaller than what I was wearing went I went to see my doctor for a 'wellness' checkup way, way back on December 24, 2014.

On January 3, 2014 I was quite happy to be able to slip on my 48 waist Ralph Laurens.   Fast forward to yesterday, May 7 and I experienced a far more rewarding day landmark day in my personal history.  I was able to wear my new RALPH LAUREN BLUE JEANS that I purchased online.  I purchased a pair of 36 Waist, 34 Length blue jeans with the expectation that they would not fit yet.   To my surprise, they fit perfectly.  I am not necessarily tricked into thinking that my waist size is unambiguously a 36" as I know that various manufacturers will have slight variations in how they size their products.  Nevertheless, these particular blue jeans ARE 36".  No longer are Ralph Lauren sizes anything along the lines of 36B. (36 BIG)  The reason for this is that they are not big.  A 36" waist is well within the normal size range of a normally sized human being.  And that is what I am these days - a normally sized human being.  Here is a picture of me wearing my new jeans while with my daughter at the Springfield, Illinois History Fair Expo yesterday.  The jeans fit great and it was very enjoyable to wear them yesterday.

Springfield, Illinois History Fair May 7, 2015

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast     Ramada Breakfast two eggs, two sausages, two apples, two cups oatmeal, orange    789 calories

lunch            SUBWAY DOUBLE CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD, apple                                              300 calories

dinner          HYVEE SPINACH SALAD, 28 almonds                                                                         670 calories

TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION 1759 CALORIES

calories burned

7AM  RAMADA ELLIPTICAL 30 minutes 295 calories

THURSDAY NET CALORIES 1464 CALORIES

At this event, our daughter received her BLUE RIBBON for her paper: SWEET HOME CHICAGO
HOW CHICAGO BECAME THE CANDY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

CHICAGO HISTORY FAIR

CHICAGO HISTORY FAIR continues today in Springfield, Illinois

Springfield, lllinois

Illinois History Fair Expo Information

The Illinois History Fair Expo will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. Students whose paper and/or project was sent to regionals will get to attend the Expo.

Students whose paper and/or project received a superior at regionals will advance to state (Expo). Paper awards will be given that day at 10:30. Projects will be judged again and there will be a public viewing from 1:00-2:30. Awards for projects will be presented at 2:45.

This is why we are here today in Springfield.  My daughter, Sara, representing Lincoln Elementary School, wrote a paper for 'history fair' which has advanced to the state level.  The paper is titled: SWEET HOME CHICAGO: How Chicago Became the Candy Capital of the World.   Today is a big day.   No matter what happens next, my daughter has had a terrific accomplishment.

WEDNESDAY MENU

breakfast    two apples, two cups instant oatmeal                                                                420 calories

lunch          HUGE SPINACH SALAD HYVEE GROCERY STORE, w/tomato, cucumber, beets

                 mushroom, onions, turkey, ham, chicken, imitatation crab leg & zero calorie dressing

                  28 ALMONDS                                                                                                   670 calories

dinner        HUGE SPINACH SALAD HYVEE GROCERY STORE, w/tomato, cucumber, beets

                 mushroom, onions, turkey, ham, chicken, imitation crab leg & zero calorie dressin   500 calories

TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION   1590 CALORIES

calories burned

YMCA elliptical 40 minutes 415 calories

WEDNESDAY NET CALORIES 1175 CALORIES

HYVEE SPINACH SALAD

My spinach salad at the HYVEE 'Make your own salad' bar is full of low calorie additions.  There is no real way to know the calories - but since it is a huge salad and I gave myself ample portions - I am going to assign 500 calories to this meal every time I have it.  Each item that was added is in itself low calorie.  However, my portions of chicken, ham, turkey and roast beef, imitation crab were 'healthy.'   Even so, it is hard to imagine that this salad could have exceeded 500 calories.  (It is topped off with zero calorie dressing that I travel with.)  

A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling very sluggish and I even had some minor pains in my joints.  I had become convinced that I was not eating enough.  Now, I am fearful that my appetite has returned.  So this is a very difficult balancing act that I am trying to keep.  I still enjoy eating, but I need to continue to eat good healthy foods.   Last week my weight popped up an inexplicable 8 pounds.  I do not know what my scale will show this week.   Monday I visit my doctor again and it will be a good time to assess where I am - and where I should be going.

For now...I am going to enjoy HISTORY FAIR!

See you tomorrow...

MY STARBUCKS REWARDS

I have decided that Starbucks is going to be a good reliable place to get a quick low calorie, healthy, nutritious breakfast.  This past week, I have stopped at a Starbucks for breakfast on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. There is some irony that I now go to Starbucks so often and I have no desire whatsoever to order coffee.

I joined the Starbucks Reward Loyalty Program.  It allows me to earn 'stars' for some 'freebies.' I downloaded the Starbucks App on my iphone.   This app allows you to enter your credit card number directly into the app and you can pay for your purchase with your phone.  The first time I tried this was on Monday morning.  I am not sure why I find this so convenient, but I do. The app will download an additional $25.00 each time my balance dips below $10.00. I guess instead of seeing countless $4 charges on my credit card statement, I will see one charge for $25 after a bunch of visits. My credit card statement will be slightly less cluttered.

One of the convenient things about using Starbucks as a reliable source of breakfast 'on the road' is that there are Starbucks stores seemingly everywhere.   The Simpsons made this point when Bart Simpsons visited Springfield Mall in an episode a few years back, as you can see in the photos below.   Bart is walking through the mall and passing Starbucks, Starbucks, Starbucks and Starbucks.... Finally, he comes to a store that is announcing their new tenant coming soon - Starbucks!   This is pretty much how it can seem when one is traversing the country visiting cities all over the midwest.   One usually does not have to travel too far to find a Starbucks.

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LUNCH: SUBWAY DOUBLE CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD
w/TOMATO & ONION  and KEN'S FAT FREE ITALIAN DRESSING   255 CALORIES

After ordering the salad at Subway, I was asked if I wanted some croutons.   I said yes and I was handed

a package weighing 14 grams that included these 16 croutons which added up to 60 CALORIES!

I DECLINED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THEM TO MY LUNCH , INSTEAD THE CROUTONS

POSED FOR A PICTURE.

Here is the 'nutrition' information on the croutons that I did not  add to my salad.

MENU

breakfast   STARBUCKS reduced fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich                        230 calories

lunch         SUBWAY  double chicken spinach salad w/tomato & onion Ken's dressing   220 calories  

dinner        APPLEBEE'S 7 oz Sirloin Steak, cup of Tortilla Soup                                    500 calories 

total calories consumed      965 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

7:00AM YMCA elliptical machine 24 minutes     332 calories

five minute break

7:30AM YMCA ellpitcal machine 21 minutes      300 calories

total calories burned    632 CALORIES

TOTAL NET CALORIES     333 CALORIES