THE BIG FIVE-OH (DAY 75)

The Big Five Oh.
No, it's not my birthday (that's next month, and besides, I am one year beyond the Big Six Oh)
Today the Big Five Oh refers to the FIFTY POUNDS of fat that have been liberated from my body...
...and all it took was 75 days of dedication.

* * * * * * * * * *

I guess 'winter' has arrived.
According to the calendar, we are in the third week of autumn.
Halloween is still nearly 3 weeks away.
Earlier this week, on Monday, I was struggling in the 90° heat.
That was then.
The temperature in Chicago was in the 40's when I set out for a hike on Friday.
I was wearing my favorite goofy winter hat.
I was wearing my long warmups and wearing gloves.
And when I returned home, I had logged eleven miles.


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FIRST TEN MILE HIKE IN NEARLY A MONTH

Yesterday I completed a ten mile urban hike in Chicago. Two things have conspired against me to hike this much distance in recent days. I have been much busier with work, seeing customers and the cold weather has just seemed far less amusing. Yesterday, the temperature was above 40°F and seemed much warmer. Perhaps going forward, more and more of my longer walks will be restricted to the weekends until daylight and warmth return.

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, January 21, 2018

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Hy-vee - Oatmeal - Apples & Cinnamon	660	138	9	18	750	36
	660	138	9	18	750	36
L U N C H
Oki Sushi - Tuna Roll Maki With Avocado	350	45	8	28	0	0
Oki Sushi - Spicy Tuna Maki	400	40	16	21	0	0
	750	85	24	49	0	0
D I N N E R
Brioche Burger Buns, 2	320	50	8	10	420	10
Hamburger patty, 2	560	0	44	38	150	0
	880	50	52	48	570	10
S N A C K S
Met Rx - Chocolate Cookie Dough	400	58	6	31	167	28
	400	58	6	31	167	28
Totals	2,690	331	91	146	1,487	74
Your Daily Goal	3,836	479	128	192	2,300	143
Remaining	1,146	148	37	46	813	69
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,906 extra calories from exercise today

2018

On the last day of 2017 I thought I might take an urban hike. When I woke up, the temperature was about 3°F so I chose to wait awhile before venturing outdoors. It would have been crazy to go outside when it was so cold, right? So I waited until around noon when the temperature had soared to 10°F. My hike took me to the beautiful Chicago lakefront. Although the skies were a deep blue in every direction, oddly enough the lakefront was not very crowded. I thought that I would see signs of the lake beginning to freeze near the shoreline, but it has not (yet). As the temperatures will not exceed freezing (32°F) for the ten days (at least) the lake may look a bit different next weekend. The new year is going help dispel the notion of global warming. We could use a little global warming right about now. Happy New Year.

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, December 31, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Special K Chewy Nut Bars (Cranberry Almond)	450	60	18	9	180	36
Essential Everyday Butter Flavored Grits	500	105	5	10	1,700	5
Kirkland Bacon	200	0	15	15	875	0
	1,150	165	38	34	2,755	41
L U N C H
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	700	55	31	17	286	31
	700	55	31	17	286	31
D I N N E R
Rotisserie Chicken	510	3	33	45	1,860	3
Baked Beans	250	43	1	3	313	6
	760	46	34	48	2,173	9
French Baguette	450	90	3	15	1,110	3
Brie Cheese	300	0	27	12	360	0
	750	90	30	27	1,470	3
Totals	3,360	356	133	126	6,684	84
Your Daily Goal	2,968	371	99	149	2,300	111
Remaining	-392	15	-34	23	-4,384	27
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,038 extra calories from exercise today

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BEACH DAY

For most people, temperatures just a few degrees above freezing does not signal that it is time to go to the beach. I am not most people. After an extremely productive sales call in Ann Arbor, I headed back to Chicago. Before the night replaced day, I stopped at Indiana Dunes and hiked to the beach. My hikes at Indiana Dunes usually include a significant time in the woods, but I was unwilling to chance getting lost in the woods in the cold as I knew darkness would descend fairly soon. It's one thing to be mildly lost on a warm day during the summer, but I did not relish the idea of getting disoriented during this time of year. My hike took me to the Porter Beach and I returned to my car on very quiet roads as this community which is hopping during the summer, looks largely abandoned in the winter. As you can see, the beach was devoid of human activity.

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Your Food Diary For:

      Thursday, November 16, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Dannon Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek Yogurt	480	54	0	72	270	42
	480	54	0	72	270	42
L U N C H
Market Sandwich Smoked Ham and Cheese	260	28	7	21	1,350	6
Arby's  Roast Beef Classic	360	35	14	23	970	6
	620	63	21	44	2,320	12
D I N N E R
Cranberry Bread Stuffing	400	91	3	6	346	37
	400	91	3	6	346	37
S N A C K S
Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich	220	39	5	3	190	23
Frozen Fudge Bars	300	63	3	9	165	60
	520	102	8	12	355	83
Totals	2,020	310	32	134	3,291	174
Your Daily Goal	3,042	380	101	153	2,300	114
Remaining	1,022	70	69	19	-991	-60
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,112 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 213.7 lbs in 5 weeks     

IT'S SNOWTIME!

November 10 seems a bit early for snow, even in Chicago. Early it may be, but snow it did. It appeared to me that the accumulations were just under an inch. Even so, as I was walking in the city, I actually passed some people who broke out snowblowers to clear the sidewalk. When I set out for my eight mile hike, the temperature was uncomfortably around 25°F (although lucky me, it with the wind, it felt like 10°F)  The temperature was not the headline of the day. Chicago was experiencing its first snow of the year. It made for some slippery conditions, and sure enough I did lose my footing once and spilled to the ground. Undaunted, I brushed myself off and continued on my merry way. Winter in Chicago has arrived. It's SNOWTIME!

A WINTER WONDERLAND ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN ON A NOVEMBER MORNING

.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, November 10, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Trader Joe's - Simply the Best Trek Mix	600	52	40	16	60	28
	600	52	40	16	60	28
L U N C H
Fusion Sushi - Crunchy Spicy Salmon Roll	350	51	10	14	711	0
17.5oz C2o Pure Coconut Water	200	52	0	0	300	48
	550	103	10	14	1,011	48
D I N N E R
Taco Bell - Hard Shell Tacos	510	36	30	24	930	3
Campbell's Chunky Hearty Beef Barley	280	48	3	16	1,580	12
	790	84	33	40	2,510	15
S N A C K S
Oreo - Mini cookies	400	60	17	3	328	34
	400	60	17	3	328	34
Totals	2,340	299	100	73	3,909	125
Your Daily Goal	3,318	415	110	166	2,300	124
Remaining	978	116	10	93	-1,609	-1
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,388 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 214.1 lbs in 5 weeks

.

Another reminder this week that the junk food that I might eat and 'forget' to log still counts. My 'diet' has lots of room for improvement. Amazingly my weight this week was exactly what it was last week. So while it is disappointing to not have made any additional progress, at least I did not go backwards.

weight 235.4 lbs

THIS IS IT

Well, this may not be IT.
But it is me, standing in front of a wall mural advertising the new Stephen King flick, IT.
I just downloaded iOS 11 last night, and Apple has upgraded the efficiency of the iphone camera.
Perhaps it is my imagination, but I do think that colors captured by this photograph are more vivid.
Whatever. It is what it is. Obviously.

As I set out for my urban hike right around 3:00PM, it can be said that yesterday's twelve mile jaunt was the first  of the new fall season. Ironically, it felt more like one of the hottest days of the summer.

Since the universe tends to run like 'clockwork' it is easy to make certain predictions. It is easy to predict when the seasons change, and it is easy to predict phases of the moon, and for that matter, it is easy to predict solar eclipses...years, decades or even centuries into the future. As predicted, Summer gave way to Autumn yesterday afternoon in Chicago at 3:02PM. Apparently someone forgot to tell the weather forecasters, because they correctly predicted that the temperatures would approach 90°F in the late afternoon. Still seemed like summer to me.

Your Food Diary For:

Friday, September 22, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Scrambled Eggs	325	3	22	28	317	2
Nova Lox Haven - Smoked Salmon	100	0	6	12	650	0
Kraft  Ham and American Cheese	340	37	16	11	620	17
	765	40	44	51	1,587	19
L U N C H
Jimmy John's - Bootlegger Unwich	320	3	22	28	1,120	0
	320	3	22	28	1,120	0
D I N N E R
Bagel With Cream Cheese	400	58	12	13	780	4
	400	58	12	13	780	4
S N A C K S
Chewy Oat & Honey Cranola Bar	400	76	8	8	220	28
	400	76	8	8	220	28
Totals	1,885	177	86	100	3,707	51
Your Daily Goal	3,649	456	121	183	2,300	136
Remaining	1,764	279	35	83	-1,407	85
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,719 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 222.8 lbs in 5 weeks     

SATURDAY...TIME TO WEIGH IN

This morning I weighed 250.2 lbs. 
I lost an additional 3.1 lbs this past week.

On August 26, just one month ago my weight has crested at 263.3 lbs.
I WAS depressed.
I was NOT walking.
I was NOT eating well.
I was NOT blogging.

Fast forward one month.
I am NOT depressed.
I AM walking.
I AM eating well (OK, technically not well, but certainly better)
I AM blogging.

THIS IS IT.
It appears to me that I have recaptured the will to succeed that had evaded me for way too long.

SPRING

Today, March 20, 2017 is the first day of spring. (for us earthlings in the northern hemisphere)  Although it is true that every day is a good day to make changes in one's life, some days are seemingly just perfect. The first day of spring appears to be one such day.  I have a bunch of changes to make in my culinary habits. Today, like everyday, is a good day to start. 

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, March 19, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Essential Everyday - Butter Flavored Grits	500	105	5	10	1,700	5
	500	105	5	10	1,700	5
L U N C H
Omelette - 3-egg Omelette With Cheese	425	0	21	28	650	2
Johnsonville 170 - Polish Kielbasa Sausage	170	2	15	7	570	1
Trader Joes - Hash Brown Patty, 1 patty	130	14	8	1	250	0
	725	16	44	36	1,470	3
D I N N E R
Kirkland Signature Pizza	760	83	31	35	1,956	6
	760	83	31	35	1,956	6
Totals	1,985	204	80	81	5,126	14
Your Daily Goal	2,796	349	93	140	2,300	104
Remaining	811	145	13	59	-2,826	90
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	71	798
Daily Total / Goal	71 / 30	798 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	313 / 210	4,052 / 4,130