SHIPSHEWANA DAY 38

It appeared as if it would not be possible to take any kind of walk on Wednesday.
I arrived Shipshewana after dark.
And as soon as I arrived it rained like mad until about 11:30PM.
It turns out, I am deep in Crazy-Marc mode right now.... so at 11:30PM I put on a pair of shorts, grabbed my backpack and flashlight and managed a four mile walk along deserted roads in quiet Shipshewana.
Oh yeah!

Midnight Shipshewana Selfie

HIKING IN AMISH COUNTRY

Monday morning, I left Chicago and headed to Middlebury, Indiana for a very productive appointment selling batiks. After I finished, I continued on to Shipshewana to put myself in place for a one day wholesale show on Tuesday. As soon as I checked in, I wasted no time changing my clothes and set out for a hike in Amish country, Shipshewana, Indiana. Since I was in the western portion of the eastern time zone, I got nearly an extra hour of sunlight than I would have enjoyed in Chicago. I made good use of the light, and was able to complete a twelve mile hike.

It looks like I have time travelled to the 1908 when the Cubs has last won the World Series prior to their victory last week. No, it is just me, in 2016 in the heart of Amish country in Shipshewana, Indiana.

I 'discovered' this plaque near Shipshewana Lake.

In Amish country, one has to make sure that you stay out of the way of approaching horse and buggies approaching.

I am a 'city boy' so I found it particularly interesting to be so up close and personal with these horses.

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Other than the occasional horse and buggy or bicyclist, there was not too much traffic on the Amish roads.

Your Food Diary For:

Monday, November 7, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Grits Instant Original	300	66	0	6	930	0
Whey Protein Bar Chocolate Chip	360	42	12	20	160	29
	660	108	12	26	1,090	29
L U N C H
Subway Footlong Turkey Breast on Wheat	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
Costco - Cheese Pizza Slice	350	35	14	22	685	4
Quest - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough	190	20	9	21	210	1
	1,100	147	40	79	2,785	16
D I N N E R
Subway - Carved Turkey Sandwich	760	86	10	50	1,800	12
Subway - Sun Chips- Harvest Cheddar	210	27	9	4	320	3
	970	113	19	54	2,120	15
S N A C K S
Costco - Chocolate Cake	500	70	33	7	522	44
	500	70	33	7	522	44
Totals	3,230	438	104	166	6,517	104
Your Daily Goal	3,996	499	133	200	2,300	149
Remaining	766	61	29	34	-4,217	45
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,066 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 203.4 lbs in 5 weeks .


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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, November 7, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
TWELVE MILE HIKE SHIPSHEWANA	166	2,236
Daily Total / Goal	166 / 30	2,236 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	166 / 210	2,236 / 4,130

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Today, November 8, 2016 is Election Day in the United States. It is a confusing race as one opponent is a liar and the other is an egomaniac. The confusion stems from the fact that the egomaniac also lies and the liar is also an egomaniac. Never before in the history of the United States have two wildly flawed and unlikeable candidates run against each other. My overwhelming preference is for Donald Trump, as I prefer capitalism to socialism. I prefer conservatism to liberalism. I prefer traditional American values to European values, as I prefer the values of the right to the values of the left. The candidate that I support, Donald Trump has a narrow path to victory. As I watch the election results this evening, it may be a long night or a short night. It will be a short night if it is clear that Trump has lost key states early. One thing is certain, about half of all Americans are going to be more than a bit depressed tomorrow. Either way, a song from R.E.M. may be somewhat appropriate, although  I am not too certain about the 'AND I FEEL FINE' part of the song title. 

STRASBURG OHIO

I stayed at the Ramada in Strasburg, Ohio for two nights. I was happy to see that the hotel had a fitness room as I expected that I would not find the time for a hike on Thursday. I was wrong. I was at my trade show from 7:30AM until 7PM. My hotel was about 30 minutes away from the trade show. By the time I returned to my hotel after picking up a 'sub' at Subway it was nearly 8PM.  I chose to skip the fitness room and head out for a walk in the 'neighborhood'. My hike was just short of 9 miles. Sadly I returned to my hotel room before Hillary Rotten Clinton took center stage at the Democratic National Convention to officially accept the nomination to be the President of the United States. Although it was painful, I did manage to listen to the whole wretched speech. 

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Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, July 28, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Egg - Scrambled	100	1	8	7	97	1
Bacon - Generic - Bacon	200	0	14	14	912	0
Yellow Apple, 1 medium	80	22	0	0	0	16
Kroger - Grits	300	63	3	6	1,020	3
	680	86	25	27	2,029	20
L U N C H
Homemade - Salad - Potato - German	101	15	4	1	94	1
Ham and Cheese Sandwich	700	51	25	56	3,170	7
	801	66	29	57	3,264	8
D I N N E R
Footlong Turkey Breast on Wheat	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
S N A C K S
Chocolate Chip Cookie	200	26	10	2	123	14
General Mills - Cheerios	70	14	1	0	95	1
Banana (2)	230	56	0	2	2	35
	500	96	11	4	220	50
Totals	2,541	340	82	124	7,403	89
Your Daily Goal	3,545	443	118	178	2,300	133
Remaining	1,004	103	36	54	-5,103	44
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,615 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 206 lbs in 5 weeks .

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	27	609
Walking	88	1,051
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-45
Daily Total / Goal	116 / 30	1,615 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	854 / 210	10,080 / 4,130

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STRANDED IN SHIPSHEWANA

Yesterday I was a vendor at a one day local wholesale fabric show at the Farmstead Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana. From the moment that I arrived to set up at 7:00AM it started snowing. The forecast for the day was for up to twelve inches of snow. The same snowstorm was over the entire midwest and included Chicago - where thousands of flights were cancelled at the two area airports. Instead of making the effort to return to Chicago as I had planned, I decided to stay one extra night and I checked into the Farmstead Inn. I had planned on visiting a local YMCA on the way back home, as those plans were scuttled, I was limited to the small fitness room at the hotel. Their elliptical machine was very stingy with the calories burned.  The machine was a brand that I had never seen before: HORIZON EX-69.  After a two hour workout set to the maximum resistance, the machine recorded only that I had burned 1140 calories. These kinds of numbers always make me wonder: Is it this machine that it stingy? or is the the other machines that I use that way too generous?  My assumption is that the truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle....

undated photo.  Amish buggy in a snow storm.  The wonderful thing about this photo is that  it could have been taken 100 years ago or yesterday.  There is nothing in the photo that would betray the era when it was taken.  Yesterday, I was stuck in a Shipshewana snowstorm which is Amish country.  I passed plenty of buggies that looked just like this when I drove into town on Tuesday evening.

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Hotel - Scrambled Eggs w/two Sausages, 1 breakfast	300	0	0	0	0	0
Quaker Oats - Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon, 4 Bowl (43g)	640	132	8	16	800	48
	940	132	8	16	800	48
L U N C H
Side dishes - Potato salad, 1.0 cup	325	39	17	4	935	0
Home Made - Sloppy Joes, 8 oz	504	10	16	36	778	0
Rold Gold - Tiny Twist Pretzels - 2oz Bag , 1 package	230	47	2	4	900	1
Chocolate Chip Cookies, 2 Cookie	420	54	18	6	340	36
	1,479	149	54	50	2,953	37
D I N N E R
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder	720	108	18	30	4,800	18
	720	108	18	30	4,800	18
Totals	3,139	389	80	96	8,553	103
Your Daily Goal	3,204	400	106	161	2,300	120
Remaining	65	10	26	64	-6,252	17
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,274 extra calories from exercise today

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our Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
ELLIPTICAL (manual) 16	125	1,140
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	134
Daily Total / Goal	126 / 30	1,274 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	389 / 210	5,113 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3139 calories

total calories burned (elliptical) 1140 calories

total net 1999 calories

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fitbit day 175

20458 steps  

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RUMSPRINGA

My daughter and I just spent two days in Holmes County - Amish Country.  I think I might have had a little too much too eat for dinner at the DER DUTCHMAN buffet for during two consecutive dinners.   We also walked over to the local chocolate factory, COBLENTZ CHOCOLATES,  and sampled some (too many) of their offerings and purchased some (too many) of their offerings.    I think for two days, I got away from the Rabbi Hillel philosophy.   I think I did eat some (too many) things that were probably not good for me.  In other words... It's as if I had my own personal RUMSPRINGA for the past two days.   Now you, of course, are saying to yourself...."What is a Rumspringa?'   And your humble blogger, is about to provide the service and let you know....

I found this essay on RUMSPRINGA on a website of Elibatbethtown Collge.

Rumspringa

In many communities, Rumspringa is a period when some Amish youth, boys more than girls, experience greater freedom. They are no longer under the control of their parents on weekends and, because they are not baptized, they are not yet under the authority of the church. During this time, many Amish youth adhere to traditional Amish behavior. Others, however, experiment with “worldly” activities—buying a car, going to movies, wearing non-Amish clothes, buying a television or a DVD player. In the larger Amish settlements, an adolescent’s behavior often depends on the peer group he or she chooses to join. Amish parents may worry about which group their child will join because the choice will influence the teen’s behavior.

Traditional youth activities may include volleyball, swimming, ice skating, picnics, hiking, and large outdoor “supper” parties. The most typical gatherings are “singings.” Groups meet in a home and sing German hymns and English gospel songs for several hours and then enjoy a time of conversation and food. The “faster,” more rebellious groups sometimes drive cars, rent a building for parties, or go to bars and nightclubs in nearby towns.

A fling with worldliness reminds Amish youth that they have a choice regarding church membership; however, most of the forces of Amish life funnel them toward church membership. Knowing they have a choice likely strengthens their willingness to obey church standards and, in the long run, the authority of the church itself.

The practice of Rumspringa varies greatly from community to community. Some church districts provide adult supervision, but others do not.  Rumspringa as a wild rebellious experience is virtually unknown in some smaller settlements and in certain affiliations. In fact the practice would be suppressed among some Amish subgroups, including many New Order groups.

In short, I just think I might have 'rebelled' against my good eating policy for the past two days.  And it appears as if - now I must pay the price as I step onto the scale this morning.   I believe that as long as I return to a more balanced approach to eating over the next week I will see my weight dip down again closer to 220 lbs.   

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222.3 lbs

I weigh 222.3 lbs.

I lost 2 lbs this week

I lost 86.7 lbs in 213 days. Today begins Day 214.

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 222.3 lbs. (213 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 28.0% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.73 (far away from obesity!)

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

I have two words to describe how I feel this morning: all right

...I know how to begin this week... I think it might be another good day to to burn 2000+ calories with a strenuous session on the elliptical 

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 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast  steel cut oat meal, apples                                                         840 calories
lunch        PANERA BREAD SOBA NOODLE, turkey, apples            1070 calories
dinner      CORN THINS                                                                          668 calories
SNACK   BULK FOODS - KROGER                                                     700 calories

total calories consumed 3278 calories

calories burned

HOME ELLIPTICAL 92 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20'  2245 CALORIES
(I expected to give myself two days off from exercising... but I did return home early enough from OHIO to jump on the elliptical machine at home for a quick 92 minutes session!)

Friday net calories  1033 calories

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Even a peach has too many calories - if you eat too much.
(no worries here - this was just a wooden sign advertising fresh peaches in  Amish Country)

TWO DAY BREAK

Since the first week after I decided to change my lifestyle I have been working out once per day. Circumstances in the Amish town that I have been the past two days have precluded me from working out as I normally like.  The hotel that I am registered does not have a fitness room.  Furthermore, the nearest YMCA is nearly one half hour away.  My trade show starts very early in the morning, 8:00AM and I am traveling with my young daughter.

I was aware that the fact that I had not given myself a break for working out was actually counter-productive - I have now decided not to fret too much about this two day break.  I will likely be home in time tonight in order to exercise - but I think I will allow myself to have this two day break without getting crazy about it.  I might have compounded my weekly weight fluctuations by eating at an Amish buffet two nights in a row.  Last night I did return to the buffet for 'seconds' although I mostly piled on some cabbage and green beans

Since my weight has been bouncing up and down the past few weeks - I am mentally prepared for an annoying weigh-in on Saturday.  Whatever the scale says on Saturday, I will get 'back on program' and back on track immediately.  This will mean more strictly regulating my calories and daily trips to the fitness room.

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I invited my daughter to accompany me on this trip as I expected that we would have an enjoyable 400 mile drive to our destination - and we did.

I invited my daughter to accompany me on this trip as I expected that we would have an enjoyble 400 mile drive back home - and we will.

Daddy and daughter take a selfie with the beautiful Amish countryside in the background

I did not invite my daughter to accompany me on this trip to assist me during the trade show - BUT SHE DID.   My daughter did not write just one order with customers yesterday - she wrote two orders!   It was so much fun for me to see her interacting with real customers and taking their button order.  When I submitted the order to Dill Button Company - the president of the company and the customer service department both responded extremely enthusiastically to my daughters contribution.

My daughter writing her first button order with real customers at a fabric show!

I invited my daughter to accompany me on this trip as I thought it would be fun - We have had a treat time together and the trip was wildly memorable.

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 Thursday MENU

breakfast  INN AT WALNUT CREEK OATMEAL, 3 APPLES               540 calories
lunch        COLDCUTS, POTATO SALAD, TOMATO                            828 calories

dinner       DER DUTCHMAN BUFFET w/SALAD                               1000 calories

SNACK   SNACK:  COBLENTZ CHOCOLATES                                   300 calories

total calories consumed 2668 calories

calories burned

NO WORKOUT

CALORIES BURNED - not applicable

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Wednesday net calories 2668 calories

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DER DUTCHMAN BUFFET SALAD - LOW CALORIE, VERY HEALTHY

DER DUTCHMAN BUFFET MEAL - PAN ROASTED CHICKEN, GREEN BEANS, CREAMED CORN, CABBAGE, SMALL PORTION BREAD PUDDING, STUFFING (This was a combination of some high calorie choices and some very healthy low calorie choices)  THE DINNER WAS DELICIOUS.  I HAVE JUST RANDOMLY ASSIGNED 1000 CALORIES TO THIS MEAL - although I do assume (and hope) that the reality would have been significantly less.

DER DUTCHMAN

I have had a summer fabric trade show scheduled in Holmes County, Ohio since January. Holmes County is Amish country.  My schedule precluded me from leaving for the Thursday/Friday show until yesterday.  Right before I left, a light bulb lit up in my head and I decided to invite my family to join me.  There was one small responsibility that prevented both my wife and daughter from traveling with me.  My daughter had two days left of a three week, one hour per day,  cat-sitting summer job.  My wife offered to take care of the cat for the last two days which allowed my daughter to accompany me.  Less than 90 minutes after I had the idea to invite my family - my daughter and I were on our way to Amish Country in Ohio.

We had an enjoyable 400 mile drive.  We stopped for lunch at Panera Bread in the Toledo area.  We arrived in Holmes  County around 6:00PM and my daughter assisted me in setting up my booth. She was instrumental in making my booth space look better than ever.

After setting up the booth we did one 'touristy' thing - We took a buggy ride with an Amish driver and his 19 year old horse, Rocky.  The fifteen minute ride was quite fun.

The reason  you do not see a picture of our driver is that the Amish do not like their photograph to be taken and naturally I respected that.  Our driver, Ivan was very nice guy and answered many questions we had about the Amish lifestyle.

After the buggy ride we were able to go to DER DUTCHMAN,  the best restaurant in town which inexplicably closes each night at 8:00PM.  (I do not think I have ever been to a restaurant anywhere else that serves dinner and closes at 8:00PM!)

Once seated, we both chose the buffet for our meal.   In the old days, I would have made sure to visit and revisit the buffet at least three times.   I did try to sample as many different types of the hot food as possible.  Back in the 'old days' (prior to December 24, 2014) I used to be the type of guy who would return from the buffet with a plate that could have doubled as a scale model of Mount Everest.   I think my new style is much healthier for me - and much more profitable for the restaurants!

DER DUTCHMAN: salad, sweet potato casserole, creamed corn, green beans, pan fried chicken,  BBQ meatballs, swiss steak, bread pudding, roast beef, stuffing

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 Wednesday MENU

breakfast  three poached eggs, oatmeal, center cut bacon, corn thins       636 calories 
lunch        Panera Bread 1/2 sandwich Roasted Turkey, Onion Soup,
                 apple, veggie chips, dark chocolate almond granola               1080 calories

dinner       DER DUTCHMAN BUFFET w/SALAD                               1000 calories

SNACK   SNACK: cherry vanilla granola, mango, glad corn                   686 calories

total calories consumed 3403 calories

calories burned

HOME STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL 92 minutes, level 20                     2289 calories

CALORIES BURNED 2289 CALORIES

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Tuesday net calories 1114 calories

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Did this poster really say what I think I saw it say:
SHOP LATE, OPEN 'TIL 8