ELEVEN WEEKS (DAY 77)

Sunday marked the completion of my eleventh week since I finally got disgusted enough to make the effort to reverse my weight-gaining self into a weight-losing self.  Eleven weeks, 77 days....it was not so long ago that I weight 283.6 lbs - On Sunday morning I stepped on the scale and was enthused to see the imaginary needle stop at 232.9 lbs. That positive re-enforcement from the scale in combination with the moderate temperature outside encouraged me to take a long 13 mile urban hike and I completed the hike in just under three hours.

A part of Chicago that people many not associate with the city. Taken from a the Montrose Avenue Bridge  crossing the Chicago River. 

BACK IN CHICAGO THURSDAY (DAY 74)

I have upped my calories no into the neighborhood of 1800 for the past few days.
After my rain shortened four mile walk on Wednesday I bounced back Thursday with a 10 miler.
The weather has finally changed....
Monday it was 90° and during my Chicago hike on Thursday it was 40° cooler!

GENERAL IRON INDUSTRIES

I have walked past this place many times. Until looking it up today on google, it had never dawned on me that this was a business that paid cash for scrap metal. It is located on Clifton Avenue one block from Clybourn Avenue in Lincoln Park, Chicago. This scrapyard has been in business in Chicago for over 100 years. Naturally, the Democratic Alderman now want it to vacate from its home in Chicago so the land can be developed for condos and/or retail. Is it just me, or does it always seem that Democrats are business unfriendly?

General Iron Industries of Chicago, IL is a family owned and operated Scrap Metal Recycling yard that buys copper, brass and aluminum, lite iron, stainless steel and more. 


.

My seven mile walk in the morning was enjoyable, that must be why I took another in the late afternoon. I met my family in the middle of it for dinner and then carried on.

.

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, September 16, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Oats instant grits - Instant Grits	200	44	3	4	620	0
	200	44	3	4	620	0
L U N C H
Campbell's Chunky Soup Roasted Beef Tips	240	38	4	14	1,580	10
Johnsonville - Smoked Turkey Sausage, 2	240	8	12	20	1,480	4
Libby's - Sweet Peas	245	42	2	14	1,050	21
Dannon - Greek coconut cream yogurt	90	12	0	13	0	8
	815	100	18	61	4,110	43
D I N N E R
Panda Express - Mushroom Chicken	170	11	14	12	840	4
Panda Express - Honey Walnut Shrimp Side	360	35	23	13	440	9
Panda Express - Brown Rice	420	87	4	9	15	1
	950	133	41	34	1,295	14
S N A C K S
Quaker - Chewy Granola 90 Calories, 1 bar	90	19	2	1	80	7
Yogurt Almonds	300	30	19	5	27	26
	390	49	21	6	107	33
Totals	2,355	326	83	105	6,132	90
Your Daily Goal	4,502	563	150	226	2,300	168
Remaining	2,147	237	67	121	-3,832	78
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,572 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 219 lbs in 5 weeks     

CHESHIRE CAT

Something that I like to do when walking in Chicago, is to visit new neighborhoods and go down new side streets that I have never seen before. Yesterday's discovery, was not found on some obscure side street, but right on Milwaukee Avenue on the south side of a seven story building. When I spotted this giant cheshire cat, I wondered how I had failed to miss it before. It turns out, this mural is new and was only completed earlier this month.

from dnainfo.com
By Alisa Hauser | September 6, 2017 4:32pm | Updated on September 11, 2017 9:47am.

NOBLE SQUARE — A giant and mischievous Cheshire cat watching over the street — courtesy of New York City-based street artist Jerkface, known for his imaginative interpretations of pop culture iconography — has brought a burst of color and nostalgia to Milwaukee Avenue in Noble Square. Work on the mural at Lewis Towers, a vintage apartment building at 1166 N. Milwaukee Ave., kicked off Aug. 31, continued through the Labor Day weekend and wrapped up Friday. Jasmine Petersen, a Chicago muralist and artist, assisted Jerkface with the mural along the side of the seven-story vintage apartment building, facing southbound traffic on Milwaukee Avenue. David Ruttenberg, a partner with Marc Realty, which owns Lewis Towers and commissioned the mural, said, "Jerkface's work is bright and energetic. The nostalgia factor is always fun, and this composition is memorable to so many age groups. The large scale makes this larger than life and really brightens up this corner of the city." Ruttenberg said his son Solomon and daughter Sasha have loved seeing the mural being painted over the last few days, watching the ongoing work while camped out in the parking lot next to the building. "Murals have the power to uplift a city. They bring vibrancy and movement to bleak and mundane spaces. If one can cross color on their way to work, the bus, or just simply on their way through the city — it does something to them. Color affects one's psyche. It alters one's mood and changes their day. Urban art can be used as a powerful tool to enhance life. Art isn't just meant to be for museums, galleries and high classes. Art is for everyone, and should be enjoyed by everyone," Ruttenberg said. Petersen said the Cheshire cat, inspired by the cat in "Alice in Wonderland," was selected before she and Jerkface knew that there was a veterinary office, Wicker Park Veterinary, on the ground floor of Lewis Towers. "It worked out really well a vet was here," Petersen said.

Jerkface is one of the most readily identifiable artists in the street art community..

* * * * * * * * *

Your Food Diary For:

Friday, September 15, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Oats instant grits - Instant Grits	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
L U N C H
Libby's - Sweet Peas	245	42	2	14	1,050	21
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
	545	107	2	19	2,550	61
D I N N E R
Mariano's - Spicy Salmon Maki	400	44	18	17	317	0
	400	44	18	17	317	0
S N A C K S
Yogurt Almonds	300	30	19	5	27	26
	300	30	19	5	27	26
Totals	1,645	269	45	49	4,134	87
Your Daily Goal	3,679	460	122	184	2,300	138
Remaining	2,034	191	77	135	-1,834	51
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,749 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 222.5 lbs in 5 weeks     

.

.

SATURDAY WEIGH-IN
This week my weight dropped 2.5 lbs. As long as I keep reminding myself that this is not a race, I think that I am definitely on course. 

weight 253.3 lbs

My weight during its most recent peak on August 26 just three weeks ago was 263.3 lbs. 

I can do two things now. I can always remind myself that on December 24, 2014 I weighed 309 lbs. And since that 'balloonistic' day, I have shed 55.7 lbs.

We all know that at this time, that is a rather ambiguous statistic as I had lost so much more weight than that. What I will do is take some pride in my more contemporaneous accomplishment of dropping 10 pounds in the last three weeks. 



.

SIMILAR TO AN ORGAN REJECTION

It is fairly common knowledge that one of the obstacles to a successful organ transplant is the rejection of that organ from the new body. Although I 'officially' weigh myself once per week, I do sometimes hop on the scale to monitor my progress. I was very pleased when the scale showed a weight of 210.2 lbs. on Saturday. On Sunday it had bounced back up two pounds, and Monday it had stubbornly stayed at about 212 lbs. There was a brief moment at the end of 2015 when the imaginary needle on my digital scale rested at 209 lbs.  One week later, the weight indicated 218 lbs. It is as if my body is rejecting this 209-210 lb weight.  It appears that this is going to be a difficult level to break through. Woman sometimes talk about the difficulty breaking through the glass ceiling. I am trying to break through the glass floor. If I persevere, as I will continue to do, eventually my body will relent, and I will know what it feels like to be nearer to 200 lbs than I am now. I still harbor the fantasy of getting under 200 lbs. Clearly this is not going to be easy.

Your Food Diary For:

Monday, August 29, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Roundys - Creamy Wheat - Enriched Farina	480	100	0	16	340	4
	480	100	0	16	340	4
L U N C H
Healthy Choice - Chicken With Rice Soup	220	34	4	12	780	2
Homemade - Garden Salad - No Dressing	50	19	0	6	527	15
	270	53	4	18	1,307	17
D I N N E R
Roasted Cauliflower	100	3	10	1	497	1
Pot Roast, Beef	400	0	25	40	63	0
Squash - Butternut Squash	151	38	0	2	14	7
	651	41	35	43	574	8
S N A C K S
YOGURT PRETZELS	400	59	0	4	379	40
	400	59	0	4	379	40
Totals	1,801	253	39	81	2,600	69
Your Daily Goal	4,074	509	135	204	2,300	152
Remaining	2,273	256	96	123	-300	83
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,144 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 177.5 lbs in 5 weeks     

.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, August 29, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
11 Mile Walk	144	2,166
Daily Total / Goal	144 / 30	2,166 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	144 / 210	2,166 / 4,130

.

.

.

glass ceil·ing

noun

1. an unofficially acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and members of minorities.

MIDWAY MARATHON MADNESS

My daughter was to arrive back home from a weeklong trip to California. Her arrival time at Midway Airport was scheduled for 8:15PM. My wife took the car to pick her up and bring her home. I still wanted to greet her at the gate when she deplaned. I had planned all week to walk to Midway Airport from my home. This urban hike would have been twelve miles if I had taken a direct route. I decided to make the hike a bit longer. I walked all along the lakefront, detouring at Navy Pier and Northerly Island and continued all the way down to 'The Promenade' and then I headed west for about 10 miles more and continued my hike to Midway Airport. I made a few side trips along the route to insure that my mileage when I arrived at the airport would be 26.2 miles. I walked the distance of a standard marathon.  I left my home at 11:30AM and took a 30 minute break at the Hyde Park Whole Foods.  I arrived at Midway Airport exactly when I wanted to arrive - 7:30PM, in time to check in with the desk and get my TSA pass to meet my daughter at the gate. Still, even I know that a 26.2 mile to the airport is some kind of madness. Guilty as charged.  My actual hiking time was six hours thirty five minutes.  Madness. Healthy madness. 

.

I walked 26.2 miles yesterday from my home to Midway Airport.
A direct route would have been only 12 miles.  I did not walk 'direct.'

.

Shortly after picking up a snack at Whole Foods in Hyde Park I passed a street that was being protected by a rail, and two unmarked SUV cars manned by Secret Service agents. I was at Greenwood Avenue - Chicago home of the President of the United States.  You can be sure that I asked if it was OK to take a picture before I did. Permission was granted. The next two photos are approved by the Secret Service of the United States of America.

.

.

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, August 7, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Kroger - Grits, 5 cup	500	105	5	10	1,700	5
Maltomeal - Honey Nut Scooters, 2 cup	240	48	3	6	420	18
	740	153	8	16	2,120	23
L U N C H
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Take 5 - Candy Bar, 1 package (2 bars)	200	25	11	4	180	18
Nice! - Whole Cashews Roasted	200	10	17	6	150	0
Nice! - Almonds Smoked	250	8	23	8	0	0
	950	108	51	23	1,830	58
D I N N E R
Whole Foods Salmon Avocado Roll, 7 oz	430	0	9	0	0	0
	430	0	9	0	0	0
S N A C K S
DRIED MANGO SLICES	110	28	0	2	1	20
YOGURT PRETZELS	190	28	0	2	180	19
Whole Foods - Banana Chips	150	17	10	1	0	10
FRENCH VANILLA GRANOLA	400	74	13	8	96	22
	850	147	23	13	277	71
Totals	2,970	408	91	52	4,227	152
Your Daily Goal	6,394	799	213	320	2,300	239
Remaining	3,424	391	122	268	-1,927	87
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 4,464 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 178.5 lbs in 5 weeks.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
26.2 MILE HIKE	395	4,464
Daily Total / Goal	395 / 30	4,464 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1605 / 210	19,629 / 4,130

Wow....great news... I can consume 3000 calories per day as long as I walk 26.2 miles and after five weeks I will weigh 178.5 lbs. What a fantasy. I do not think that I will be taking another 26.2 mile hike for awhile. 

.

.

* * * * * * * * *

THE STREETS ARE PAVED WITH GOLD - found another dime yesterday.
MONEY FOUND WHILE HIKING...The hobby that pays for itself

07122016 ICE AGE TRAIL 25 CENTS
07202016 DAYTON TWO DIMES, TEN PENNIES
07212016 Cincinnati, one penny
08042016 Louisville, Kentucky QUARTER
08082016 Chicago, Illinois DIME