5:00AM

Even as I continue to fail to limit my caloric intake, I do take some solace in the fact that the one seemingly unbreakable habit that I have developed over the past two years is the urge to exercise every day. I knew that there would not be much time between my appointment in Warsaw, Indiana and my travel to Seymour, Indiana to put myself in place for my Thursday appointment.  So I did something that would have been unthinkable just two years ago. I set my alarm for 4:45AM simply to get up and get on the elliptical machine at 5:00AM. The feeling of accomplishment stays with me all day once I have exercised. It is an addiction which is mostly very healthy. I know that I should try to plan a day off from time to time, but I do not do that too well.

Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Omelette - 3-egg Omelette With Cheese	425	0	21	28	650	2
Millville - Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal	680	140	8	16	960	68
	1,105	140	29	44	1,610	70
L U N C H
Nathan's Skinless Beef Franks, 2	280	2	26	10	960	0
Butternut - 2 Enriched Hot Dog Buns	220	42	3	6	440	4
	500	44	29	16	1,400	4
D I N N E R
Hissho Sushi Tuna and Salmon	500	85	9	34	730	13
DARK COCOA MELTING WAFERS	660	72	39	9	135	63
	1,160	157	48	43	865	76
S N A C K S
Met-rx - Chocolate Fudge Deluxe	600	56	19	60	223	4
	600	56	19	60	223	4
Totals	3,365	397	125	163	4,098	154
Your Daily Goal	2,907	363	97	146	2,300	109
Remaining	-458	-34	-28	-17	-1,798	-45
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 977 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Elliptical Trainer	99	977
Daily Total / Goal	99 / 30	977 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	449 / 210	4,166 / 4,130

SNOW

Early yesterday morning before my first appointment, I walked 10 miles as I have now done 12 days in a row.  Late yesterday afternoon I walked 2 miles to Whole Foods.  Then I walked 1.5 miles to another store.  And when I walked home, I took a long circuitous route so that I could log a 6.5 mile distance.  Yesterday, I walked 20 miles.  The final 6.5 mile walk was during the first snowfall this season.  This morning, Saturday, much of Chicago is awakening to a thin blanket of snow.  My daily walk is going to be delayed until the afternoon as there are too many errands to run this morning.

Dill Button: 'Snowflake' Button
281061/20mm white        371138/34mm white
281062/20mm powder blue        371139/34mm powder blue

My pre-dawn 10 mile walk started with the temperature just hovering above freezing

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My ten mile walk in the morning established another personal record.  I completed my 10 miles in just under 2 hours.  In fact, I had about 2.5 minutes to spare.  It is not surprising that if one practices something, walking 10 miles in my case, that one gets a bit better at it.  It is extremely enjoyable to have empirical evidence of the improvement.  

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

217.0 lbs

I weigh 217.0 lbs.

I lost 3.4 lb this week

I have lost 92 lbs in 332 days. Today begins Day 333.

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 217.0 lbs (332 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 29.8% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.03

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 332 days ago (Class III obesity)

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, November 20, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Chex - Rice Cereal, 3 Cup	300	69	2	6	720	6
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple (170g)	95	25	0	1	2	19
Whole Foods - Oatmeal, 1 cup	300	54	5	10	180	2
	695	148	7	17	902	27
L U N C H
Jason's Deli - SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO, 1 Bowl	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Jason's Deli - Amy's Turkey-o, 0.5 sandwich	240	28	9	15	690	6
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	565	79	17	27	2,402	27
D I N N E R
WHOLE FOODS - SALAD BAR, 1.5 SALAD (1 pound or less)	375	0	0	0	0	0
Glad Corn - A-Maizing Corn Snack, 0.7326000158786774 cup or 28g or 1 oz	308	42	13	4	352	1
WHOLE FOODS 5938 - UNSWEETENED BANANA CHIPS, 28.5 g (1/4 cup)	161	15	9	2	5	1
WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 63.25 g (3/4 cup)	276	46	8	6	69	17
Chex - Rice Cereal, 3 Cup	300	69	2	6	720	6
	1,420	172	32	18	1,146	25
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS - NATURAL WASABI GREEN PEAS, 5/6 cup (30 grams)	300	48	8	10	600	5
WHOLE FOODS 8890 - STRAWBERRY VANILLA HEMP GRANOLA, 77.0 g (3/4 cup)	350	56	11	7	84	21
WHOLE FOODS 7700 - ORGANIC DATE PIECES w/OAT FLOWER, 70.4 g (2 TBSP)	211	53	0	2	18	39
WHOLE FOODS 7089 - 42% CACAO SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS, 60 g (approx 2 TBSP)	280	40	16	4	0	32
Sabor Zan - Garlic Cheese Bread Gluten Free, 1 rolls	95	12	5	2	135	1
	1,236	208	40	24	837	97
Totals	3,916	607	96	86	5,286	177
Your Daily Goal	6,244	780	208	313	2,300	234
Remaining	2,328	172	112	227	-2,985	57
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 4,314 extra calories from exercise today

When you're finished logging all foods and exercise for this day, click here: 

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, November 20, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 5.0 mph	118	2,289
Walking, 5.0 mph	24	476
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	20	293
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	88	1,231
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	25
Daily Total / Goal	251 / 30	4,314 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	784 / 210	12,905 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3917 calories
total calories burned (20 miles, four walks) 4289 calories
total net calories 372 calories deficit
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fitbit day 79

51011 steps

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ten mile walking streak reached 12 days

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DILL BUTTON COMPANY - BEST SELLING 2-HOLE SEW-THRU 'SNOWFLAKE' BUTTONS

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Right after completing this blog entry for today, and before setting out for my Saturday walk... I received a 'heartfelt' congratulatory email from fitbit.  My fitbit congratulated me for losing ten pounds.  When I purchased by fitbit on September 3, I did weigh 226.9 lbs.  I have lost 9.9 lbs since that day.  I guess the fitbit felt comfortable rounding up to the nearest whole pound.  

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Yesterday, November 12, was my birthday.  I am now 58 years old. Two days ago, a friend of mine emailed me this photo of myself taken at the Dill Button Factory Showroom in Bavaria, Germany during the summer of 2002.  Back then, in 2002, my daughter was enjoying her first year of life.  She is currently in the middle of spending one week in France as an exchange student.  Back in the summer of 2002 I was 45 years old.  This is what I looked like back then.

Marc Jacobs visits the showroom at the Dill Button Factory in Bavaria, Germany during the summer of 2002. 

Fast forward, 13 years.  Perhaps I don't actually look younger.   I do know that I look a whole lot better.  I know that I feel better.  I know that I am better.  Last night, I celebrated the Grand Opening of The Quilter's Trunk Quilt Shop in Chicago.  I thought it might be nice for me to pose for a picture in front of their buttons so that I could compare my look 13 years later.  Yesterday was my birthday.  I look at photos of myself these days.  I look at myself in the mirror.  It was a Happy Birthday.  The trick is to insure that my next birthday is just as happy.  And all the birthdays that follow.

This is me on my 58th birthday, November 12, 2015

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Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, November 12, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Instant Original Flavor Oatmeal, 6 pack	600	114	12	24	450	0
KELLOGGS - RAISIN BRAN (dry cereal, no milk), 1 cup	190	46	1	5	210	18
Tropicana - Orange Juice - 100% Juice, 7.15 fl oz	100	24	0	1	14	20
Apple - Small-2 1/4", 4 oz	55	15	0	0	1	11
	945	198	13	31	675	49
L U N C H
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD, 1 salad	500	0	0	0	0	0
WHOLE FOODS 7700 - ORGANIC DATE PIECES w/OAT FLOWER, 76.0 g (2 TBSP)	228	57	0	2	19	42
WHOLE FOODS 9392 - YOGURT RAISINS, 54.4 g (approx 34 pieces)	231	38	10	1	20	34
Honest T - Mango White Tea, 1 Bottle	70	19	0	0	35	18
Cliff Bar - Cool Mint Chocolate, 68 g	250	43	5	10	170	22
	1,279	157	15	13	244	116
D I N N E R
Generic - Assorted Hors D'oeuvres, 15 pieces	1,000	85	65	20	1,250	5
Miller Light - Miller Light Beer, 3 bottle (12oz)	288	10	0	2	15	10
	1,288	95	65	22	1,265	15
S N A C K S
Whole Foods - Banana Chips, 0.25 cup	150	17	10	1	0	10
	150	17	10	1	0	10
Totals	3,662	467	103	66	2,185	189
Your Daily Goal	3,844	480	128	193	2,300	144
Remaining	182	13	25	126	115	-45
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,914 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	133	1,927
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	10	151
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-164
Daily Total / Goal	144 / 30	1,914 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	562 / 210	7,033 / 4,130

Strength Training	Sets	Reps/Set	Weight/Set

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TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 3662 CALORIES
TOTAL CALORIES BURNED (10 MILE & .75 MILE WALKS) 2078 CALORIES
TOTAL NET CALORIES 1584 CALORIES
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10 MILE HIKE @ 5:00AM in LITCHFIELD, ILLINOIS

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fitbit day 71

26010 steps

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TNNA - THE NATIONAL NEEDLEARTS ASSOCIATION TRADESHOW

 My travels have now brought me to Columbus, Ohio for the TNNA Show. The National Needlearts Association tradeshow. This show occurs twice per year.  In the earlier part of the year, usually January, the show happens on the west coast. The summer show has traditionally taken place in June in Columbus, Ohio. Beginning next year, the show is scheduled to visit different cities instead of almost always being in Columbus. This wholesale only show caters to Needlepoint and Yarn Shops.  As most fine yarn shops carry specialty buttons, one of the companies that I represent as an independent sales rep, Dill Buttons, is a vendor here where we have lots of customers.

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast  oat meal                                                                                                    300 calories
lunch        Turkey Jerky, Fruit & Nut bar, two apples                                               800 calories
dinner       Chili Bowl, wedge salad                                                                           608 calories
snacks      salted plantain chips, 7 Quaker rice cakes, 4 Glenlivet's on the rocks    1017 calories

total caloric consumption  2725 calories

CALORIES BURNED
PRECOR AMT TRAINER with OPEN STRIDE  (HILTON HOTEL)                      596 calories

FRIDAY NET CALORIS   2129 CALORIES