OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Well that's it....
Just finished a conversation with my Mom in New York
Admitted to her that I likely gained weight since my October visit.
Admitted to her that I weighed 297 pounds on New Years Day.

Announced that she would not recognize me when I return home for a visit at the end of March.

So that's it... I am committed.
I was already.
Now I am even more committed.

Day 4

The 'advantage' of making a new lifestyle choice on January 1st of a New Year is that it is easy to calculate how long one has been 'at it.  Saturday, yesterday was January 4 and for me it was Day 4.

Day 4 does not exactly signal to the world, or more importantly to myself that I have made a lifestyle change... But one does have to get to day 4 before one arrives at the end of week 1.

BETTER DAYS AHEAD

I weighed myself this morning, and I am still uncomfortably close to 240lbs... 239.5lbs to be exact. Apparently all those little chocolate treats that I somehow 'forget' to log in my food diary, still count. Still, it's not horrible. I've been worse. I have also been better. I am looking forward to better days ahead.

Your Food Diary For:

Friday, December 8, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Grits	400	88	6	8	1,240	4
Kirkland - Bacon	240	0	18	18	1,050	0
	640	88	24	26	2,290	4
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
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken	170	11	14	12	840	4
Panda Express Mixed Vegetable	80	16	1	4	540	5
Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp	360	35	23	13	440	9
	610	62	38	29	1,820	18
S N A C K S
Ice Cream Bar	480	33	39	6	150	3
	480	33	39	6	150	3
Totals	2,430	238	132	78	4,546	56
Your Daily Goal	2,023	253	67	102	2,300	75
Remaining	-407	15	-65	24	-2,246	19
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 93 extra calories from exercise today

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100,000

On December 26. 2014 I began blogging. I weighed 309 lbs on that day. Today's post is more about the blog than my weight. As I started to blog, it did appear that I was hitting a chord with some people. In fact, there were some people all over the world who were clicking on my blog. Whether it was purposeful or by accident, I do not know. What I do know is that this weekend, my aggregate clicks on this blog surpassed 100,000! For a dopey blog about a guy who has posted his daily menu, daily exercise and political rantings (and ravings) 100,000 clicks may seem like a lot. It is not. I have been blogging for a bit more than 31 months.

I personally visit 'DRUDGEREPORT' each day. This website posts its daily clicks. In the past 24 hours, the drudge report had 30,427,298 visits. This works out to 1,267,804 per hour, and 21,130 per minute. The drudge report in FIVE MINUTES gets more clicks than my blog has accumulated in nearly 3 years. Within the past year, the drudge report has accumulated 11,038,196,480 clicks. If current trends continue it would take my blog about 3.5 million years to reach this number. You know what, the blog has one very important reader. That is me. I personally need this blog to keep me on course. Since I have rededicated myself after a period of slothfulness, I have lost 13 pounds. Of course, I am responsible for my success, but without the blog, I wouldn't have a chance. Go figure.

I took a fairly leisurely stroll with my daughter in the morning. We walked 7 miles. My MapMyWalk app reported a calorie burn of 1045. I know that this number is inflated, but a person had to burn a few calories walking seven miles, yes?

In the evening, I set out by myself and walked an additional 10 miles.

Hey look, it's me and Jerry Seinfeld (courtesy of a lifesize poster adorning a storefront window)

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, September 23, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Eggs - Poached, 4	300	2	20	26	600	2
Bacon, 4 slices	160	0	12	12	700	0
Chewy Oat & Honey Cranola Bar, 1 bar	100	19	2	2	55	7
	560	21	34	40	1,355	9
L U N C H
Hot Dog with Bun	300	22	18	10	820	3
Whole Foods - Pulp-free Coconut Water	100	26	0	0	110	22
	400	48	18	10	930	25
D I N N E R
Little Salad Bar - Asian Chopped Salad	385	46	21	7	1,190	25
	385	46	21	7	1,190	25
S N A C K S
Costco - Cheese Pizza Slice, 1 Slice	700	70	28	44	1,370	7
	700	70	28	44	1,370	7
Totals	2,045	185	101	101	4,845	66
Your Daily Goal	4,920	615	164	247	2,300	184
Remaining	2,875	430	63	146	-2,545	118
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,990 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 208.8 lbs in 5 weeks     

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THIS SCREENSHOT OF MY BLOG STATS SHOWS THAT I HAVE 'CATAPULTED' OVER THE 100,000 PAGEVIEWS. (AND IT ONLY TOOK ME NEARLY THREE YEARS!)

THIS CHART ABOVE LISTS MY MOST POPULAR (MOST CLICKED) BLOG POSTS.

THIS CHART ABOVE LISTS THE TOP TEN COUNTRIES WHERE MY CLICKS ORIGINATED.

I did not enjoy the way I looked one month ago when I was 263  lbs.  I am only down 13 pounds from that disaster, but I feel so much better.

DAY TWO

Well, two days are banked. Two days when I started to remember that which I never forgot but simply ignored.  Two days when I ate normally. On Monday my caloric intake was under 1000 calories.   I remember from experience, that this is too much (in fact, it is too little!) Tuesday was a bit more real as my calories were just under 1400. In order to be successful (again) I will need to make choices that do not leave me craving food all the time. The thing is, as I started to make poorer and poorer choices, eating more and more garbage, I found myself where I have been all my life - constantly hungry and never satisfied.  Sure, it has only been two days that I am making the choice to cut out the junk - I did not feel hungry. Is it possible that I already feel a bit better? My imagination? Placebo effect? Who knows? Who cares? I like a good placebo.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Essential Everyday - Butter Flavored Grits	200	42	2	4	680	2
	200	42	2	4	680	2
L U N C H
Little Salad Bar - Asian Chopped Salad	385	46	21	7	1,190	25
Corned Beef & Cabbage	200	11	9	18	468	0
	585	57	30	25	1,658	25
D I N N E R
Little Salad Bar - Asian Chopped Salad	385	46	21	7	1,190	25
	385	46	21	7	1,190	25
S N A C K S
Quaker - Chewy Granola 90 Calories	90	19	2	1	80	7
Sage - Red Delicious Apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	185	44	2	2	82	26
Totals	1,355	189	55	38	3,610	78
Your Daily Goal	1,930	241	64	97	2,300	72
Remaining	575	52	9	59	-1,310	-6
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 243 lbs in 5 weeks

CALORIE DEFICIT

It has been a very, very long time since I have achieved a calorie deficit for a complete day. On Tuesday, my eating was controlled, and I did manage nearly a two hour suburban hike in Forsyth, Illinois prior to sunset. I am well aware that the calories that my MapMyWalk application credit me for this walk are likely highly inflated, but still, a 7.5 mile hike has to burn a few calories. I am dangerously close to 250 lbs, I have no desire to crash through yet another unwelcome plateau. One day of seriousness, will not change the direction of my weight gains, but I am fairly certain that the expression, that a journey of many miles begins with the first step has an application to my condition. So, Tuesday, was a first good step in the right direction.

Tuesday: calories consumed 1160, calories burned during 7.5 mile hike 1330

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Instant Oatmeal - Original	300	57	6	12	225	0
	300	57	6	12	225	0
L U N C H
Landshire Sandwiches - Ham & Cheese Wedge	260	32	8	18	1,240	7
Nature Valley - Oats 'n Honey Crunchy	190	29	7	3	180	11
	450	61	15	21	1,420	18
D I N N E R
Landshire Big Daddy - Roast Beef & Cheese Sandwich	410	47	12	28	1,500	5
	410	47	12	28	1,500	5
Totals	1,160	165	33	61	3,145	23
Your Daily Goal	3,260	407	108	164	2,300	122
Remaining	2,100	242	75	103	-845	99
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
7.5 Mile Surburban Hike	109	1,330
Daily Total / Goal	109 / 30	1,330 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	195 / 210	2,077 / 4,130

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GUILTY PLEASURE

guilty pleasure

Something that you shouldn't like, but like anyway.

'JACK IN THE BOX' tacos every now and then is a guilty pleasure for me.

Although I have been slipping backwards for the past few weeks in my battles with my weight, I still take pride in the fact that I have stayed away from Burger King and McDonald's since December 24, 2014.  For many people, this would hardly be an accomplishment. For me, it was life-changing. Back in the 'bad-old-days' of being 309 lbs, I used to eat at either of these two establishments approximately one dozen times per week. Breakfasts. Lunches. Dinners. Bacon Egg Cheese Bagels. Double Cheeseburgers, Quarter Pounders with cheese. Big Macs. McChickens. Whoppers. High on calories. Low on nutrition. I have not eaten any of this for more than two years. To be clear, I did enjoy this food. I even expect that if I had a Big Mac or Whopper again, I would enjoy it. That is precisely why I don't tempt myself. I no longer think about this food. And I don't want to think about it.

This week while I was in Missouri, I did eat something that I used to enjoy 45 years ago when I was a teenager living in Long Island. Jack in the Box tacos. I know that Jack in the Box tacos are not particularly healthy. However, since Jack in the Box restaurants are not nearly as ubiquitous in my normal travels, I was not concerned about developing a new bad habit. It was just a guilty pleasure this week.

Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Instant Oatmeal- Maple	800	160	10	20	1,300	60
	800	160	10	20	1,300	60
L U N C H
Jack In the Box - Taco, 4 taco	760	68	44	24	1,280	12
	760	68	44	24	1,280	12
D I N N E R
Caseys - Turkey Club Wrap	400	43	15	22	1,343	0
	400	43	15	22	1,343	0
S N A C K S
Starbucks - Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon	230	28	6	13	560	3
Powerbar - Protein Plus Bar Vanilla	210	27	5	20	130	14
	440	55	11	33	690	17
Totals	2,400	326	80	99	4,613	89
Your Daily Goal	2,044	255	68	103	2,300	76
Remaining	-356	-71	-12	4	-2,313	-13
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 114 extra calories from exercise today

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ONE MILE

Yesterday I spent 129 minutes on the treadmill with the 'grade' set to '15.'  I walked at a rate of 3mph until I had 'traveled' 6.73 miles. This distance, 6.73 miles is the equivalent of 35534 feet (5280 feet=1 mile). In order to calculate my 'elevation' that I reached on this imaginary trek up a mountain, I need only multiply 35534 x .15 which works out to 5330.  I 'climbed' up an imaginary mountain one mile.  A couple of days ago I had figured out that this was a doable goal, and it did not take me too long before I attempted to make my successful 'ascent.'   

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, February 18, 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
Bacon	200	0	15	15	875	0
	700	105	20	25	2,575	5
L U N C H
Mostaccioli With Meat Sauce	501	73	13	23	1,040	13
	501	73	13	23	1,040	13
D I N N E R
Mild Chicken Tenders	800	61	33	64	3,175	0
	800	61	33	64	3,175	0
S N A C K S
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	300	40	17	10	403	15
Beef Stick, 3 each	180	3	15	9	600	3
	480	43	32	19	1,003	18
Totals	2,481	282	98	131	7,793	36
Your Daily Goal	3,249	406	108	163	2,300	121
Remaining	768	124	10	32	-5,493	85
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Treadmill, 6.73 miles, Grade 15	129	1,516
Daily Total / Goal	129 / 30	1,516 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	669 / 210	6,920 / 4,130