HELLO RAZOR

My carefully cultivated wild (unshaved) appearance which was hatched over a week or so between by surgery pre-op and post-op has come to an end. I was under the impression that I was under doctors orders and forbidden to drive during the first week of hernia recovery. I admit I could not fathom why driving would be disallowed. I did discover that that that particular warning is based on the premise that a patient recovering from hernia surgery might be under the influence of strong pain killer drugs during the first week. My pain was completely dissipated after 48 hours - and I know that the absolute biggest challenge facing my recovery now will be remembering to take it easy and not to lift anything more than 15 pounds. I have made my first post op appointment with a customer to sell some buttons today. I emptied my buttons from their large suitcase and placed them in 6 individual canvas tote bags. Once I start selling my fabrics this will present some additional challenges. Fabric samples are heavy! I meet with my surgeon in 9 days. I am hopeful that some of these weight limiting restrictions will become much less restrictive. The good news is that I am back to exercising daily. I am starting where I started last year. I am spending time on the treadmill. Yesterday I was able to log 6.93 miles in a 104 minute session. The weather should be getting real good real quick and I am looking forward to to once again taking some long vigorous urban hikes. It feels very good to be pain free, as long as I remember not to sneeze, cough or sit up or sit down too quickly. Soon I will be firing on all cylinders. 

Goodbye wild look.  Pre-Shaved, Post-Op Appearance.

Hello Civilized Appearance.  Still Post-Op, but now Post-Shaved

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I would like to thank my wife Jennifer for being very helpful in my quick recovery. She answered the bell last Friday, and got me to the surgical center on time at 6AM. She stood by me as I awoke from my anesthetically induced stupor (if only all stupors were so easy to awake from - I am talking to you, America...way to go making Trump your nominee)  In addition, Jennifer has helped prepare lots of delicious meals while I have been spending more time at home than usual. I am very accustomed to eating my breakfasts at the Super 8 or some other equally uninspiring lodging - it has been much more enjoyable having a delicious freshly prepared ham and cheese omelette for breakfast.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Malt-o-meal Cereal - Honey Nut Scooters	360	72	5	9	630	27
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese, 1 Omelette	400	1	30	40	1,225	0
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	855	98	35	50	1,857	46
L U N C H
Costco - Cheese Pizza Slice, 1 Slice	700	70	28	44	1,370	7
	700	70	28	44	1,370	7
D I N N E R
Generic - Chicken Breast, 1 breast	500	37	26	28	520	3
Wild rice, cooked, 2 cup	331	70	1	13	10	2
	831	107	27	41	530	5
S N A C K S
Apples - Apples, 3 medium apple	240	66	0	0	0	48
	240	66	0	0	0	48
Totals	2,626	341	90	135	3,757	106
Your Daily Goal	2,306	288	77	116	2,300	86
Remaining	-320	-53	-12	-18	-1,456	-20
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 376 extra calories from exercise today

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Although my photograph of the treadmill display shows 99 minutes, 59 seconds - this is only because this particular treadmill is restricted to a two digit maximum on the number of minutes. After a 99 minute workout, and a 5 minute 'cooldown' the total time spent treadmilling was actually 104 minutes. It felt good to be moving my legs after so many weeks of serious inactivity.  My distance travelled was 6.93 miles.  I am happy.  My fitbit is happy.  My patched up intestines are happy.  I think in about two weeks time I will be given the 'OK' to use an elliptical machine again. And at some point, I should be able to lift more than 15 pounds.  That day can't come soon enough. Then I will be very happy.

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ELLIPTICAL MACHINE - ONE YEAR LATER

I spoke of using an elliptical machine for the first time on my blog post from February 1, 2015

ELLIPTICAL

Yesterday morning (January 31, 2015), after my 5AM weigh-in I hopped on the treadmill and spent one hour 'walking' at 4 mph for 60 minutes. I decided then that it was time to try something new.  I decided to start using the elliptical machine as much as possible.   Before lunch, I returned to the fitness room and set the elliptical machine to a 'calorie burn' program for 60 minutes.   I didn't have 60 minutes in me.   After 30 minutes I felt that I had had enough.   I have the rest of my life to improve my endurance - so there is no reason to try to do more than I am capable of doing.   After thirty minutes, the machine reported that I had 'burned' 322 calories.   I have a baseline from which I can improve.  I will continue to use the treadmill if the elliptical is not available during my workout times.

The very first time that I used an elliptical machine during this period of transition in my life, I had thought that I could go at it for 60 minutes. As it turned out, I maxed out at 30 minutes and the resistance must have been set so low and/or I was pedaling so gingerly, that the machine recorded a calorie burn of only 322 calories. Back then, one year ago on February 1, 2015, I weighed 273 lbs. I had only been exercising for about 30 days.  For the past few days, I have been using the PRECOR AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer) Elliptical Machine at the YMCA for sessions of exactly 125 minutes and my calorie burn reported on that machine has been closer to 2400 calories, and yesterday, I managed to log a workout of 2661 calories with some additional effort.  As I have said many times (and I always need to reconvince myself of this)...the calories burned reported on various pieces of exercise equipment are overly optimistic. Here are two facts, I probably did not really burn 322 calories one year ago the very first time I used an elliptical machine, and I probably did not really  burn 2661 calories on the elliptical machine yesterday.  Nevertheless, it is indisputable that my legs and stamina have improved quite bit over the past year. As I continue to struggle with my hearty appetite, I also continue to experience great pride in my accomplishments in the fitness room. 

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This is the product description of the machine that I have been using... This was taken from amazon.com website.

Product Description

The AMT 835 with Open Stride is the 3rd generation of Adaptive Motion Trainers from Precor and is the exact same unit as the commercial machines you'll find in fitness clubs worldwide. A machine as versatile as the human body and different from any other type of exercise machine, the award-winning Precor Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT) is designed to not only work your body, but also your imagination. Go from short strides to long strides, walking to running, regular stair climber to deep lunges - all on-the-fly. The AMT gives you the freedom to customize a challenging and completely unique workout every time. Imagine getting a treadmill, bike and elliptical all in one piece of equipment. The AMT delivers similar workouts to all 3 of these machines. This single piece of equipment fully engages exercisers of all fitness levels with an infinite range of stride paths to create a uniquely effective low-impact workout, making every workout a personalized experience. Open Stride lets you not only change the length of your stride but also the height, providing an infinite variety of motion paths. Go vertical and it’s a stepper. Increase resistance and it’s a climber. Then go more horizontal and walk, jog or sprint with a stride length that goes up to 36 inches (91 cm). Three distinct positions on the moving handlebars provide a comfortable fit for nearly every user. The rodeo grip has a heart rate sensor built-in that provides monitoring and a stable, comfortable position when focusing on the lower body. Trusted by fitness professionals, Precor makes innovative equipment that meets the most demanding needs. The AMT 835 is backed by a 10-year warranty on all parts.

I really do enjoy using this machine.  My YMCA only has two of them.  Sometimes I need to wait until one of them becomes available. It is fairly uncommon for anyone to spend two hours on this machine - so my wait is not usually too long.  

PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER) w/OPEN STRIDE
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ELLIPTICAL MACHINE TO USE WHEN AVAILABLE.

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, February 1, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 60 g	240	48	3	6	420	18
Homemade - 2 Egg Omelette Ham Cheese, 1 Omelette	383	2	21	32	810	2
Roundy's - Center Cut Bacon, 9 Slices	210	0	12	21	660	0
	833	50	36	59	1,890	20
L U N C H
Johnsonville 170 - Polish Kielbasa Sausage, 3.5 oz (56g)	298	4	26	12	998	2
Chunky Campbell's - New England Clam Chowder, 2 cup (240 ml.)	360	36	20	10	1,780	2
Essential Everyday - Peas & Diced Carrots (8.5oz), 1.75 cup	210	35	0	11	1,050	18
	868	75	46	33	3,828	21
D I N N E R
EARTHBOUND FARM - ORGANIC BABY SPINACH, 85 g (approx 3 oz, two cups)	20	0	0	2	65	0
libby's - Sweet Corn, 0.88 cup	105	16	3	4	350	12
365 - Hearts of Palm: Salad Cut, 1 cup	50	10	0	4	580	0
Louis Kemp - Crab Delights Leg Style, 3 legs (85g)	70	11	0	6	430	1
Roundy's - Asparagus Spears, 1.75 Cup	70	11	0	7	1,225	11
Eggs - Hard Boiled - Large, 1 egg	78	1	5	6	62	1
Ham slices - Ham pieces, 3 oz	160	4	10	14	1,000	2
Bacon - Real Bits, 3 tbsp	75	0	5	9	660	0
Goya - Chick Peas, 0.25 cup	50	10	1	3	180	1
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
	918	98	29	65	6,152	33
S N A C K S
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 90 g	360	72	5	9	630	27
WHOLE FOODS. 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 110 g (3/4 cup)	480	80	14	10	120	30
	840	152	19	19	750	57
Totals	3,459	374	130	176	12,619	131
Your Daily Goal	4,527	566	151	227	2,300	169
Remaining	1,068	191	20	51	-10,319	37
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,597 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, February 1, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	125	2,661
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-64
Daily Total / Goal	126 / 30	2,597 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	127 / 210	2,597 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3459 calories

total calories burned (125 min elliptical) 2661 calories

total net 798 calories

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fitbit day 149

19082 steps
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LESS IS MORE

I have had one day to celebrate and contemplate the fact that I currently 'only' weigh 268 lbs.  For many human beings living on this planet, this would be an insanely high number.   Considering that I arrived at 268 lbs from 309 lbs only 46 days ago, it seems like a good number.

This past week, I continued my daily sub-1000 calorie consumption as I have been doing since December 24, 2014.  Since I began this journey I have not had one snack.   I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  That's it. When I sit down to breakfast each and every day, I am truly breaking my fast from the night before.  This was the first week that I almost exclusively worked out on the ELLIPTICAL TRAINER. (I 'walked' on the treadmill only on Saturday morning.)

I worked out for a total of 7.5 hours (one 60 minute walk and thirteen 30 minute sessions on the elliptical machine) which burned 5397 CALORIES.

My weight loss for the week was 4.7 lbs

The previous week I was just a little bit 'psychotic'.   I 'walked' 80 miles on the treadmill.   I spent 20 hours, 'walking' at 4 mph for 60 minutes each session. (twenty sessions total)  I calculated that I should have burned 12,000 CALORIES.

My weight loss for the week that I 'walked' 80 miles, burning 12000 CALORIES was 'only' 3.7 lbs.

CONCLUSION: REGARDING EXERCISE....
                            ...S O M E T I M E S...
                            L E S S  I S  M O R E

I decreased the hours spent working out, and experienced better results.   Conclusion: LESS IS MORE!

SATURDAY MENU

breakfast    three poached eggs, two strips turkey 'bacon'                                     280 CALORIES

lunch          4 oz salmon filet, spinach, vinaigrette dressing, pumpkin soup          364 CALORIES

dinner        Mahi Mahi burger, spinach pancake, iceberg lettuce, pumpkin soup  282 CALORIES  

total consumption        926 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

6AM  ELLIPTICAL 30 minutes  400 CALORIES

1PM   ELLIPTICAL 30 minutes  400 CALORIES

total burned  800 CALORIES

NET CALORIC INTAKE        126 CALORIES

Mahi Mahi burger, spinach pancake, lettuce wedge w/vinaigrette, Pumpkin Soup        282 CALORIES

ELLIPTICAL IMPROVEMENT IS SWIFT

I started using the elliptical trainer on Saturday.   On Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesay I used the elliptical twice per day.  Each time I limited myself to 30 minutes.  (That's almost funny - I promise when I got off the machine each time - I didn't have a minute more in me!)

Each time I get on, I plug the same information into the machine: weight 273 (my last official weight) and I set the machine to 'calorie burn.'    I start pedaling with no particular goal in mind relative to speed, I am just pedaling along at a rate that seems natural and comfortable.   Still without trying to improve, the improvement has come naturally.


SESSION                CALORIES BURNED
SATURDAY AM              322
SATURDAY PM               330
SUNDAY AM                   340
SUNDAY PM                    360
MONDAY AM                  350
MONDAY PM                   360
TUESDAY AM                 370
TUESDAY PM                  380

I am in awe of how fast one can improve in such a short period of time.   As I have improved, I remain just as winded (or more winded) than when I first began using the machine.   I am definitely 'getting more bang from my buck' from the 60 minutes that I am devoting to exercise each day.

TUESDAY MENU
breakfast   three poached eggs, two slices turkey 'bacon'                                    280 CALORIES
lunch         Jason's Deli Bowl Spicy Seafood Gumbo                                          301 CALORIES
dinner        Mahi Mahi burger, iceberg lettuce w/balsamic, Spinach Pancake
                  Sweet Potato Bisque Soup                                                                  312 CALORIES


TOTAL CALORIES       893 CALORIES

calories burned
6AM elliptical  30 minutes   370 CALORIES
7AM elliptical  30 minutes   380 CALORIES

total calories burned  750 calories

NET CALORIC INTAKE   143 CALORIES

photograph by Sara Jacobs, age 12

Mahi Mahi Burger, Spinach Pancake, Iceberg Lettuce wedge, Sweet Potato Bisque Soup  312 CALORIES