Monday, January 4, 2016

HAVE YOU NOTICED IT IS DIET SEASON?

A friend of mine who lives in Pennsylvania has told me many times that the Monday after Thanksgiving each year is the beginning of hunting season (for deer). Hunting season is a big deal in Pennsylvania and many other places around the country. Just as sure as hunting season opens on that Monday in Pennsylvania....DIET SEASON opens around the entire country as soon as the odometer on the calendar switches from December 31 to January 1.

If you surf the internet, or read your emails, listen to the radio or watch any TV you will be inundated in videos, messages and commercials for diet plans, fitness clubs, and magic diet pills that promise weight loss with little or no effort.

A recognized diet plan can be effective, such as Weight Watchers. A fitness club membership is always a good idea. Although I have heard that it might be hard to find a parking spot in many fitness clubs in January. Parking is usually less of a problem in February as people start to give less emphasis to their New Year's Resolutions.

The one thing that you must avoid are any of the 'magic' diet supplements that make big promises that they cannot possibly deliver.

For the third day in a row, I am going to reference the book written by Dr. Shaun Melarvie, The Diet Theory of Everything. In his book, he does a great job of explaining these diet pills. "There are so many different flavors of snake oil out there that it is difficult to find a place to start. The easiest thing to say would be don't buy into this and don't take anything; but advertising is powerful, and people, on the whole, are trusting and therefore vulnerable."

Dr Melarvie used a sample newspaper ad for an unnamed diet supplement with a a 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE to make his point.

The cost listed for the product was $39.99 for 60 capsules. The recommended dosing is one before each main meal. Assuming three main meals a day, sixty capsules would last twenty days. This leaves ten days to package and mail the empty container for a full refund (reportedly). This means taking the time and expense of repacking the empty bottle, stopping by the post office during business hours, standing in line, and finally getting it sent off at a cost of five dollars or so. How many people do you think will do this? Not only will most people not do this for a refund of forty dollars, but there is also the emotional aspect of admitting failure at something that supposedly works for everyone except you. Retailers such as these do not make their money from repeat customers. They make their money from first-time buyers.

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There is exactly one way to lose weight. One must create calorie deficit where the calories utilized (burned) are greater than the calories consumed (eaten). Create a deficit of 3500 calories and approximately one pound will be lost. Create a surplus of 3500 calories and approximately one pound will be gained. Sadly, there are no shortcuts. Save your money, don't buy diet pills.

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My 'menu' yesterday was not particularly good. I was suffering with a toothache that disallowed me from chewing and/or eating hot foods. A visit to the dentist today, Monday, should straighten me out (I hope)

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
tasteeos - Cereal, 8 cup	800	168	12	24	1,280	8
	800	168	12	24	1,280	8
L U N C H
S. Rosen's - 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 slice	300	57	3	15	570	9
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic, 3 oz	20	3	0	2	65	0
libby's - Sweet Corn, 0.88 cup	105	16	3	4	350	12
Libby's - Sweet Peas, 0.88 cup	123	21	1	7	525	11
Louis Kemp - Crab Delights Leg Style, 3 legs (85g)	70	11	0	6	430	1
	618	108	7	34	1,940	33
D I N N E R
Kraft - Macaroni & Cheese Spirals - Suggested Prep, 1 Cup	330	49	3	9	580	7
Delmonte - Fresh Cut - Sweet Corn Cream Style No Salt Added, 1.75 cup (125g)	210	49	2	4	35	25
	540	98	4	13	615	32
S N A C K S
S. Rosen's - 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 slice	300	57	3	15	570	9
tasteeos - Cereal, 5 cup	500	105	8	15	800	5
	800	162	11	30	1,370	14

Totals	2,758	536	33	100	5,205	86
Your Daily Goal	3,886	486	129	195	2,300	145
Remaining	1,128	-49	95	95	-2,905	58
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,956 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,141
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-185


Daily Total / Goal	93 / 30	1,956 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	960 / 210	19,843 / 4,130

total calories consumed 2758 calories

total calories (92 minutes elliptical) 2141 calories

total net calories 617 calories

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fitbit day 122
10401 steps
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Monday, June 29, 2015

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...TRY, TRY AGAIN (I am fairly certain that some version of this nugget of wisdom is known to everyone)

On Friday I surprised myself when I lasted for a full two hours, 125 minutes on the Precor EFX576i doing a 4:3 Interval Training Session and 'burned' 1578 calories. I was impressed. I also wanted to find if this was a fluke or if I could actually do it again. So I did. On Saturday.

TWO HOURS, FIVE MINUTE PRECOR EFX 576i (YMCA) 4:3 INTERVAL WORKOUT

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26 JUNE FRIDAY 125 MINUTES DISTANCE 9.93 MILES 1578 CALORIES BURNED

27 JUNE SATURDAY 125 MINUTES DISTANCE 9.87 MILES 1556 CALORIES BURNED

28 JUNE SUNDAY 125 MINUTES DISTANCE 10.08 MILES 1609 CALORIES BURNED

On Saturday I tried to 'break' past 10 miles, and I failed, in fact, I traveled slightly less than the day before and burned less calories. Was this the law of diminishing returns at work? Should I have given myself a day of rest? Of course, I should have. However, that is not my way.

On Sunday I was more determined to surpass a distance of 10 miles and I was successful, with a few yards (meters) to spare. And I 'burned' more calories than on the first two attempts.

I have a mountain waiting for me on October 1st. HALF DOME in YOSEMITE PARK. I am training. This expedition to the summit of HALF DOME is just a little more than 90 days away. No pun intended, I don't want my training to 'peak' too soon. Just like I could barely imagine the speed and intensity of my initial weight loss, I wonder how much more energy and stamina I am going to have in one month? or two months? or by the morning of October 1st, when my brother will lead an 'expedition' of 6 middle-aged men up 4800 feet to the summit at HALF DOME. I am going to be as ready as I possibly can. When my brother initially suggested that I join his expedition around two months ago, I was both flattered and excited that he thought I could be successful on this journey. I was also scared out of my mind! I am no longer scared. This does not mean that I think that this hike will be easy - I simply believe that I will prevail.

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 SUNDAY MENU

breakfast granola, semi-sweet chocolate chips, coconut shredded, corn snack,
tamari roasted almonds 900 calories
lunch dark chocolate almonds, wasabi green peas, peckham pear,
chewy ginger, cherry vanilla granola, sun-dried fig 930 calories
dinner JIMMY JOHN'S #14 UNWICH, whole pickle 250 calories
SNACK EARTH BALANCE WHITE CHEDDAR puffs, apples 745 calories

total calories consumed 2825 calories

calories burned

PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER 4:3 INTERVAL SESSION

125 MINUTES, 10.08 MILES 1609 CALORIES
JACOB'S LADDER 5 minutes, 450 feet, 89 calories

total calories burned Saturday 1698 burned

Sunday net calories calories 1127 calories

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from wikipedia...

William Edward Hickson (January 7, 1803 - March 22, 1870), commonly known at W.E. Hickson was a British education writer. He is credited with popularizing the proverb: