7 SECRETS TO TURN YOUR BODY INTO A FAT BURNING MACHINE

1. Reduce your calories on Monday and cut out all sweets

2. Reduce your calories on Tuesday and cut out all sweets

3. Reduce your calories on Wednesday and cut out all sweets

4. Reduce your calories on Thursday and cut out all sweets

5. Reduce your calories on Friday and cut out all sweets

6. Reduce your calories on Saturday and cut out all sweets

7. Reduce your calories on Sunday and cut out all sweets

BONUS SECRET: SPRINKLE IN SOME EXERCISE 

(Exercise doesn't make up for over-eating, but it is healthy)

My daughter works at Wrigley Field. She is one of the people who scans tickets allowing entry into the ballpark. She often gets driven to Wrigley Field before work - but she enjoys walking home afterwards. The walk is a bit more than two miles. I often walk to Wrigley and watch the game on the giant outdoor screen at Gallagher's Place. It is a quite enjoyable place to catch some baseball and rays. On Saturday, I thought I would s-t-r-e-t-c-h that 2.6 mile walk to about five miles.  Instead,  I stretched it to twelve miles.  After the game, my daughter wanted to go to Costco eatery for dinner, so we walked there too.  My wife picked us up after that, which was good, because I could barely walk after walking 14+ miles between lunch and dinner. It was the most I had walked in more than half a year. My fitbit recorded more than 30,000 steps, also the most in more than half a year. Three weeks ago in the depths of my weight-gaining stupidity it was painful to walk half a block to the local bank. I thought that I had gone too far backwards and that I would never regain my ability to put on a pair of shoes and log some serious miles.  Thankfully, as far backwards as I had gone... my reversal seems to be taking place and once again, I have become a walking, talking, fat-burning machine. Oh yeah!

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TWELVE MILE HIKE FROM HOME TO WRIGLEY FIELD
(apparently without using GPS!)

Wrigley Field to Costco for dinner

If you order the Costco Chicken Caesar Salad AND USE THE DRESSING CONTAINER THAT THEY GIVE YOU WITH THE MEAL... YOU CAN ADD ABOUT 400 CALORIES TO THAT MEAL!

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Direct route from the corner where we live to Wrigley Field is only 2.6 miles.  I made it a twelve mile walk on Saturday.

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I am still 260+ pounds. By definition, that is morbidly obese. I honestly think that with my ridiculously short haircut and now a healthy looking tan earned while logging some serious outdoor time - I look much better than the 260+ pounds says I should. I am looking forward to getting into the 250's and well below that too... One (fitbit) step at a time... What I know is this... three weeks ago, I couldn't stand looking at myself in the mirror... I can stand it now.

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READ THIS

On Sunday my wife served me a side dish with lunch that I have never had before. 4 BEAN SALAD.  READ SALADS are marketed by Seneca Foods. Nutritionally, I am aware that fresh vegetables are preferable to canned vegetables. Nevertheless, fresh vegetables are not always available. The complete contents of this can are only 300 calories, and I am sure that it will be a useful snack to keep in stock at home and on the road. Apparently, my daughter has been enjoying this as part of her school lunches for some time now. Even if the health benefits of canned vegetables are somewhat limited - I am pretty certain that this is still better than a candy bar or a bag of chips.

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15 Oz. CanClassic salad of green beans, wax beans, kidney beans plus chickpeas in a vinegar based, sweet-tangy dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients:
Green Beans, Water, Wax Beans, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Sugar, Distilled Vinegar, Dehydrated Onions, Red Peppers, Salt, Soybean Oil, Turmeric..
Serving Size: 85g 
Servings Per Container: 5
Amount Per Serving: 1/3 cup
(Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet)
Calories: 60
   Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g (0%)
   Saturated Fat 0g (0%)
   Trans Fat 0g (0%)
Cholesterol 0mg (0%).
Sodium 300mg (13%)
Potassium 90mg (5%)
Total Carbohydrate 13g (5%)
   Dietary Fiber 2g (8%) 
   Sugars 8g
Protein 1g 
Vitamin A (0%)
Vitamin C (4%)
Calcium (2%)
Iron (4%)

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I woke up at the crack of dawn on Monday, in sharp contrast to my 10AM start of the day on Sunday. Long before my family woke up I completed 99 minutes on the elliptical machine.

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After lunch our family took a leisurely bike ride along the Lake. I didn't initialize the MapMyRide Application until we arrived at the Museum Campus.  The 17 Mile ride that we recorded was understated by about 4 miles.

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Right before we returned home from the bike ride, my daughter expressed an interest in returning to Navy Pier to watch the 4th of July Fireworks. You know me...any chance to 'take a walk' and I am usually ready. We left our home at 8:40 which gave us plenty of time before the 9:30 start time. We hadn't counted on the fact that NAVY PIER was closed as it was FULL TO CAPACITY. We found a spot close by, still packed like sardines and watched the show.
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Our attempt to walk to Navy Pier failed as it was filled to capacity

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We took the long way home, fighting through a sea of humanity to get away from Navy Pier  area.

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, July 4, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet (28 g)	300	66	0	6	930	0
Maltomeal - Honey Nut Scooters, 2 cup	240	48	3	6	420	18
	540	114	3	12	1,350	18
L U N C H
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Read 4 Bean Salad - Green and Yellow Beans, Red Beans, Chickpeas, 1.65 cup	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Sargento - Havarti (sliced) - 7 oz, 2 slice	160	0	14	8	250	0
Butternut - Whole Grain White, 4 slices	280	54	3	10	540	8
Oscar Meyer - Deli Fresh Black Forest Ham	100	0	3	18	1,120	0
	1,080	155	26	51	5,010	54
D I N N E R
Italian Roast Beef, 4 ounces	60	0	2	12	390	0
Melon - Honeydew	150	36	1	3	90	33
Broiled Whitefish	200	0	9	29	0	0
	410	36	11	44	480	33
S N A C K S
Nestle - Mini Baby Ruth, 2 bars	170	24	8	2	85	20
YOGURT PRETZELS	380	56	0	4	360	38
Nice! Trail Mix - trail mix, 1 package	200	24	11	4	0	0
	750	104	19	10	445	58
Totals	2,780	409	59	117	7,285	163
Your Daily Goal	5,017	627	167	251	2,300	188
Remaining	2,237	218	107	134	-4,985	25
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,087 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, July 4, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	99	1,154
Bicycling, road cycle	132	1,200
Walking	77	585
Walking	38	285
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-137
Daily Total / Goal	347 / 30	3,087 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	347 / 210	3,087 / 4,130

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PHOENICIA SPECIALTY FOODS DOWNTOWN HOUSTON

I have been coming to the October Houston QuiltMarket for about 7 seven consecutive years.  Only yesterday, did I 'discover' a beautiful grocery store about two blocks from the convention center where the show takes place. (OK, technically, my brother Andy, discovered it)   This store opened for business in November 2011.  We walked over to pick up a lunch on the third and final day of the show.  I barely had the time to look around, but this particular grocery store seemed to have everything.  I quickly discovered that the salad bar included shrimp.  That was all I needed to know.  I prepared a spinach salad for myself that was heavy on shrimp.  Next year, I believe that I will be having lunch at the Phoenicia Specialty Foods Downtown in Houston each day of the tradeshow.

This salad was simply delicious and clearly healthy as spinach and shrimp are not high in calories.

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, October 26, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker Oats - Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon, 2 Bowl (43g)	320	66	4	8	400	24
Kellogg's - Special K Protein Cereal, 96 g	360	57	3	30	570	21
	680	123	7	38	970	45
L U N C H
Kind Plus - Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate +Protein, 1 bar	200	17	13	7	40	9
Homemade - Spinach & Shrimp Salad, 3 cup	483	0	24	0	0	0
	683	17	37	7	40	9
D I N N E R
Cheesecake Factory - Fish Taco, 2 Taco	600	60	4	0	1,000	0
Vitamix - Avocado Tortilla Soup, 2 cup	330	44	14	12	944	8
	930	104	18	12	1,944	8
S N A C K S
Dewar's - 12 Years Old Double Aged Blended Scotch Whisky, 4.5 oz	312	0	0	0	0	0
	312	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	2,605	244	62	57	2,954	62
Your Daily Goal	4,457	557	148	223	2,300	167
Remaining	1,852	313	86	166	-654	105
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,527 extra calories from exercise today

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	0 / 30	0 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	128 / 210	2,527 / 4,130

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 2605 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED 2045

TOTAL NET CALORIES 550 CALORIES 

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fitbit day 54

37456 steps

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My final day in Houston was another day to explore the downtown area on foot.  This time I ventured to the University of Houston Downtown before returning to my 'neighborhood.'   It was so nice to be walking outside again after two days of SOLID RAIN.  I am sure that my legs and feet enjoyed the two days off that I gave myself - although as days off - they may not have been so relaxing as I was standing around in a booth at a tradeshow for hours each day.

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KALE TALE

It is so much fun discovering new terrific foods and snacks.  I know that I need to curtail, my appetite - which I am not doing too well lately - but that's another story.

Today, I want to share my discovery of a delicious snack food that I discovered in a health food store in Traverse City, Michigan.  KALE KRUNCH from alive & radiant foods.

This snack is absolutely delicious... When one reviews the nutritional information on the back of the package - this food seems less like a food and more like a multi-vitamin!

Compared to a plain old bag of potato chips - the kinds I used to eat - THIS SNACK FOOD IS POWERHOUSE!   Apparently it is available in other flavors - so far, I have only tried the 'Quite Cheezy.'

This product tastes much better than it looks!

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 Wednesday MENU

breakfast   banana, granola, wasabi peas                                                  602 calories
lunch         Subway double chicken salad, Koku Seaweed Rice Cakes  1000 calories
dinner       Kale Krunch Chips, Dang Coconut Chips                               670 calories
SNACK    sesame crunch minis, chewy ginger, apples, granola              640 calories

total calories consumed 2912 calories

calories burned
I did a better job with the settings for this machine on the second day.

OCTANE FITNESS PRO4700 ELLIPTICAL 103 MINUTES, LEVEL 20     2829 CALORIES
STRIDE LENGTH 26"
(LEVEL 30 WAS THE MAXIMUM ON THIS PARTICULAR MACHINE)

CALORIES BURNED 2829 CALORIES

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Tuesday net calories 83calories

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Let's compare 'apples' to 'apples'

The serving size for the Kale and the Lay's Potato Chips are the same - 1 oz.  Amazingly the calorie content is the same.  One is filled with nutrients and one is so-called empty calories.

                                  KALE     LAYS'S POTATO CHIPS
calories                    100                      100
total fat                    7g                       10g
saturated fat          1.5g                     1.5g
cholesterol                0g                        0g
sodium                    260g                   170g
potassium               270g                   350g
carbohydrates           9g                     15g
dietary fiber              2g                        1g
sugars                        1g                      <1g
vitamin A                  50%                     0%
vitamin C                  20%                   10%
Calcium                     6%                     0%
Iron                           10%                     2%

Ironically, the calories are the same.
The nutrition is not.

IS IT PURPOSEFULLY CONFUSING?

I really enjoy buying bulk foods at the various grocery stores that sell them.  I can purchase nuts, granola, dates, dried fruit, and other exotic low and high calorie treats in as small a quantity as I like.  These sections of the grocery store are self-serve - so there is no issue with embarrassing oneself asking for as tiny a portion as you want.   One simply takes what one desires, bags it, and marks it with an identifying number and it is paid for at the counter.   It is no more difficult at checkout buying six or seven bulk items in tiny quantities than buying anything else sold by weight at the market.

HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE THING THAT IS QUITE ANNOYING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE.

In each store, the nutritional information is plainly marked on each product.  The calories, the fat, the carbs, the protein, etc.... It's all there... And it's all there marked in grams.

In each store, each item is sold by the pound.

Why is that?

Wouldn't it be much less confusing for the consumer if these products could be sold by the gram?   Would it not be at least more beneficial to the consumer if the weight that was printed on the label at least gave the weight and the grams.  This would be a simple programming change and would cost the store nothing to do.   I suspect that this is purposefully kept confusing.

The reason that I say this is that each food looks so reasonable in its caloric content.   Is a food that is 150 calories per 28 grams high calorie?   Well, it is, if one buys half a pound and eats it at one sitting.

Anyway, I have trained and continue to train myself to take very small portions.   Usually before I eat these treats I go through the mathematical contortions of changing the pounds purchased to the correct number of grams and figuring out how many portions I did buy.

As a recovering food addict, less recovered, and more addict.... I seem incapable of buying these delicious foods and NOT finishing whatever it is that I have bought.   That is why it is so important to me to buy small quantities at the outset.

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 Saturday MENU

breakfast   three poached eggs, oatmeal, center cut bacon, bulk foods  1161 calories
lunch         SEAFOOD SALAD, SESAME SEAWEED SALAD            530 calories
dinner       SALAD BAR, cherry vanilla granola                                      780 calories
SNACK    BULK FOODS                                                                         949 calories

total calories consumed 3420 calories

calories burned

elliptical machine 92 minutes, manual, level 20              2217 calories

CALORIES BURNED 2217 CALORIES

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Saturday net calories 1203 calories

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