SETBACK

Last week the scale shouted back at me that I was 209 lbs.  I should have accused it of lying and moved on.  Perhaps I had exercised late on the previous Friday night and I had not completely rehydrated.  It matters not.  I suspected that it might be a little too good to be true and it was.  So here's the situation, I am apparently not down 100 lbs - I am only down 91 lbs.  And you know what, for all practical purposes - it's the same difference.  All my clothes fit me. Perhaps last week, the scale was showing something artificially low.  Surely this week the scale is showing something artificially high.  Perhaps I had 10,000 mg of salt this week and I am retaining water.  Honestly, I do not know.   I do not think it would have been possible to actually gain 9 lbs in one week if I had gorged myself on an all-you-can-eat cruise.  Maybe my scale is broken.  Maybe I had too much whiskey last evening, and my body has not got itself back into its normal equilibrium. What I do know, is that this 9 pound weight gain is not and can not be real.  Whatever variables are causing it will be wiped clean in a day or two.  That's my story - and I am sticking to it!  I feel great and I am happy about my progress.  The next stop on my journey is to seriously get to 209 lbs and make sure that the reading is legitimate. From there, I can see another 10 lbs need to be shed to just get under 200 lbs.  This is my goal.  This will happen.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Walking has become a method of transportation for me.  I needed to go to the dentist today. In years past, I have either driven or taken the subway.  It had never occurred to me to walk the four miles.  Let me amend that, it had never occurred to me prior to yesterday morning.  I walked to 4.5 miles to the dentist.  Actually, I walked an additional half mile to log an even five miles.  (That is a mathematical oxymoron as five is not an even number, but I am sure you know what I mean)  After my dental work, I walked two miles to a Jason's Deli for lunch.  And after a quick stop at a nearby Whole Foods, I walked another four miles home.  When the day was over, I had logged 11 miles of walking at a very, very brisk pace.  It is so liberating to be able to use my own two feet as a method of transportation.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, December 18, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters	240	48	3	6	420	18
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 3 medium apple	285	75	1	2	5	57
	525	123	4	8	425	75
L U N C H
Jason's Deli - SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO, 1 Bowl	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Jason's Deli - Turkey Wrap, 0.5 Wrap	195	21	9	12	540	3
	425	47	17	24	2,250	6
D I N N E R
CHABAD - SHABBAT DINNER	750	0	0	0	0	0
Clyde May's - Whiskey, 6 oz (L'chaims)	396	30	0	0	0	6
	1,146	30	0	0	0	6
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS NATURAL WASABI GREEN PEAS	192	30	5	6	384	3
WHOLE FOODS CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA	228	38	7	5	57	14
WHOLE FOODS SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE	105	15	5	0	0	14
WHOLE FOODS BANANA CHIPS	147	16	9	1	2	10
WHOLE FOODS DATE PIECES	198	49	0	2	16	36
	870	149	26	14	460	77
Totals	2,966	349	46	45	3,135	163
Your Daily Goal	4,117	514	137	206	2,300	154
Remaining	1,151	164	90	161	-834	-9
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,187 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, December 18, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	67	963
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	27	382
Walking, 5.0 mph	49	863
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-21
Daily Total / Goal	144 / 30	2,187 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	691 / 210	10,496 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2966 calories

total calories burned (walking 10 miles) 2208 calories

total net calories 758 calories

.....................

fitbit day 107
26471 steps

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

218 lbs

I weigh 218 lbs.

I allegedly gained 9 lb this week?

I have lost 91 lbs in 360 days. Today begins Day 361.

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

I weigh 218 lbs (360 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 29.4% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.16

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 353 days ago (Class III obesity)

.......................

December 24 is the one anniversary of the day that I made the decision to change my life.  I am going to weigh myself again on December 24, 2015.  I am also going to post some side-by-side before and after pictures.  It is a day that I am looking forward to... See you then (if I don't see you before)

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THANKS A MILLION

thanks a million

phrase of thanks

1. 1.

   informal

   thank you very much.

   

Hey fitbit!  Thanks a million.
These were my total steps during the three months that I have owned this device.   I purchased the device on September 3.

SEPTEMBER 3-SEPTEMBER 30

OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 31

NOVEMBER 1 - NOVEMBER 30

SEPTEMBER           677,302 STEPS

OCTOBER                920,446 STEPS

NOVEMBER       1,101,618 STEPS

through the first three months of being a 'fitbitter' I have logged 2,699,366 steps.

This level of steps, this level of walking is completely unsustainable.  At some point, I imagine that I will ratchet down to one hour of walking per day, or perhaps return to the elliptical machine, especially when the cold wintry weather really settles in.  Nevertheless, I am amazed that I have accomplished so much.  It does make me wonder how little activity I might have been involved in prior to September 3 without the silent taunting of the fitbit.  These days, I am always eager to run any errand that involves walking.  I walk in place (march in place) when waiting in line.  I walked in place while waiting for my dentist appointment yesterday.  I know I may look like a bit of a kook.  And I freely admit - I do not care.  Many people give me a knowing smile, with the question: 'Getting your steps in?'    Every half hour spent walking (even walking in place) surely is expending more calories than sitting down in a chair.  I have stepped when watching what little television I do watch - especially when in a hotel room.  It just seems like a much better way to spend an hour of TV time than being a couch potato.  I had previously mastered the art of being a couch potato.  I prefer to be a master stepper.  I prefer to be a walker.  I prefer to be fitter.  I prefer being the person today, over the person that I was one year ago.  Even when I am unhappy about life's many curveballs, I can always derive satisfaction from my daily accomplishment of exercising.  A bad day after walking ten miles, is a far superior day to a bad day that does not include a ten mile walk.  

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Heb Organics - Toasted O's, 3 cup	330	66	6	12	480	3
General Mills - Nature Valley - Oats 'n Honey Crunchy Granola Bar, 6 bars	570	87	18	12	480	36
	900	153	24	24	960	39
L U N C H
Homemade - Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, 4 oz	93	26	0	4	0	3
Schwan's - Southwest Roasted Corn, 0.67 c	160	17	9	3	260	3
Generic - Milanese Chicken Breast, 1 breast	500	37	26	28	520	3
WHOLE FOODS 7608 - YOGURT PRETZELS, 40 g	190	28	8	2	180	19
	943	108	43	37	960	28
D I N N E R
Stonefire®Tandoor Baked Naan (Garlic) 0.5 naan 63g	190	29	5	6	430	2
Campbell's Chunky Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Doctor Kracker Crispbreads - Seedlander Crispbreads, 3 piece	300	36	12	12	390	6
Quaker - Chewy Choc Chip, 1 bar	100	17	4	1	0	7
	830	118	27	29	2,420	21
S N A C K S
Mcdonald's - Oat Meal, 1 container	290	57	5	5	160	32
WHOLE FOODS 6392 - SOYBEANS, 112 g	180	12	10	16	440	4
WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 82.5 g (3/4 cup)	360	60	11	8	90	23
	830	129	25	29	690	59
Totals	3,503	508	119	119	5,030	147
Your Daily Goal	4,043	505	134	203	2,300	151
Remaining	540	-3	15	84	-2,730	4
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,113 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	136	1,891
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	222
Daily Total / Goal	137 / 30	2,113 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	256 / 210	4,801 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3503 calories

total calories burned (10 mile walk) 1891 calories

total net calories 1612 calories

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fitbit day 90

29465 steps

.....................

ten mile walking streak reached 23 days.

Don Mattingly, Yankee All-Star First Basemen - number 23

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BREAKFAST

Calories

Carbs

Fat

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

Heb Organics - Toasted O's, 3 cup

330

66

6

12

480

3

General Mills - Nature Valley - Oats 'n Honey Crunchy Granola Bar, 6 bars

570

87

18

12

480

36

900

153

24

24

960

39

L U N C H

Homemade - Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, 4 oz

93

26

0

4

0

3

Schwan's - Southwest Roasted Corn, 0.67 c

160

17

9

3

260

3

Generic - Milanese Chicken Breast, 1 breast

500

37

26

28

520

3

WHOLE FOODS 7608 - YOGURT PRETZELS, 40 g 

190

28

8

2

180

19

943

108

43

37

960

28

D I N N E R

Stonefire®Tandoor Baked Naan (Garlic) 0.5 naan 63g

190

29

5

6

430

2

Campbell's Chunky Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup

240

36

6

10

1,600

6

Doctor Kracker Crispbreads - Seedlander Crispbreads, 3 piece

300

36

12

12

390

6

Quaker - Chewy Choc Chip, 1 bar

100

17

4

1

0

7

830

118

27

29

2,420

21

S N A C K S

Mcdonald's - Oat Meal, 1 container

290

57

5

5

160

32

WHOLE FOODS 6392 - SOYBEANS, 112 g

180

12

10

16

440

4

WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 82.5 g (3/4 cup)

360

60

11

8

90

23

830

129

25

29

690

59

Totals

3,503

508

119

119

5,030

147

Your Daily Goal

4,043

505

134

203

2,300

151

Remaining

540

-3

15

84

-2,730

4

Calories

Carbs

Fat

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

*You've earned 2,113 extra calories from exercise today         

Cardiovascular

Minutes

Calories Burned

Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace

136

1,891

MFP iOS calorie adjustment

N/A

222

 

 

Daily Total / Goal

137 / 30

2,113 / 590

 

Weekly Total / Goal

256 / 210

4,801 / 4,130

INTERIM GOALS & LONG TERM GOALS

The long term goal is simple.  Look healthy and be healthy.   My goal is to lose a lot of weight that I don't need to be carting around.   So far, I have 'only' lost 15 lbs.  My father had an excellent way of explaining just how much that really is.  He suggested going to the grocery store and picking up a piece of meat that weighed 15 lbs.   Carry that around all day, or all week - and then you can answer the question whether 15 lbs is a big deal or not.  I am convinced that my initial success has been dramatic and meaningful.   I think my knee does not hurt any more when I wake up in the morning - Is that real? Is it my imagination?  My goal is to lose something in the neighborhood of 100 lbs from my position at the starting line on December 24, 2014.  In order to lose 100 lbs, I will have to lose one pound at a time.  One interim goal would be the ability to shop at COSTCO.   This store, and most retail stores don't stock trousers or blue jeans for those with a 50 inch waist.   Costco 'only' caters to those 'svelte' individuals with a 44" waistline.  Even that goal might be nearly forty pounds away.   I will have to get to 44" before I get to 40" or 38."  I recently stumbled upon a decade old article on WebMD that explored the seemingly preposterous idea that health secrets could be divined from the members of the Rolling Stones. This article claimed that Mick Jagger has a 28" waist.   That is not my goal.

Another good day on the road: BREAKFAST 200 CALORIES, LUNCH (I had no time between appointments so I only ate the two apples I brought with me) 160 CALORIES, DINNER Turkey Chili at Panera Bread 280 CALORIES.   TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE 640 CALORIES.   I am looking forward to stepping onto my scale on Saturday morning.

I have a long way to go before I can blue jeans at Costco