3

After months and months of eating progressively worse, of watching my willpower erode to zero... I have now strung together a grand total of 3 days of curbing my caloric intake. I think I am starting to make the transition from fat-creating machine to fat-burning machine... Three days does not prove that I am committed.... but it's a start.

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WELCOME TO INDIA

Earlier this month, my fitbit reported that I had walked the distance to Japan since I had become a 'fitbitter' on September 3, 2015.  I missed that notification when I received it on February 1st. According to fitbit, the length of Japan is 1869 miles. Late last night, my fitbit congratulated me for traversing the equivalent distance of India from North to South - 1997 miles.

This was the notification that I had received earlier this month congratulating me on walking the equivalent distance of Japan. I will admit, that I do get a kick out of these 'badges' that I earn from fitbit. I wonder 'where I am going next."  I suppose that I will find out when I get there!

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original	400	88	0	8	1,240	0
English Muffin - Thomas Original	120	25	1	4	200	1
KELLOGGS - RAISIN BRAN	380	92	2	10	420	36
Tropicana - Orange Juice 100% Juice	110	27	0	2	15	22
	1,010	232	3	24	1,875	59
L U N C H
Dark Chocolate Cranberries	240	38	14	2	0	28
Kroger - Banana Chips	320	44	14	2	0	0
HUGE SPINACH SALAD, 1 salad	500	0	0	0	0	0
	1,060	82	28	4	0	28
D I N N E R
Jason's SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Jason's Deli - Salad Buffet..., 3 Salad	1,050	51	72	51	3,180	24
	1,280	77	80	63	4,890	27
Totals	3,350	391	111	91	6,765	114
Your Daily Goal	3,971	496	132	199	2,300	149
Remaining	621	105	21	108	-4,465	35
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,041 extra calories from exercise today

Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	1,082
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	1,093
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-134
Daily Total / Goal	131 / 30	2,041 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	393 / 210	6,335 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3350 calories

total calories burned (elliptical) 2175 calories

total net 1175 calories

. . . . . . . . . . .  

fitbit day 164

15736 steps  

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65 minutes AMT ELLIPTICAL, LEVEL 20, first session 1082 calories burned

65 minutes AMT ELLIPTICAL, LEVEL 20, second session 1093 calories burned

SUGAR IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU

Sugar is not good for you. I am guessing that this is probably not a completely surprising fact. A recent article in US News and World Report listed 9 Reasons why sugar should be avoided (and weight management was not on this list)  I have summarized the 9 reasons:

1. Risk of Cancer lessened. (Studies have found correlation between too much sugar and cancer.)
2. Increased Happiness. (Sure you get the 'sugar buzz' but that is followed by the 'letdown.'
3. Increased Mental Abilities.  (Sugar can inhibit normal brain functions.)
4. Increased Heart Health.  (Thin folks that consume too much sugar are still at risk of heart disease.)
5. Better Teeth.  (Your Mom (and mine) were right....sugar can rot your teeth and lead to decay.)
6. Healthier Liver. (You don't need to be overweight to damage your liver from too much sugar.)
7. Decreased risk of Type 2 Diabetes. (Here too, one does not need be overweight to be at risk.)
8. Better Skin. (less acne, and less aging - what's not to like about that?)
9. Increased Life. (If you are avoiding sugar completely... do you really want to live longer?)
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Here is my question for God.... If sugar is so bad for us, why did you have to make it so tasty, delicious and addictive? 

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, January 23, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Omelette - 2 Egg, With Cheese, 1 Omelette	250	2	10	5	468	0
	250	2	10	5	468	0
L U N C H
Campbell's - Chunky Clam Chowder, 2 cup (240ml)	360	36	20	10	1,780	2
Whole Kernel Corn - Canned, 1.75 cup	245	39	4	4	840	14
Rice Krispie Treat, 2 bar	180	34	4	0	210	16
	785	109	28	14	2,830	32
D I N N E R
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Roundy's - 8 grain hearty wheat flatbread, 10 flatbread	300	55	5	5	750	0
EARTHBOUND FARM - ORGANIC BABY SPINACH, 85 g (approx 3 oz)	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
Deli - Horseradish Cheese, 4 slice	320	0	28	16	1,360	0
Rice Krispie treat - Snack, 1 bar	90	17	2	0	0	8
	1,265	155	44	54	6,360	38
Totals	2,300	266	81	72	9,658	70
Your Daily Goal	3,891	486	129	195	2,300	146
Remaining	1,591	220	47	123	-7,358	76
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,961 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,146
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-185
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	93 / 30	1,961 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	794 / 210	11,812 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2300 calories

total calories burned (92 min elliptical) 2146 calories

total net 154 calories

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fitbit day 141

10812 steps
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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.

CHUTZPAH

2015 has been a very momentous year in my life.  Just two days past four months ago, on December 24, 2014, I visited my doctor for 'wellness' exam.  As I have mentioned a few times, on this date I 'discovered' that my weight had ballooned up to 309 pounds.  I didn't need to see a doctor to learn that I was a clinically morbidly obese man - the world has no shortage of mirrors - I was aware of my condition. Sometime, during that appointment while discussing my weight with my doctor - I flipped a switch in my head - and decided right then and there that I was going to change the direction of my life.  I had planned on doing this 'starting tomorrow' for the past decade - my decision just made 'tomorrow' actually arrive.  Starting with my lunch that I had that very first day, I started making new decision regarding what I would be cramming into my 'pie hole.' (an expression I learned from Glenn Beck, a man that I greatly admire)

After merely two days of eating like a normal human being, in fact, restricting my daily caloric consumption from somewhere north of 5000 calories per day to south of 1000 calories per day,  I made another decision. The decision was to lose weight.  lots of weight.

CHUTZPAH

I figured that my anticipated journey from a 309 pound morbidly obese man to normal weight human being would make an interesting story.   I decided, that I was going to go public with my thoughts and actions via a blog.  On the very first day of my blog I posted 'before' pictures. Well, actually, they were not 'before' pictures at all - they were 'current' pictures.   I tried as best I could to capture my obesity in photos,  some photos were even 'topless.'   It took some real chutzpah to start this blog at this early date.  After all, if I failed, my failure would be broadcast not only to my immediate family - but to the world (or at least those in the world that would pay attention to my blog.)

It takes CHUTZPAH to start a blog documenting a 100+ weigh loss (before the first ounce has been shed!)

Today, April 27, 2015 means that four months have passed since this journey began. My success has been spectacular.  I have exceeded my own expectations in speed but not the result. I certainly expected to be successful, but I never dreamed that I would come this far in only four months.  It is the speed of my success which has astounded me. If I hadn't expected to be successful, I never would have summoned the chutzpah to start this journey.

This past Saturday, just two days ago, when I stepped onto my scale, I learned and announced to the world that my weight loss had reached 95 pounds.  This is no small accomplishment.  I am not done.

Time for some sports analogies.  I do think that I am in the 'late innings' of this part of the journey. Maybe it's only the 'seventh inning stretch.'   It's certainly the 'fourth quarter.'  It's late in the 'third period.'  As New York Yankees Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over." Now the truth is, in this type of journey, it's never going to be over.  The whole trip will have been an exercise in futility if I fail to commit to a lifelong program of eating well. I anticipate that I have become too smart (and way too happy) to backslide (again).

7th Inning Stretch

I have not yet posted side by side BEFORE/AFTER photos.  I am not quite ready to do so, just yet. I will be visiting my doctor for my third time during this journey in two weeks.  I remember, shocking him when I showed up after 60 days and had lost more than 50 pounds.  I presume he will be less shocked, but still somewhat amazed that after an additional 90 days I will have lost perhaps ANOTHER 50 POUNDS on top of the first 50 pounds!  I will be using this visit to discuss how long I  could/should continue my 1000 calorie per day diet.  I will be using this visit to discuss where my goal could/should be.  I have some ideas,  but I will be seeking his guidance.

A weight loss journey is never over.  

2015 HAS BEEN A MOMENTOUS YEAR IN MY LIFE.  This whole trip started just four months ago.  The journey that really never ends, has only just started...  I don't know if you are amazed - but I am!

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SUNDAY MENU
breakfast oatmeal w/prune, two poached eggs, two slices turkey 'bacon'                     355 calories
lunch       Spinach salad w/hearts of palm, mushrooms, 9 cherry tomato, onions  
                Trader Joe's All Natural Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
                Miso Soup (2 cups)   4 Dill Baby Pickles,  2 ounces Seaweed Salad            334 calories
dinner     Spinach salad w/hearts of palm, mushrooms, 9 cherry tomato, onions
               Trader Joe's All Natural Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
               Bowl Miso Soup, 4 Dill Baby Pickles, Seaweed Salad, 12 asparagus spears 359 calories

TOTAL CALORIE CONSUMPTION 1048 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED
6PM elliptical 32 minutes 431 calories

SUNDAY NET CALORIES  617 CALORIES

HUGE DINNER, SMALL CALORIC CONTENT
SPINACH SALAD w/mushrooms, hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes, onions, zero calorie dressing (79 CALORIES)
TWO CUPS MISO SOUP (90 CALORIES)
TWELVE FRESH ASPARAGUS SPEARS, TWO OUNCES SEAWEED SALAD (60 CALORIES)
TRADER JOE'S ALL NATURAL SWEET APPLE CHICKEN SAUSAGE (120 CALORIES)
FOUR BABY DILL PICKLES (10 CALORIES)
GRAND TOTAL 359 CALORIES

chutz·pah

ˈho͝otspə,ˈKHo͝otspə/

noun

informal

1. shameless audacity; impudence.

   synonyms:

   audacity, cheek, guts, nerve, boldness, temerity "it took a lot of chutzpah for her to walk in on Owen's bachelor party"

   
   

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   You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.
   

   Yogi Berra

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARA

Today, March 2nd, is the 13th birthday of my daughter.  Seven years ago, the first time that I dropped my weight from 300 lbs down to 220 lbs - I was a thin, fit dad.  As I have written before,  I gained all that weight back and added nine more pounds for good luck.  My daughter had no memory of me not being a big blob.  I am very happy that that is changing now.  Over the weekend, my wife, hosted a birthday party in our home for six of Sara's closest friends. The girls sat around a table and spent a couple of hours making jewelry crafts, doing whatever girls do behind closed doors in Sara's room, they had pizza and two birthday cakes and cookies. I spent part of the afternoon exercising, and of course I had none of the pizza, cake or cookies. For me, it was a very successful party - I believe the girls all had a great time as well.

Strawberry cake made by Mom.

Chocolate cake made by one of 

Sara's friends

SUNDAY MENU

calories consumed

breakfast     oatmeal w/prune, 1/2 salmon burger, two poached eggs                   350 calories
lunch           Costco turkey burger, 1 cup asparagus spears, chicken broth           290 calories
dinner         3.5 oz Salmon, cup Broccoli, pumpkin soup, spinach pancake         380 calories

total calories consumed  1020 CALORIES

calories burned
9AM elliptical machine 62 minutes        800 calories

net calories consumed    220 CALORIES

dinner:  3.5 oz Salmon filet, cup of broccoli, spinach pancake

cup of pumpkin soup    380 CALORIES