2018

On the last day of 2017 I thought I might take an urban hike. When I woke up, the temperature was about 3°F so I chose to wait awhile before venturing outdoors. It would have been crazy to go outside when it was so cold, right? So I waited until around noon when the temperature had soared to 10°F. My hike took me to the beautiful Chicago lakefront. Although the skies were a deep blue in every direction, oddly enough the lakefront was not very crowded. I thought that I would see signs of the lake beginning to freeze near the shoreline, but it has not (yet). As the temperatures will not exceed freezing (32°F) for the ten days (at least) the lake may look a bit different next weekend. The new year is going help dispel the notion of global warming. We could use a little global warming right about now. Happy New Year.

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, December 31, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Special K Chewy Nut Bars (Cranberry Almond)	450	60	18	9	180	36
Essential Everyday Butter Flavored Grits	500	105	5	10	1,700	5
Kirkland Bacon	200	0	15	15	875	0
	1,150	165	38	34	2,755	41
L U N C H
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	700	55	31	17	286	31
	700	55	31	17	286	31
D I N N E R
Rotisserie Chicken	510	3	33	45	1,860	3
Baked Beans	250	43	1	3	313	6
	760	46	34	48	2,173	9
French Baguette	450	90	3	15	1,110	3
Brie Cheese	300	0	27	12	360	0
	750	90	30	27	1,470	3
Totals	3,360	356	133	126	6,684	84
Your Daily Goal	2,968	371	99	149	2,300	111
Remaining	-392	15	-34	23	-4,384	27
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,038 extra calories from exercise today

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ON THE DL

Oh boy... Did I ever get my comeuppance last evening. Since, I have never used the word, comeuppance, prior to right now... I needed to look it up.

come·up·pance

ˌkəmˈəpəns/

noun

informal

1. a punishment or fate that someone deserves.

   "he got his comeuppance"

   synonyms:

   just deserts, just punishment, due, retribution, requital, what's coming to one "the bad guys always get their comeuppance in the final scene"

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I thought that after two days of rest, and two days of seemingly no pain that I could gingerly get on the treadmill last evening. I shouldn't have done that. But I did do it. I spent 35 minutes at an average speed of 26.05 minutes per mile, and 'walked' 1.37 miles. At that speed I could have practically burned those 117 calories that the machine said I burned by restfully sleeping. What I was not counting on was the return of groin pain. After my incredibly unvigorous, yet painful workout, I applied ice and 'hit' the ibuprofen.  I am simply going to need to stay away from walking any kind of distance for a week. At this particular moment, an elliptical machine workout is nearly unimaginable. As baseball season begins this weekend, I will borrow a word often used to describe a player kept out of action due to injury: I am officially on the disabled list (DL).

In Major League Baseball, the disabled list (DL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players..

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, April 1, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Cinnamon & Spice Instant Oatmeal	640	128	8	16	840	44
Scrambled Eggs w/two Sausages	300	0	0	0	0	0
Yoplait - 2lb - Original 99% Fat Free Smooth Style Strawberry Yogurt, 8 oz (225g)	210	42	2	7	100	30
	1,150	170	10	23	940	74
L U N C H
Cabbage Soup	300	31	1	7	235	17
Organic Dark Chocolate	250	23	16	2	0	20
	550	54	17	9	235	37
D I N N E R
Crockpot Pot Roast, 8 oz	660	10	12	32	874	0
Kind - Dark Chocolate Cherry, 2 bar	360	44	18	8	40	28
	1,020	54	30	40	914	28
Totals	2,720	278	56	72	2,089	139
Your Daily Goal	2,027	253	67	102	2,300	76
Remaining	-693	-24	10	30	210	-63
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 97 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, April 1, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
MATRIX TREADMILL	35	117
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-20
Daily Total / Goal	36 / 30	97 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	219 / 210	2,747 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2720 calories

total calories burned 117 calories

total net 2603 calories

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fitbit day 212

6577 steps

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Today is April 2... That means I need to extend birthday wishes to the only person on this planet that I have known my whole life. 

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Happy Birthday, Mom!

Love,

Marc

WHAT'S THE PLAN?

I need to heal. I need a plan. I really, really took it easy today. My total 'steps' were just a touch over 5000. In the past few weeks I have been averaging closer to 25,000 steps per day. I almost went the entire day without feeling any pain. I also did not exert myself in any meaningful way. I know that my groin muscles are still tender and I am hoping that they will heal quickly. My lack of exercise has been reflected into a loss of appetite. I need to exercise. It is really annoying that I cannot even walk (fast) which is my most favorite way of burning calories. Today, Friday, I have just one appointment, then I am driving back to Chicago. I think I will still need to take it easy for a few more days. I am being very timid about exerting myself as I do not want to have a setback.  If I can force myself to stay inactive for a week or so, I am betting  that I will recover more quickly.

That's the plan.

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Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, March 31, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Scrambled Eggs w/two Sausages breakfast	450	0	0	0	0	0
Quaker Cinnamon Spice Instant Oatmeal	640	128	8	16	840	44
Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	1,185	153	8	17	842	63
L U N C H
Jason's Deli - Amy's Turkey-o, 1 sandwich	480	56	17	29	1,380	11
Jason's Deli - SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Jason's Deli - Flatbread Cracker, 4 cracker	200	24	8	8	380	4
	910	106	33	49	3,470	18
D I N N E R
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD	750	0	0	0	0	0
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	845	25	0	1	2	19
S N A C K S
Yoplait - Original Stawberry, 6 oz	150	25	1	6	95	18
	150	25	1	6	95	18
Totals	3,090	309	43	72	4,409	118
Your Daily Goal	1,978	247	66	99	2,300	74
Remaining	-1,112	-62	23	27	-2,108	-43
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 48 extra calories from exercise today

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DAY OFF FROM EXERCISE
RECOVERING FROM GROIN PULL

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total calories consumed 3090 calories

total calories burned from additional exercise - 0 calories

total net 3090 calories

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fitbit day 211

5103 steps

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TAKING IT EASY

Yesterday, I started my day with the incorrect conclusion that my groin pull had more or less cleared up. I was with a customer in the morning, and all of a sudden the pain returned, a pain which I had previously only felt during workouts. My customer, was kind enough to offer me ibuprofen which I had forgotten to take with me. Whether the ibuprofen helped chemically or as a placebo - the pain dissipated during the drive to my second appointment. I went to sleep very early last night just to get complete rest. I have been applying a cold ice pack to my inner thigh with the thought that this might speed up recovery time. I am sure I will take it easy today and likely on Friday too. Then I will gingerly see if I am ready to consider increasing my activity over the weekend.

I think this 'emoji' captures perfectly how I felt when the pain cranked up during my first appointment yesterday.

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Cinnamon & Spice Instant Oatmeal	640	128	8	16	840	44
Hotel - Scrambled Eggs w/two Sausages	450	0	0	0	0	0
	1,090	128	8	16	840	44
L U N C H
Subway - Turkey Breast & Black Forest              Ham	560	92	8	36	1,460	16
Subway - Chicken Soup, 1 small bowl	100	12	1	10	720	1
Nature Valley - Crunchy Oats & Honey, 2 bars	190	29	6	4	160	12
	850	133	15	50	2,340	29
D I N N E R
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD	750	0	0	0	0	0
WHOLE FOODS - YOGURT PRETZELS	380	56	0	4	360	38
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	1,320	106	1	5	364	76
Totals	3,260	367	24	71	3,544	149
Your Daily Goal	2,070	259	69	104	2,300	77
Remaining	-1,190	-108	45	33	-1,243	-71
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 140 extra calories from exercise today

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DAY OFF FROM EXERCISE
RECOVERING FROM GROIN PULL

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total calories consumed 3260 calories

total calories burned from additional exercise - 0 calories

total net 3260 calories

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fitbit day 210

5491 steps


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GROIN PULL?

I think I may have a groin pull. I started to feel some discomfort while on the elliptical machine on Saturday night.  I put a cold pack on the area, and took some ibuprofen to reduce any swelling of the muscles. I thought I could work through this problem and I exercised on the elliptical machine again on Sunday and Monday. Each time, during my workout, the pain returned. Each time I followed my session with a cold pack and ibuprofen. Finally, yesterday, I decided to take a brisk walk. After about two miles, again the pain returned and although I finished a six mile walk out and about in Bloomington, Illinois, I definitely struggled for the last mile or so. My speed was greatly reduced and when I returned to my hotel room I used ice and ibuprofen to reduce the discomfort.

It appears that I will not be able to 'will' myself to health. I am going to need to consider staying away from the elliptical machine and fast walking for at least a day or so. I copied the 'home treatment' instructions from WebMd. My area of discomfort has not been nearly as big as the area of redness in the illustration below.  Again, this morning, Wednesday, I am not experiencing any pain anywhere...but still I think I must force myself to skip the workout today (at least).

What Does a Groin Pull Feel Like?

Here are some symptoms of a groin pull:

• Pain and tenderness in the groin and the inside of the thigh
• Pain when you bring your legs together
• Pain when you raise your knee
• A popping or snapping feeling during the injury, followed by severe pain.

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Groin pulls are often divided into three degrees of severity:

• 1st degree: Mild pain, but little loss of strength or movement
• 2nd degree: Moderate pain, mild to moderate strength loss and some tissue damage
• 3rd degree: Severe pain, severe loss of strength and function due to a complete tear of the muscle

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What's the Treatment for a Groin Pull?

Happily, a groin pull will usually heal on its own. You just need to give it some time and rest. To speed the healing, you can:

• Ice the inside of your thigh to reduce pain and swelling. Experts recommend doing it for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone.
• Compress your thigh using an elastic bandage or tape.
• Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen, will help with pain and swelling. But studies show their effects are controversial especially if taken long-term. Additionally, these drugs can have side effects; they should be used only occasionally unless your doctor specifically says otherwise.
• To assist tissue healing, your medical provider will guide you in active stretching and strengthening exercises. Depending on grade of injury, this can start immediately or may require several days of rest. Pain is used as a guide. Too aggressive and further damage may occur.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Hotel - Scrambled Eggs w/two Sausages	600	0	0	0	0	0
Quaker - Cinnamon & Spice Instant Oatmeal	480	96	6	12	630	33
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	1,175	121	6	13	632	52
L U N C H
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD	1,000	0	0	0	0	0
Chewy Oat & Honey Granola Bar, 2 Bar	200	36	5	2	110	14
	1,200	36	5	2	110	14
D I N N E R
Jason's Deli - ASIAGO POT ROAST SANDWICH	620	50	20	56	1,200	4
Jason's Deli - SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 3 medium apple	285	75	1	2	5	57
	1,135	151	29	70	2,915	64
S N A C K S
coconut beach - coconut chips	440	40	32	4	440	32
	440	40	32	4	440	32
Totals	3,950	348	72	88	4,097	162
Your Daily Goal	2,837	354	94	142	2,300	106
Remaining	-1,113	5	21	54	-1,797	-55
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 907 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	89	1,039
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-132
Daily Total / Goal	90 / 30	907 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	181 / 210	2,408 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3950 calories

total calories burned 1039 calories

total net 2011 calories

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fitbit day 209
12866 steps

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