THREE HOUR WORKOUT

Intellectually I know that one cannot 'erase' the calories of over-eating with the calories 'burned' by over-exercising.  Nevertheless, I do take great pride in the commitment that I have made to my exercise regiment over the past few months.  My hike up Half Dome (Yosemite National Park) with my brother and four other guys is now just about one month away.  I continue to believe that I am in the best physical shape of my life.

Yesterday, I visited a new YMCA in North Royalton, Ohio that opened about 3 years ago.  I hopped onto a PRECOR EFX ELLIPTICAL machine.  This is the same machine that I use at my hometown 'Y' in Chicago. At my Chicago 'Y' I often spend two hours on this machine.   In North Royalton, the machine would not let me set the time past 90 minutes.  I decided to complete two workouts - each 90 minutes.  This meant that my workout was Three Hours. 

I personally found it interesting that my second workout was more effective than the first workout.  This is counter-intuitive as one would think that I would have been more physically spent.  It appears that the first workout serves to get me limbered up a bit.  I will admit that when I stepped off the machine after two consecutive 90 minute workouts - I was exhausted.  It was an exhaustion that felt good.  After working out, I checked into my hotel and made use of the hot tub in the pool area which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I do not aspire to have three hour workouts on a regular basis.  I am just pleased that I was physically able to do it.  A three hour workout would have been unimaginable just a few months ago.  Last year, I don't think that I could have lasted 10 minutes on an elliptical machine with these settings.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 Tuesday MENU

breakfast  oatmeal                                                                                  390 calories
lunch        Pumpkin flatbreads, Salad Bar                                            1200 calories
dinner       Pumpkin flatbreads                                                                800 calories
SNACK   ginger, radiant raspberry granola, papaya, dates, wasabi      897 calories

total calories consumed 3287 calories

calories burned

#1 PRECOR EFX elliptical machine, 4:3 INTEVAL, level 20, 95 minutes                       1106

#2 PRECOR EFX elliptical machine, 4:3 INTEVAL, level 20, 95 minutes                       1226

CALORIES BURNED 2332 CALORIES

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Tuesday net calories  955 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

WORKOUT #1

WORKOUT #2

THE AUDACITY OF DOPE

THE AUDACITY OF DOPE. (no, not this one)

I have tried very hard to keep this blog apolitical.
Just because I am trying, does not mean that I am succeeding.



(This one)
THE AUDACITY OF HOPE

Yesterday morning, I had the AUDACITY OF HOPE to set the PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER to a 4:3 interval session for 2 full hours. I had never had the audacity to set any exercise equipment to 120 minutes prior to initiating a session. Yesterday I did.  I completed the two hours and it was exhilarating.

I drove to my local Chicago YMCA and arrived by 5:15AM.  I set the PRECOR EFX CROSS TRAINER to the maximum resistance and incline for a 4:3 INTERVAL TRAINING SESSION.   I set a 'TARGET' GOAL of 1500 calories burned and I completed the session and exceeded my calorie burning goal.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

217.6 lbs

I weigh 217.6 lbs.
I lost 2.4 lbs this week.

I lost 91.4 lbs in 185 days.Today begins Day186.

I have lost 14 inches from my waist. 

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

I weigh 217.6 lbs. (185 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 29.6% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 29.11 (far away from obesity!)

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 185 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have two words to describe how my body is responding to all the exercise that I have been doing since January: INCREASED ENDURANCE

...I know how to begin this week... I think it might be another good day to visit my 'hometown' YMCA.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast   two apples, 4 jumbo turkish figs, granola                    1320 calories

lunch         asparagus spears, whole baby corn, 2 apples                 303 calories
dinner       PANERA BREAD 1/2 turkey sandwich, onion soup
                 apple                                                                               595 calories
SNACK   1 cup FRENCH VANILLA ALMOND GRANOLA      320 calories

                                                

total calories consumed 2538 calories

calories burned

PRECOR EFX CROSS-TRAINER 4:3 INTERVAL SESSION

125 MINUTES, 9.93 MILES          1578 CALORIES

Friday net calories  calories 960 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~