WHO IS JOHN GALT?

Yesterday I was a soccer Mom - with two obvious differences.
I am a Dad.
I was driving my daughter and her friend to Cheerleading Practice - not soccer.
Other than that, I was a soccer Mom.

Had I had this same responsibility two years ago and needed to find something to do in the 90 minutes that I had to myself, perhaps I would have driven to a nearby McDonalds and had a hearty (that is, heart-killing) breakfast of two bacon egg cheese bagels. Nowadays, it is so much easier for me to find something to do with 90 minutes. In fact, since I dropped my daughter and her friend at Cheerleading practice ten minutes early - I had precisely 100 minutes to myself. This gave me enough time to squeeze in a 7 mile hike in places I had never seen before. My hike took me to LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve where I found a trail that was a converted railway line. I timed my hike perfectly so that I knew almost precisely when to turn back and head back to the place where the car was parked and my two passengers would be waiting for me. The weather was great, I was prepared with my backpack filled with ice-cold water. It was another great hike.

WHO IS JOHN GALT?
As a person who has read Ayn Rand's 1957, 1000+ page opus, Atlas Shrugged, I vaguely remember this reference. I needed to refresh my memory from wikipedia...

John Galt (/ɡɔːlt/) is a character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged (1957). Although he is not identified by name until the last third of the novel, he is the object of its often-repeated question "Who is John Galt?" and of the quest to discover the answer.

As the plot unfolds, Galt is acknowledged to be a philosopher and inventor; he believes in the power and glory of the human mind, and the right of the individual to use their mind solely for themself. He serves as a highly individualist counterpoint to the collectivist social and economic structure depicted in the novel, in which society is based on oppressive bureaucratic functionaries and a culture that embraces mediocrity in the name of egalitarianism, which the novel posits is the end result of Collectivist philosophy.

Here is my question? Who put up this billboard? And how long has it been there?  The sign was extremely weather-beaten. I live in Illinois, a place where the collectivist mindset is prevalent. What other state could have politically birthed Barack Obama? (other than, Hawaii, Vermont, Massachussetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington or California?) President Obama is not exactly a person who has professed rugged individualism as an ideal. The current nominee for president from the Democrats thinks it takes a village to raise a child. Clearly this sign was erected by someone who is not a person who drinks the Democrat Party Kool-Aid.

The squared area is LaBagh Woods, and the GRAVEL EMBANKMENT was the old railroad line converted into a straight trail that I took north to Devon Avenue before I turned back to pick up my two passengers.

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, September 24, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Trader Joe's - Multigrain O's	660	144	6	12	810	36
Quaker - Chewy Granola 90 Calories, 1 bar	90	19	2	1	80	7
	750	163	8	13	890	43
L U N C H
Trader Joe's - Cereal High Fiber, 210 g	560	161	4	21	490	35
	560	161	4	21	490	35
D I N N E R
Turkey Pot Roast	260	6	14	28	1,060	2
Shaved Brussel Sprouts	70	16	0	6	0	0
Asparagus - Steamed Fresh	60	6	0	7	0	0
Chef Salad	501	13	39	31	1,001	8
Bai Antioxidant Cocofusion - Maui Coconut	10	18	0	0	70	2
	901	59	53	72	2,131	12
S N A C K S
Nestle - Dark Chocolate Chips	500	57	36	0	0	43
	500	57	36	0	0	43
Totals	2,711	440	101	106	3,511	133
Your Daily Goal	3,354	419	111	168	2,300	125
Remaining	643	-21	10	62	-1,211	-8
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,424 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 202.8 lbs in 5 weeks     

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
SEVEN MILE HIKE	94	1,338
Daily Total / Goal	94 / 30	1,338 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	954 / 210	14,171 / 4,130

Atlas Shrugged official movie poster

COLD TURKEY

I can remember, back in December 2015, when I first started to lose weight from a starting point of 309 lbs, I went 'cold turkey.'
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cold tur·key informal noun 

the abrupt and complete cessation of taking a drug to which one is addicted.

"cold turkey, with no medication, is not recommended for those with medical conditions"

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I had been a man that was consuming 5000, perhaps 6000 calories per day for years at a time. I combined this excessive diet with a lifestyle that completely excluded exercise. On December 24, 2014, I made an abrupt change and consumed only 1000 calories per day for three months. Within those three months, my weight dropped by approximately 80 lbs (which is right about where my weight is right now).  Somehow, back then, I was able to convince myself that I was not hungry, or at least that I was not so hungry that I couldn't hold out for my next meal. I remember so clearly how convinced I was once I reached a desired weight, it would be easy to limit myself to 2000 calories per day.  Apparently I was delusional, as it has not been easy to even limit myself to 3000 calories per day. On the other hand, I have maintained a very aggressive workout regiment - and for that I remain proud of myself. I just need to find the guy that I was one year ago to get back on track. I know that he is nearby.  If I continue to go backwards when I weigh myself this Saturday, it might be time to add some 'cold turkey' back to the program.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Daisy - Low-fat Cottage Cheese 2% Milk Fat	360	16	10	52	1,400	16
Wonder Bread - Classic White, 4 slices	280	58	3	8	360	10
Smuckers - Sugar Free Concord Grape Jam	40	20	0	0	0	0
Nice! - Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 Tbsp	180	8	15	7	130	3
	860	102	28	67	1,890	29
L U N C H
HUGE SPINACH SALAD, 1.5 SALAD	750	0	0	0	0	0
Teriyaki Salmon Steaks, 6 oz	270	3	8	47	365	5
	1,020	3	8	47	365	5
D I N N E R
Campbell's ChunkChicken Corn Chowder Microwave Bowl, 4 cup	760	80	40	24	3,360	20
	760	80	40	24	3,360	20
S N A C K S
Edy's Outshine Fruit Bar - Creamy Coconut, 1 bar	120	20	3	4	40	18
Nestle - Milk Chocolate Bar, 1 bar	210	27	12	2	20	25
	330	47	15	6	60	43
Totals	2,970	232	91	144	5,675	97
Your Daily Goal	3,792	474	126	190	2,300	142
Remaining	822	242	35	46	-3,375	45
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,862 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
MATRIX FITNESS 7xi	65	1,036
MATRIX FITNESS 7xi	65	1,006
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-180
Daily Total / Goal	131 / 30	1,862 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	262 / 210	3,811 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2970 calories

total calories burned (elliptical) 2042 calories

total net 928 calories

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fitbit day 174

17491 steps  

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

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• All the way back on December 26, 2014 this blog was born. On that day I posted 'BEFORE' pictures... Obviously 'AFTER' pictures were a bit premature at that time since on December 26, I was into my new lifestyle for a grand total of 48 hours. The original 'BEFORE' photos attempted to show myself to the world in all my glorious fatness. I took front shots, side shots and I even included 'topless' photos. It took a bit of nerve to do that at a weight of 309 lbs. The anniversary date of my lifestyle change is now just three days away...  I was thinking that when a new movie is due for release, there are usually coming attractions available prior to the release date. That is the model that I am using today. I am going to advance preview two sets of photos. The first photo was an absolutely goofy photo of myself taken on December 26, 2014. As I recall, the photo was so goofy that even I did not have the guts to post it originally. I guess you can say that this photo was left on the cutting room floor. One year later, I am ready to resurrect it.  Here it is:

December 26, 2014

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December 21, 2015

This set of two photos remove the mystery for me as to why my glasses are constantly falling off. In the first picture my glasses appear to be pressed tightly against both side of my head. In the second photo, my glasses look a lot bigger on my head. The glasses are the same, it appears that my head might be a bit smaller. (Hopefully my brain did not shrink.) I don't even care if you still think I look a bit goofy in the second photo. I would rather be a goofy healthy thin person than a goofy unhealthy morbidly obese person. I never claimed that this diet philosophy would reduce goofiness. In fact, it does not!

OK THAT IS ONE SET OF PHOTOS.... BUT I AM NOT DONE YET


The next photo was taken as my family was waiting for a Blue Öyster Cult concert to begin. (You cannot imagine how happy I am that I finally figured out how to add an umlaut to a letter on my mac!) This photo from September 2010 shows me and my daughter who would have been about 8.5 years old at that time. I probably had not even come close to reaching my maximum weight of 309 lbs... perhaps I was a fraction under 300 lbs, who knows? What one can see is that I was a blimp. Thank goodness that "things ain't what they used to be..."

Daddy/Daughter getting ready for the start of the Blue Öyster Cult concert, September 2010
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I try to be a humble guy. I try to be modest guy. Here modesty is not an issue - I am a healthier and better looking and younger looking man that I was five years ago! And look at the beauty that my daughter became! Sure, it is true that she gained weight in the last five years, then again she also gained more than 12 inches in height! (That's the problem us adults face, we gain weight but we forget to gain height while we are doing it!) My daughter just had her Bat Mitzvah two weeks ago and there is one photo more that I would like to share.

This photo (December 5, 2015) shows the same two people that were waiting for the Blue Öyster Cult concert to start five years ago.  The years have been kind to both of us - especially my daughter who is growing up into a young, beautiful, intelligent and talented woman.  

I look at those older photos of myself and I can only stomach them as I no longer look like that. When I did look like I did in the past, I was not getting in front of a camera too often. It is not exactly shocking to wonder why I would be reluctant to be photographed. I guess I am glad that there are few photos of me in my portly state - as they serve to really show what changes I have made by diet and exercise. Yep, it was the Rabbi Hillel Diet plan that did the trick. I did not need pills. I did not need meals delivered to my home.  I did not need to go to weekly meetings. I did not have to learn new specialized recipes. I did not have to eat licensed food from some licensed diet plan. I did not need to eat cabbage soup morning, noon and night. I did not need to cut out carbs. I did not subsist on only carrots or some other ridiculous food. I did not need to avoid eating in restaurants. Heck, I didn't even need to completely avoid drinking alcohol! I needed only to follow the Rabbi Hillel Diet. This seems like a good place to restate precisely what that means:

"What is unhealthy for you, do not eat. That is the whole plan; the rest is commentary - go and have lunch!"

The inspiration of this plan comes from a story about Rabbi Hillel who was asked to teach a prospective convert to Judaism the entire Torah while the prospect stood on one foot. Rabbi Hillel accepted the challenge. "What IS hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary - go and study it!" (artwork by Sara, my talented daughter)

TAKE A LOOK AT THE PHOTOS ABOVE. THE RABBI HILLEL DIET PHILOSOPHY WORKS. IT CERTAINLY WORKED FOR ME. IT CAN WORK FOR YOU. ONE YEAR FROM NOW, YOU WILL WISH YOU STARTED TODAY. IN MY FIRST YEAR, I HAVE LOST NEARLY 100 LBS.  

This same philosophy should help me slowly shed a bit more weight - but equally important it should keep me where I am. I am not going back. I did that once before. It was about the dumbest thing that a person could do - and I did it. I vowed from the day that I started my lifestyle change on December 24, 2014 that I was going to be successful in losing the weight and that I was going to be successful in keeping the weight off. As I basically lost 85 lbs in the first four months - I have a small track record of keeping the weight off. I only have to continue to do what I am doing for the rest of my life. Just like everyone else. The reason that there are healthy, thin people in society is that they are working on it... It takes no effort to be lazy and obese, believe me I know. It takes some effort to be active and thin - and the payoff is great and so very worth it. I say to you today: Go for it!

Your Food Diary For:

Monday, December 21, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Trader Joe's - Organic Triple Ginger Instant Oatmeal, 4 Packet	560	108	8	12	360	40
	560	108	8	12	360	40
L U N C H
Omaha Steaks - Gourmet Franks, 1.5 Frank	360	6	30	17	1,170	2
Roundy's - No Salt Added Sweet Peas - Canned, 1 3/4 cup	210	35	2	14	53	18
libby's - Sweet Corn, 1.75 cup	210	32	5	7	700	25
	780	73	37	38	1,923	44
D I N N E R
Generic - Baked Lemon Sole, 1 filet	109	3	3	16	0	0
Wegmans - Herb Stuffing, 3 oz	120	15	5	3	270	2
Generic - Grilled Brussel Sprouts, 1 cup	65	13	3	6	23	0
Turkey - Turkey, 6 OZ	174	0	3	29	1,704	0
	468	31	14	53	1,997	2
S N A C K S
Banana Chips - Banana Chips, 54.4 g(1/2 cup)	235	26	14	2	3	16
WHOLE FOODS. 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 52.25 g (3/4 cup)	228	38	7	5	57	14
WHOLE FOODS - YOGURT PRETZELS, 80 g (approx 8 pcs)	380	56	0	4	360	38
	843	120	21	10	420	68
Totals	2,651	331	80	113	4,700	153
Your Daily Goal	4,349	543	145	218	2,300	163
Remaining	1,698	212	65	104	-2,399	9
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,419 extra calories from exercise today

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	Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, December 21, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,545
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	41	568
Walking, 4.0 mph, very brisk pace	31	337
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-31
Daily Total / Goal	165 / 30	2,419 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	165 / 210	2,419 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2651 calories

total calories burned (elliptical machine, walking) 2450 calories

total net calories 201 calories

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fitbit day 110
25041 steps

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um·laut

ˈo͝omˌlout/

noun

1. 1.

   a mark ( ¨ ) used over a vowel, as in German or Hungarian, to indicate a different vowel quality, usually fronting or rounding. Used by many rock and roll band names just to look cool, for example, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT