IT'S DIET NOT EXERCISE

If you look carefully over my left shoulder in this photo you will see a lion sitting atop a rock in the Lincoln Park Zoo in a 'selfie' that I snapped yesterday during a 9 mile urban hike.

Here is a closeup of the same lion. This time I flipped the phone around and used the better of the two lenses.

I have never thought about it before yesterday. Why are not all zoo animals wildly overweight? How much exercise is this lion getting. When was the last time that this lion got to really 'stretch his legs' and zip around at 30 mph across a tall grass field chasing a pack of zebras? Only one thing must be keeping him looking fit and trim. Diet. I am 'guilty' as anyone who thinks that calories can be erased by exercise. I suppose given enough activity there is some possibility of that, but the stubborn truth is that the best way to lose weight or keep weight off is to reduce calories. The formula is simple. It's just not easy. I know that I have been over-eating this past week and that I have been especially generous 'rewarding' myself with chocolate in various forms. I was not shocked when the scale indicated that I am back up to 225.1 lbs. (Still down 85 lbs from the day I started this weight loss journey)  I just need to do better. I will continue to exercise as that brings its own rewards. I just need to ratchet down the eating. That's the plan. I suppose a plan can never fail if you don't have one. Still, it is always better to have a plan.

Yesterday my physical activity was augmented with a 97 minute session on the elliptical machine .

Here is a rather petrifying reminder that summer really is over, and that Halloween is just around the corner.

Your Food Diary For:

Friday, October 7, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Great Grains Cranberry Almond Crunch	420	82	7	10	230	24
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 5 packet	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
	920	192	7	20	1,780	24
L U N C H
Fried Okra	300	24	10	3	210	3
Fried Shrimp	100	4	0	42	0	0
	400	28	10	45	210	3
D I N N E R
Ground Beef Buritto, 1 Buritto	675	0	32	42	0	1
Taco Bell - Hard Shell Taco	510	36	30	24	930	3
	1,185	36	62	66	930	4
S N A C K S
Hersheys Dark Chocolate Bar	500	28	38	9	100	11
	500	28	38	9	100	11
Totals	3,005	284	117	140	3,020	42
Your Daily Goal	4,718	590	157	236	2,300	177
Remaining	1,713	306	40	96	-720	135
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,788 extra calories from exercise today

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, October 7, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
9 MILE URBAN HIKE	124	1,683
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	97	1,082
Daily Total / Goal	221 / 30	2,765 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	530 / 210	7,627 / 4,130

.

HAVE YOU NOTICED IT IS DIET SEASON?

A friend of mine who lives in Pennsylvania has told me many times that the Monday after Thanksgiving each year is the beginning of hunting season (for deer).  Hunting season is a big deal in Pennsylvania and many other places around the country.  Just as sure as hunting season opens on that Monday in Pennsylvania....DIET SEASON opens around the entire country as soon as the odometer on the calendar switches from December 31 to January 1.

If you surf the internet, or read your emails, listen to the radio or watch any TV you will be inundated in videos, messages and commercials for diet plans, fitness clubs, and magic diet pills that promise weight loss with little or no effort.

A recognized diet plan can be effective, such as Weight Watchers.  A fitness club membership is always a good idea.  Although I have heard that it might be hard to find a parking spot in many fitness clubs in January.  Parking is usually less of a problem in February as people start to give less emphasis to their New Year's Resolutions.

The one thing that you must avoid are any of the 'magic' diet supplements that make big promises that they cannot possibly deliver.

For the third day in a row, I am going to reference the book written by Dr. Shaun Melarvie, The Diet Theory of Everything.  In his book, he does a great job of explaining these diet pills.  "There are so many different flavors of snake oil out there that it is difficult to find a place to start.  The easiest thing to say would be don't buy into this and don't take anything; but advertising is powerful, and people, on the whole, are trusting and therefore vulnerable."

Dr Melarvie used a sample newspaper ad for an unnamed diet supplement with a a 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE to make his point. 

The cost listed for the product was $39.99 for 60 capsules. The recommended dosing is one before each main meal. Assuming three main meals a day, sixty capsules would last twenty days. This leaves ten days to package and mail the empty container for a full refund (reportedly). This means taking the time and expense of repacking the empty bottle, stopping by the post office during business hours, standing in line, and finally getting it sent off at a cost of five dollars or so.  How many people do you think will do this? Not only will most people not do this for a refund of forty dollars, but there is also the emotional aspect of admitting failure at something that supposedly works for everyone except you.  Retailers such as these do not make their money from repeat customers. They make their money from first-time buyers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

There is exactly one way to lose weight.  One must create calorie deficit where the calories utilized (burned) are greater than the calories consumed (eaten).  Create a deficit of 3500 calories and approximately one pound will be lost. Create a surplus of 3500 calories and approximately one pound will be gained. Sadly, there are no shortcuts.  Save your money, don't buy diet pills. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

My 'menu' yesterday was not particularly good.  I was suffering with a toothache that disallowed me from chewing and/or eating hot foods.  A visit to the dentist today, Monday, should straighten me out (I hope)

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, January 3, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
tasteeos - Cereal, 8 cup	800	168	12	24	1,280	8
	800	168	12	24	1,280	8
L U N C H
S. Rosen's - 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 slice	300	57	3	15	570	9
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic, 3 oz	20	3	0	2	65	0
libby's - Sweet Corn, 0.88 cup	105	16	3	4	350	12
Libby's - Sweet Peas, 0.88 cup	123	21	1	7	525	11
Louis Kemp - Crab Delights Leg Style, 3 legs (85g)	70	11	0	6	430	1
	618	108	7	34	1,940	33
D I N N E R
Kraft - Macaroni & Cheese Spirals - Suggested Prep, 1 Cup	330	49	3	9	580	7
Delmonte - Fresh Cut - Sweet Corn Cream Style No Salt Added, 1.75 cup (125g)	210	49	2	4	35	25
	540	98	4	13	615	32
S N A C K S
S. Rosen's - 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 slice	300	57	3	15	570	9
tasteeos - Cereal, 5 cup	500	105	8	15	800	5
	800	162	11	30	1,370	14
Totals	2,758	536	33	100	5,205	86
Your Daily Goal	3,886	486	129	195	2,300	145
Remaining	1,128	-49	95	95	-2,905	58
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,956 extra calories from exercise today

.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,141
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-185
Daily Total / Goal	93 / 30	1,956 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	960 / 210	19,843 / 4,130

.

total calories consumed 2758 calories

total calories (92 minutes elliptical) 2141 calories

total net calories 617 calories

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

fitbit day 122

10401 steps
. . . . . . . . . . .

.

.

.