50¢ FROSTY

Every walk or hike needs a theme or a raison d'être (reason to exist.) Often I am exploring a new trail and/or park. Last night, my daughter asked for a 50¢ Frosty at Wendy's as they are running a limited time promotion. I am always willing to accede to these types of requests. Of course, with me there is always a little wrinkle. I was willing to take my daughter to Wendy's, as long as we walked there, and usually I am not interested in the most direct route either. My wife joined us. The three of us set out in the  early evening. By the time we returned, we had each logged 10 miles. 

My daughter got her Frosty, but she did walk ten miles to get it.

TEN MILE HIKE THROUGH LINCOLN PARK, WRIGLEYVILLE, & GOLD COAST

Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Roundys - Creamy Wheat - Enriched Farina	480	100	0	16	340	4
Quaker - Chewy Granola 90 Calories	90	19	2	1	80	7
	570	119	2	17	420	11
L U N C H
La Banderita Tortilla - Flour Tortilla Large	280	44	7	6	460	0
Lucerne - Cheddar Jack Cheese	110	1	9	7	180	0
Manhattan Clam Chowder - Clam Chowder	150	30	3	10	880	10
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic	40	6	0	4	130	0
YOGURT PRETZELS	300	44	13	3	284	30
	880	125	32	30	1,934	40
D I N N E R
Squash - Butternut Squash	151	38	0	2	14	7
Cabbage & Beet Salad	100	24	0	2	755	18
Mariano's - Salmon	300	0	18	32	992	0
	551	62	18	36	1,761	25
S N A C K S
Caveman - Dark Chocolate Cherry Nut Bar	190	21	10	4	90	13
Nature Valley - Crunchy Oats & Honey	190	29	6	4	160	12
Ritz - Crackers	240	30	14	3	315	3
MILK CHOCOLATE CHERRIES	200	28	11	2	11	23
	820	108	41	13	576	51
Totals	2,821	414	93	96	4,691	127
Your Daily Goal	4,364	545	145	219	2,300	163
Remaining	1,543	131	52	123	-2,391	36
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,434 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 184.8 lbs in 5 weeks.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
10 mile urban hike	173	1,487
Daily Total / Goal	173 / 30	1,487 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	448 / 210	5,088 / 4,130

Mom and Daughter, photographed by Dad

Dad and Daughter, photographed by Mom

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Our urban hike took us past Wrigley Field as fans were arriving for the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates

COFFEE COMEBACK

I have gone from a casual coffee drinker who used to add three or four creamers on the rare occasions that I had a cup.  Since, December 24th when I flipped my life around, I have basically stayed away from coffee completely - that is, until now.

I was in a Bed, Bath and Beyond during the weekend and discovered Jordan's Skinny Syrups  (zero calorie sweeteners)   All kinds of flavors were available.  I selected vanilla.  I add one ounce of the sweetener to my coffee and it tastes delicious.  Of course, I do not use any creamer.  It is the first time that my taste buds have been exposed to something so sweet since December.  Coffee is a stimulant and I do believe that it stimulates the metabolism somewhat.  In addition, with my recent 'discovery' of the cabbage soup I have been somehow consuming even less calories the past few days.  (My wife, Jennifer, has already made the second batch of cabbage soup - our entire family finds it very tasty)    It might just be my imagination, but I am feeling thinner by the day, the past few days.   I know that that is ridiculous.  I guess I will find out on Saturday morning.

Jordan's Skinny Syrups - vanilla  0 CALORIES

Jordan's Skinny Syrups Nutrition Facts

TUESDAY MENU

breakfast  two poached eggs, cup oatmeal w/prune, two strips turkey 'bacon'    355 calories
lunch       chicken tortilla soup, baby spinach w/roma tomato,                             180 calories
dinner      baby spinach w/roma tomato, salmon burger, CABBAGE SOUP       233 calories

total calories   758 calories

CALORIES BURNED
630AM  elliptical 37 minutes   585 calories

NET CALORIES    173 CALORIES

dinner: spinach salad w/roma tomato, salmon burger, CABBAGE SOUP
233 CALORIES   

THIS IS A SNACK?

As a man who spends approximately 10 nights per month on the road traveling from one account to another,  I was pretty guilty of 'snacking.'   I intend to spend my time on this blog looking to the future - but I must look backward this time to describe the type of purchases I might have made when stopping to fill up my tank with gas.   This trio of 'foods' often served as breakfast too.

                                                           TOTAL FAT    SATURATED FAT   CARBS    CALORIES

NABISCO OREO COOKIES (10-PACK)        23G                   7G                    79G                   530
HOSTESS HO HO'S (3 PACK)                      16G                 12G                    54G                   360
NESTLES 14OZ VANILLA MILK                      3G                   2G                    30G                   170

TOTAL SNACK/BREAKFAST                       42G                  21G                 163G                1060 

This is breakfast?
This is a snack?
For the past many years, the answer has been: yes
And one more thing, I could consume this 'meal' in ten minutes, maybe less....I never actually timed myself.   But one thing is for sure,  I never felt sated, or satisfied.   The one thing that prevented me from getting a fourth or fifth item was that I didn't want to overdo it.  Yes, I know - That's pretty funny.

This clears up the mystery of my elevated glucose levels and weight gain.