SHOOTING STAR (DAY 101)

Do you remember, 'Shooting Star' (Bad Company song)?

Don't you know
That you are a shooting star, (don't you know, don't you know)
Don't you know that you are
A shooting star
And all the world will love you
Just as long, as long as you are?

During my hike on Wednesday...
...I 'officially' became a SHOOTING STAR (according to fitbit, that is)

According to Fitbit, a 'floor' is about 10 feet measured by the fitbit's altimeter.... so if my lifetime 'floors' are 20,000, then that translates to 200,000 feet, which translates to approximately 38 miles... 

FLOATING ON AIR (DAY 94)

Three months ago, on August 1, 2018 I fired up my blog again after months of dormancy. (It wasn't just my blog that was dormant - it was me too)  This is how the blog started after months of inactivity.

On that first day that I blogged, after a months long hiatus I spoke about how I just didn't want to look like a fat pig when I had to spend three days at a national tradeshow in Houston. I will be flying to that tradeshow tomorrow, Friday, November 2.  I was successful. I will not be attending as a fat pig. You wanna know how I feel about this. I will let this picture below answer that question:

Check out the shadow that my body is casting... I am floating on air. I am ecstatic. I have lost nearly 55 pounds since July 31, 2018. I feel great. I know I look OK. I can arrive to Houston in clothing that fits, does not make me look like a blob and I will be able to enjoy socializing with all the people I must interact with: fellow reps, sales managers, company presidents and customers. I am ready.  And just to make sure that I stay ready, I took a hike on Wednesday.

Why is the bear so angry? I am wearing my BEARS hat.

PRE-DAWN HIKE INDIANA (DAY 86)

Before the sunrise on Wednesday morning, I was out and about and had mapped out the walk that I wanted to take. It turned out to be a ten mile hike. The scenery was a bit sparse, walking past the dead stalks of cornfields. I did see five deer, and I do always enjoy seeing these animals. The photo that I took of myself was when I crossed I-65.

early in the morning, the sun casts a long shadow

I am on a bridge crossing I-65 in Indiana

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA (DAY 67)

For the 3rd day in a row, I awoke pre-dawn and set out for a hike. (7miles, 10 miles, 10 miles).
For the 46th day in a row, I took a walk/hike, never less than 2 miles, often 7 miles or more.
For the 67th day in a row, I kept my calorie consumption within the neighborhood of 1000.

This is what a lunatic looks like just before he sets out for a 10 mile hike at 5:45AM (two full hours before sunrise)

PRE-DAWN URBAN HIKE (DAY 65)

On Tuesday, I needed to pick up a colleague at the airport, and immediately travel 100 miles west to visit a customer. After that visit we traveled another 100 miles to be in place for a Wednesday morning appointment in Forsyth, Illinois. I knew there would be very little time to get a walk accomplished as the day unfolded. So, for the first time, in a very long time, I popped out of bed and set out for a pre-dawn 5:30AM walk. That's not to shabby to have logged a seven mile urban hike prior to eating breakfast.

CHINATOWN, CHICAGO (DAY 63)

I intended to take a significantly long walk on Sunday.
For no particular reason, I headed south to Chinatown, and looped back home.
When this urban hike was completed, I had logged 11 miles.

The view looking north from Chinatown towards Chicago

Hey look, it's DUNKIN' DONUTS. This past week, Dunkin' Donuts announced that they are dropping the 'DONUTS' from their name. Soon they will be known only as 'DUNKIN'  (My prediction is that it will take a couple of decades for the public to accept this.)

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TUESDAY NIGHT FAST BEGINS (DAY 51)

Yom Kippur began at sundown on Tuesday. I will spend some time in Synagogue on Wednesday. Upon finishing my dinner, the fast began and I will not eat again for 24 hours, until Wednesday evening. I did allow myself a couple of extra indulgences for dinner... I had some fruit and some yogurt covered raisins in addition to my normal meal. Still, my calorie consumption remained in the neighborhood of 1000 on Tuesday.

REVISITING THE HOMER SIMPSON CALORIE CONUNDRUM

Saturday was the 41st consecutive day that I have kept my calorie consumption within the neighborhood of 1000. This 'program' has been successful. I have lost more than 30 pounds in those 41 days.... Today I look back at my own blog post from February 7, 2015 when I had first started to lose weight from a starting point of 309 lbs.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

HOMER SIMPSON CALORIE CONUNDRUM 

There are some people who might feel that I am eating too little.   I am in Day 15 of my new program.   My program does not have a sexy name like Paleo, Slim Fast, Biggest Loser, Atkins, South-Beach, Mediterranean, Weight-Watchers, Jenny Craig or scores of other plans.  Each one has its own book (or books) and each has its legions of followers.  My diet plan is EAT LESS.  For fourteen consecutive days I have consumed less than 1000 calories per day.   Some days I have been under 800 calories.   The small amount of literature that I have seen indicates that this might be too low.  Would it have been really helpful if I had a hot dog roll with my hot dog (+100 Calories)? Would it have been helpful if I had had ranch dressing on any of my salads (+300 Calories)? Would it have been helpful if I had had my baguette with my Turkey Chili (+100 Calories)? Would it have been helpful if I had had only one piece of cake as some kind of misguided reward (+400 Calories)? 

I am convinced that my body is sending signals to me thanking me for finally giving it the fuel to operate properly.   In the past, I might have consumed 3000, 4000 or even 5000 calories per day. What nutritional benefit did the Ho Ho's, Oreos, Dunkin' Doughnuts, Klondike Bars, or M&M's provide?  Homer Simpson eats a lot of calories, but how much of what he eats is actual food?

I never ate as badly as Homer.  In my defense, it is hard to compete with a cartoon character.

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Saturday in Chicago....
The day started with a great weight 252.1 lbs (down 6.3 lbs for the seven day week!)
The day included a two hour study session with my daughter in her first days of Pre-Calculus
The day also included an 11 mile urban hike...
and for the 41st consecutive day, my calorie consumption was in the neighborhood of 1000.

SHIPSHEWANA DAY 38

It appeared as if it would not be possible to take any kind of walk on Wednesday.
I arrived Shipshewana after dark.
And as soon as I arrived it rained like mad until about 11:30PM.
It turns out, I am deep in Crazy-Marc mode right now.... so at 11:30PM I put on a pair of shorts, grabbed my backpack and flashlight and managed a four mile walk along deserted roads in quiet Shipshewana.
Oh yeah!

Midnight Shipshewana Selfie