FIRST TEN MILE HIKE IN NEARLY A MONTH

Yesterday I completed a ten mile urban hike in Chicago. Two things have conspired against me to hike this much distance in recent days. I have been much busier with work, seeing customers and the cold weather has just seemed far less amusing. Yesterday, the temperature was above 40°F and seemed much warmer. Perhaps going forward, more and more of my longer walks will be restricted to the weekends until daylight and warmth return.

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, January 21, 2018

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Hy-vee - Oatmeal - Apples & Cinnamon	660	138	9	18	750	36
	660	138	9	18	750	36
L U N C H
Oki Sushi - Tuna Roll Maki With Avocado	350	45	8	28	0	0
Oki Sushi - Spicy Tuna Maki	400	40	16	21	0	0
	750	85	24	49	0	0
D I N N E R
Brioche Burger Buns, 2	320	50	8	10	420	10
Hamburger patty, 2	560	0	44	38	150	0
	880	50	52	48	570	10
S N A C K S
Met Rx - Chocolate Cookie Dough	400	58	6	31	167	28
	400	58	6	31	167	28
Totals	2,690	331	91	146	1,487	74
Your Daily Goal	3,836	479	128	192	2,300	143
Remaining	1,146	148	37	46	813	69
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,906 extra calories from exercise today

IT'S SNOWTIME!

November 10 seems a bit early for snow, even in Chicago. Early it may be, but snow it did. It appeared to me that the accumulations were just under an inch. Even so, as I was walking in the city, I actually passed some people who broke out snowblowers to clear the sidewalk. When I set out for my eight mile hike, the temperature was uncomfortably around 25°F (although lucky me, it with the wind, it felt like 10°F)  The temperature was not the headline of the day. Chicago was experiencing its first snow of the year. It made for some slippery conditions, and sure enough I did lose my footing once and spilled to the ground. Undaunted, I brushed myself off and continued on my merry way. Winter in Chicago has arrived. It's SNOWTIME!

A WINTER WONDERLAND ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN ON A NOVEMBER MORNING

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, November 10, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Trader Joe's - Simply the Best Trek Mix	600	52	40	16	60	28
	600	52	40	16	60	28
L U N C H
Fusion Sushi - Crunchy Spicy Salmon Roll	350	51	10	14	711	0
17.5oz C2o Pure Coconut Water	200	52	0	0	300	48
	550	103	10	14	1,011	48
D I N N E R
Taco Bell - Hard Shell Tacos	510	36	30	24	930	3
Campbell's Chunky Hearty Beef Barley	280	48	3	16	1,580	12
	790	84	33	40	2,510	15
S N A C K S
Oreo - Mini cookies	400	60	17	3	328	34
	400	60	17	3	328	34
Totals	2,340	299	100	73	3,909	125
Your Daily Goal	3,318	415	110	166	2,300	124
Remaining	978	116	10	93	-1,609	-1
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,388 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 214.1 lbs in 5 weeks

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Another reminder this week that the junk food that I might eat and 'forget' to log still counts. My 'diet' has lots of room for improvement. Amazingly my weight this week was exactly what it was last week. So while it is disappointing to not have made any additional progress, at least I did not go backwards.

weight 235.4 lbs

FIRST DAY OF SPRING ONE MONTH EARLY

The actual first day of spring will be March 20. Yesterday in Chicago we were treated to 'coming attractions.'  Apparently those 36 mph winds of Friday blew away the last vestiges of the last polar vortex and brought Chicago some warmer weather from the south. The cloudless sky was deep blue, the temperatures were approaching 60 degrees and it seemed that everyone in the city was out and about. I was out for three hours enjoying what became a 15 mile walk throughout the city. The sidewalks were quite crowded with people enjoying the day. The unseasonably mild spring day was apparently only a one day phenomenon as today, Sunday, the temperatures are dipping into the high 30's. It has been a long time since I took one of my 10+ mile jaunts through the city - it felt great to be outdoors again. I had become quite used to my elliptical machine workouts. And although a 2 hour elliptical machine workout offers a great opportunity to catch up on netflix videos - nothing beats being out and about in a beautiful city.

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 This photo was taken in front of my favorite retail store in Chicago and shows off my recent haircut.

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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, February 20, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 5 packet (28 g)	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
Roundy's - Honey Nut Tasteeos, 2 1/4 cup	330	66	5	6	420	27
	830	176	5	16	1,970	27
L U N C H
Whole Foods - Banana Chips, 0.25 cup	150	17	10	1	0	10
WHOLE FOODS. 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 110 g (3/4 cup)	480	80	14	10	120	30
	630	97	24	11	120	40
D I N N E R
EARTHBOUND FARM - ORGANIC BABY SPINACH, 85 g (approx 3 oz, two cups)	20	0	0	2	65	0
365 - Hearts of Palm: Salad Cut, 1 cup	50	10	0	4	580	0
Louis Kemp - Crab Delights Leg Style, 3 legs (85g)	70	11	0	6	430	1
Eggs - Hard Boiled - Large, 1 egg	78	1	5	6	62	1
	218	22	5	18	1,137	2
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS 7700 - ORGANIC DATE PIECES w/OAT FLOWER, 60 g (2 TBSP)	180	45	0	2	15	33
	180	45	0	2	15	33
Totals	1,858	340	34	47	3,242	102
Your Daily Goal	5,051	631	168	253	2,300	189
Remaining	3,193	291	134	206	-942	87
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,121 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 5.0 mph	183	3,238
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-117
Daily Total / Goal	184 / 30	3,121 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	839 / 210	13,445 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 1858 calories

total calories burned (fifteen mile walk) 3238 calories

total net 1380 calorie defecit

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fitbit day 171

26061 steps  

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This is the 'panoramic' view taken with my phone of the Chicago skyline. Taken from the Adler Planetarium waterfront

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POLAR VORTEX

That is exactly what we have been missing this winter. It was just last year when my daughter had 4 (four) days of school cancelled due to excessive cold as Chicago was visited by two polar vortexes two weeks apart.  This year's Chicago winter has been largely snowless and much warmer than last year's record breaking cold.  A Polar Vortex will be visiting the United States this weekend.

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Here is the five-day forecast for Chicago... It appears that our coldest day will only get down to minus two degrees fahrenheit on Friday.

I suppose we should all be thankful that we do not live in International Falls, Minnesota... They will have a low of minus twenty-three degrees fahrenheit on Friday! THAT IS COLD!

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker Oats - Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon, 4 Bowl (43g)	640	132	8	16	800	48
Kelloggs - Raisin Bran Cereal, 118 g	380	92	2	10	420	36
Mcintosh - Apple, 2 medium apple (150 g)	160	44	0	0	0	34
	1,180	268	10	26	1,220	118
L U N C H
Jason's Deli - SPICY SEAFOOD GUMBO, 1 Bowl	230	26	8	12	1,710	3
Jason's Deli - Amy's Turkey-o, 1 sandwich	480	56	17	29	1,380	11
Jason's Deli - Small Chef Salad, 464 Gr. (1 Salad)	500	13	30	50	1,660	5
	1,210	95	55	91	4,750	19
D I N N E R
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD, 1.5 salad	750	0	0	0	0	0
WHOLE FOODS - YOGURT PRETZELS	190	28	0	2	180	19
	940	28	0	2	180	19
S N A C K S
Jason's Deli - Flatbread Cracker, 8 cracker	400	48	16	16	760	8
	400	48	16	16	760	8
Totals	3,730	439	81	135	6,910	164
Your Daily Goal	3,742	468	124	188	2,300	140
Remaining	12	29	43	53	-4,610	-24
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,812 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	62	907
PRECOR AMT (ADAPTIVE MOTION TRAINER)	65	998
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-93
Daily Total / Goal	128 / 30	1,812 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	310 / 210	5,576 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3730 calories

total calories burned (elliptical) 1905 calories

total net 1825 calories

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fitbit day 157

17363 steps
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First Session: 65 minutes: 907 calories burned

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Second Session: 65 minutes: 998 calories burned

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FEELS LIKE 5°

Feels like 5°?  That was not even the issue.  The issue was that the temperature was 16° when I set out for my daily 10 mile walk yesterday at 7:30AM.  Layers.  I wore lots of layers.  I wore five layers on my upper body and my legs were protected by 3 layers.  My frantic search for my balaclava turned up empty.  Why is it that you can never find your balaclava when you need it?

bal·a·cla·va

ˌbaləˈklävə/

noun

1. a close-fitting garment covering the whole head and neck except for parts of the face, typically made of wool.

I wrapped a warm scarf around my neck and set out.  For only the second time (second day in a row) did I wear my hiking shoes that I had purchased for the Half Dome adventure back in October.  The streets and sidewalks were slippery in some places, but for the most park the hiking shoes gripped the surface and kept me upright.   It was bone chillingly cold outside.  You don't have to believe me, just check with Sue the Dinosaur at the Field Museum.

That's 'Sue the Dinosaur' over my right shoulder, at the Field Museum.  

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It's right there in the Chicago forecast:
FEELS LIKE: 5°

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My ten mile walk ended at Whole Foods in Streeterville.

The perfect place to enjoy a well-deserved cup of oatmeal.

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Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, November 22, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Market Pantry - Protein Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Bar, 1 bar	180	17	10	10	170	7
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple (170g)	190	50	1	1	4	38
Whole Foods - Oatmeal, 1 cup	300	54	5	10	180	2
WHOLE FOODS 5938 - UNSWEETENED BANANA CHIPS, 24.9 g (1/4 cup)	141	13	8	2	4	1
WHOLE FOODS 8739 - SUN DRIED FIGS, 70 g (approx 4 figs)	228	74	0	2	0	49
WHOLE FOODS 8738 - DRIED MANGO SLICES, 30 g (approx 6 pieces)	83	21	0	2	1	15
	1,122	229	24	26	358	112
L U N C H
Campbell's - Home Style Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup, 2 cup	260	40	4	14	1,700	8
Diet Snapple - Peach Tea, 40 fl oz	25	3	0	0	38	0
	285	43	4	14	1,738	8
D I N N E R
Skinnytaste - Asian Grilled Chicken, 6 oz	296	11	6	40	0	0
Generic - Grilled Brussel Sprouts, 3 cup	195	39	8	17	69	0
Aladdin Food - Cranberry Stuffing, 10 oz	324	74	2	5	280	30
	815	123	16	62	349	30
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS 6952 - POP'd KERNS ORIGINAL CORN SNACK, 38.64 g (approx 1/2 cup)	221	22	11	1	221	0
WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 63.25 g (3/4 cup)	276	46	8	6	69	17
WHOLE FOODS - NATURAL WASABI GREEN PEAS, 0.40333294271564485 cup (30 grams)	145	23	4	5	290	2
WHOLE FOODS 7700 - ORGANIC DATE PIECES w/OAT FLOWER, 66.0 g (2 TBSP)	198	49	0	2	16	36
Pizza Hut - Personal Pizza, 1 slices	155	17	7	6	385	2
	995	158	30	20	982	58
Totals	3,217	552	74	122	3,427	208
Your Daily Goal	4,589	573	153	230	2,300	172
Remaining	1,372	20	79	108	-1,126	-35
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,659 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 5.0 mph	126	2,081
Walking, 5.0 mph	20	453
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	125
Daily Total / Goal	147 / 30	2,659 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1061 / 210	19,204 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3216 calories
total calories burned (12 miles, two walks) 2534 calories
total net calories 682 calories
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fitbit day 81

49350 steps

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ten mile walking streak reached 14 days

This was the logo used by the Rolling Stones to promote their recent European Tour.

I am using it today to celebrate the 14th day in a row that I have walked 10 miles or more.

That's the SEARS TOWER behind me.

You might know that the tower that formerly was called the Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower.

I do not know what Willis is.  And I will be calling it the Sears Tower for a long time to come.

I guess you can say I don't like change.  I definitely did not like 'Hope and Change"

After a long day of rain and snow and ice... 

...the clouds cleared away and left the bluest of skies in its wake.

I could never have worn 5 layers on top and 3 layers on bottom as a 309 lb man...

Where could I have found increasingly larger jackets and/or pants?

As a 309 lb man, I was lucky to find one garment that actually fit.

This photo was inspired by a cool photo my daughter came home with from France.

A group of her friends were all captured jumping 'up in the air' in front a museum.

This was my first effort to use my timer to capture myself jumping up in the air.

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I always enjoy receiving an email from fitbit and/or mapmywalk apps.

This weekly recap came from mapmywalk.

During the week of November 15 thru November 21, I logged 11 workouts (walks)

These walks took a total of 19.99 hours and I logged a total of 90.36 miles.