LOST WEIGHT? WHERE DID IT GO?

On Friday evening while sharing some ZACHLAWI FIG ARAK with a friend at my neighborhood Chabad House - I was asked a question.  My friend, who asked me the question knew the answer  - he was curious if I knew.  He asked me:

WHEN ONE LOSES WEIGHT, WHERE DOES IT GO?

The first thing about this question that surprised me is that I had not previously considered this before. I quickly gave it some thought and I instantly remembered Albert Einstein's formula:

I must admit, for a brief moment I was basking in my own brilliance. There is a minor problem with my conclusion.   The amount of mass (M) locked up in the 94 pounds that I have lost when mulitplied by the the square of the speed of light would probably generate enough energy (E) to erase North America off the map.   I was sure that if I had been the source of a nuclear detonation I would have remembered it.

I was stumped.  I had no idea where the fat went.  Another thing that I remembered from High School Physics was that Matter can neither be created or destroyed.   The amazing thing about Einstein's equation is that it defines matter and energy as different states of the same thing. Getting back to the original question....94 pounds of fat can't simply disappear into thin air. (Actually, that IS EXACTLY what happens - let me explain)

We all use the expression that we 'burn' fat when we exercise.  And that it precisely what we are doing. We need to remember what we learned in High School Chemistry class now.  Fat cells (triglycerides) are made of predominantly Hydrogen, Carbon and Oxygen.

When tryglycerides (fat) 'burn' it is turned into water  H2O and carbon dioxide CO2.  When we exhale we rid our bodies of H20 and CO2.   In other words, it is actually true.... 

THE FAT DOES 'DISAPPEAR' INTO THIN AIR.  

Now the downside of this (for some) will be that those who shed pounds are contributing to the addition of CARBON DIOXIDE into the atmosphere - and therefore contributing to GLOBAL WARMING! Now just calm down for a moment! Please allow me to share this one esoteric fact with you... 20,000 years ago North America was covered in glacial ice that was as much as two miles thick.  It melted.  I guess the temperature increased in North America. I know that the 'global warmists' have largely abandoned the warming part of the theory and have mutated into 'climate changists.' Here's the deal: Throughout the 4+ billion years that Earth has been circling our Sun - the climate has changed. And during those times when the temperatures increased it was not due to man-made global warming.  Capisce?  

Capisce (pronounced cah-PEESH) is an Italian word that is used in American slang to say "got it?" or "understand?" 

CONCLUSIONS

• FEEL FREE TO LOSE WEIGHT.
• FEEL FREE TO BURN FAT CELLS AND EXHALE CO2 INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
• FEEL FREE TO HAVE NO GUILT WHILE YOU ARE DOING THIS.
• EARTH WILL BE FINE.

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 Saturday MENU

breakfast apples, oatmeal, cacao goji, wild ginger harvest trail mix      690 calories
lunch       codfish, brussel sprouts, polish sausage, trail mix                  954 calories
dinner      Hawaiian pork, brussel sprouts, granola, medjool dates        1081 calories
SNACK   THREE RED DELICIOUS APPLES                                     285 calories

total calories consumed 3011 calories

calories burned

125 minutes YMCA PRECOR EFX ELLIPTICAL 4:3 INTERVAL TRAINING 1618 CALORIES

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125 minutes, 10.18 miles, 1618 calories burned

Saturday net calories 1393 calories

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Einstein's Equation - Let's do the Math...

E = energy (measured in Joules)
m = mass (measured in kilograms)
c = speed of light (186,282 miles/second)
      scientific analysis uses SI (international system of units) which is 300,000,000 meters per second

my weight loss so far, 94 pounds  (309lbs-215lbs=94lbs)
1 lb-453.6g, therefore 94 lbs x 453.6g/lb =
42,738.4 grams = 42.74kg (kilograms)

E=mc²
E= (42.74kg)(3.00 × 10⁸m/s)²
E= 7.76 × 10¹⁸ J

E = 38.4 × 10¹⁸ J

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with scientific method of writing large numbers.  Let me help... 
3.84 × 10¹⁸ J = 3,840,000,000,000,000,000

or roughly 3.84 septillion Joules of energy.

It is clear to me at this point that I have not cleared anything up just yet.  If you are still following me....I urge you to read on....

Everyone is vaguely familiar with TNT. It is the explosive always selected by the Coyote to wipe out the Road Runner - not that that has ever worked out too well for the coyote!)  
1 kiloton of TNT = 4.18×10¹² Joules or rather 4,184,000,000,000 Joules.

My weight loss so far = 3.84 x 10¹⁸ J
3.84 x 10¹⁸ J x 1 kT TNT/ 4.18 x 10¹² J = 918,660 kilotons of TNT

The amount of energy that I lost, 94 pounds is equal to the energy found in 918,660 Kilotons of TNT.   Again...what does this mean?  It is common knowledge that the bomb used against Nagasaki in Japan had the equivalent of 21 kilotons of explosives. Therefore the weight that I have lost, 94 lbs, 42.74 kilograms, 3.84 septillion Joules of energy has 43,745 times more energy than the bomb that was used to level Nagasaki.

In my case, the this energy was harmlessly released into the atmosphere as water vapor and Carbon Dioxide.  IS SCIENCE COOL OR WHAT?

* I would like to credit Joshua Carrol, writing for UNIVERSE TODAY, for providing the template for me to plug in my own numbers to try to decipher Einstein's Equation.  His original article can be found here: http://www.universetoday.com/114617/a-fun-way-of-understanding-emc2/

A Fun Way of Understanding E=mc²

by JOSHUA CARROLL on SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

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Some ICE FACTS lifted from wikipedia:

The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered millions of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, multiple times during Quaternary glacial epochs. It last covered most of northern North America between c. 95,000 and c. 20,000 years before the present day. At times, its southern margin included the modern sites of New York City and Chicago, and then followed quite precisely the present course of the Missouri River up to the northern slopes of the Cypress Hills, beyond which it merged with the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. The ice coverage extended approximately as far south as 38 degrees latitude in the mid-continent.

The maximum extent of glacial ice in the north polar area during the Pleistocene period included the vast Laurentide ice sheet in eastern North America.This ice sheet was the primary feature of the Pleistocene epoch in North America, commonly referred to as the ice age. It was up to 2 mi (3.2 km) thick in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada but much thinner at its edges where nunataks were common in hilly areas. It created much of the surface geology of southern Canada and the northern United States, leaving behind glacially scoured valleys, moraines, eskers and glacial till. It also caused many changes to the shape, size, and drainage of the Great Lakes. As but one of many examples, near the end of the last ice age, Lake Iroquois extended well beyond the boundaries of present day Lake Ontario, and drained down the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean.

Can someone please tell me how the scaremongers on the global warming team explain this?   Why did the glaciers that covered Canada and Northern parts of America melt?

Were the Native American Indians driving around in their SUV's and causing the glaciers covering North America to melt?   I am aware that this might seem like a stupid question. Please remember, that it is said that there are no stupid questions - just stupid people.

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(Today's blog post is my best work!  This post (#201) since December 2014 is my favorite post.  THANKS, JACK!)

SUPERHEAVY IS EXCELLENT

The Rolling Stones have been criss-crossing North America these past few weeks. Rolling Stones fans have been bemoaning the anemic amount of new music from these guys over the past couple of decades it might be instructive to get acquainted with some of the 'side-projects' that have involved Mick Jagger.  One such side project was SUPERHEAVY.  As you know, I was SUPER HEAVY back in December 2014.  However my condition of being SUPER HEAVY should not be confused with a collection of musicians who got together in 2011 and created one SUPER album.  They called themselves SUPERHEAVY.  They called their album SUPERHEAVY. Rolling Stones fans mostly yawned at this release.  Not me, I thought initially, and still a few years later... That the music on this album was terrific.  

I NEVER ENJOYED BEING SUPERHEAVY.
I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED SUPERHEAVY.

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Last evening, at my Chabad House where I enjoyed a few 'L'chaims' - the alcohol on the menu was ZACHLAWI FIG ARAK

There is only one ARAK made with Figs and this is it! This amazingly smooth product provides a gentle Anise flavor with subtle hints of fruit and wood undertones. It maintains a long lingering finish with a slightly spicy mouth feel. Try an amazingly different product. Fig Arak: produced in small batches by hand with figs soaking in alcohol for no less than 120 days

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215.1 lbs

I weigh 215.1 lbs.

I lost 2.5 lbs this week.

I lost 93.9 lbs in 192 days.Today begins Day193.

I have lost nearly 16 inches from my waist. 

(I am just beginning to wear (squeeze into) 34" waist blue jeans and slacks.

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 215.1 lbs. (192 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 30.4% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 28.77 (far away from obesity!)

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 192 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have one word to describe how I feel this morning: JAZZED!

...I know how to begin this week... I think it might be another good day to visit my 'hometown' YMCA.  

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 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast   two apples, granola                                                         259 calories

lunch        WHOLE FOODS HOT FOOD BAR, bulk foods         1441 calories

dinner       SHABBAT DINNER @ CHABAD HOUSE
                  (gefilte fish, horseradish, tomato salad, chicken soup,
                  eggplant, chicken, small slice of dessert)                         600 calories                

SNACK    7? ZACHLAWI FIG ARAK 'L'Chaims'                           490 calories

                                                

total calories consumed 2790 calories

calories burned

HOME ELLIPTICAL 90 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20'  2040 CALORIES

Friday net calories  750 calories

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from wikipedia on SUPERHEAVY:

The existence of SuperHeavy was secret until May 2011. Mick Jagger, English musician and the lead vocalist of rock band The Rolling Stones, announced its formation on 20 May 2011. SuperHeavy was Dave Stewart's idea. Inspired by the sounds washing into his home in St Ann's Bay, Jamaica, Stewart urged Jagger to fuse their sound with that of Indian orchestras. Stewart and Jagger had mutual liking for Indian orchestrations; thus, A. R. Rahman was added to the supergroup. The name of the band is said to be inspired by Muhammad Ali.

In early 2009, Jagger, Rahman, Stewart, Joss Stone and Damian Marleyexperimented at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, trying to "write songs which had meaning", during which they recorded 29 songs in 10 days. SuperHeavy is rounded out by Marley's rhythm section of bassist/composer Shiah Coore and drummer Courtney Diedrick along with a longtime Stewart collaborator, rock violinist Ann Marie Calhoun.

The group began recording their self-titled debut album in early 2009 at a studio in Los Angeles. They recorded about 35 hours of music, with some songs originally lasting "an hour and 10 minutes" before they were whittled down. The album was previewed at Jim Henson Studios, Los Angeles, on 30 June 2011. The band played eight of the recorded songs at the event. Their debut single, "Miracle Worker", released on 6 July 2011 received mostly positive reviews. Mick Jagger sings in Sanskrit on "Satyameva Jayathe" ("truth alone triumphs"), the second single, released on 9 August 2011. Composed by Rahman, the song also features Stewart, Stone and Marley.

• Dave Stewart – Lead guitars

• A. R. Rahman – Piano, synthesizers, continuum fingerboard, vocals, drum programming

• Mick Jagger – Vocals, guitar & harmonica

• Damian Marley – Vocals & programming

• Joss Stone – Vocals

---

Track Listings

1. Superheavy

2. Unbelievable

3. Miracle Worker

4. Energy

5. Satyameva Jayathe

6. One Day One Night     -------------------------- GREAT SONG!

7. Never Gonna Change

8. Beautiful People

9. Rock Me Gently

10. I Can't Take It No More   ---------------------- GREAT SONG!

11. I Don't Mind

12. World Keeps Turning

13. Mahiya

14. Warring People

15. Common Ground

16. Hey Captain   ------------------------------------ GREAT SONG!

VARIETY'S THE VERY SPICE OF LIFE, THAT GIVES IT ALL ITS FLAVOR

William Cowper (26 November 1731 - 25 April 1800) was an English poet.  And I obviously only just learned this as I prepared my blog entry as he is credited with the expression:

Variety's the very Spice of Life, 

That gives it all its Flavor

If this is true, and we all know that it is... I had a lot of spices for my expenditure of $4.65 last evening at Whole Foods.  I am 'mastering' the bulk foods section.  That the bulk section is self-serve makes it absolutely no problem to bulk up on variety - without actually having to request of another human being to prepare a food item with .05 pounds of anything!  

Last evening, I purchased ten (10) different items... The grand total invoice was $4.65.  The grand total in calories was much more - 1002 calories

Here is how I, your loyal weight loss blogger and part time food psychopath nut job did it....

MEDJOOL DATES                120 calories        .84

WASABI GREEN PEAS          91 calories       .40

YOGURT ALMONDS            110 calories       .30

ORIGINAL CORN SNACK     14 calories        .24

SUN DRIED FIG                       56 calories       .27

TAMARI PUMPKIN SEEDS    90 calories       .31

 DATE COCONUT ROLLS       58 calories        .19

 Strawberry Hemp GRANOLA 238 calories        .46

DRIED MANGO SLICES        100 calories      1.20

 BLACK MISSION FIGS            56 calories        .40

 SALES TAX                   ZERO CALORIES       .14

  DIME REBATE (NOT USING PAPER BAG)   -.10

  GRAND TOTAL                1002 CALORIES   $4.65

There are easier ways of spending $4.65 and consuming 1002 calories for dinner.  But, as William Cowper said apparently sometime in the 1700's - VARIETY'S THE VERY SPICE OF LIFE, THAT GIVES IT ALL ITS FLAVOR.

OK, This was two days in a row that I reported in great detail how I spent my money at WHOLE FOODS.   I plan on continuing to eat this way as I really enjoy it - but perhaps not spending so much time recording it here in quite this detail.

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 THURSDAY MENU

breakfast  STEEL CUT OATS, TWO RED DELICIOUS APPLES     640 calories

lunch        granola, chewy ginger, ginger harvest mix, choc cherries    858 calories

dinner       WHOLE FOODS 10 DIFFERENT ITEMS (see above)    1002 calories

SNACK    THREE (3) MILK CHOCOLATE CHERRIES                    120 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 2620 CALORIES

calories burned

CHICAGO YMCA 125 MINUTES PRECOR EFX ELLIPTICAL MACHINE
                   9.94 MILES ('ONLY')                  1568 CALORIES

WEDNESDAY NET CALORIES  1052 CALORIES

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A couple of things have been happening lately... First I have been having extremely productive, high calorie burning workouts for the past couple of weeks.  Secondly, I have been shying away from having these ridiculous (and wildly tasty and satisfying) 'salads' with everything (except the kitchen sink) thrown in (sans dressing) with the assumption (likely a poor one) that it was only 750 calories.   I believe that I have in recent weeks been greatly under-reporting my calorie consumption... which even under-reported has been reported at near 3000 per day.  In recent days, I have reported nearly 3000 calories - but I think that it is way, way more accurate.  I am anticipating a good weigh-in on Saturday morning.

Question:  It is clear from the above paragraph that I have forgotten how to write a coherent English sentence.  Hopefully you still managed to get the gist of what I was trying to say?

WHOLE FOODS - PORTION CONTORTIONS

Watching your calories?   Lots of people are.  I am.  Did you know that EVERYTHING is low calorie?  (that is, if you make the portion small enough)  Did you know that EVERYTHING is high calorie? (that is, if you make the portion large enough)

Here is a riddle that always trips up people...once.   WHAT WEIGHS MORE, A THOUSAND POUNDS OF BOWLING BALLS or A THOUSAND POUNDS OF FEATHERS?   Here is a similar question:  What has more calorie, 500 calories of CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES or 500 calories of celery?

Have you ever gone to the supermarket and purchased a PINT of Ben and Jerry's Rocky Road Ice Cream or some similar product.  Have you noticed how many portions (servings) the manufacturer claims are within this container.  I don't know about you, but I have always considered one pint of ice cream to be ONE SERVING.  Of course, this is the type of thinking that quickly helps a person expand his/her waistline to 50 inches (and beyond) and causes the scale to tip past 300 pounds as it did for me.

Similarly, just because a type of food is healthy DOES NOT MAKE IT LOW CALORIE.   For example, nuts are a healthy snack food.   How many almonds can you eat at one sitting?   I am sure that I could eat scores and scores of them - and that is the problem.  Just because a food is healthy, does not make it a low calorie option if you overdo the portion.

I remember eight years ago when I initially lost eighty pounds. (you know...before I gained back every single pound and added nine more for 'good luck.')   Back at that time I 'discovered' WHOLE FOODS for the first time.  And once I discovered WHOLE FOODS, it didnt take me long to discover their BULK FOOD section that this store and similar grocery stores have for their customers. In the bulk section one will find granola, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, all kinds of different nuts, chocolate covered raisins, and a whole bunch of delicious real, non-processed, allegedly healthy foods - just not necessarily low calorie.

                  

Each bin is clearly marked with the caloric content (per some ridiculously small portion - often just 28 grams.   Do you know how many POUNDS THERE ARE IN 28 GRAMS?  (ANSWER: 28 GRAMS=.06 POUNDS) There are very few products that are listed at more than 250 calories.  Sounds good, right?  WRONG.   Just because one serving of anything is 'only' 250 calories - does not make it low calorie - especially if that serving is ONLY 1/4 cup, and the consumer unknowingly perhaps consumes three, four or perhaps five servings!

The secret to navigating the bulk foods section is to understand portion control.   In recent weeks I was starting to make the same mistakes that I made eight years ago - I was buying these foods with reckless abandon and trying to trick myself into believing that I was not eating much more than one serving.  DO YOU REALIZE HOW SMALL A CUP IS?  OR A HALF CUP?  OR A QUARTER CUP?  DO YOU KNOW HOW LITTLE 28 GRAMS IS? DO YOU REALIZE HOW LITTLE FOOD IS CONTAINED IN A BAGGIE THAT WEIGHS .06 POUNDS?

I know that I really didn't.   So the question is: What to do?

The answer was simple and I guess one can say that it took me a nearly a decade to figure it out.  Now, when I visit the bulk section at WHOLE FOODS or similar upscale markets that offer a bulk section I might come armed with a measuring cup.  In fact, my measuring device is a rectangular shape and I can read the markings to know what a 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup or full cup is.   I pour my purchase into the measuring rectangle first so I know precisely how much of whatever it is that I am buying.

Now, I realize that there are normal human beings out there that are capable of buying large portions of anything and rationing the amount they eat once they are home.  My problem is that I have not cured myself of the urge to overeat.  I still do not have the willpower to resist foods that  are in my home or simply with me on my person. I try to carefully buy what I am going to eat one meal at a time when it comes to these delicious bulk foods. This is the only way I know how to try to control my urge to eat.  YES, I HAVE LOST 90+ POUNDS - but I know myself too well - I am not 'cured' of the problem that brought me to that level of morbid obesity in the first place.

The nice thing is that since all the prices are by the pound - there is no problem with buying 1/4 pound, 1/8 pounds, 1/10 pound or 1/20 of a pound of anything.  This works for me.   I buy real small portions, usually of a bunch of different items... and it still can add up.... but it does not add up to some unknown high number which will derail my calorie control efforts.

For example...today I had breakfast at the Whole Foods prior to my two-hour workout.
I bought TURKISH FIGS, MANGO SLICES, CHERRY VANILA GRANOLA, GINGER CHEWS, and even some CHOCOLATE CHIPS!  Sounds like a feast, yes?   Well, it was not exactly a feast - although the total calories of this potpourri of foods was 995 calories.   But here is the amazingly interesting fact that I am going to share with you today.... Can you guess how much money I spent to buy this 'feast'?   $19.95?    $9.95?   $6.95?   Here is the answer.... I spent $3.20!     And here's how:

.05 lb (22.7 grams) Sun-Dried Turkish Figs (actually only one fig!)  @ $8.99/lb               .45
.05 lb (22.7 grams) Dried Mango Slices                                             @ $14.99/lb                .75
.33 lb (149.5 grams) Cherry Vanilla Granola                                      @ $2.99/lb                .99
.08 lb  (68.1 grams) Ginger Chews (six candies, that's it)                   @5.99/lb                  .48
.04 lb (18.2 grams)  Cacao Chips (a bit more than 2 tablespoons, that's it) @$9.99/lb     .40
SALES TAX                                                                         .13
GRAND TOTAL ------$3.20 (BUT STILL 995 CALORIES!)

.05 lbs sun-dried turkish fig   74 CALORIES
.05 lbs dried mango slices       62 CALORIES
.33 lbs cherry vanilla granola 654 CALORIES
.08 lbs ginger chews (candy)    120 CALORIES
.04 lbs cacao chocolate chips     85 CALORIES
TOTAL CALORIES  995 CALORIES (but it cost only $3.20)

TODAY'S LESSON....WATCH THOSE PORTIONS!

and if you are wondering....28 GRAMS = .06 POUNDS (THAT MY FRIEND, IS NOT A LOT)

another thought:  It would be quite something else if one had to ask a store clerk for .06 pounds (28 grams) of anything.  One could easily make the argument that that would be obnoxious and an unfair way to waste the time of a store clerk.  I think it would be.  I am talking about bulk food operations where it is 'self-serve.'   No one's time is being wasted.  There is no embarrassment factor.  

conclusion: The bulk foods section at the grocery store can be a horrible place for a calorie counter to buy food - OR THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO BUY FOOD.   

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 WEDNESDAY MENU

breakfast  cherry vanilla granola, semi-sweet cacao chocolates, 
                 dried mango slices, sun dried FIG, chewy ginger               995 calories
lunch        WHOLE FOODS 'BEET' BURGER, sausage (86 grams)
                 ginger harvest mix, raw cacao goji, strawberry vanilla granola,
                 crystallized ginger chunks, red delicious apple                   1211 calories
dinner       wasabi green peas, chewy ginger, toasted coconut almonds,
                 original corn snack                                                                 403 calories
SNACK   KIND BAR ALMOND COCONUT CASHEW CHAI BAR 200 calories
      
TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 2809 CALORIES

calories burned

CHICAGO YMCA 125 MINUTES PRECOR EFX ELLIPTICAL MACHINE
                   9.83 MILES ('ONLY')                  1560 CALORIES

WEDNESDAY NET CALORIES  1249 CALORIES

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I did not 'hit' my target of 10 miles today...however,
I still think I had a pretty good workout!  1560 CALORIES!

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MYSELF...

UH...what happened to the plan of working out seven days per week for thirty minutes per day?

Recently I have been working out for two hours plus each day!   

I would not be doing this if I was not enjoying it... and finding the time is not difficult when one starts at 6:00AM in the morning! (and sometimes earlier!)

It's so unlike me to go overboard... 

yeah...right!

CASINO ROYALE

I had three amazing workout sessions on three consecutive days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In each of those three days, I had lasted a full two hours on the elliptical machine.   I guess one can say that Monday was my relaxing day - as I only spent one hour on the elliptical.

Yesterday morning I thought it would be fun to watch a James Bond movie during my workout.  The movie I selected was CASINO ROYALE starring Daniel Craig.  This movie is 144 minutes - and yesterday - so was my workout!   Another exhilarating day at the YMCA.   This particular YMCA in Moline, Illinois had a hot tub which I made use of after my workout.   Since I started my day around 6:00AM, I was able to enjoy a very intense morning workout and still be ready to face my first customer right on time.

I was always a Sean Connery guy when it came to Bond - but Daniel Craig is (also) James Bond!

My first customer was not just any customer.  My appointment was with Harlene Rivelli at Quilts by the Oz.  Harlene has owned this quilt shop since the late 80's and I have known her since I started in the business back in 1993.  I had recently seen Harlene at a small fabric show in February when my weight loss was just beginning.   It turns out, that Harlene (all 5 feet • no inches of her) was also embarking on a weight loss program.   At this February show we wished each other success. (which we both found)   From the time that Harlene began she has lost 48 lbs!   This is not easy for a woman, and it is less easy for a woman that is 80 years old!   Harlene has managed this success without adding exercise to her lifestyle.

But she did have one secret weapon.  (which she cheerfully shared with me)

Harlene had discovered a very healthy, low calorie CABBAGE SOUP recipe and was crediting a lot of her success to this menu item which she consumed at least once per day, Monday through Friday.   I had gotten the recipe from her, although I can't claim to have been the chef.   This was prepared at home a number of times and it is filling, tasty, healthy and low calorie.  When I visited my Mom in April - even she made the soup for me.   Harlene makes one batch each week - she estimates that she has made at least 20 batches since February!

My appointment with Harlene today was allegedly to sell her some fabrics (which I did)   The thing that I was really looking forward to during my visit was having lunch with Harlene - and I did.  Harlene was gracious enough to bring a bowl to her shop today which I could have with her around lunchtime. (I had specifically made this request when I booked the appointment!)   She always tweaks the recipe and today's batch had bok choy, and quite a few other specialized items.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!

Harlene and I, 'The Low Calorie Cousins'  had to pose for a photograph.   Between the two of us we have lost 139 pounds (and counting....)

If you find yourself in Moline, Illinois or anywhere in the Quad Cities - may I recommend that you visit this quilt shop.

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 TUESDAY MENU

breakfast  Starbucks Turkey sandwich, green apple, anjou pears (2)   510 calories
lunch        HARLENE RIVELLI'S CABBAGE SOUP
                 smoked chicken, granola                                                      455 calories
dinner      Fresh Market: cashews, wasabi peas, green bean chips
                fruit chips, Bahama Breeze blend, wasabi mix, chili lemon  1624 calories
SNACK   teriyaki beef jerky, delicious apple                                          225 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 2926

calories burned

MOLINE YMCA PRECOR AMT ELLIPTICAL INTERVAL SESSION

65 MINUTES, 6.43 MILES DISTANCE     1029 CALORIES
short 5 minute intermission
65 MINUTES, 6.17 MILES DISTANCE     1021 CALORIES
short 5 minute intermission
14 MINUTES, 2.03 MILES DISTANCE         228 CALORIES

TOTAL WORKOUT 144 MINUTES, 14.63 MILES
(I really dont know exactly what this mileage stat means when one is on the elliptical - surely it indicates that I took a lot of strides!)

Tuesday net calories burned 2291 calories

TUESDAY NET CALORIES  635 CALORIES

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I will say this... The amount of calories burned watching a James Bond movie while sitting on the couch chomping on popcorn is not quite as high as the amount of calories burned while watching a James Bond movie while working out on an elliptical machine.   As far as the workout is concerned, it went by in a flash... Excellent flick.  (Although SKYFALL was somehow amazingly better after a lackluster Quantum of Solace)   I am looking forward to November later this year when the 4th Daniel Craig Bond movie will debut in the theatre:

SPECTRE

JAMES BOND WILL RETURN - NOVEMBER 2015