Morning Mirror

Smile in the mirror.  Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life.
—  Yoko Ono
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On This Day In:
2018	Wondering About #45
2017	A Prayer For London
2016	Don’t Default
2015	Her Pilgrim Soul
2014	Three Observations
2013	Robbed Again
2012	Good Hearts
2011	Interesting Reading
	What Are You Lookin’ At?

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ADF: Day 9:5

I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.
—  Erma Bombeck
Okay, the above quote is not strictly true for my family, but it seems pretty close…  All of my immediate family have struggled with weight and the impact of that weight on our health.
If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know this (dieting and health) is recurring topic for my posts as I continue to struggle with my morbid obesity.  Last year, I went on a 42 day vegetable juicing / fruit juice & vegetable blending diet.  I dropped from my all time high of 380lbs down to 311lbs.  However, like almost all of my other attempts to lose weight, the real effort is spent in keeping the weight off (not just losing it).  I had hoped to gain around a pound a month for the next five years before having to worry about losing weight again.  Unfortunately, things have not gone to plan and I have gained most of the weight back in less than one year.
In the spirit of “never say die(t)”, I am now trying again.  This time I will be trying the Alternate Day Fast (ADF) technique.  More precisely, I will trying the “modified” ADF.  In a “standard” ADF, you alternate between days you eat and days you fast.  The “fast” day is not a “true” fast day as I’ve always understood it.  Basically, females are allowed 500 calories and males are allowed 700 calories on your Fast days.  On the “Feast” Days, you can eat anything you want and as much as you want.  Obviously, you should approach this with some reason, but as near as I can tell, “common sense” is not a requirement.  If you lack it (common sense), you will simply slow the process of weight loss, but you still will not stop / end it.
In the modified ADF (MADF), I will be trying to stick to either a single large salad in the evening (between 4pm and 6pm), or a series of three smaller “meals” during a 8 hour window (typically between 10am and 6pm).  Inside and outside of the window, I can have as much water, coffee and tea as I want.  I will NOT, however, be counting calories on either day.  The coffee and tea are black (with no cream), but that is not a requirement.  If, some day, I want cream, I will have it.  Basically, I am severely reducing calories on alternating days and eating normally on alternating days.
On a typical juicing fast I would normally lose about 18 to 20 pounds in my first ten days of the fast.  Most of this would be water weight and stomach content.  I estimate between seven and ten pounds minimum (and probably closer to 15lbs).  In this case my “real” loss would be the difference – between five and ten pounds.  To date (today is ADF:9-5), I have lost about eight(8) pounds.  This is actual “loss”, because I am not emptying my stomach and I am, in fact, maintaining my stomach contents (by eating normally every other day).  It is possible the loss could still be mostly water, but I will not be able to determine that for at least a few more days (if not weeks).  I do note that my hands and feet no longer feel swollen in the mornings when I get out of bed.
My goal for this “exercise” (lifestyle change) is to consistently lose 1.5 to 2 pounds per week for at least the next five months.  5months X 4weeks X 2pounds = 40 pounds of weight loss by the middle of June.  After that, I will evaluate whether I need to be stricter / looser or whatever…  This is a completely arbitrary “deadline” and I anticipate I’ll know if the MADF is working or not within the next 30 days.  You may have noticed in the last paragraph I said I’ve lost 8lbs in this first week.  I am expecting this will have been mostly water loss weight, but in any case, I am well over my goal for the week.  This means I will need to have more than my normal amount of calories tomorrow (during my “feast” day).  Losing weight too quickly risks the body slipping into “famine” mode and lowering my Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR) which will only make future losses more difficult.
Starting information:  Age – 63; weight: 355lbs on Day 1; 366lbs on Day 2; waist size: 55.5″ at my belly-button.  My “ideal” maximum weight for my height: 181lbs.  My healthy waist size s/b: 35-36″ at my belly-button.
Based on my height and weight, my “Inactive BMR” is: 2,434 calories per day;  my “Lite Activity BMR” is: 3,347 calories per day.  Generally, we all need to reduce calories 3,500 to lose 1 pound per week.  So, if I have less than 1,000 calories on my fast days and 3,347 on my feast days, I should lose between 1 and 3 pounds each week.  Easy, peasy…
Additional info:  During my last juice fast I struggled to get a consistent reading on my scale.  It was during the summer, so I would be in t-shirt, shorts and barefoot for my morning weigh-in.  I tried to stand a specific way to get a consistent reading, but it was difficult because I had to balance on the scale to do so.  It is now winter and my house is too cold to wander around in shorts and barefoot, so I get up and get dressed now.  This introduces another set of uncontrolled / un-recorded variables: different tops (sweat shirts), different shoes, and different pants.  Since I am too lazy to get dressed just to weigh myself in the morning and then change to what I will really wear that day, I will be letting it all sort itself out in the wash.  More precisely, I’m going to let it even itself out over time.  Although I am weighing myself every day, the main factor I will use for judging success is the weight every eighth day.  Up, down or no change.
I will be recording my weight two ways: 1) HIGH – standing with my knees slightly bent, feet flat but with my weight on my toes; and, 2) LOW – standing with knees straight (but not locked), feet flat but with my weight on my heels.  I have noted my scale can show a variance of 12lbs between these two methods.  In future posts, I will be stating my “HIGH” weight.  On my daily account of “Sweat Equity” (see tab at top of the page), I will list both and also other specific data I track (walks, sleep, feelings, etc.)
So, I will not be counting calories and I will not be on any strict exercise regimen.  I do walk my dog each morning for 30-60 minutes, but it is at a leisurely pace so she can smell the outside world.  We are not walking for a land speed record.  I will be going to the gym because I like to.  This means a couple of times per week with no set day or duration.  I will (generally) not post every day about this (MADF) process.  I will try to post often, though.  I am learning a lot about eating, fasting, exercise and a host of other topics which I am finding interesting and I plan to use this forum to record my observations (LOL – what else is new?).  This is for my benefit more than for any of my readers.  A personal journal, as it were…
Just a last comment on “title of post” nomenclature:  “ADF: Day 9:5” will tell you (me) this post is about the diet (“ADF”).  It will normally be my second post of the day.  If you are not interested, have a nice day and come back soon.  If you are interested in my notes / thoughts, “Day #:#” indicates the total number of days and (at least for now) the second number indicates a “fast” day (odd number) or a “feast” day (even number).  That will let you know if I’m writing while hungry or full (LOL).
Please feel free to leave any questions below in the comments.  I will try to respond to all comments, and who knows, your question may end up the basis for a future post.
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On This Day In:
2018	#DumbDonald: Start With Hearing What You Don’t Want Said
2017	The Press Is NOT The Enemy
2016	It Ain’t Easy
(Leap Year 29th)	Or Try To, Anyway…
(Leap Year 29th)	Circles Within Circles
2015	A Series Of Funerals
2014	And Your Point Is?
2013	Infinitely Care
2012	In My Room
(Leap Year 29th)	Stingray – TV Series Review (This is my most popular post since starting my blog – hands down! It still draws hits almost every week. The hits seem to come mostly from Central Europe. I guess the show must be in syndication there.)
(Leap Year 29th)	A Single Thread
2011	Lyrical Mixture
	Teaching = Translating

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I Prefer A Neat Single Malt

Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.
—  Saint Thomas Aquinas
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On This Day In:
2018	Seeking Finer Fruits
2017	Something That Is Absolute
2016	Animate And Encourage
	Out Of Time
2015	In Time
2014	Robust Interconnectivity
2013	What Have We Here?
2012	Tributaries And Eddies
	An Honest Politician
2011	Penultimate

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The 6 P’s

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
—  Quoting one of my Drill Sergeants and numerous other NCO’s I knew while in the Army
Today was supposed to be Day 6 of my juice diet / fast.  I fell off the wagon hard…
The plan this morning was to get a number of little chores done and then relax with the wife.  It didn’t end up that way (so far).  To start off with, I woke up feeling bad – nasal congestion and overall feeling “off”.  I was supposed to get a blood test in advance of a doctor’s appointment.  They were closed for the 4-day holiday weekend.  (The things you don’t think about when you’re retired and everyday is a holiday.)  Check, next.  Pick up brake light for car.  Check.  Wow!  Do I have a bad headache!!  Plug on.  Get cash at the bank.  Check.  Look for cooking book for wife.  Check.  Well, so-so.  I can’t find the book for her so I get myself a book from the $3 rack.  Does that count?  Yes.  Okay, check.  Wait.  I already gave myself a check for that…  On to the drug store to pick up some topical disinfectant.  Check.  Since the sporting kit store is right next door, why not?  Lots of interest, but nothing I want enough to spend money on today.  Check.  Man, my head is pounding…  I’m considering taking a Ricola drop for a shot of energy, but decide against because my stomach is also a bit upset.  I can’t tell if I’m going to heave or get the runs.
I got home and decided I was going to eat something bland-“ish” to settle my stomach and maybe help my head.  I settled on a square of cornbread.  It does help both my stomach and my head, but I’m still congested and feeling drained.  The wife says: “Just take a pill.”  I do and by the time I’ve finished walking the dog, the nasal congestion is clearing and my stomach is feeling better (more settled).  The wife asks me to go to the store and get some soup and ginger ale for her (she’s been under the weather for two days).
…Bad move!  Sending me to the store without adult supervision.  I buy her requests, but also get myself some “unhealthy” stuff for myself – as well as some okay stuff.  And…  We both have lunch.
And that’s why I didn’t make it through Day 6 of my seven day “diet / fast”.  Lesson learned?  The 6-P’s.
Moving forward, I’ll be taking tomorrow (New Year’s Day) off from the diet and I’ll be trying to start back up on either Wednesday or Thursday.  My initial plan for those two days was salad and more salad (and maybe some soup), so maybe I’ll just go ahead with that.  At this point I’m playing by ear.
And the results:  Starting weight on 26 December: 360lbs.  Ending weight on 31 December: 343lbs.  The scale is analog and was fluttering between 340lbs and 343lbs, so I’ll be conservative and call it 17lbs for the five days.  The question is was that any more than my other fasts?  Only slightly.  My last juicing fast (started in July) I lost 15lbs in the first five days and I was swimming for at least an hour three of those days.  I put it (the slight difference in weight) down to hard workouts on three(3) of the five days.  The workouts were 90minutes, 2 hours and 2 hours.  So, really, the longer duration of the workouts is marginally responsible for the extra pound or two of loss.  The big difference is how I felt.  The pool and veggie juice was invigorating me.  The weights and processed juices has seemed to be making me feel exhausted.  Well, it’s all purely subjective, but it’s something for  me to consider going into my next round – this week or next.  Small steps to better health…
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On This Day In:
2017	Best Wishes For 2018!
2016	Best Wishes For 2017!
2015	Better Red Than Dead
	Tomorrow Starts A New Year
2014	Recovering
	Best Wishes For 2015!
2013	Best Wishes For 2014!
2012	My Creed
2011	It Probably Isn’t So

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Day 3: Late December Diet / Fast

Okay.  So, yesterday went well.  I was not “hungry” per se, but I was missing chewing and the act of eating.  Anyway, I got through it.
Last night was my first visit back to Planet Fitness in ages.  Well, in ten days; but it felt like ages.  Nothing was “hard” like when you’ve stopped exercising for six months and you’re just starting up again, but I had little to no energy stores.  I walked / jogged 1.27 miles in 26:15 minutes.  Yes, I know.  Most people walk faster than that.  The truth is sometimes I do, too.  Rarely, but sometimes.  Anyway, it felt like I was in molasses.  I was okay for my 2 minute warm-up walk, but as soon as I started to jog – forgetaboutit.  So, I had to alternate slogging and walking to get through it.
I moved on to the calisthenics portion of my workout.  I have a cycle of crunches, inclined pushups and air squats which I run through.  I started out at five cycles, then eight cycles and for the last couple of days (about a week) before my Christmas break, I was up to ten cycles – about 45 – 50 minutes.  Last night I struggled to get to eight.  It wasn’t “hard”.  I just felt exhausted.  After my cycles, I did a few minutes of rowing.  And that was it.  My “normal” workout usually runs about two hours and includes stretching and lots more weights (light weights, but high volume reps).  Last night was cut short and was still about 90 minutes because I was moving so slow.  Still, I went to the gym and plowed through it…
One interesting point:  My face is already starting to get the “oily / waxy”, moist feeling on my forehead, nose and cheeks.  This normally happens around day 6 or 7.  I don’t know why it seems to be happening sooner than “normal”.  At first, I used to worry about acne when this started, but in all of my fasts (long and short over a dozen in my life), it has never ended up causing a breakout of  acne.  Actually, I find it kind of makes my face look younger – smoother and better hydrated.  So, that’s a good thing.
And before I forget:  this morning’s weigh-in was 349lbs.  That’s down from Boxing Day weight of 360lbs.  Day Two’s weight was 353lbs.  Basically, that’s water retention loss from all the salt and sugar consumed on Christmas day.  My weight on Christmas morning was 355lbs.  So, really we’re talking about six pounds from then, and not  eleven pounds from the “start” of the diet / fast.  Please recall I am trying to not worry about day-to-day losses and gains as much as I am three and four day trends.  Of course, first I have to get past four days…  LOL
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On This Day In:
2017	Daily, Mr. President, Daily
2016	We Did This
2015	I’m Talking To You
	Forced (Again)
2014	We Are Not A Fearful Nation!
2013	Risking Truth
2012	Working On Reality
2011	Massive Contradictory Changes

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Another No Chew Diet

After a hearty Christmas dinner, it’s back to thinking about health and weight.  Improve the former.  Decrease the latter.  So, it’s back on the “juice / blend” diet for a while.
I started my last diet / fast back at the end of July and went 42 days.  I was at my lifetime maximum weight of 380lbs when I started and got down to 311lbs.  I was surprised how quickly the  weight has come back.  This morning I weighed in at 360lbs.  My previous max was in running shorts, barefoot and t-shirt.  This mornings weigh-in was with jeans, running shoes and a sweatshirt.  The prior max was with me standing on the scale in a precise location so I could try to standardize my weigh-ins.  At this time of year, it is too cold to try to do the same, so I will be wearing various clothes / shoes.  This means I can’t sweat a one or two pound gain or celebrate a one or two pound loss.  After all, it could just be a change of shoes.  What I have to concentrate on is not daily weighing, but 3 and 4 day trends.
My recent readings on weight maintenance have said the body seeks to find the old weight when you come off of a diet (plus a few extra).  This is what causes the “rebound” effect almost all dieters have of regaining everything you lost plus a couple.  I have been hovering around the 350lbs level for about four weeks now.  My goal is to start working back down to that level (with a 7 day juice fast) and then see how it goes from there.  That’s the same plan I had for my last fast (keep a short term goal clearly in sight) and it worked pretty well.  Anytime I do anything to try to change my body, (sleep, diet or exercise) I try to make sure I’m “listening” to my body.  Hopefully, by starting the diet at 30lbs lighter (actually 20lbs as of this morning), I have re-set my body weight at or near the 350lbs level, so when I come off I’ll only rebound to somewhere near there minus a few.
So: exercise more regularly at the gym, fast for a kick-start, eat healthier choices when I come off the fast.  It remains true that it is practically impossible to lose weight from just exercise.  Eating poorly (calorie dense) will always more than counter any benefit from exercise.  To lose weight, I have to eat better, sleep more regularly (and longer – minimum of 7hrs), and exercise.  So, here I go again…  Wish me luck!
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On This Day In:
2017	Biased World View
2016	Control In The Age Of Entanglement
2015	Okay, Maybe Not Ceaseless
2014	Can Do
2013	Are You Helping?
2012	Inside All Truth Is A Vacuum
2011	So, Whom Are We Trying To Fool Then?

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Weight / Health Update

Back in July / August I completed a 42 day juice fast.  It was originally scheduled as a 7 day starter to kick off an attempt at changing my eating habits.  I began the fast at 380 pounds and finished at 311 pounds.  In the past, I tended to regain any weight lost from fasting at a rate of about 5lbs  per year (after regaining immediate stomach content and water weight).  This time, that hasn’t happened at all.  As of this morning, I am at 353 pounds – give or take 5 pounds for variations in clothing.  While I am still down 25 pounds, I’ve regained (almost immediately) close to  2/3rds of the weight I lost in the fast.  That’s the bad news…
The good news is that I joined Planet Fitness at the end of last month and the results of the workouts have been good physically, even if not demonstrated on the scale (yet).  I promised a review of Planet Fitness and the rest of this post will be about that…  (This is kind of a long post.  So, if you are not interested in a Planet Fitness review for any reason, feel free to leave now and come back tomorrow…)
Planet Fitness (PF) is a relatively low cost, 24 hour access gym who’s mottos are: “no intimidation & judgment free zone”.  In other words, it caters to those who don’t have money to go to a “normally” priced ($50-$100 / month) gym AND to those who really don’t know much about working out (newbies) AND those who are not serious about lifting heavy weights.  FP has two plans: $22 and $10.  The “Black” card membership gets you access to a few “perks” (bring a friend, use any PF facility, free tanning and free hydro-massage bed).  The cheaper, “White” card is the plan I chose.  I don’t have any friends to come workout with me.  I don’t want to travel to another facility.  My club is a 3 minute drive from my house.  Five minutes if I miss the one light on the way there.  And lastly, I’m not sure I’m interested in tanning or massages.  In addition to the monthly dues, there is a joining fee ($40) and there is always an annual fee ($40).  The joining fee is normally discounted at least one week a month.  I waited until  it was $1.50 to join.  The annual fee is normally scheduled at two months after you join and payments are auto-debited from your bank.  So, reaaalllyyy, it works out to either $13 / month for the “white” card membership or $24 / month for the “Black” card membership.  Either way, it’s less than $1 per day for 24 hour access.
There are three things which always get a lot of comments in reviews of Planet Fitness:  Pizza, Bagels and Tootsie Rolls.  A slice of pizza is free on the first Monday of each month at 6pm and at 8pm.  (These are the times for “my” gym.  Yours may vary.)  Bagels are for the morning of the first Tuesday of each month.  And, Tootsie Rolls (mini’s) are available 24 hours at the front desk / reception area.  If you want one, take one.  I have not indulged in the pizza or bagels, because I wasn’t there at the correct time to receive them.  I have had a single Tootsie Roll and, yes, they are the same as when I was a kid.  Are these items helpful to those of us trying to shed pounds?  NO!  But, if you are that upset by the give-aways, don’t take them.  I’m not normally one to promote temptation, but I also believe in a little personal responsibility…  In other words, they don’t bother me.
Facilities:
Weights:  limited.  There are free benches, fixed-weight barbells (up to 50 pounds) and fixed-weight dumbbells (up to 70 pounds).  There are also a number of racks for lifting (called “Smith Machines”) which can be used for variable weights and go up fairly heavy.  I believe the maximum weight would probably be “around” 450 pounds with 5X45lbs on each side.  I don’t care for Smith machines because they are designed for safety and sacrifice free motion for the increased “safety”.  Because the barbell / weights follow a track, you don’t really get to “feel” the weight the same as you would if the weight / bar were free.  If the machine happens to be a good track for your particular body structure, more power to you.  If it doesn’t, I believe you are more likely to get injured by not following a path “normal” for you.  Still they are better than nothing.
Other Weight Machines:  The PF I go to has 2 or 3 of about 15 different types of weight machines.  This include the basic “Nautilus” style circuit / cable setups and fixed “iso” machines.  I like the cable machines because I can alternate between one or two handed grips and they allow you the more natural range of motions which the Smith machines do not.  I have not used many of the “iso” machines, but they have the same issue as the Smith Machines and are even more limited in weights because you can’t add more weight to them.  Having said this, for the target membership of beginner users, the amount of weight is generous.  All the ones I’ve actually looked at went up to at least 250 pounds.  That is FAR more than any (99.9999%) new lifter will ever need.
Aerobic Machines:  PF probably has 75+ aerobic “type” machines…  Stairmasters, treadmills, stationary cycles (normal and recumbent), and elliptical.  Interestingly (to me), they don’t have any rowing machines (which I like using).  They do have cables rows and iso-machine rows, but not actual rowing machines.  This means you cannot exercise both your arms and legs concurrently.
Specialty Rooms:  PF has three “specialty” rooms.  One is for “Hips & Abs”.  One is for an “express” 30-minute workout.  And the last one is for Synergy 360.  These can be used for classes / group workouts or individually.  If you are not “in” the class, you may be asked to leave the room.  I have not joined any classes (and probably won’t).  I use everything by myself.  There are also a few (I’ve counted three) mats for you to use for stretching / floor workouts.  All in all though, there is not a lot of free floor space for stretching / yoga type activity.
Changing Rooms:  The changing rooms have toilets, showers and lockers.  The lockers are “supposed” to be day use only (take your lock with you when done), but there are four full sized  lockers and they seem to have permanent locks on them.  I have been there when there  were fewer than five male patrons and over 15 locks were on lockers, so obviously, the “day use” locker’s rule is not enforced.  Generally, the changing rooms and toilets look well maintained.
Staff:
So far, I’ve found the staff to be friendly, professional and competent.  They greet me when I come in and say good-bye (or wave) when I leave.  They will come help you with a machine, but they do not appear to watch the users to see if they are struggling or need assistance.  If asked, they will give you a tour of the facility and highlight the functions of some of the equipment, but I had the tour and they never specifically showed me how to use ANY single piece of equipment.  In theory, the labels on the kit solves / explains most of  this, but I still prefer human instruction.  But that’s just me…  They will stop their own “personal” conversations if they are approached by a member with a question.
Conclusion:  The price is very reasonable for the facility and access AND the gym is less than a mile from my front door.  Most of my initial soreness is gone and I’m just in my go and get sore for the day phase.  I will admit, I do NOT like crowds and I actively avoid going during their busiest times.  I have been there one time when almost every aerobic and weight bench was in use.  There were still some free iso-machine stations and you just have to get on with whatever you can.  Fortunately, few folks seem to stay as long as I do, so eventually, the machine / space I want to use opens up for my use.  After just about completing my first month (I’ve been 13 out of 24 calendar days), I am pretty happy with my decision to join.
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On This Day In:
2017	The Great Leveler
	Conservative Depressions
2016	Election + 1 Month
2015	Dance And Sing
2014	A Measuring Stick For Progress
2013	Courtly Love Or Victory Over Habit
2012	Have We Met?
2011	Efficiently Useless

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