Losing a part of me

Category: Exercise

  • Two Birds, One Stone

    I had two errands that needed to get done today. I had a prescription to pick up from the pharmacy, and I wanted to buy some tomatoes for my salad. I mentioned earlier that I was planning a shorter walk, so I decided to combine the two. I planned out a route that had both my pharmacy and a supermarket along it, and set out.

    One thing I should mention is that I never realized what a difference a pair of socks can make. I put on a pair of gym socks that I dug up (and which looked like they had never been worn), and put them on. I then went to put on my new Adidas running shoes, only to realize that they do not fit! Yes, I have worn them comfortably a couple of times already, so either my feet are very badly swollen, or the socks make that much of a difference. Rather than switching out the socks, I picked a different pair of shoes that I know are a bit looser.

    • Distance: 6.5 km (8.0 km)
    • Duration: 1:10:13 (1:26:40 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 10:47 (10:50)
    • Steps: 8k (9.8k)
    • Calories burned: 375 (460)
    • Elevation gain: 19m (29.8)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 114 (114)

    I did find the walking/biking trail I was looking for, and it was nice to have a couple of kilometres without the hustle and bustle of traffic around me.

    Okay… now it is time for me to take a really nice shower, and then start preparing my lunch

  • And the Walking Continues

    In case you cannot tell from my posts, I like to challenge myself with my walking, and I love the statistical side of things. For example, my fastest kilometre was my second kilometre on July 18, at 10m00s. This of course excludes the kilometre I jogged on July 20, which I finished in 8m38s.

    With the retirement of Endomondo (an app that I used for many years during those spells when I was either walking or jogging), I discovered MapMyWalk, which is owned by the same company that had bought Endomondo. It works with the GPS on my phone, and then uploads the data to the cloud so that I can keep track of things. There is a paid version that includes analytics, but until I need it, I am good sticking with the free offering.

    Because I do not have the analytics, I have to rely on my memory for ‘best of…’ for a lot of things. I decided yesterday evening, after only thirteen recorded walks, to start my own spreadsheet. I did it now because doing it later would be a lot more data entry, and every day that I waited was another day that I was unlikely to do it.

    My spreadsheet is simple. It tracks overall stats per walk (Date, Temperature, Distance, Average Pace, Duration, Calories Burned) as well as per-kilometre (Split-Time) … but for that it just lists the time of the kilometre, nothing more detailed. I also have a Notes field, so for example a kilometre jogged will be so noted. I should mention that until now, I have only recorded the temperatures for the walks on days when I mentioned the temperature in my journal. I did not keep track otherwise, but I will do so going forward.

    The spreadsheet will make it easier for me to look back and say ‘Okay, this is the time I need to beat’ when I want to challenge myself. It will also help me see progress as I lose weight. Remember, while the numbers on the scale are great, it is the non-scale victories that really matter; the pace of my last few walks is nearly a minute better than my first few walks not only because I am used to it, but also because I am carrying less weight on those walks. Also, the clothes that I am able to wear on my walks is a huge victory… the tank top I wore yesterday was tight, but three months ago it was unwearable.

    Statistics will keep me challenging myself… hopefully I will be able to get my numbers down even further as I lose more weight.

    I broke no records on my walk today, except that my cumulative weekly distance is 25km, besting my previous one-week record of 19km. I made a mistake on my footwear, but I also think that three hard walks in four days is pushing my limits, and I cannot expect to be breaking records every day. The reason I was able to best all of my previous records Monday is because I had not walked in ten days, and I was well and truly rested. I am not planning on taking breaks like that… but a day or two might be in order.

    • Distance: 8.0 km (8.0 km)
    • Duration: 1:26:40 (1:23:48 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 10:50 (10:28)
    • Steps: 9.8k (10.1k)
    • Calories burned: 460 (464)
    • Elevation gain: 29.8m (29.3)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 114 (120)

    I should mention that I was truly done after 7km. In truth, I was probably pushing myself at 6km, and the split-pace times for my last two clicks reflects that – 11m04s and 11m39s respectively. I knew I was done at seven, and I stopped to take a bit of a break, ruing the fact that I was still one kilometre from home. Fortunately, I know the truth to the aphorism, ‘No pain, no gain.’ I want to succeed, and a little fatigue never hurt anyone

    Yes, my original plan had been to skip walking today and head to Taekwondo this evening. I was not thinking this morning, and I headed out. Taekwondo will have to wait until Tuesday.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 183

    I do not know how far it will go, but the recent changes to my diet routine are paying huge dividends. The bathroom scale has me down another two pounds today. What I mean to say is that when I start a new diet – each time I have started on the meal replacements program – I see profound weight loss for a few days, which will then taper off. What is important is that as I keep losing weight, I should not expect tremendous drops on a daily basis. I have to be satisfied with smaller losses. As Leslie has reminded me many times, a weight loss journey is not always a smooth and steady road.

    With all that said, I cannot imagine that cutting five hundred calories from my daily intake (while at the same time increasing my daily physical activity) can possibly be a bad thing. I seem to recall writing (or at least thinking) when I started the two-meal regimen that I would stick with it as long as I was losing weight… and when I was not, I would make another adjustment. I suppose that time has come, and I am happy to get on it.

    After three days (two religious ones) of my new food plan I have not found myself wanting for more food. Yes, I have felt hunger… but much of it was my stomach telling me it is used to having more, not that it actually needs more. I will keep resisting that nagging, as I would resist a child who wants three new toys instead of just one.

    As I was walking yesterday, it occurred to me that I have not gone back to look at my previous weight loss journals in quite some time. I then realized that today is exactly half a year since I started on this journey, and I have never lasted that long. By this point the first time around, I had already gained back about half of the weight that I had lost. My second go of it lasted longer, but after a few months I took a long hiatus, and came back later. Yes, I would eventually lose a lot more weight… and I would gain it all back.

    I do not want that to happen this time around. My intentions are to keep at it, albeit slightly slower than the previous two times. Unlike those times, I have not cut out real food completely. I have also had a wonderful woman by my side through It all, and while she has not been with me physically for a lot of it, she has been an excellent supporter. I am losing the weight for me… but also for her, and for my kids.

    While I am still in a real funk of a mood, I have been in healthier spirits, owing in large part to my exercise routine. I have gone on two incredible power walks this week, and I did a Taekwondo class on Tuesday… and will do another one this evening. It is keeping me on track, and I have a lot of reasons to stay on that track. As such, this week (or at least the three days of it that are passed) has been my most successful food week in I do not know how long. I have stuck to the plan of eating only one meal each day, and three meal replacement shakes. Yes, Monday I had some of the popcorn (which I then threw out), as well as a Japanese biscuit. Tuesday and Wednesday I did not veer from my program at all, and I can feel the difference.

    While Monday and Tuesday were chicken days, yesterday when I finished my walk (and my article about the walk) I prepared a piece of Atlantic salmon, topped with black sesame seeds, and a few slices of pickled ginger. A garden salad accompanied it, and while the piece of salmon was quite large (nearly 600 calories worth of it) I was still under 1500 calories on the day. Considering the walk/jog I did, I do not feel guilty about it.

    I am enjoying my book. Last night I sat on the patio reading with a cigar, and stayed there until the thunderstorm hit. When I do not have to be on the road, I enjoy the romance of a storm with thunder and lightning, and for the hour before the rain encroached on my balcony, I loved seeing the tremendous lightning from the corner of my eye as I read. I then went inside, had my final meal replacement of the evening, and then went to do some shopping, only to discover that the supermarkets close at 10:00pm, and it was five minutes past the hour. Oh well, I’ll go this morning.

    I am preparing for my class that begins Monday, but there is not really a lot of preparation needed. I am teaching for a new client so I have had a number of meetings with them, mostly about the (mostly) proprietary tools that they expect me to use. None of these are overly complicated. One of the people I needed to talk to is a senior instructor there, and we figured out that we have at least two colleagues in common, one of whom is among my dearest friends. It is nice when meetings do not have to be all business.

    My legs were really feeling the effects of my walking in the afternoon, and my housekeeper friend joked that I looked wobbly. I told her about my exercise, and that since I saw her last, I am down ten pounds. As she has gained five pounds in that time, she stopped harassing me. I do not know why exactly, but she only weighs herself on my scale… and my scale reports her weight to my phone as an unknown weight. I am glad it is smart enough to realize that no matter how strict I am about my diet and exercise, I cannot possibly lose 185-pounds in six weeks!

    I would imagine that were it sentient, my fitness watch would be wondering what has changed. I am blowing through 15,000 steps several days per week, which has not been the norm for a while. I hope to keep it up, and continue to surprise it.

    As I prepared for yesterday’s walk, I realized that my new workout shorts were in the laundry, and I decided to see what other workout shorts I have that fit. I pulled out maybe six pair from the bottom drawer, and sure enough, at least one pair (and possibly two) fit me just fine. I also found a sleeveless t-shirt that almost fits me, and knowing how hot it was, I decided to wear it anyways. I had vowed some months ago that I would never again go out in public wearing a shirt that exposed an inch (or any) of my belly… but when I am power-walking and jogging in the 35° heat, I would rather comfort over looks. Also, if anyone commented, I would simply say that I am wearing it to inspire me to exercise to fit into it!

  • Let’s Go!

    Everyone who has ever run or jogged knows that it is hard on the knees; everyone who has jogged while overweight knows that every pound extra adds more strain on the knees. That is why I do not plan to start jogging – or at least, going for long jogs – until I am under 300-pounds. It could cause long-term damage that would require surgery to repair.

    With that said, I decided today to just test my legs… and frankly, my lungs. So, for Kilometre Number Two of today’s 8km workout, on a stretch of road I knew to be straight and flat, I turned it out. My intention was to jog one and only one kilometre… and that is what I did. I did it in 8m38s, which is not terrible for a man of my size who has not jogged in two years.

    As I predicted yesterday, it is another scorcher out there, with the temperatures hovering around 31° Celsius (87° Fahrenheit). I took a bottle of water, but I also took a break at the end of my third kilometre. I do not like to do that, but I also know that the jog put more pressure on my system than just walking, and I do not want to be stupid about it. I also paused my tracker for a few seconds at around the 6.25km mark, but that was because I was at a red light, and could not safely go forward.

    As I predicted, I did not set any records on today’s walk. I said I was hoping to walk seven kilometres in under 1h15m. If we completely remove the kilometre I jogged, I missed that mark by six seconds. Of course, if we include it, then I beat the mark by 2m11s. Either way, I am extremely happy with the results… and getting hot and sweaty does not bother me!

    • Distance: 8.0 km (9.03 km)
    • Duration: 1:23:48 (1:33:28 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 10:28 (10:21)
    • Steps: 10.1k (10.8k)
    • Calories burned: 464 (524)
    • Elevation gain: 29.3m (34.1)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 120 (116)

    These numbers include the kilometre jogged, so technically, the Average Cadence would be a record… but I am not counting it because I should be competing against myself comparing apples to apples.

    My housekeeper is coming this afternoon, and it will be nice to have the place tidied up a bit. Other than that, the only plans I have for the rest of the day revolve around sitting my balcony, reading my book, and more than likely smoking a cigar. I am preparing a nice piece of fish and a salad for lunch… but before I do that, it is definitely time to hit the showers.

  • Day 182

    In an hour I will be going to the doctor’s office to get weighed. I am optimistic that I will be down at least one kilogram since my last weigh-in. That day – my fiftieth birthday – feels like a lifetime ago. I know that for the few days after my birthday my weight went up gradually a few pounds – birthday celebrations will have their consequences – but as of yesterday morning, my weight was two pounds lower than it was on my birthday, and I was good yesterday, so just maybe I’ll hit that.

    —

    Okay, I am back… and I did not hit that target, but I also did not miss it by much. .8kg is about 1.75 lbs, and considering the fortnight it has been, I am going to take it and run.

    Emotionally I am still a wreck, but I am staying on course. Yesterday I had a cheese omelet in the morning (I had three eggs left, and it is a shame to waste them), chicken with salad for lunch, and a meal replacement shake when I came in from Taekwondo in the evening. I only did the one Taekwondo class last night, for several reasons… not the least of which is that the dojang (gym) is not air conditioned, and the heat was oppressive. Also, I know that if I am going to get back into it, which I want to do, I have to do it smartly. It would not do to hurt myself, forcing me to take a break from exercising today and possibly tomorrow through the weekend.

    I uninstalled Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from my phone yesterday. I am truly in a rut and do not want to be social. Hopefully that will change, but for the next little while I will be ignoring all social media. Fortunately, I am starting a new teaching assignment that will last nearly an entire month starting Monday, so I will have what to keep my mind occupied with. I love teaching, and I hate that I have essentially been sitting on my butt for the last few months. Don’t get me wrong, I have been keeping myself busy… but I have not earned a pay cheque since May, and that is no way for a man to be. Yes, I have money in the bank and have been able to live off of that, but that is not how I want to live. I have always said that I want to be a productive member of society… and aside from that, even if I did not, my savings will eventually run dry. I do not want that to happen!

    When will I go back to Facebook and the other social media platforms? I don’t know. I am not planning to use them on my computer either, if that is what you were thinking. I am taking a break from them. Yesterday I posted that I am going dark for a little while. I did not wait to read responses to that, I just closed out. When I am feeling better, I will think about it… maybe.

    Today is Wednesday, July 20, and I have decided to set a new short-term goal. Because of my upcoming teaching schedule, my next doctor’s appointment and weigh-in is August 24, precisely five weeks from today. On that day, I will weigh (at least) seven kilos (about 15.5 pounds) less than I do today. How, you ask, do I plan to kick up my weight loss up so much? I started this week, and will continue to eat only one proper meal per day (instead of two), and I will replace that second meal with another meal replacement (or two). For the last six months it has been two meals (one of which was usually a salad with salmon or tuna) and two meal replacements. For the next five weeks I will eat one proper meal (which will remain largely unchanged from what my primary meal has been) and three meal replacement shakes. I also plan to exercise every evening after class – Tuesdays and Thursdays will be Taekwondo; the other nights will be a power walk. I am growing impatient with the sluggish pace of weight loss, which has been good but not great. Yes, I know it is a marathon and not a sprint… but some marathoners run faster than others. For me, it is time to hit that Turbo-Boost button and get going. If I can do that, then hopefully by November I can weigh in at under 300-pounds (136kg).

    Those are far from my ultimate goal. By my fifty-first birthday, I would like to weigh 100 lbs (45.5kg) less than I do today. Can I accomplish that? I do not know. I do know that if I set lofty goals for myself, then stick to the plan, then even if I miss them, I can be satisfied by the results. What is most important is that I do not do what I have now done twice… lost a lot of weight, and then fall of the program and gain it all back. Whether I lose 100 lbs or only 50 lbs, I have to stay vigilant to never regain that weight again.

    In the meantime: One of my favourite living authors releases a new book in his series every July. Traditionally, I buy the book on my Kobo (e-reader), and when I am done with it then my father’s widow will read it. Of course, last year was the first year that it was not my father grabbing it as soon as I was done with it, before handing it off to Esti. She will get it when I am done with it… and that usually takes a couple of days. I started it on the balcony last night, and it will keep me occupied possibly through the weekend.

    With my weigh-in behind me, I am going to finish my first cup of coffee and my meal replacement shake, and then I am going to go for a walk. I am not expecting to smash any records like I did Monday, but I would like to get at least seven kilometres in, and if I can do that in 1h15 minutes then I will be extremely happy. I know it is going to be an extremely hot day – There is a heat warning for the next few days, with the high temperatures in the mid-80s every day (29°-32° Celsius), so I will bring a lot of water. It is almost amusing that what we consider scorching hot here is almost balmy in Dallas, where the next week high temperatures are over 100° Fahrenheit every day. Well, I am here, and here’s weather is what I have to deal with.

    Have a great day folks!

  • And What a Walk!

    Speaking with Leslie today (and over the last little while) I have started to fully understand that I need exercise for a few reasons. It crucial for my weight loss strategy, there is no question that exercise is a critical component to losing weight and getting back into shape. That is an obvious and direct benefit.

    There is a less obvious (if equally critical) benefit to exercising. I know that food is an addiction, and I have to break that unhealthy relationship with food. Leslie reminded me (several times) that if I have been turning to food (and mostly unhealthy foods) to deal with stress, anxiety, sadness, and depression then I need a different go-to that I can use to replace food in those moments of despair and desperation.

    I have known my friends Rick and Isolina (The Beard and The Munchkin) nearly twenty-five years. He has been for many years the most faithful and constant reader of my main blog (www.garvis.ca) and has watched trends in my life. He pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago (yet again) that he can tell when I am back at my Taekwondo training from my tone… not only when we talk, but in my writing on my blogs and on Facebook. I know that he is right… although I am going to put in one slight amendment to that statement. I am more upbeat when I am in training… whether that be walking, running, weight training, or of course my primary sport, Taekwondo.

    (Rick is going to read that and within a day I am going to get a phone call from him saying ‘You know, you are probably right… but it is even more clear when you are in Taekwondo; I know that you love it and it shows.’ I love you, Rick!)

    Okay… so if working out in general and Taekwondo in particular are activities that lift my spirits, then why shouldn’t I turn to them as a crutch? ‘Hey, I am having a really terrible day today… I’ll go for a long walk and maybe I’ll feel better.’ Or: ‘Wow, what a crappy day. Fortunately, I can go to a Taekwondo class or two this evening, and that will help me work out my aggressions.’

    It is a question of shifting my go-to from eating bad foods to making healthy choices.

    By the way, if I do that, there will be another added benefit to my general mood. I am always in a better mood when my weight is down. Yes, this morning was the exception to that rule, but sometimes things really do get that bad. Okay, so if I am in a better mood when my weight is trending down, then exercising instead of eating will prevent weight gain and usually cause weight loss. As I wrote in my article ‘One Pound Lost is Three Pounds of Progress’ (republished on my blog March 30, 2022), every pound that I lose not only means that pound, but it also represents the pound that I could have stayed the same, and the pound that I could have gained. Lower weight equals happier Mitch. It really is that simple.

    I started today, and as the title of this entry alludes to, I had one hell of a walk. I don’t know if it was because of the motivation, because I weigh less than I have in years, or if it that I spent ten hours in the car yesterday, or that I have not walked in eleven days. I do know that I am wearing a new pair of running shoes (thanks Leslie!) and that my feet were feeling fine from beginning to end, and that I have a lot of crap in my head that I am trying to sort out. I also know that today’s walk broke a few records. Here are the numbers:

    • Distance: 9.03 km (7. 5 km)
    • Duration: 1:33:28 (1:22:42 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 10:21 (11:01)
    • Steps: 10.8k (9.3k)
    • Calories burned: 524 (429)
    • Elevation gain: 34.1m (28m)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 116 (112)

    There is a lot of bold text there because yes, each one of those is a record. I beat my previous best distance by 1.5km, which of course means that it was 16m25s longer in duration. My previous best pace was 10m37s per kilometre. Today it was a full 16s per kilometre better. In fact, each of my first seven kilometres was well faster than that, and had I stopped after five kilometres, my pace was actually 10m05s per kilometre!

    Yes, I kicked butt out there on my walk, and I am proud of it.

    I do not know if I will walk tomorrow because it is a Taekwondo day (as are all Tuesdays and Thursdays). What I might do is go for a lighter 5km walk… I won’t push myself; I will just do it to get a little more exercise than just the classes. I have to decide how I am going to do that, but we will see.

    I suppose there is another ulterior motive for an extra workout tomorrow… the following day is my fortnightly weigh-in, and it would be good to show progress. As it is, this morning I weighed 2/10ths of a pound more than I did on my previous weigh-in.

    That is another attitude I have to be cognizant of. I cannot act ‘business as usual’ for ten days, and then in the days leading up to my doctor’s visit push myself to get back on track. While weight loss is indeed a marathon and not a sprint, I do not know a lot of marathon runners who slack off for any amount of time during a race. I cannot either. Yes, there will be moments of weakness; what is most important is recognizing them and recovering from them as quickly as possible. All important lessons.

    I would love to push for a huge weight loss between now and the end of the summer, and so I am going to stay close to home. By that I mean I am going to avoid social situations where I am tempted to take peanuts or hamburgers or whatever else. Happily, I have a month-long teaching contract starting next Monday, which will also keep me focused and disciplined. It would be wonderful if Leslie were to come for a visit or if I were to go to visit her during that month, but unlike so many of my friends, Leslie encourages me to stay on track and to eat healthy. After all, I hope she wants to have me around for many years to come.

    As I write this, I realize the following:

    1. I have not showered since coming in from my walk. Yuck.
    2. I have ingested precisely one meal replacement shake today, which means that with the 524 calories that I burned on my walk, I am in a deficit of 299 calories.
    3. I have to get my butt in gear and go pick up Princess Sophie.

    Have a great afternoon folks!

  • Day 161

    I did not lose any weight this morning. I did not gain any either, so I am happy… especially knowing that not only did I have fried chicken nuggets with lunch, but also had a couple of (small) cookies, and then at 10:15pm Leslie and I shared a bag of microwave popcorn. Every day that I do not gain anything back after cheating the day before is a success.

    On my walk today I expanded my radius, as I have done every walk so far. While the distance I walked today is exactly what it was Monday, I did a bigger square. The difference is that when I arrived back at the apartment complex, on Monday I still had another half-kilometre to walk, while today I got to the door of our apartment at exactly seven kilometres. I am going to try for an extra kilometre tomorrow, but I need to look at a map to see how I am going to do that. It would not be hard to say ‘Oh, I’ll walk one more block’ only to find out it adds an extra three kilometres to the walk. I am sure I could walk 10km… but no at a respectable pace. Here are today’s stats:

    • Distance: 7.00 km (7.00 km)
    • Duration: 1:19:42 (1:21:17 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 11:23 (11:36)
    • Steps: 8.7k (8.7k)
    • Calories burned: 396 (287)
    • Elevation gain: 31m (28m)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 110 (106)

    If you have not yet figured it out, the numbers in brackets are the statistics from my previous walk, and not an average or whatever. I am happy with the progress that I am making, but I am especially happy with the increased frequency of my walks. From my first walk (April 2) to my last walk in Canada (May 5) I walked four times, for a total of twenty-one kilometres. Since arriving in Dallas (and recovering from Covid) my first walk was on June 23; as of today (June 29) I have walked four times as well… for a total of twenty-three kilometres. My goal is to keep the cadence up, and gradually improving the distance. I am curious to see what effect the cooler Canadian weather will have on my pace and endurance when I arrive back next week. I am excited to keep going. As well, when I am back in Canada I will get back to my Taekwondo. I expect that between the walking and the martial arts, I will start to see significant victories… both on the scale and off.

    Today has been a good day for me with regard to food… so far. I had cereal for breakfast, which is not really a good start but is also not terrible. For lunch I had a piece of leftover fish with some cauliflower, and some macaroni and cheese (a very small amount). For dinner I made a delicious arctic char that I marinated in lemon juice all day, and Leslie prepared some rice. I suspect that between the food and the exercise, I should be happy with the number on the scale in the morning.

    Speaking of scales, I made an appointment for next Wednesday to see the doctor. He will weigh me, but I also have a couple of other things to discuss with him. Say what you want about the Canadian national health system, when I want to see my doctor it is never a long wait… and I have never gotten a bill from him!

    I joined a cigar lounge today. I spent the afternoon there chatting with some of the members and staff, and of course smoking cigars. I have always said that cigars are a great way to get to know people. When I first moved to California, my then-girlfriend was shocked by how quickly I was able to meet people. Three or four of the people I met my first month in California are still friends to this day. Today I met a couple of great people that I look forward to getting to know. Tomorrow I will head down there for a couple of hours again, but I am going to a movie with a friend of ours in the early evening, so it will only be a quick cigar.

    Have a great day folks, and stay positive!

  • Day 156

    It is hot out there! Today is an important day, but I started out with a bowl of cereal, and then I went for a walk. I wanted to push myself further than I went yesterday, and I did… to a point.

    • Distance: 5.00 km (4.00 km)
    • Duration: 56:10 minutes (46:17 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 11:09 (11:33)
    • Steps: 6.1k (5k)
    • Calories burned: 287 (226)
    • Elevation gain: 25m (22m)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 108 (108)

    I did take a bottle of water with me today and thank G-d I did because it was hot! I was hoping to go further, but I realized a couple of things. Firstly, I needed to pee after the second kilometre. Secondly, it was hot out there! My phone registered it at 35°, and it is going up to 38° today. Wow.

    The bathroom scale continues to be good to me. This morning I was down another pound and a half… despite the fact that I ate pizza for lunch, and chicken wings for dinner. I did not gorge myself, but those are foods that one does not associate with weight loss. I also had a dram of whisky with my cigar last night.

    Leslie have an important meeting to head out to now, so I will post more tomorrow. Have a great day folks!

  • Day 155

    My walk this morning hit a lot of firsts. It was, firstly, my first post-Covid walk. I know I am not yet 100%, but I did want to give it a try. It was my first walk in Dallas, and my first walk in 36°c heat (that is about 96° Fahrenheit). All good starts. I took it easy, so it is also the first time I am posting my stats here where they are worse than the previous attempt.

    • Distance: 4.00 km (7.00 km)
    • Duration: 46:17 minutes (1:15:57 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 11:33 (10:51)
    • Steps: 5k (8.7k)
    • Calories burned: 226 (402)
    • Elevation gain: 22m (22.1m)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 108 (114)

    All in all, I am extremely happy that I did it. I will try to do it tomorrow, but I have to remember to bring a bottle of water with me. Yes, it is bloody hot out there!

    Breakfast was good… I had an omelet with onions, broccoli, and cheese. After I came home from my walk, Leslie and I decided to be bad… we ordered pizza. We do not cheat often, and I have been jonesing for a pizza for months. It was delicious indeed! For dinner, I will make chicken wings and a salad. Leslie is still new to the air fryer, and I want to introduce her to new ways to make food for her son. We bought the wings the other day, and I defrosted them overnight. She has a great sauce that we will use, but air fried is so much healthier than regular fried!

    My downward trend on the bathroom scale continues, and I hit another low this morning. I am thrilled by it! Leslie said that every time my weight hits a plateau, I just have to come to Dallas to see her. Maybe she is right? I doubt that Covid is having a real effect on it, but who knows? I am now three pounds down from my last weigh-in at home. To make things even sweeter, after my walk I stepped on the scale and was another two pounds down… I know that I lost a lot of water during the walk so it does not count… but it is still cool. If I were to have gotten weighed by my doctor at the same weight as I weighed in this morning, I would be 3.5 kg down from my weigh-in just over two weeks ago. Woohoo!

    I did enjoy my first cigar last night, and I was able to taste it, although I am not sure that I got the full effects. I got a strong note of cinnamon from the very first puff to the very last, which is not what this particular cigar should taste like. I will stick to a cheaper cigar for tonight if I decide to have one.

    It does get hot down here in Texas, that is for sure. A few people warned me about it, and I knew… but I forgot. Yessir, summer in Texas is not like summer in California. I will absolutely get used to it, I just forgot that the heat can be oppressive here.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Walk #4

    I do not understand how the GPS app on my phone can tell me within 90 seconds how long it will take me to drive from Burlington to Montreal, yet it was off by nearly six hundred metres with how far it is from here to the bank. If you look at my previous article, as I was writing it I checked, and the distance from here to there was 2.4km. Yeah, try exactly three kilometres from here to there. Okay, no problem. My planned 5km walk was all of a sudden a minimum of 6km… and I decided to have a little fun and extended it to a seven-kilometre jaunt. With the stop at the bank of course, so if we go by the logic I put forth in a previous article, this was either a single 7km walk, or two walks of 3km and 4km respectively. Either way, I am extremely proud of the walk, because not only was the distance a full 2km longer than my previous bests, but my pace was also better than I have done as well… by a long shot!

    • Distance: 7.00 km (5.00 km)
    • Duration: 1:15:57 minutes (55:59 minutes)
    • Average Pace (Min/km): 10:51 (11.11)
    • Steps: 8.7k (6.4k)
    • Calories burned: 402 (285)
    • Elevation gain: 22.1m (19m)
    • Average cadence (steps per minute): 114 (114)

    By the way, my pace for the first 5km was 10:41, which makes it a full 30 seconds better than my pace for my previous 5km walks! The only kilometre which measured over eleven minutes was the last one, and there are several reasons for that… Aside from the fact that it was the tail, I took a phone call, and spent most of that last kilometre chatting with Leslie. No, that is not a complaint! I am happy she called, but the timing worked out perfect too, as I suspect that talking would have slowed my pace at any point in the walk.

    I started getting hungry around the 5km mark, which had more to do with the time of day than the walking. When I arrived home, I put my lunch into the air fryer and prepared my salad. As soon as the ding signals that the meal is ready, I am chowing down!

    I don’t know about you, but I think I have truly earned my afternoon cigar today!