Born Squishy

2011-08-11T20:06:00.010-02:30

"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." ~ Joseph Campbell

I Don't think there's ever been enough joy inside me to burn out the pain my body has been going through this last week and a half. I found a new job, that consists of 11hr days that are physical grueling. I realize that I'm really out of shape, but it's more than just shear exhaustion and muscle fatigue/soreness. My knee has really been sore over the last few days and it seems to be bothering me more with each shift. I'm enjoying this job, but I'm really worried that I won't be able to continue abusing my knee like this.

FYI: part of the reason I picked the Joseph Campbell quote is because I'm reading "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell..... great book.

Anyhoo..... as I already stated I'm absolutely exhausted, and I'm packing it in for the night...... and it's only 8:20pm..... wow..... I can't believe I'm going to bed so early.

During My Absence

2011-08-07T11:17:00.007-02:30

"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon.' Need I say more?"
~ Chris Rock

This last year has been crazy. It's probably been one of the most stressful years of my life. It's definitely been one of the saddest, and because of that I've suffered more from depression lately than I'd care to admit.

For the life of me, I can't remember just how much I've shared of my personal life on this blog, or where I left off, but I can always fill in the blanks later.

Both of my parents were extremely ill this last year. My mothers Lupus, and complications due to the meds that she takes to treat it, caused her to be in the hospital for over 43 weeks of the last year, on and off. To make an extremely long story short, she struggled with infection after infection, after having hip surgery. After multiple surgeries, and being on the most powerful antibiotics known to man she's finally doing much better. My dad however didn't fare so well.

Dad was diagnosed with 2 types of lung disease: Pulmonary Fibrosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), about 8 months prior to my absence, but during this last year he declined very quickly. About 7 months ago dad got to the point where he couldn't leave the house, and shortly after that even a trip to the bathroom became a chore. Towards the end of April my dad tried to commit suicide with an overdose of pills. Two weeks later on a Tuesday after 5pm, my mother returned home from the hospital. After a very short reunion, my mom went to sleep for the night exhausted from the return home..... my dad slept on the couch to give her a restful nights sleep. At 8am the next morning my father fell down and broke his hip and was rushed to the hospital.

Due to his lung disease, the doctors couldn't put him under a general anesthetic, so he was given an epidural to freeze him from the waist down for the surgery. The surgery was a success, but my dad started to have additional breathing problems shortly after the surgery. Almost 7 days to the hour after breaking his hip, my father passed away. A nurse had come in to check on him and he was awake and stated he wanted to get up to go to the bathroom. My dad sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed, placed his hands on the edge to prepare to push up and gasped sharply and passed out. We were told that he was gone almost immediately after that gasp.

Two days after my fathers passing, my mom's infection resurfaced and she returned to the hospital. We managed to get her a day pass so she could attend my fathers informal gathering to note his passing (he didn't want a service). My mom remained in the hospital for approximately 5 more weeks, before she was released again. During those 5 weeks, my brother, mom and I had numerous talks about her health and how we were going to provide enough care for her. Kevin and I knew that she really only had 4 options:

Move in with Sherri and I in Newfoundland.
For Sherri and I to move back to Ontario and have her live with us.
Have a live in Nanny.
Move into a retirement home.

She didn't want to move to Newfoundland, because she wouldn't get to see her grand children. She didn't want for Sherri and I to have to move back to Ontario, and she refused to have a stranger live in the house with her.

In the end mom came to the conclusion that she couldn't live in the house by herself anymore and that she would be open to the idea of moving into a retirement home. After visiting only a half a dozen locations, mom found a place that she was more than happy to call home..... without any pressure at all from us.

Mom decided she wanted to move into the retirement home sooner, rather than later, and a few weeks later we moved her in. I had decided to stay with her for the first week until she was settled, but as fate had other plans. Early the next morning my mother had another relapse and was rushed back to the hospital for another 2 week stay. After that last hospital visit things started to improve for her. I stayed with her for a week (left after breakfast each day and returned after supper) and ever since then her health has improved. I'm happy to say that she's eating better, socializing, attending daily fitness classes, joined a knitting club, attends movie night, goes out on off site lunches, and is very much feeling happy and at home in her new apartment.

On July 22nd Kevin, his girlfriend Shara, his two children Josh & Vanessa and I, took the family boat out on Lake Simcoe where we frequented regularly to fish. We said our goodbye's and spread his ashes on the lake. It wasn't nearly as sad as I had anticipated, and the day was even a little lighthearted when my 11yr old Nephew said "Goodbye grandpa, may you rest in pieces", and not by mistake.

I returned home on July 24th almost 3 months after my arrival.

Ronald Edward Wells 28/07/1945 - 11/07/2011 I love you dad R.I.P

To Do List

2011-08-07T10:05:00.000-02:30

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." ~ John Lennon ~ Sean D'Sousa (used with permission)

As a person with A.D.D a To-Do List is an absolute MUST when trying to remain focused and on top of daily/weekly tasks. Keeping on top of things helps me reduce stress, and reducing stress helps me remain content and happy.......a key to Mental Wellness.

I've decided to change the To-Do List items and the post date to the beginning of each week as there's no need to populate my blog with a tonne of past completed lists.

Notes for this week:

It's been EONS since I've updated/kept track of/used this list and this week I have to focus more on getting shit done. Since last week was a right off due to the new job and being soooooooo sore, I didn't get a whole lot done on the list. I decided to keep it the same for this week and just added a few more items.

To Do List: items to be completed before Mar. 15th, 2010
(High Priority items are red)

- insulate the outside wall switch/plug outlets
- read more of "Life Without Ed"
- ~~Fix E-brake on Jeep~~
- replace bulb in Acura
- change oil in Jeep
- deweed front garden/lawn
- digitize remainder of 3rd shelf of CD's
- start reading course material
- ~~find a job~~
- ~~clean up/organize computer desk~~
- clean up/organize stuff under the bed
- review pension plan
- give Kev web address to upload files
- ~~read up to chapter 3 of "You Mean I'm not Crazy, Lazy or Stupid?"~~
- make a recycling trip
- fix trailers light connection

Future To Do's:

- start/finish "My weight, My life: Part 4" post for blog
- read 1st chapter of my meditation book
- build cork board display area for Josh & Vanessa's art
- hang up family photo's
- organize hardware racks (screws, nails, bolts, etc.) in garage

Spring/Summer To Do's

- paint front walkway
- build ground level deck at rear of house
- build a window box for Sherri's office
- build a storage shed

WTF?????

2011-07-29T14:21:00.007-02:30

"If you are going through hell, keep going" ~ Winston Churchill

My previous post was way back on May 23rd, 2010 and an Anonymous reader had this to say:

What exactly does preoccupied with life really mean? You keep getting us involved. We care, we read what you write, check your daily updates, cheer you on, and get inspired by you. Just as we get used to the usual posts, bam you disappear. It's like you drop off the face of the earth. We want to cheer you on, and even more so we want to support through all the good and bad! Don't write us off. And more importantly don't hold back, be honest with us and we will provide you with support. We are here for you. Now get off your ass and post!

Let me start off my saying that I agree with you wholeheartedly. My track record for consistency on this blog is inexcusable, and shameful. I've lost count of the number of times that I've returned, gone full speed ahead and vanished, only to start again at some unforeseeable future.

I do extremely well at whatever I put my mind too.... the problem is that I almost always lose focus and derail. Whether it's this blog, hobby, project, task, etc., etc., I seldom see things through to a conclusion. Having A.D.D definitely doesn't help, but I'm not willing to absolve myself of all the blame to a disorder. So why do I do this? If only I knew. I do however know that seeking out and identifying the answer to this question is of the utmost importance.

I have so much to share, but unfortunately I'm a bit "preoccupied with life" life at the moment to elaborate...... okay, I'm going out to see a movie, but there really are times where life prevents you from being able to find the time, strength or energy to share your thoughts/feelings on a blog. I'll elaborate on such a time in my next post.

Back To Baby Steps

2010-05-23T13:00:00.003-02:30

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." ~ Douglas Adams

I'm still too preoccupied with life to create a post to bring everyone up to speed...... sorry... I just don't have it in me yet........ However, I have thought about my blog & my goals a lot lately I plan to accomplish the following this week:

1. Report my #'s on Monday.
2. Record my meals/snacks.
3. Hit my daily step target.

I really need to regroup and focus on what's truly important, and these 3 things will help me do just that.

One Month & Counting

2010-05-19T13:12:00.004-02:30

"Absence and death are the same--only that in death there is no suffering. "~ Walter S. Landor

Wow.... it's been exactly a month today since I last posted..... and what a month!
The important thing is that I'm okay, and I've been meaning to post something for over a week now. Sorry for my extended absence.... I'll fill everyone one in on what's what soon.... I still have to take care of a few things.

Stair Climb Results

2010-04-19T11:03:00.004-02:30

"Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat." ~ Malcolm Forbes

I DID IT!!!!

It was by far the hardest thing I've ever done..... even more than the 10k run complete in my youth. Sherri sat at the dinning room table (that's near the basement door) and kept track of my progress and cheered me on for the entire event.

I completed the 1,778 stairs (up and down) in 37 mins, 27 seconds.... before crumbling in a heap on the floor at the top of the stairs. It took me the better part of 15 mins before I was able to convince myself to get up and try to navigate the stairs to the 2nd floor to have a hot soak in the tub. After I got up Sherri had to mop up the puddle of sweat that I left on the hardwood floor.

My legs are soooooooooo sore today (2 days later). My quad's and the muscle below my calf (which I found out is called the Soleus) are so sore that I'm kinda hobbling around.

Congratulations to my younger brother Kevin who completed the real CN Tower Climb in 20 mins & 10 seconds..... Way to go Kev.

My House Climb

2010-04-17T00:18:00.011-02:30

"Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging." ~ Joseph Campbell

So tomorrow's the big day of my impromptu "CN Tower Climb". The CN Tower is 1,776 steps to the top. Unfortunately there isn't any staircase as big as that anywhere else in North America..... so, I'm gonna have to modify the event a tad.

The stairs from my basement to the main floor consists of 4 steps up to a small landing, followed by another 10 steps, for a total of 14 steps. If I climb that once, (and return to the bottom) and repeat it 127 times, I will have climbed a total of 1,778 steps..... 2 more steps than the real CN Tower Climb. If you're good with math, you'll realize that I'm also descending 1,778 steps as well....... which means that not only am I climbing up the impromptu CN Tower.... I'm descending back down all those steps to the bottom.

Add to that the additional steps I'm going to have to take to drag my ass up to the next floor to have a much needed shower (or a warm bath) and I think you'll agree that I more than made up for my pledge to complete this event.

I'm going to time my progress, so I'll report the results tomorrow... if I'm still breathing.

P.S: "Kick-Ass" was great.... BUT it's ULTRA VIOLENT...... don't take your kids.

P.S.S: Sherri wanted me to give her credit for using HER line of waking up at "the crack of stupid" in the previous post..... geez.... silly me... what was I thinking?

CN Tower Climb.

2010-04-16T15:52:00.007-02:30

"Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy - the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation." ~ Eric Hoffer

I'm pretty bummed today. I woke up at the crack of stupid, looked out the window and saw that there was about 4" of snow on the ground and that it was now raining. I logged onto the computer and checked my flight schedule, only to find out that the flight was delayed until 1:30 pm. Unable to go back to sleep I finished reading a book and managed to fall back to sleep a few hours later.

Sherri woke me up around 11am (thanks for letting me sleep baby), and I checked the flight again...... no further delays. I had a shower, grabbed a bite to eat and headed off to the airport. After waiting in the line for awhile I checked in and was told that the flight was delayed by another 30 mins..... no big deal.

Sherri and I grabbed a snack and a drink and had a chat for awhile before I left to check-in through security. After I took my seat at the gate, flight after flight was announced as being cancelled due to fog. Here's a picture of how bad the fog was:

That's a picture of me standing beside the flight crew. If you squint hard enough you might be able to make out the pilot making his pre-flight checks in the top left corner.

Needless to say..... my flight was cancelled and I won't be able to make it to Toronto before the start of the CN Tower Climb :(

Even worse..... the next available flight isn't until Monday afternoon, which means there's not much point of even going. On the bright side I get to spend the weekend with Sherri and we might go out to see "Kick-Ass" at the theatre.

Rottentomatoes.com critics gave it 77% & the RT community gave it 89%.

As for the CN Tower Climb.... I plan on doing it on my staircase tomorrow as planned. I felt bad for the people who sponsored their money for me to complete a challenge......... so I'm going to challenge myself, and I'll post my results tomorrow.

Week #245: In Review

2010-04-15T15:33:00.003-02:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchill

~ Nick D. Kim (strange-matter.net) used by permission

I'm really getting bad at keeping up to date with my blog over the last month, and thus my "Week In Review" is already 3 days past due.... sorry for the delay.

I had a mediocre week, but the results don't really look too bad.... well some of them. Once again my saving grace this week was all the strenuous work that I did in the garage and around the house, which kept my daily calorie burn higher than normal. I will admit that I spent a good part.... okay MOST of my spare time playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 on my PS3 which is starting to become the bane of my existence (something I plan to address in an upcoming post while I'm in Ontario).

I fell well below my target for steps, and I haven't done that well so far this week.... but I'm not too worried since I plan on getting lots of exercise over the next week while I'm in Ontario. Hopefully this will rejuvenate me and get me back into a healthier routine.

I managed to lose almost 2 lbs. which is great, but my body fat % increased (which seems to happen the week after a large loss of bf%).

Here's last week results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	229.0 lbs.	227.1 lbs.	- 1.9 lbs.
Body Fat:	34.7 %	35.1 %	+ 0.4 %
Lean Body Mass:	149.54 lbs.	147.16 lbs.	-2.38 lbs.
# of Steps:	32,463	27,040	-5,423 Steps

Again.... I haven't completed my BodyMedia report yet, so I'll forgo the report for now. This is the second week in a row (I completed the 2 reports previous to that, but didn't display them)... which isn't a very good trend.

I've also updated my 2010 Progress Charts.

I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 246, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

2010-04-14T22:09:00.004-02:30

"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." ~ Susan Heller

I have tons to talk about and I left this kinda late..... soooooo here's the condensed version:

1. I've hardly gotten any exercise this week so far.... but I plan to make up on it during the rest of the week..... see #3.

2. Early Friday morning I'm off to Ontario to visit my family for a week. I'm planning on making this a working vacation (I plan on getting LOTS of exercise) so I'm hoping I'll have even more success during this time than I would've at home.
3. Early Saturday morning Kevin (my brother) and I will be climbing the C.N Tower for the WWF charity event..... 1,776 steps (a total of 144 flights).

For those of you who watch The Biggest Loser, you'll remember a few episodes ago when the eliminated competitors where given a chance to win a spot back on the show. The contestants had to complete 1000 steps...... first one to 1000 won.

Melissa won the contest, completing the 1000 steps in 25 mins and 55 secs.

As I mentioned above the CN Tower Climb is 1776 steps, and my goal is to complete it in 30 mins or less. This seems like a pretty lofty goal after watching all of them struggle through the contest.... but I'm up for the challenge.

Wish me luck.

P.S: I should be posting a bit more once I arrive in Ontario..... and I'm even bringing my scale with me..... I know, I know..... I'm crazy.

Being Chased By Something That Can Kill You!!!!!

2010-04-09T12:20:00.004-02:30

"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living." ~ Terry Pratchett

I read a really inspiring post today by Big Clyde on his blog "The Clydesdale Project" titled "What's Behind You"...... I highly recommend reading it, and the linked parts as well.

Great post Clyde.... thanks for the motivation!

The Biggest Loser

2010-04-07T20:21:00.001-02:30

"Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds." ~ George Eliot

Spoiler Alert: I'm about to talk about the latest Biggest Loser episode..... so if you haven't seen it yet don't continue reading this post.

I realize that "The Biggest Loser" is a game.... but I like the show more when the game playing is left to a minimum. This seasons contestants have been pretty supportive of each other and have left the mind games, strategic moves and such to a minimum, which I think is awesome.

Melissa is the only contestant that has ever made my skin crawl. She spent her whole time on the show scheming.... more so than any other player in the history of the show. Her minor fluctuations in weight from one week to the next, pretty much proved that she was throwing some weeks to gain an advantage later on, as it's next to impossible to not lose more than 1 pound given their low calorie intake and endless hours of exercise each week.

Last week I was disappointed to see that Melissa weaseled her way back into the competition..... but after this weeks episode it was worth it.... and then some.

When she was lagging behind in the swimming challenge I was glad.... but when the other finished contestants aided Michael & O'Neal, putting her in last with the 1 pound penalty, I was ecstatic.

I was worried that Melissa would end up winning the immunity and manage to squirm her way into the next week.... but the unstoppable Sam snapped up the immunity....... YAY Sam.

The icing on the cake was at the weight-in when the 1 pound penalty didn't even make a difference from her falling below the yellow line & up for elimination.

I was sooooooo happy when the rest of the contestants didn't listen to her little speech and eliminated her for the second time...... hopefully last time.

Karma's a bitch Melissa

Week #244: In Review

2010-04-05T20:32:00.003-02:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchill

~ Nick D. Kim (strange-matter.net) used by permission

I had a pretty good week, but there was definitely room for improvement. My one saving grace this week was all the strenuous work that I did in the garage and around the house, which kept my daily calorie burn higher than normal. The weekend was warm enough that I even started & almost completed an expansion on the deck outside.

We had Sherri's parents, sister & brother in-law over for Easter and I indulged a bit in some chocolate (more than I should of). We also deviated from my normal eating routine, which is hard for a creature of habit such as myself.

In the end I was pleased that I managed to lose some weight and more importantly a larger loss of body fat.

Like the previous week my step total was way below normal, but that was due to the amount of exercise I was getting from the work in the garage/outside as apposed to going for a walk or working out on the elliptical..... both of which I did very little of this week (and last). For the upcoming week I'm going to attempt to hit my step target regardless of the exercise I get in the form of jobs/tasks/chores...... with the exception of today which I spent the better part lounging around.

Here's last week results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	229.6 lbs.	229.0 lbs.	- 0.6 lbs.
Body Fat:	35.4 %	34.7 %	- 0.7 %
Lean Body Mass:	148.32 lbs.	149.54 lbs.	1.22 lbs.
# of Steps:	31,077	32,463	+ 1,386 Steps

I haven't completed my BodyMedia report yet, so I'll forgo the report for now.

Oh yeah..... don't be alarmed by my lack of posts lately. It's not due to a lack of interest in my blog or a lack of effort on my journey. I've just been really busy with a lot of To-Do List items and we've also had some on/off internet problems for the last few weeks which have limited my blog access.

I've also updated my 2010 Progress Charts.

I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 245, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

Day 1787: Beat My Record -- Daily Calorie Burn

2010-03-29T11:15:00.001-02:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

I've been excited to post this, but our internet was down for a few days......

On Friday I spent about 6 hours building a shelving unit in the garage. Between the sawing, hammering, climbing up and down the ladder (and pacing around searching for tools) I managed to burn more calories than I have in a single day since the beginning of February. I actually came really close to beating the record the previous day doing pretty much the same thing.

Just to put the below number into perspective my "Daily Calorie Burn" target is 3210.

New

Record

Previous

Record

# Calories Burned in a Day:

4532

4269 – Feb.6^th

I wonder how long it'll be before I'm able to break 5000?

Day 1786: Milestone Reached -- Weight

2010-03-29T10:58:00.003-02:30

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." ~ Les Brown

On Thursday, March 24th, 2010 I weighted in at 228.9 lbs, and although it's lower than my weekly average of 229.6 lbs.... it's still a huge milestone for me.

The last time I weighted under 229 lbs was in November of 2004.

The Life of Bryan - Episode 06

2010-03-28T08:00:00.001-02:30

"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."
~ Abraham Lincoln

New to "The Life of Bryan" cartoon... check out the 'Readers Guide'.

The real humour of this cartoon is that it really happened!

Rise and Dine

2010-03-27T08:00:00.000-02:30

"I went to a cafe that advertised breakfast anytime, so I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance." ~ Stephen Wright

"University of Massachusetts researchers found that men who skip breakfast are 4 1/2 times more likely to be obese than those who don't. "Eating breakfast is like putting kindling on the fire of your metabolism," says Riley, so your body will be less likely to store fat.
Make sure you eat within 90 minutes of waking—men in the study who waited longer increased their chances of obesity by nearly 50 percent."
~ Men'sHealth Magazine

Scary Pattern.

2010-03-23T16:17:00.002-02:30

"We must expect to fail... but fail in a learning posture, determined not to repeat the mistakes, and to maximize the benefits from what is learned in the process."
~ Ted W. Engstrom

In my Week #241 review I eluded to the fact that "the real challenge for me lies in the coming 2 months"....... Why's that you ask?

Well Since the creation of this blog almost 5 years ago I've yoyo'd up and down several times..... 4 times to be exact. I may have started my blog on May 14th, 2005, but it wasn't until the beginning of January 2006 (almost 20 lbs heavier) before I hit rock bottom and made a real attempt to change (my first real attempt since the inception of this blog). Here's why I'm a tad concerned:

Jan. 2006 @ 252 lbs. -----> Mar.2006 @ 229 lbs.
Jan. 2008 @ 252 lbs. -----> Mar.2008 @ 230 lbs.
Jan. 2009 @ 250 lbs. -----> Apr.2006 @ 229 lbs.

The above pattern is really scary to me. Each time my progress has lasted between 8-14 weeks, losing about 23 lbs each time, followed by an incident/event that derails my progress and eventually leads to the return of old destructive patterns.

I'm big enough to admit that the majority of the problem is mental..... but I'm not sure how to change or go about challenging those negative thoughts/patterns. I'll give you an example.... when I was in Ottawa last month I woke up one morning to brush my teeth and when I looked into the mirror for a split second I thought "who is that?", because I was surprised that the person looking back at me in the mirror was much thinner looking than the person I'm used to seeing. The unfortunate thing about this positive moment/thought is that it was almost immediately followed by "I've thought this before. It won't last. Don't get used to feeling good about yourself". I realize that my thoughts were very self defeating, but they swirled through my head. I guess the difference now is that I'm starting to develop the ability to argue against this line of negative thinking...... sometimes that is. This particular internal conversation wasn't challenged until later that day, when I tried to set things straight in my head.

230 lbs. represents a very solid emotional and mental wall for me. I have an awful lot of my past wrapped around this weight. Without going into a lot of detail (see here for more detail) I was just shy of 230 lbs. during a very abusive relationship in my early 20's, and a year or so before I met Sherri I was in another relationship with a girl that said "I don't find you attractive because of your weight".

When I think back to the dates of my previous 3 weight loss attempts, my reason for falling off the wagon was due to small things that wore away my resolve...... a sore knee, a bad week, stress, a return of an old habit...... I really don't think that I sabotaged my progress because of this emotional/mental wall.... but I don't know that for sure.

I'm not overly worried about all of this..... but it is in the back of my mind.

I'm confident that this time is different..... but I've thought that during previous attempts.

Despite all of this...... the past is the past.

This time I'm going to smash down the wall,
and I'm going to grind the broken pieces to dust.

Late Night Snacking.

2010-03-22T08:00:00.001-02:30

"When you see the golden arches, you are probably on your way to the pearly gates." ~ William Castelli, M.D.

The advice: Shut the kitchen down after 7 p.m to prevent weight gain.

Why it's useless: After a long day at the office and a trip to the gym, you either eat dinner at 9:30 or starve.

The real deal: The no-food-right-before-bed rule was meant for the nighttime nosher who mindlessly wolfs down a bag of Oreos while watching CSI: Miami. If you get home long after dark, a late dinner is perfectly fine. A calorie is a calorie, no matter what time you eat it, according to Katie Clark, R.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of family health care nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. But do keep your evening meal light--along the lines of a chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and brown rice. Too much chow will keep you up at night: To break down all that food, your gut has to churn like a cement truck.

~ Women's Health Magazine

I quite often have a snack around 8pm..... and I've even been known to have a snack as late as 11pm. My philosophy is never go to bed hungry. That said, I usually try to avoid anything heavy, and I keep my portion size on the small side.

Music of the Moment.

2010-03-21T23:18:00.005-02:30

"Music is my religion." ~ Jimi Hendrix

Don't worry.... I'm not feeling melancholy. I just spent the last hour or so listening to music and I figured I'd share a song that I love..... it just happens that this song speaks very clearly to me about my struggles with my weight.

Breathe Me ~ Sia

Music is sooooooooooooooooooo very important to me..... so I might share a bit more of it with you guys from time to time. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Born Squishy - Photo's

2010-03-21T14:31:00.006-02:30

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into." ~ Ansel Adams

I found this quote and it immediately resonated with me. I've never enjoyed having my picture taken.... primarily because I've never felt comfortable in my own skin, and I didn't like the idea of pictures floating around that reminded myself & others of that fact. When viewing photo's of myself I tend to look beyond the photo to the emotion that lies behind the photo...... which is seldom a positive experience for me.

Here's a few pictures I've managed to dig up & finally found the courage to share:

The amount of times you appear in a High School Year Book is directly relative to two factors; how involved you are in extra curricular activities & how popular you are. Well in 1988 I started grade 9, my first year of High School in Bradford, Ontario. Beyond the mandatory portrait photo, I appeared only one other time; which was in a music class photo. The sad part is that I wasn't even supposed to be in music, but due to my late registration I had to choose between Music and some other class..... which I can't even remember.... which means it had to be worse than music.

Grade 9, Age 14, I was around 5' even @ +150 lbs

Jan.1st, 2010 - 254.1 lbs @ 43.1% Body Fat.

In this next series of pictures, I'm wearing a T-shirt that was bought for me back when I weighed around 210 lbs..... which I never wore because I didn't like the way I looked in it. It's still way too tight (I'm 22 lbs heavier than when it was purchased for me), but I'm going to keep using this T-shirt to show my progress in later pictures.

Feb.28th, 2010 - 237.1 lbs @ 37.2% Body Fat.

Feb.28th, 2010 - 237.1 lbs @ 37.2% Body Fat.

I will be adding more pictures in the future.

Week #241: In Review

2010-03-18T09:58:00.001-02:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchill

~ Nick D. Kim (strange-matter.net) used by permission

Woohoo! I've now officially lost more than 20 lbs..... 21.1 lbs to be exact. I'm so proud of my progress and determination. I've really made a huge difference in the last 2 plus months, but the real challenge for me lies in the coming 2 months.... which I'll explain in detail later today.

I did extremely well with my steps/exercise and my eating wasn't too shabby either. I even managed to get quite a bit done this week.

Here's last week results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	234.4 lbs.	232.9 lbs.	- 1.5 lbs.
Body Fat:	36.6 %	36.2 %	- 0.4 %
Lean Body Mass:	148.61 lbs.	148.59 lbs.	-0.02 lbs.
# of Steps:	43,310	48,824	+ 5,514 Steps

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report.
Week #241 - Summary Report (Mar.8th - Mar. 14th, 2010)
I've also updated my 2010 Progress Charts.

I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 242, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

Thursday Funnies: Volume 13

2010-03-18T08:00:00.000-02:30

"The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded." ~ George Orwell

~ Cartoon by Nick D. Kim (used by permission)

Quick Update

2010-03-17T23:15:00.005-02:30

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day."
~ William Shakespeare

Dang. This is the 3rd week in a row that I've started my "Week In Review" post and never got around to finishing it.... for one reason or another. Well this week will be different... really!

... But it will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm too tired tonight.

P.S: sorry for the lack of personal posts lately.... I've been a bit on the lazy side in regards to my blog.

Q & A

2010-03-17T23:06:00.002-02:30

"If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food."
~ Sally Edwards

Question - If pairing protein with carbs helps build muscle, will it help weight loss?

Answer - Yes. Although you might think that the carbs will slow weight loss, the opposite can be true. Carbs plus protein helps build muscle (especially if you eat the combo just before and after exercise), and that can indirectly enhance fat loss, because muscle is metabolically active tissue that helps burn more calories around the clock.

~ Men'sHealth

Men's Health Minute #6

2010-03-16T08:00:00.003-02:30

“Don't take a butcher's advice on how to cook meat. If he knew, he'd be a chef."
~ Andy Rooney

I definitely need to add more eggs to my diet. Check back next week for another "Men's Health Minute" video.

To Juice Or Not Too Juice?

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-02:30

"Medium oranges are ideal for juicing. Three or four medium oranges will yield 8 ounces of juice." ~ www.orangejuicefacts.com

The advice: Don't drink juice -- it's a sugar bomb.

Why it's useless: Juice is a breakfast staple, and it's essential for smoothies.

The real deal: There's a big difference between 100 percent juice and a bottle of sugar water with a few cranberries squeezed into it. Yes, juice has a lot of the sweet stuff, but a six-ounce glass of 100 percent juice also counts as a full serving of fruit and delivers many of the same vitamins and antioxidants, making it worth the occasional sugar rush, says Jessica Ganzer, R.D., owner of Ganzer Wellness Consulting in Arlington, Virginia. And it can be the easiest way to get a superfood: Drinking 100 percent pomegranate juice is easy; picking apart a real pomegranate, not so much. As long as you drink 100 percent juice (from concentrate is fine) and limit yourself to one six-to-eight ounce glass a day, you're not breaking any rules of good nutrition. If you're seriously cutting back on calories or carbs, try Tropicana's Light 'n Healthy line; a serving has about half the sugar (10 grams) and calories (50) of normal juice.

~ Women's Health Magazine

I typically start my morning off with a small glass of orange juice, and most days I usually have a glass of fruit & vegetable blend juice. If you're in Canada I highly recommend the PC "Blue Menu, 100% Fruit & Vegetable Blend, Blueberry-Pomegranate Flavour..... yeah it's a mouthful to say, but it's yummy.

Product Review Update

2010-03-11T20:29:00.006-03:30

"Here is a simple but powerful rule - always give people more than what they expect to get"
~ Nelson Boswell
After posting my review of BodyMedia's GoWear Fit, I fired off an email to them concerning my broken armband (and my friends too small armband) and they responded the next day (today) and informed me that they were sending a replacement armband for me...... & a larger replacement armband for my friend.

I don't know about you, but that's pretty good customer service.... although it probably didn't hurt that I mentioned I had posted a review & provided a link to the post ;)

So I've updated my review to reflect this. The review is located HERE if your interested.

Thursday Funnies: Volume 12

2010-03-11T08:00:00.005-03:30

"Dogs have owners, Cats have staff" ~ Unknown

Dear Born Squishy,

I've been a regular visitor to your blog for well over a year now, and I have to say I think it's the cat's ass. I've struggled with my weight over the years. I've spent a lot of time pushing a mouse at the computer when I should of spent more time chasing a real one.

P.S: I've enclosed a photo of me during my couch potato days... thanks for the motivation.

Sincerely,
Mr. Mittens

Thank you Mr. Mittens for your heartfelt letter. It's nice to know that my blog is helping you on your journey.

Q & A

2010-03-10T10:00:00.004-03:30

"As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it." ~ Buddy Hackett

Question - How can I tell if "low-fat" or "healthy" labels are lying?

Answer - Labels are about marketing; the nutrition chart is about content. So ignore the front, and look for high protein and fiber, and low amounts of carbs, saturated fat, and sodium. And remember, whole foods have no labels. They're the best choice of all.

~ Men'sHealth

Yay Me!!!!

2010-03-09T16:28:00.012-03:30

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
~ Oprah Winfrey

Yesterday I walked into the kitchen to get a mid-afternoon snack....

I saw a box of 100 calorie Sun Chips snacks..... and I didn't have any.

Next to the box was a zip lock bag filled with Sherri's awesome banana bread in it.... and I didn't have any.

I ended up eating a healthy snack as planned.

Last night I worked out on the elliptical machine for 70mins.

Also last night (post work out) I noticed a bottle of diet pepsi left over from when we had company over..... and I didn't have any, and continued to drink my water.

Today I went skating for the 6th time in 7 weeks (missed one when I was in Ottawa).

I'm proud of myself for continually making smart decisions. I proud of myself for thinking my way through cravings. I'm proud of myself for continually making an effort to remain active.

Yay Me!!!

Body Media - "GoWear Fit" Product Review

2010-03-09T15:00:00.012-03:30

"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted." ~ Albert Einstein

Product - BodyMedia "GoWear Fit" (Armband, Display & Activity Manager).

Price - $249.99 (Armband & Display) + 12 month subscription at $6.95/month

I've been using the BodyMedia "GoWear Fit" Armband, Display & Activity Manager on a daily basis now since Jan. 1st, 2010 and since over 2 months have passed, I figured it was time for a product review. Please note that I purchased my GoWear Fit back in November of 2009 during a sale so the price might be different now.

FYI: BodyMedia also manufactures a nearly identical device sold under the name BodyBugg by both 24hr Fitness & Apex Fitness ... which is the one most people might be familiar with because of it's use on The Biggest Loser.

What is it? - A device that calculates & records on a daily basis your calorie burn, physical activity, steps taken, sleep duration & efficiency. The recorded information is obtained via online through Bodymedia's "Activity Manager" (subscription based), and/or minute to minute with their optional display (like a watch).
How Does it Work? -

The BodyMedia® FIT Armband has multiple sensors. Those innovative sensors take 5 different “views” of your life:

Motion - The Armband contains an accelerometer, a device that measures motion. (Your car air bag has an accelerometer in it that lets it know when you've been in an accident.) We use it to measure HOW you move from multiple axis and perspectives, allowing us to better understand your activity.
Steps - We count your steps, using the accelerometer to measure the distinct patterns created by walking and/or running.

Galvanic Skin Response - When you sweat, your skin becomes more electrically conductive. This measurement help us see how active you are.

Skin Temperature - There's an electronic thermometer inside your armband that helps us know how hot you are.

Heat Flux - When you move, your muscles produce heat. We measure the heat that's flowing from your body into the environment.

~ BodyMedia

PRODUCT REVIEW:

Purchasing - Their site was easy enough to navigate... but a glitch on their site prevented anyone outside Canada from completing their purchase online. Unfortunately it took me multiple attempts and some swearing before I gave up and called them. I ended up placing the order over the phone with a friendly customer service rep that acknowledged the website issue & apologized for the inconvenience. Rating: 3/5

Shipping - The cost of shipping was extra (which was expected), but it should of been a bit cheaper. The product arrived on time and was packaged very well. Rating: 4.5/5

Getting Started - Setup was a snap. The instructions were clear and concise. Rating: 5/5

Armband - To me this is one of the more important components.... especially when it comes to comfort. Let's face it, even if this device could lose the weight for me, I still wouldn't wear it if it was bulky, uncomfortable and gave me a skin rash.... well, maybe I would.... but I'd complain an awful lot.

Removing & inserting the device into the armband strap is simple and it stays put. The strap itself is adjustable by Velcro and after the first day I found the sweet spot between keeping it tight enough to stay put & lose enough to be comfortable. After a few days I barely noticed the armband at all. I found that periodically throughout the day I move it slightly up/down/left/right to allow the skin area underneath the device to breathe a bit more.

It's light (1.6 oz), very slim (13mm thick) and virtually unnoticeable under my clothing. During the last 2 months only one person realized I was wearing it, and the only reason they figured it out was because they smacked my arm and felt it.

My only concern with the armband is durability.... Oddly enough my armband strap broke the day after I started writing this review. The part of the strap that you pull on is made out of some form of plastic, and glued underneath it is the rough side of the Velcro. Well I was watching T.V and my armband felt like it was sliding down my arm and I realized that the Velcro had pulled free from the plastic part, but it was still attached by sticky strings of glue like putty. I realize that my description isn't very good, but it's kinda hard to describe. I've temporarily fixed the band with a piece of two sided tape (to reattach the Velcro) & a strip of electrical tape that wraps around the strap (which doesn't feel nice on my skin). I plan to email customer service the minute I've posted this to find out what they will do to remedy the situation.

I would hazard a guess that the problem I had is probably a rare occurrence.

FYI: I personally know several other people using this device and one of them informed me that the strap doesn't accommodate large arms very well and is uncomfortable. My arms are 16" at there widest and I still have some room to loosen the strap (but not that much). I could see how this would be a problem if my arms were bigger.

In terms of using the device, you can remove it from the strap and connect it via a USB cable (supplied) or have it connect wirelessly. Unfortunately I've never had mine successfully connect wirelessly, but that's never really bothered me because it's so easy to pop it out and connect with the cable. I actually prefer connecting this way because it's also how the device recharges and I find that leaving it connect for 15 mins each day while I upload the data and enter in my meals is almost enough to keep it fully charged. I'm not sure if it's something I'm not doing correctly or if it's something to do with the device itself. In BodyMedia's defense, I haven't contacted them yet to inquire about this problem, which I once again plan to do when I post this review.

Other notes: 3hrs for full charge. Battery life 5-7 days & its memory stores up to 14 days of data before it has to be uploaded. Rating: 7/10*

* Until I've heard back from BodyMedia I've subtracted ~~3pts for the strap being broken &~~ 2pts for the device not connecting properly via wirelessly. I'll update the review & rating if these issues are resolved.

* Update: Mar.11th, 2010 - I sent a message yesterday and received a reply today stating that they were sending me a replacement armband for myself & a larger one for my friend.

Activity Manager - This is the online software that the armband uploads the data to. It also allows you to view the data, set targets & goals, log your meals & snacks, and run daily/weekly/monthly reports based on the data collected. I've included 3 screenshots to give you an idea of what the activity manager looks like. The first picture is the main "Summary" screen. The second picture is the same "Summary" screen with 2 of the categories expanded, showing the data in more detail. The third picture is the "Nutrition" screen, which shows what I had for breakfast.

The various functions under the "Settings" tab such as your preferences, targets & goals are straight forward and if you can't figure something out there's quick links at the bottom of the screen.

The "Summary" section is really easy to navigate/understand and all the information you need to access is right there in front of you.

The "Nutrition" section is relatively easy to navigate/understand, but it requires a bit more patience than the "Summary" section to get used to. Their food database contains 30,000 different items, but if you can't find what your looking for you can manually enter in your own items. The first few weeks will slow going in regards to entering in the individual items that you eat, but it does become far less tedious after that. Typically I can enter in all my meals & snacks for the day in about 5 mins providing I didn't eat something new for the first time.

I used to use SparkPeople to log my food (which is a great site with an awesome meal logging tool), but when I purchased my armband I decided to switch over (back in Nov. 2010). I ended up giving up on the Activity Manager after a week because it wasn't anywhere near as user friendly as SparkPeople..... but in December BodyMedia introduced an updated Activity Manager (the one in use today) that was much more user friendly than the previous version, so I switched over again. I still believe that SparkPeople has the superior Meal Logger, but the main reason I've kept using the Activity Manager is because it's able to incorporate my logged meals into my reports. Hopefully through user support the next version will be even better.

I do however have a HUGE BEEF with the Activity Manager..... It's painfully slow. I'm not sure what the problem is: heavy user traffic, inadequate server capacity, software/hardware glitches....... who knows. The point is I should be able to log onto the system, view my data, download my reports, enter my meals for the day and log off....... without delays. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't happen 100% of the time, but it does happen frequently. Here's a list of problems I've encountered:

Painfully slow data retrieval or saving data
Errors saving a meal.
Errors saving a created item or recipe (which sucks b/c you have to re-enter it).
Stuck in limbo while their system is thinking..... which usually leads to #5.
Problems refreshing the screen/data, or it takes a long time.

Through my correspondence with them, it appears that they're aware of the problems and are working towards correcting them.... but it's been awhile now and I'm not holding my breath.

I will admit that as frustrating as the above problems have been, I've always managed to complete my task (through patience, or a second attempt later that day)..... and like I stated it doesn't happen 100% of the time. Rating: 5/10*

* I deducted 3pts for the speed/error issues. I deducted 1pt for not being as user friendly as SparkPeople, and another 1pt for lacking some additional features. If BodyMedia addresses these issues I'll update the rating.

Display - The display doesn't store any information. It simply allows you to view the data that your armband is collecting (calories burned, steps & minutes of activity). It also has a light for nighttime viewing. You can wear the display on a watchband (included) or clip it onto a belt or pocket...... personally I carry mine around in my pocket. The display updates the information every minute (might be longer).

As I mentioned before the display is optional, which is to say it costs extra and isn't needed.... but I actually find it useful. Before I purchased this product I did a few google searches for reviews by other people and many of them recommended not buying the display because it wasn't needed & also because it's not the nicest looking accessory you've ever seen.... both of which are true.

So why did I purchase one?

If I decide at some point in the future to stop paying the monthly subscription to BodyMedia's site, I can still use the display to keep track of my data. It displays both the current & previous days data, which means I would be stuck with a useless armband. I wouldn't have access to the nice looking reports or the Meal Log, but at least be able to write down the data (notebook, excel etc.).
If I happen to be out of the house or on vacation, I'm able to view my progress with the push of a button, and without having access to a computer or the internet. This came in real handy during my trip to Ottawa last month. It allowed me to see when I was off track and reminded me to get my butt in gear to hit my goals.
I find myself checking the display often, which once again keeps me on track and aware of my progress (or lack of it). There's been many times where I'm watching T.V at night and I've checked my display & thought "oh crap, I'm 2000 steps below target" and jumped on the elliptical for 15 mins.

Overall the display does what it's supposed to do, and other than it looking really geeky (not in a good way) I can't complain about it. Rating: 8/10

Customer Service - My only contact with customer service has been via email, so my rating/review is based solely on that. I've sent about 7 emails now and the responses been courteous and for the most part prompt. When you submit an email it creates a case number which you're able to access to see updates/responses on the issue/question. One of my emails questioned the problems I was having with the Activity Manager & the various errors/delays, but it wasn't addressed and has since been closed. I logged on now and updated my request for a response. I suspect I'll have one soon enough. Rating: 3.5/5

RATING TOTAL - 36/50 or 72%

The good: It lives up to it's promise and is a valuable piece of equipment that I would happily purchase again.

The bad: The product is in its infancy and has its fair share of problems including: inaccuracy, software glitches, slow servers. I really wish the device monitored your heart rate!!!!

The bottom line: I can honestly say that this product is one of the big contributing factors to helping me stay on track with my fitness and nutrition goals. There isn't another product on the market that can do what this product can do...... PERIOD. Its the future and its available today.

Here's a few other reviews that I managed to find:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/04/28/review-counting-calo.html
http://www.leighpeele.com/gowear-fit-and-bodybugg-a-comparison

If you have any questions..... don't hesitate to ask.

Men's Health Minute #5

2010-03-09T08:00:00.004-03:30

"The body is a big sagacity, a plurality with one sense, a war and a peace, a flock and a shepherd." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Here's the link he's referring to: Belly Off... & I plan to create a post on this soon.

Check back next week for another "Men's Health Minute" video.

Water Myth

2010-03-08T08:00:00.001-03:30

"I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man." ~ Henry David Thoreau

The advice: Chug eight glasses of water a day.

Why it's useless: Peeing every 20 minutes seriously interferes with life.

The real deal: Believe it or not, the eight-glass quota isn't etched in stone. Yes, we need to be well-hydrated, but if your urine is clear or close to it, you're probably getting enough fluids. If your No. 1 is neon yellow, lighten things up by adding one or two glasses a day. Once your body adjusts to getting more fluid (and you don't have to run to the can every 10 minutes), add another, says Karen Benzinger, R.D., a dietary consultant in Chicago who specializes in health care. And don't forget that all liquids--including tea, juice, even the tonic in your vodka drink--help keep your body sufficiently saturated.

~ Women's Health Magazine

I've never really had a problem getting enough water, but I thought this might be a relief to some of you.

About Me

2010-03-05T10:39:00.005-03:30

"A friend is one who takes me for what I am." ~ Henry David Thoreau

My previous post inspired me to create an ongoing segment titled "About Me". Every now and then I'll share something about myself & hopefully you'll do the same by leaving a comment.

My 3 favourite scents:
- The smell of a wood burning stove on a cold winters day.
- Bacon..... mmmmm.
- Fresh baked bread.

3 scents that make me ill:
- Hair Salons
- Coffee
- Sulfur...... ahhhh Fort McMurray, where's there's no such thing as a breath of fresh air.

I know, I know.... you think I'm crazy about the coffee. Well if you think that's crazy.... coffee has never passed my lips before!

Maybe????

2010-03-05T09:59:00.009-03:30

"Try Not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." ~ Yoda

I just finished visiting (and commenting on) Kim Ayres blog "Losing a Hundredweight", and in my comment I talked about how "MAYBE's don't count for much with me"..... which was just part of my rambling & wasn't a reflection on Kim. I can honestly say that that line of thinking (man I hate using that's back to back) and my attitude on other similar words such as try, is primarily based on Yoda's wisdom from Star Wars.

It's easy to fall into the mental trap of "maybe" or "try" or could, should, would, might....etc. I can't even begin to count the number of times during my life that Yoda has aided me along the way.

..... now living up to that wisdom is a whole other subject.

Day 1756

2010-03-04T22:59:00.000-03:30

"Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them." ~ Dion Boucicault

Where is the week going? I've finally caught up on my food log, but there just wasn't enough time to post the two "Week(s) In Review"... or at least what little time I had available I wasted on other less important tasks.... *sigh*.

Other than catching up on my blog posts I'm doing well. It looks like I might have some decent results this week. It's late now and I should be heading to bed soon.... but I'm going to put in 20-30 mins on the elliptical first before I turn in for the night.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

The Life of Bryan - Episode 04

2010-03-04T13:49:00.016-03:30

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." ~ Jim Davis
New to "The Life of Bryan" cartoon... check out the 'Readers Guide'.
The Life Of Bryan - Episode 04

Thursday Funnies: Volume 11

2010-03-04T08:00:00.001-03:30

"Confucius say ~ If you are in a book store and cannot find the book you are looking for, you're obviously in the........"

Okay.... I realize that this one was out of context to my blog.... but I almost pee'd myself when Sherri sent me this.

Very Brief Update

2010-03-03T12:25:00.002-03:30

"live mindful of how brief your life is." ~ Horace

I've been working diligently on completing my food log. I'm up to date with the exception of a few entries (gotta enter in new recipes, which takes a bit more time). I'll have the "Week In Review" for weeks 248 & 249 posted by the end of today..... hopefully ;)

Too Fat To Fly

2010-03-03T12:22:00.000-03:30

"You [messed] with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!" ~ Kevin Smith

On the flight home from Ottawa Sherri filled me in on an interesting gossip tid bit.... Kevin Smith (writer/director of "Clerks", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma" & "Zack & Miri Make a Porno".... to name a few), was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight because he was too big to sit comfortably in the seat.

The coinkydink is that Sherri and I were talking about how we couldn't believe that the airline industry hasn't started to charge people based on their weight..... I mean over a certain weight, as they're not likely to give a discount for skinny people. I knew it was only a matter of time before this type of issue hit the press, but I was surprised it happened to Kevin Smith, because lets face it he's not even that big by today's standards. I'm pretty sure I've outweighed him at one point or another.

Southwest said in a statement airline officials had called Smith to offer their "heartfelt apologies," but also stated his removal was for the "safety and comfort of all customers....
If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating arrangement,". ~ People Magazine

Thankfully Kevin announced latter on Twitter "Don't worry: wall of the plane was opened & I was airlifted out while Richard Simmons supervised."...... I'm glad to know you made it home safe and sound Kevin

Spice It Up, Sans Fat & Calories

2010-03-03T12:04:00.000-03:30

Herbs and spices flavor food without adding fat, sugar or calories. Even better, they might also provide a health boost. Research indicates that certain herbs and spices act as antioxidants and can help prevent inflammation. In addition, if you like to grill or broil meat, pork, fish or poultry, marinate it first in a sauce made with black or green tea, garlic, onion, parsley or virgin olive oil to decrease the formation of heterocyclic amines, the potential cancer-causing compounds produced in meat, poultry and fish cooked at high temperatures.

Tips For Cooking
Substitute: Use brewed black or green tea (cooled) for some of the water of liquid in your favorite marinade.
Chicken: Mix lemon juice, rosemary and virgin olive oil; brush on breasts before cooking. Italian seasoning, oregano and tarragon are also great on chicken.
Fish: Lemon juice combined with garlic works great on most whitefish. Other spices that can bring out flavor include basil, garlic, lemongrass, parsley, rosemary and thyme.

~ Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine (Sept/Oct 2009)

Sherri and I are pretty cautious when it comes to marinades, but there's always room for improvement. I've never heard about using tea's in marinades.... might have to give it a try.

Men's Health Minute #4

2010-03-02T14:30:00.003-03:30

"I've been into the habit of freezing white grapes and using them as a snack. Instead of eating peanuts or popcorn or something like that or pretzels, I just eat the white grapes."
~ Mike Ditka

Has anyone tried that with grapes? Sounds kinda weird to me.

Check back next week for another "Men's Health Minute" video.

Meaningful Content... Or The Lack Thereof.

2010-02-27T10:48:00.006-03:30

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back." ~ Harvey MacKay

Lately I haven't posted much information on my progress. There's been very few "Daily Recaps" & I haven't yet finished last weeks "Week In Review"........ but that doesn't mean I've been slacking. I've spent quite a lot of time reading/researching on various topics to aid me in my journey. The post on Yogurt, Bread/Fiber & Blueberries have been part of the information I came across during that reading/research.

I realize that the majority of the content I've added is quoted & therefore not very personal.... but I wanted to be able to share what I learned and add a bit of content to my blog in the process.

Beyond my reading/research I've been busy with a few To-Do List items and I also have a newly acquired PS3 game which is proving to be quite a distraction.

So.... although I haven't reported much in the way of personal stuff, I have however been doing well with my eating & exercising. My weight for some reason has been fluctuating more than normal.... but it's slowly heading back down & I'm pretty sure I should be able to post a loss this week.

Hopefully over the next week I'll be able to catch up on some stuff and get back into a normal routine.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Be A Blue Blood...

2010-02-27T10:10:00.004-03:30

Here’s some sweet news: Blueberries may help lower blood-sugar levels and insulin resistance, researchers in Canada found. In a small study, overweight men at risk for heart disease and diabetes and diabetes drank 1 cup of wild blueberry juice every day for 3 weeks. Their blood sugar dropped by roughly 10 percent, and their insulin resistance also fell compared with that of control-group participants who drank a placebo. Study coauthor Marva Sweeney, PhD., says the benefits may come from the effect of the pancreas of the fruit’s high levels of anthocyanins. (The pancreas regulates blood sugar by producing insulin.) Frozen wild blueberries offer the same benefits as juice. Farmed blueberries also contain anthocyanins, but in lower amounts.

~ Men's Health (Nov. 2009)

We're lucky enough to access to tons of wild blueberries in the summer. We usually pick enough to last the rest of the year.

Nutritious Bread, Fiber & Protein

2010-02-25T11:17:00.009-03:30

"Middle age is when you chose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy" ~ Unknown

Every time I go shopping I scour the nutritional information to make sure I'm picking the best option when it comes to my health. Based on my knowledge I try to pick breads with a high fiber content, that are made with whole grains, which also pack a decent amount of protein.

So what kind of bread is the most nutritious? Here's what Men's Health Magazine had to say:

First off, ignore the advertising copy on the front. Flip around to the ingredient list. Is the first ingredient a whole grain? Does each slice have 2 or more grams of fiber? Do "inulin" or "polydextrose" show up? The correct answers are yes, yes, and no. "With whole grain, nothing is stripped away," says Jim White, R.D., of the American Dietetic Association. That means you're noshing on natural fiber, not inulin or polydextrose, two additives used to artificially boost fiber. The breads below meet the criteria, and could also help you build muscle, lose weight, and beat heart disease. ~ Men'sHealth (Nov.2009)

If you're like me, you're probably asking "WTF is polydextrose?" After starting this post I happened to come across a second helpful article that helps answer this question:

In 2007, the FDA declared that polydextrose can be called fiber. Polywhat? Polydextrose is made from glucose, sorbitol (a sugar alcohol), and citric acid. It's what puts the fiber in Fruity Pebbles (not actual pebbles). Polydextrose received FDA approval because it mimics some attributes of dietary fiber: It isn't absorbed in the small intestine, and it increases stool weight. Polydextrose mainly bulks up foods so they're not as high in calories. However, there's no research to prove that polydextrose is as beneficial as the fiber found in whole foods. ~ Men'sHealth Magazine

The amount of fiber needed in your diet is a hotly debated subject, and while some studies recommend a daily intake as high as 38 grams, the Men's Health article states:

It's fine to shoot for that amount, but you're certainly not failing if you don't meet it.

Another important tidbit that read particularly applied to me:

"The more carbohydrates you eat, the more fiber becomes important to help minimize the wide fluctuations in blood-sugar levels," says Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut.

So what bread do I eat... my personal fav is Dempster's Heathy Way:

Nutritional Facts: Calories 110, Fat 2g (.4 saturated, 0 trans), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 115 mg, Potassium 120 mg, Carbs 18g, Fiber 5g (2 soluble & 3 insoluble), Sugar 2g, Protein 6g.

Ingredients: Water, whole grain whole wheat flour including the germ, oat bran, whole grain blend [whole grain flax seeds, whole grain sunflower seeds, whole grain oats, whole grain sesame seeds, whole grain millet, whole grain triticale, whole grain barley], wheat gluten, sugar/glucose-fructose, malted wheat, inulin (chicory root), yeast, oat fibre, sugar beet fibre, plums, fancy molasses, oats, soy nuts, oatmeal, vegetable oil (canola or soybean), salt, vinegar, calcium propionate, acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, sorbic acid, trisodium citrate 2-hydrate, potassium chloride, magnesium carbonate.

Although inulin wasn't recommended because it's usually used as an additive to "artificially boost fiber" it does have it's use:

Inulin is known as a prebiotic, which means it promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. That's good, of course. "But," says Slavin, "inulin doesn't have the same cholesterol-lowering effect as the fiber found in oat bran." ~ Men'sHealth Magazine

So... although the Dempster's bread has inulin in it, it's being used for the benefits as a prebiotic, since the bread has plenty of other whole grain, fiber rich ingredients & oat bran. I have to admit that the last 8 ingredients scare the crap out of me... but compared to other breads this one still tops my list as the healthiest. Sooner or later I'll figure out what those ingredients are... but for now ignorance is bliss.

When it comes to fiber I think the best advice I've read is this:

A simple strategy: Eat sensibly. Favor whole, unprocessed foods. Make sure the carbs you eat are fiber-rich—this means produce, legumes, and whole grains—to help slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream.
~ Men'sHealth Magazine

Here's the link to one of the full articles: "The Truth About Fiber".

Creamy Goodness... Yogurt

2010-02-25T09:00:00.013-03:30

"Yogurt is an ideal combination of protein and carbohydrates for exercise recovery and muscle growth." ~ Doug Kalman, R.D., director of nutrition at Miami Research Associates

Yogurt is good for you... if it's the right kind (Some contain up to 36 grams of sugar per serving.) Yogurt is a source of potassium and probiotics, says Cynthia Sass, R.D. Here's how to reap the most health benefits from your cup.

Boost Your Calcium Intake - Shoot for a yogurt that contains at least 20% of your daily calcium needs.

Add Healthy Sugars - If you want sweetness, add your own fruit, like berries or raisins. Throw in some unsalted walnuts or almonds too, for added nutrition.

Look For Protein - More is better: Greek yogurt can provide as much as 18 grams of protein in a 6 oz servicing (three times the amount in some regular yogurts). Regular nonfat yogurts can contain nearly 10 grams.

Keep The Calorie Count Around 100 - Yogurt with fruit already added can have up to 170 calories in 6 ounces. But plain yogurt, which has a good dose of protein and a relatively small amount of (natural) sugar, should be about 100 calories.

~ Men's Health (Nov. 2009)

I plan to pick up some Greek Yogurt tonight... I'll let ya know what I think of it.

Update: We couldn't find any... I'll have to try a different store.

Thursday Funnies: Volume 10

2010-02-25T08:02:00.000-03:30

"The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded." ~ George Orwell

~ Cartoon by Nick D. Kim (used by permission)

...If only it was this easy!

The Life of Bryan - Episode 03

2010-02-24T16:41:00.001-03:30

"Better a thousand times careful than once dead" ~ Proverb

New to "The Life of Bryan" cartoon... check out the 'Readers Guide'.

Day 1743: Beat My Record -- Daily Steps

2010-02-24T11:54:00.016-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

I knew that we'd be doing a lot of walking on our vacation, but I didn't have any idea how many steps I'd be able to rack up in a single day. Well on Friday, Feb.19th Sherri & visited the National Gallery (art), and the Rideau Centre (shopping) & had yet another trek after the bus ride home. Add up all those steps and I managed to beat my step record:

	New Record	Previous Record
# of Steps Taken in a Day:	11629	10655 – Jan.26^th

Not only did I beat my record, but I came close to matching it again a few days later.... which lead to the highest weekly step total I've had so far.

Back From Ottawa

2010-02-24T11:23:00.010-03:30

"No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one."
~ Elbert Hubbard

Well we're back from our vacation... and I use that term loosely. Sherri & Susan both came down with food poisoning on the second night of our stay. That wiped out all of the third day, and left them still feeling like crap for the remainder of our stay.

Sherri was feeling a bit better on Sunday night so we went downtown to see the ice sculptures, but unfortunately they closed the main park down literally 2 mins before we arrived to dismantle the exhibits since Winterlude had officially ended that day.

The vacation wasn't a complete loss as we did manage to get out both before & after the food poisoning to enjoy the city, get some fresh air & enjoy some local cuisine (which wasn't the culprit for Sherri & Susan).

Our flight was delayed a bit yesterday, so we didn't arrive home until after 1am... so we're both pretty tired today. I'm working on my "Week In Review" post, and trying to catch up on a pile of meal logging and other half completed posts.... look for an update soon!

Men's Health Minute #3

2010-02-23T14:50:00.002-03:30

"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts." ~ James Beard

You can also carefully cut 1 heavier slice in half.... I've done it a few times when I've had a hankering for a sandwich, but didn't want all the carbs.

Check back next week for another "Men's Health Minute" video.

Thursday Funnies: Volume 9

2010-02-19T08:00:00.001-03:30

"The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded." ~ George Orwell

~ Cartoon by Nick D. Kim (used by permission)

...I just happen to be one of those people.

Vacation Time!

2010-02-18T11:00:00.003-03:30

"Too bad Lassie didn't know how to ice skate, because then if she was in Holland on vacation in winter and someone said 'Lassie, go skate for help,' she could do it."
~ Jack Handey (Deep Thoughts)

I was looking for a vacation quote & I happened upon this one. Anyone that remembers the old Saturday Night Live short called "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" should get a kick out of it... made me chuckle.

Anyhoo... Sherri and I are off for a mini vacation to our Nations Capital of Ottawa. It's Winterlude which is a lot of fun. Here's a post from my last Ottawa vacation.... which should give you an idea of what's in store for us (can't wait for the Beaver Tail). We're leaving today and I won't be back until Tuesday evening... so I won't have any weekly review/results until Wednesday.

Although I'm away from my normal routine I'm not worried because I know for a fact that we'll be eating healthier at Susan's place than we do at home; she's very healthy... YAY Susan. Also we'll be doing a ton of walking & skating on the canal, so I'm covered in the way of exercise as well..... oh yeah... I'm sure Susan's 3yr old Andrew will keep us on our toes.

I hope everyone has a great week... I know I will.

The Life of Bryan - Episode 02

2010-02-17T08:00:00.001-03:30

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny..." ~ Isaac Asimov

New to "The Life of Bryan" cartoon... check out the 'Readers Guide'.

Men's Health Minute #2

2010-02-16T08:00:00.002-03:30

"Did you know there's an all-natural, muscle-building snack that's free? It's called Onthophagus gazella Fabricius, and a big handful contains 17 grams (g) of protein, just 4 g fat, and almost no carbohydrates. The downside: You know it better by its common name--the dung beetle." ~ Menshealth.com

Check back next week for another "Men's Health Minute" video.

Congratulations!

2010-02-15T10:45:00.001-03:30

"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher." ~ Thomas Henry Huxley

A fellow blogger and true inspiration Fat Lazy Guy has hit his goal weight today. To put his achievement into perspective, he's lost 25.4 lbs. more than I've weighted at my heaviest. If you find that as hard to comprehend as I do... here's he's numbers:

Current weight: 99.5 kgs (219.4 lbs)
Previous weight: 101.7 kgs (224.2 lbs)
Highest weight: 229 kgs (504.8 lbs)
Weight loss this week: 2.2 kgs (4.8 lbs)
Total weight lost: 129.5 kgs (285.4 lbs)

Congratulations on your success, and for sharing your journey with us.

Week #237: In Review

2010-02-15T10:10:00.006-03:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchil

~ Nick D. Kim (strange-matter.net) used by permission

In many ways this was my best week yet! I was much more consistent on a daily basis in regards to exercise, which helped me increase my daily activity & step average. Losing 2.9 lbs is absolutely awesome. I was a bit disappointed that my body fat % stayed the same, but I wasn't really surprised since it dropped a lot last week. I'm hoping that the same thing doesn't happen with my weight next week, due to my success this week..... oh well, only time will tell.

I don't think I mentioned it... but I went skating again on Tuesday and I went the whole 1 hour without stopping; which is great. I was also proud of myself for attending Aikido, but I have to admit that I'm not sure if I'm going to go again as my knee is still sore. The next class isn't for a few days so I'll see how things go and update everyone soon.

Here's last week results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	240.5 lbs.	237.6 lbs.	- 2.9 lbs.
Body Fat:	37.5 %	37.5 %	- 0.0 %
Lean Body Mass:	150.310 lbs.	148.50 lbs.	-1.81 lbs.
# of Steps:	41,468	41,635	+ 167 Steps

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report.
Week #237 - Summary Report (Feb.8th - Feb.14th, 2010)

I've also updated my 2010 Progress Charts.

I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 238, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

How America Grew.

2010-02-14T10:18:00.003-03:30

"Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security." ~ John F. Kennedy

Sherri brought to my attention a great article posted on Sparkpeople titled "How America Grew - A Timeline of National Growth" written by Mike Kramer.

It takes a chronological look at some key events that have occurred over the last 50 years in America.

It's no wonder obesity has become such an epidemic in the U.S and around the world.

2010 Vancouver Olympics

2010-02-13T15:30:00.007-03:30

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend in preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character." ~ T. Alan Armstrong
I'm so excited that the winter Olympics are finally here..... and a big part of that "here" being Canada. I just wanted to take a brief moment to welcome all of the athletes to our wonderful nation and to wish them all of the best in their respective events.

GO CANADA GO!

Can you really blame me for showing some national pride?

Day 1730: Part 2

2010-02-13T13:23:00.011-03:30

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion... I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward." ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Last night was one of the most challenging moments of my life in a long, long time. It was also one of the more embarrassing moments... and from a person who excels at embarrassing moments that really saying something.

It was only 15 mins into the class and I was already starting to drip with perspiration... and we hadn't even finished warming up & stretching. As we were doing the various stretching, (such as neck rotations) my bones were making popping noises, almost as they were saying "WTF, I haven't moved like that in eons".

After 30 mins I was sweating profusely and struggling to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Akido is definitely not an easy thing to pick up quickly. The movements are very complicated and need to be honed over a very long time. I couldn't believe just how uncoordinated I have become over the years. Beyond the lack of coordination, I've also become far more right hand (and foot) dominated which meant that I struggled that much more with any movement involving my left side. It's been over 15 years since I've participated in any kind of sport which requires coordination of both sides of your body equally.

Somewhere shortly near or after the 1 hour mark I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through the full 2 hours. I was out of breath, my t-shirt was nearly saturated with sweat, my muscles were burning and even more embarrassing than all of that some of the extreme twisting, bending and muscle excretion was causing me to fart... although thankfully I wasn't the only one it happened to.... not that that fact makes it any less embarrassing.

Around the 1 1/2 hour mark I was proud for not stopping early, and I was even more determined to complete the entire class... although my body wasn't very impressed with that decision (especially today).

Ultimately I completed the entire class. I have to admit that I couldn't really describe it as fun, because of my embarrassment, lack of physical fitness, and my complete lack of coordination... but it was very much worth it. It was an incredible workout and I have no doubt whatsoever that Aikido will help me increase my strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall level of physical fitness. The only problem that I foresee is that Aikido really is hard on my knee. It involves a lot of time doing ground work, rolls and falls; all of which put quite a bit of strain on my knee.

I plan to attend the next class on Sunday, so I'll see how I fare after that class before I start to make any plans for the future. Regardless of what happens, I'm proud of myself for attending the class and experiencing something new and challenging.

Day 1730

2010-02-12T12:34:00.008-03:30

"Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment." ~ Morihei Ueshiba Founder of Aikido

I'm soooooo excited. Not only is today the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, it also marks the day of my first ever Aikido class (later today). Before I was a teenager I took Judo for about a year or so, and I absolutely loved it. Ever since I can remember I've thought about joining some for of martial arts, but for one reason or another (primarily my knee in later years) I never fulfilled that dream.

I chose Aikido because it's primary focus is on self-defense, fundamentals & techniques.

Aikido was developed in the early 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), often referred to as O-Sensei (Great Teacher). He was a gifted martial artist who had trained extensively in ju-jitsu, kenjutsu (sword arts) and sojutsu (spear arts) and then combined and modified techniques from each to reflect his personal convictions concerning self-defence, peace and harmony. Consequently, the purpose of Aikido is not the destruction of an enemy but, rather, the control of difficult human aggression. Peaceful resolution of conflict is the ultimate goal of Aikido. These aims are reflected in the name which is made up of three characters: Ai (to meet or harmonize), Ki (energy, spirit or mind) and Do (the way). Combined these become the Way of Harmonious Spirit.

I'm so proud of myself for finally fulfilling this dream.

The Life of Bryan - Episode 01

2010-02-10T20:00:00.007-03:30

"I'm a great admirer of cartoons, because I can't do cartoons." ~ Bruce McCall

A few years ago I spontaneously started a cartoon based on my life. The cartoon really didn't have a purpose, other than as an outlet for some pent up creative energy. I made up a total of about 5 cartoons... although I can only seem to find/remember 3 of them. After many hours of searching for cartoons to use on my blog and coming up empty handed, I figured why waste all that time when I could of just made one myself.

I kept the original format, title and content of my previous cartoon, but I changed the colour scheme to mesh a tad better with my blog.

Hopefully this will serve as a creative outlet for me, and provide a few laughs for you in the process.

New to "The Life of Bryan" cartoon... check out the 'Readers Guide'.

Goals & Guiidelines for 2010

2010-02-08T14:32:00.005-03:30

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." ~ ConfuciusA few days ago I created a new post titled "Goals for 2010" which outlined several fitness goals and how I planned to achieve them. I've since saved that post as a draft so I could take a different approach. This post will present my overall goals & guidelines for 2010, which focuses on 3 categories: Fitness, nutrition & mental health (BALANCE). I'll list my overall goals, followed by specific goals & the guidelines that I plan to follow to achieve my specific & overall goals.

At some point in the near future, I'll create a new post dedicated to each of the 3 categories outlining how I plan to accomplish the goals specific to that category using the S.M.A.R.T mnemonic.

Overall Fitness Goal: I would like to become far more physically active this year. I want to improve my cardiovascular capacity and my overall strength. As I lose weight I'm hoping my knee will be able to withstand more strenuous activities.

Fitness Activity Goals:
1. Complete the "One Hundred Push Ups Training Program"
2. Complete the "CN Tower Climb for WWF"
3. Complete the "CIBC Run for the Cure"
4. To start bike riding.
5. To start hiking (local trails).
6. To start Kayaking.
7. To join the local Curling Club.
8. To start Cross Country skiing.
9. To start Snow Shoeing.
10. To start Skating
11. Join Akido Club.
12. To start Geocaching.

Fitness Guidelines:
1. To upload my BodyMedia collected data daily.
2. To burn +3200 calories each day.
3. To burn +500 more calories than I consume.
4. To get +60 mins exercise each day (50 mins moderate & 10 mins Vigorous).
5. To walk +5000 Steps each day.
6. To purposely park father away from my destination.
7. To walk/bike more often as an alternative to driving.
8. To allocate 1 day a week to rest.

Overall Nutrition Goals: I recognize that this is one area that needs to be completely overhauled in my life. The funny thing is that I actually well read & educated on the topic. My goal is to successfully use this knowledge and put it into action.

Nutrition Guidelines:
1. To log my meals & snacks daily. (Using BodyMedia "Activity Manager")
2. To drink 8+ 8 oz glasses of water each day.
3. To eat 5-6 times daily.
4. To eat slowly, chew more and enjoy my food.
5. To consume 5-10 servings of fruit & vegetable each day.
6. To reduce/eliminate Saturated Fat and Trans Fats.
7. To reduce sodium intake to below 2300 mg/day.
8. To prepare & eat more meals @ home, while reducing dining out.
9. To eliminate visits to Fast Food Restaurants when dining out. (Banned List)

Overall Mental Health Goals: In the past I've allowed stress to build up without a means of coping with it beyond the comfort of food... I've always been an emotional eater. My new goal is a two pronged approach. Firstly I need to reduce the overall stress in my life. Secondly I need to create new coping mechanisms to deal more effectively with stress. Achieving/following my above fitness goals/guidelines would be a great start.

Mental Health Goals:
1. To become a volunteer @ The General Hospital, Health & Sciences Centre.

Mental Health Guidelines:
1. To get between 7-8 hrs sleep daily.
2. To allocate +15 mins daily to reading.
3. To listen to music often.
4. To watch a movie once a week.
5. To research & start practicing meditation/relaxation techniques.
6. To take 2-3 mins every hour or so to take few deep breaths/stretch.
7. To organize and complete a weekly To-Do list.
8. To maintain my blog & relationships online.
9. To keep contact with my friends & family.
10. To have 1 cheat meal & desert each week.

P.S: Sherri wanted to know where the "Sherri" category was and I had to explain to her that she was an integral part of the other 3 categories.... to which her response was "but where is the buy Sherri presents goal?". It's going to be a long year....lol.

I plan to update/modify this list throughout the year!

Week #236: In Review

2010-02-08T11:48:00.006-03:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchil

~ Nick D. Kim (strange-matter.net) used by permission

This week turned out great. I did really well in all regards. There's always room for improvement, and one thing I could still use some work on would be consistency, in regards to exercise. I'm making a lot of headway in all aspects of my life & I'm very proud of my progress.

Here's last week results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	241.9 lbs.	240.5 lbs.	- 1.4 lbs.
Body Fat:	38.9 %	37.5 %	- 1.4 %
Lean Body Mass:	147.80 lbs.	150.31 lbs.	+2.51 lbs.
# of Steps:	41,318	41,468	+ 150 Steps

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report.
Week #236 - Summary Report (Feb.1st - Feb.7st, 2010)
I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 237, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

Day 1724: Beat My Record -- Daily Calorie Burn

2010-02-08T10:11:00.003-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

Last Saturday I managed to beat my previous calorie burn record by helping a friend reorganize his garage & a good elliptical workout... well yesterday I beat that record doing the very same things. Sherri and I watched the 2nd half of the Superbowl yesterday, and during the 4th quarter I checked my step total for the day and realized that I was going to fall short for my weekly total, so I hopped onto the elliptical for 30mins... rechecked my total... hopped on for another 15mins... rechecked my total... hopped on for a final 5mins and called it quits.

Sherri thought I was nuts for being obsessed about my total. She reminded me that although I might not of walked as much this week, I burnt up more calories on a daily from activities like shoveling, building the bookcase...etc. She was right of course... but I still wanted to beat my previous weeks step total... which in the end helped me beat my previous calorie burn total in a single day.

New

Record

Previous

Record

# Calories Burned in a Day:

4269

4177 – Jan.30^th

I wonder how long it'll be before I'm able to break 5000?

Men's Health Minute #1

2010-02-05T10:25:00.002-03:30

"It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of the one or two things still safe to eat"
~ Robert Fuoss

As you know one of my favourite magazines is Men's Health, and their website is full of useful information... albeit, a little bit hard to find exactly what you're looking for due to their poor search engine.

Article - "Should You Splurge on Organic Fruit?

Every now & then I'll feature one of their "Men's Health Minute" video's... Enjoy.

Thursday Funnies: Volume 8

2010-02-04T22:40:00.004-03:30

"The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded." ~ George Orwell

~ Source Unknown

I love this picture.... and no I'm not a soccer fan; which is why I love this picture so much. I've tried to find a few sources of cartoons to use on my site, but unfortunately the everything I find is copyrighted and requires outrageous sums of money to use the image. The going rate to use a single image on a non-profit blog for a 1 year period is $15.00 - 30.00 which is ridiculous.

Setting Goals

2010-02-04T11:20:00.022-03:30

"Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals." ~ Aristotle

Note: This post was originally posted Jan.26th on another blog I contribute to titled "Men Getting Fit". My next post will be dealing with this topic.

I don't know about the rest of you, but setting goals has always been a challenge for me.... well, maybe not setting them, but actually achieving them. Sometimes my goals are too lofty, sometimes they're set too far in the future, other times there demise occurs by element beyond my control.

I've been tossing around this subject in my head for more than a few weeks now, and I've been doing a bit of research to help make 2010 more successful.

Apparently, a great way to make goals successful and more powerful is to use the S.M.A.R.T or S.M.A.R.T.E.R mnemonic; which stands for:

S - Specific (Significant, Stretching, Simple)
M - Measurable (Meaningful, Motivational, Manageable)
A - Attainable (Appropriate, Achievable, Agreed Upon, Action Oriented)
R - Relevant (Realistic, Reasonable, Rewarding, Results Oriented)
T - Time-bound (Timely, Trackable, Tangible)
E - Evaluate (Excitable, Ethical)
R - Reevaluate (Rewarded, Revisited, Recorded)

Source ~ Wikipedia

Goals such as: losing weight, improving my eating habits, being able to finish a 10k run, are not S.M.A.R.T goals, and are therefore far less likely to succeed.

So based on that criteria I'm going to focus on creating some short, medium & long term goals for 2010....... what are your goals going to be? Are they S.M.A.R.T goals?

Day 1718

2010-02-03T10:47:00.011-03:30

"Those who think they have not the time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." ~ Edward Stanley

Yesterday Sherri and I went skating at the local arena... which is a huge milestone for both of us since it's been over 15 yrs since we've both done so. Sherri's been wanting to go skating for a really long time, but a few things were holding us (me) back. I was really worried about injuring my knee, but more importantly, I didn't even own a pair of skates.

I'm not sure if I've blogged about this yet, but just before I returned home from Ontario I finally purchased a custom made knee brace. I'll have to blog about my knee brace in more detail in the future, but for now lets just say that it goes a long way in helping to alleviate my fear in participating in physical activity.

The only thing I needed now was a pair of skates.... which I received as a Christmas present from Sherri (thanks baby).

So, knee brace on, and skates in hand, Sherri and I headed off to the local arena for the "Adult Skate" from 10-11am. I was really surprised by how easy it was after all this time. Don't get me wrong... I was anything but graceful, but it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as I had pictured .

We didn't break any speed records, but more importantly we didn't break anything. We didn't stay for the full hour, but we both worked up a bit of a sweat... and more importantly had a lot of fun.

We're already planning to return next week.

Messing Around

2010-02-01T18:26:00.002-03:30

"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence." ~ Buddha

I'm currently messing around with my blogs appearance.
Don't despair, all will be set right in due time... I hope!

Feedback is most welcome.

UPDATE: It seem to be coming along... just a bit of tinkering left.

Week #235: In Review

2010-02-01T14:11:00.005-03:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchill

This week was definitely tougher. I was off to a great start at the beginning of the week (I might of even started out too hard exercise wise), had a mid-week slump, and picked myself back up towards the end. When I say slump, I didn't revert back to my old ways... I just didn't put as much effort in as the rest of the week, which is nothing to be ashamed of or worry about. I'm pleased with my progress; especially since I've now been on target for a full month... something I haven't done since last year. Here's last week results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	243 lbs.	241.9 lbs.	- 1.1 lbs.
Body Fat:	39.2 %	38.9 %	- 0.3 %
Lean Body Mass:	147.74 lbs.	147.80 lbs.	+0.06 lbs.
# of Steps:	40,900	41,318	+ 418 Steps

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report. The fullscreen view doesn't seem to work for me.... but I'm not sure what's causing the problem. Hopefully it works for everyone else.
Week #235 - Summary Report (Jan.25th - Jan.31st, 2010)
I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 236, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

Day 1715: Beat My Record -- Daily Calorie Burn

2010-01-31T21:58:00.006-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

On Saturday I put in 32 mins on the elliptical and spent a bit over 3hrs helping a friend reorganize his garage... but I really didn't expect to beat any records.

New

Record

Previous

Record

# Calories Burned in a Day:

4177

3510 – Jan.19^th

I wonder how long it'll be before I'm able to break 5000?

Day 1714

2010-01-30T13:36:00.009-03:30

"An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises." ~ Mae West

Yesterday was probably my toughest day this month. I felt a bit tired and mopey, which I allowed to translate into inactive and emotional eating. Sherri was kinda feeling the same way (she had a really busy work week & as a result she was exhausted), and this allowed us to play of each others weakness.

I've been doing an amazing job this month with controlling my cravings, emotional eating and binging.... so I'm not too concerned with yesterdays outcome. The most important thing is that even before the end of the day Sherri and I talked about the way we felt, the actions we took (or didn't take) and how we might approach a similar day next time.... which makes yesterday a success in the end.

Before I turned in for the night I said "tomorrow's a new day".

As for today.... I'm back on track. I had a healthy breakfast & lunch, and I've already put 32 mins in on the elliptical.

Dang Blogger Template

2010-01-29T11:11:00.019-03:30

"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain."
~ J.K. RowlingI like to think that I'm somewhat tech savvy; after all I worked at a computer distribution company for 3 years, I've been blogging for 6 yrs, & have been using computers before the internet existed.... ahhhh, the days of BBS'ing.

I realize that being a member of the X-Generation isn't what it used to be in terms of technology. We might of set the initial pace of technology, but over the years we've begun to slow down & now most of the younger generation are trampling us by the age of 5 (Maybe 4, by the time you read this).

Such is the way of things. I completely acknowledge & accept my designation, but you can't blame an old dog (compared to the tech savvy 5yr old) for trying out a few new tricks.... which brings me to my dilemma.

I'm still using the "Classic" Blogger Template. When it first came out, I didn't like it because I thought it was a dumbed down version of the classic template. I had already figured out how to add widgets, gadgets, buttons, and the such, without it's help; so I kept my blog the way it was.

Unfortunately, the longer I kept using the classic template the harder things became to keep up with the status quo. I struggled to incorporate new content & applications into my blog because they're not designed to work with the older classic template. Even my recent changes to my blogs appearance put up a fight that took hours to sort out; where as with the upgraded template I might of been able to incorporate them in minutes.

My real dilemma however is actually upgrading to the new template. I've dug myself in so deep with the classic template that it's a tremendous amount of work to get my blog to look the same in the newer format. The other day I started to create a BornSquishy blogger test site, but I became frustrated and packed it in.

The idea of upgrading my template really appeals to me, as I'm really excited about adding some new content to my blog..... but the process & the time involved in making that transition has me dug in. I'm doing a bit of homework to see if there's a better way, or something I've overlooked to help me through the process.

So... if the next time you visit my blog it looks messed up, you know what I'm up to!

FYI: If you're the type of person that dreads change, you owe it to yourself to read a book called "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson. I highly recommend this book... as well as the other books in the "One Minute Manager" series. I read it many years ago (I should probably read it again) and passed the book onto my staff.

In fact after I read it, I'll add it to my list of books for this blog since the concept of change has an awful lot to do with my goals in terms of living healthy.

UPDATE (Jan. 30th): Well after a couple hours of playing around with code and some extra time looking at other peoples blogs & the new layout it seems that my biggest problem was my ability to CHANGE. I dreaded upgrading my blog so much that I made things out to be tougher than I thought. Now that I realize that it's not going to be as hard as I anticipated I should be able to make the transition at the beginning of next week.

UPDATE (Feb. 3rd): After 2 days of tinkering with the upgraded template I reverted back to the classic template. I'm proud that I made the change, and figured out how to use the new format, but as it turns out, my template actually looks better in the older format. Sooner or later I'm going to get my own domain up and running... which will give me the freedom to code how ever I want.

Day 1710: Beat My Record -- Daily Steps

2010-01-28T22:01:00.017-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

On Tuesday, not 2 hours after I posted my last step record, I went for a really long walk... over 1hr. Later that night Sherri & I went shopping and ran some errands.

Imagine my surprise when I plug my armband in the next day to see that I broke my Step Record yet again.

I was too busy messing with my blog code all day to get around to posting this; so here it is:

New

Record

Previous

Record

# of Steps Taken in a Day:

10655

10630 – Jan.25^th

It's only an additional 25 steps... but a record is a record!

Day 1709: Beat My Record -- Daily Steps

2010-01-26T10:10:00.009-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

Yesterday I walked to the post office to pick up our mail, which is only a 30 minute round trip.... but the 15 mins home is all uphill. Later on in the afternoon I jumped on the elliptical for 32 mins (lower tension, but high intensity), followed by a 15 min walk after dinner with Sherri.

After plugging in my armband I was shocked when I saw just how many steps I had walked.... enough to smash my previous record!

New

Record

Previous

Record

# of Steps Taken in a Day:

10630

8690 – Jan.20^th

I said this the last time..... but it might be awhile before I'm able to beat this one... my legs are a bit rubbery from yesterday still.

Putting A Face To A Name

2010-01-25T14:31:00.015-03:30

"A hungry man is an angry one." ~ Buchi Emecheta

When I'm hungry I definitely get grumpy, sometimes angry, but I also feel light headed, queasy and off in general. I'm not just talking about rushing out in the morning without eating and having your first meal late in the evening.... for me more than a 3hr period between eating can cause the onset of these symptoms.

When Weight Watchers first aired the below commercial I immediately identified their "Hungry" mascot as the internal voice in my head that usually convinces me to eat unhealthy, overeat, binge, or to seek food as a quick solution to anyone of a number of emotional reasons to eat.

After beginning to read "Life Without Ed", I've now renamed him from "Hungry" to "Ed" ('Ed' stands for 'Eating Disorder'). After the first time seeing the commercial I tried to find somewhere to order the plush toy online, but nothing was available. After awhile I just gave up looking.

As it turns out, "Hungry" was available for sale for awhile until:
Weight Watchers Recall
If anyone every finds another source to purchase this please let me know!!!! Hopefully they'll eventually start selling them again.

P.S: Although I used Weight Watchers in the past; I'm not advocating their service.... I just really love the 'Hungry' guy in their advertising.

Week #234: In Review

2010-01-25T14:07:00.009-03:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
~ Winston Churchill

Another solid week. I feel better than I have in a really long time and it's great that I'm able to share my progress/success with Sherri who is also progressing right along with me. I couldn't be more pleased with this weeks results:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	245 lbs.	243.0 lbs.	- 7.2 lbs.
Body Fat:	40.9 %	39.2 %	- 1.7 %
Lean Body Mass:	144.80 lbs.	147.74 lbs.	+ 2.94 lbs.

Not only did I manage to get my body fat below the 40's, but I also dropped the 2 lbs I was aiming for which takes me back to the exact weight I was when I started my blog. In the week ahead all I really need to do is duplicate what I did this week and hopefully I'll end up with the same/similar results.

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report. The fullscreen view doesn't seem to work for me.... but I'm not sure what's causing the problem. Hopefully it works for everyone else.
Week #234 - Summary Report (Jan.18th - Jan.24th, 2010)
I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 235, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

BornSquishy Charts

2010-01-25T11:30:00.009-03:30

"Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing." ~ Colin Powell

Well in this case I beg to differ!

Not only did I update my charts this week... I added a 3rd & 4th one titled "Lean Body Mass" & "My Weight Over The Years". The formally mentioned chart tracks the total number of pounds of lean body mass on a week to week basis. This chart will help me gauge how much muscle mass I'm gaining. The last thing you want to do is lose a ton of weight and find out that you're losing lean body mass (good weight), rather than fat (bad weight).

The latter mentioned chart has taken me quite a long time to create. I had to compile data from various sources over the years. I've been working on this chart on/off for the last year, but it was only just today that I completed it.

It's a very scary representation of how out of control my weight has been throughout my life.

The goal of course is to get this graph to flatline at a healthy weight before my heart does the same.

Day# 1707

2010-01-24T12:11:00.005-03:30

"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." ~ Paul Dudley White

I had a great day yesterday. I woke up had a good breakfast and felt like going out for a walk. It was a beautiful sunny day, with little wind, but it was a might bit chilly @ -16⁰C (3⁰F). It felt great having the crisp, clean air in my lungs, and the warm sun on my face. I ended up walking a total of 4.4 kms (2.2 miles) and returned to have a nice lunch.

After a healthy dinner I went over to my brother-in-laws to watch our Toronto Maple Leafs lose yet again, but on a upside, I walked for 30 mins on the treadmill. I wouldn't be surprised if I beat my record for # of steps in a single day, but I won't be able to find that out until I return home to hook up my BodyMedia armband.

Sherri and I will be returning home sometime shortly after lunch, and although I can't speak for the drive home, this weekend away from the comfort and structure of home was a complete success.

Week #233: In Review

2010-01-23T14:18:00.015-03:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." ~ Winston Churchill

Like Week# 232's review, this weeks review is still a bit behind schedule... but the good news is that I'm caught up and am now up to date.

Like Week# 232, this week was also extremely successful. My back pain slowly started to improve and by Thursday I was finally able to get some exercise. I was equally successful with my nutrition for the week as well. I managed to get everything (plus a few extra's) crossed off my 'To-Do List', which made this my best week yet.

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	246.8 lbs.	245.0 lbs.	- 1.8 lbs.
Body Fat:	42.7 %	40.9 %	- 1.7 %
Lean Body Mass:	141.42 lbs.	144.80 lbs.	+ 3.38 lbs

As expected my body fat percentage came back down, but it's still over that appalling 40% mark. Hopefully at the end of Week# 234 I'll finally see it back in the 30's.

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report. The fullscreen view doesn't seem to work for me.... but I'm not sure what's causing the problem. Hopefully it works for everyone else.
Week# 233 - Summary Report (Jan.11th - Jan.17th, 2010)
I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 234, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

Day 1706

2010-01-22T15:06:00.004-03:30

"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." ~ Susan Heller

Sherri and I are heading to Gander for the weekend to visit her family. This is going to be my first real test since I started living healthier only 22 days ago. I've been on a great roll this week..... exercising, eating well, getting enough sleep, waking up on time, and getting stuff done. I'm really hoping for my hard work paid off when I step on the scale Monday morning.

My ambitious goal this week was to lose 2 lbs, which would bring me down to 243 lbs..... my original weight when I first started this blog.

Today I managed to get quite a lot of exercise. I shoveled the snow off the driveway and immediately after I finished I jumped onto the elliptical for 30 min session..... and man did I push myself.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Born Squishy Has A Mascot

2010-01-22T12:06:00.005-03:30

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
~ Arthur C. Clarke

Okay... so the changes I just made to my blog can hardly be described as "sufficiently advanced", but I like them nevertheless. Almost 2 years ago I started to create my own website for BornSquishy (which is still ongoing) and I wanted a favicon that tied in well with my blog theme.

In case some of you are shaking your heads and asking "WTF is a Favicon?", here's a great explanation:

"A favicon (short for favorites icon), also known as a website icon, shortcut icon, url icon, or bookmark icon is a 16×16, 32×32 or 64×64 pixel square associated with a particular or website or webpage." ~ Wikipedia

In short... it's the little blue guy located to the left of the website address box at the top of your web browser.

Anyhoo.... I created this little squishy guy to be my favicon, and this morning I added it to this blog as the main logo as well. I love tinkering with website stuff, so more changes might be coming in the future.

Week #232: In Review

2010-01-21T16:20:00.021-03:30

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." ~ Winston Churchill

Okay.... I'm a bit behind schedule on this post, but I had a lot of data entry to do when I decided to switch my food logging from Sparkpeople to my BodyMedia account. I also had to figure out a way to post a PDF file in blogger, which I managed to do via Squibd.

Week #232 was extremely successful, although I was still suffering from back pain for the first few days which limited my activity to almost none at all. This also explains why I have soooo much lying down time in my Summary Report. My nutrition on the other hand was a ten fold improvement over previous weeks, which was evident in the numbers:

	Last Week	This Week	Result
Weight:	254 lbs.	246.8 lbs.	- 7.2 lbs.
Body Fat:	41.5 %	42.7 %	+ 1.2 %
Lean Body Mass:	144.53 lbs.	141.42 lbs.	- 3.11 lbs.

I'm pretty sure the increase in body fat is due to not being hydrated last week.... and the many weeks prior to that. I'm appalled by how high my body fat currently is, which only confirms what I feared; that during my 1 year period working abroad, I not only gained weight, but lost a significant amount of muscle due to inactivity.

Here is a copy of BodyMedia Summary Report. The fullscreen view doesn't seem to work for me.... but I'm not sure what's causing the problem. Hopefully it works for everyone else.

Week# 232 - Summary Report (Jan.4th - Jan.10th, 2010)

I'm looking forward to further success in Week# 233, and I would like to wish the same success for everyone else!

P.S: The calorie information for Wed, Jan. 6th is messed up in the 'Summary Report' due to an error in their software, which I managed to find. I changed my timezone after logging my meals; then I went back and changed the meal info, which apparently confused the software. I was thanked for reporting the error and told it would be addressed in their next software update.

Day 1704: Beat My Record -- Daily Steps & Calorie Burn

2010-01-20T09:49:00.017-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

Yesterday was the most exercise I've had in a couple years. I worked on the construction of my bookshelf that required at least 2 dozen trips from the basement into the garage. After finishing that task I jumped onto the elliptical for 18mins at a decent pace. After lunch I decided to walk to the post office to pick up our mail, which is only a 30 minute round trip.... but the 15 mins home is all uphill. I even went for a 15 min walk after dinner with Sherri.

I'm really proud of myself for putting in the extra effort yesterday, and it paid off..... I beat 2 previous records set only a few days before!

New

Record

Previous

Record

# Calories Burned in a Day:

3510

3390 – Jan.18^th

# of Steps Taken in a Day:

8690

8582 – Jan.18^th

It might be awhile before I'm able to muster up enough energy & willpower to beat these records...... but who knows.

Math 101: Caluclating My Lean Body Mass

2010-01-19T11:29:00.001-03:30

"The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple." ~ S. Gudder

I currently weight 244.8 lbs @ 39.1% Body Fat...... but how much of my weight is actually fat?

To figure this out you need to use the following formula:
(Current Weight x Current Body Fat %) / 100
(244.8 x 39.1) / 100 = 95.72 (# of lbs of body fat I currently lugging around).

Holy crap.... that only leaves 149.08 lbs of lean body mass.

If I take my current lean body mass of 149.08 and add my goal body fat of 15% to that
(Current lean body mass + Goal Body Fat %) = Goal Weight
(149.08 + 15%) = 171.44 lbs

What????? 171.44 lbs???? That's no where near the 190 lbs I thought my goal weight should be. I know that ultimately it's not the # of lbs. one weighs but how you feel and how healthy you are, but 171.44 lbs.??? This can't possibly be right....... is it???

I know guys that weight 160 - 170 lbs and their frames are much smaller than mine.

Hopefully someone out there can let me know if my math is sound.

Day 1702: Beat My Record -- Daily Steps & Calorie Burn

2010-01-18T11:02:00.015-03:30

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~ Jim Rohn

Today was a tough day. Between numerous errands, trying to complete my To-Do List, having unexpected (but VERY welcome) dinner guests it was a very busy day. Our guests suggested picking up a Pizza & Caesar Salad from the grocery store..... which wasn't the healthiest meal; especially after Sherri & I ate out the night before. To make the matters worse, our friend picked up Honey Garlic Chicken Wings b/c they were 1/2 off.

Determined to make the best of the day (and to recover from the extra calories consumed), I went on an extra long walk; which helped me beat a 2 previous records!

New

Record

Previous

Record

# Calories Burned in a Day:

3490

3362 – Jan.14^th

# of Steps Taken in a Day:

8582

6174 – Jan.16^th

So, in the end it was a successful day after all.

Tools of the Trade

2010-01-17T10:40:00.005-03:30

"We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire... give us the tools and we will finish the job." ~ Winston Churchill

Any successful trades person will tell you that it's incredible important to have the right tools for the right job. Here's a list of the tools that have been instrumental in my journey towards a healthier me:

Tanita 'BF-680' Scale - I love this scale. It's never let me down.... although I wish it lied more than a few times. My scale measures weight & body fat, but some of the newer models even calculate your bone mass, muscle mass, body water % and more. I'd love to upgrade in the future.

Ironman 'Achiever' Elliptical Machine - Sherri and I have had this elliptical machine for about 2 1/2 years now, and although we haven't used it on a regular basis as we should it wasn't due to the piece of equipment itself. I can tell you that this thing is built well & built to last...... but it weighs an absolute ton. It's also perfect for people with a bad knee like myself due to the lack of impact during the workout.

GoWear Fit - I've only had this device for about 3 months now and I can tell you that I'm completely blown away by how helpful this device has been. Here's a little blurb from their site:

In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. Since there are about 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, every time you burn 3,500 more calories than you consume, you’ve lost a pound. If you’re looking to lose that pound in a week’s time, you have to burn about 500 more calories than you consume every day.The System has been designed to help you learn what 500 calories IS because knowledge is power! Once you understand what it’ll take to reach your goals, you can adjust your diet and exercise plan to meet them.

How Did You Calculate That?

2010-01-12T13:47:00.011-03:30

"Two percent of the people think; three percent of the people think they think; and ninety-five percent of the people would rather die than think."
~ George Bernard Shaw

I'm sure more than one of you have wondered how I come up with the "% of me lost" number..... so I figured I'd share the mathematical formula to figuring out that number:

((IW - AW) / IW) x 100 = Weight Loss %

LEGEND:
- "IW" is your 'Initial Weight', or the weight you were before you started your weight loss.
- "AW" is your 'Actual Weight', or the weight you are currently.
- Just in case your math is rusty, the "/" sign means divide.

Source: Ezinearticles.com - never used this site before.

All The Best in 2010

2010-01-12T11:31:00.005-03:30

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Years Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to." ~ Bill Vaughn

I realize that I'm a bit behind on the times, but.... HAPPY NEW YEARS. I want to wish everyone a happy and successful 2010.... and I'm already on track to make it so for myself. I don't have much time at the moment to bring you up to date (when is this not true?), but here's a few of the more important tid bits:

1. My parents have improved ten fold since I first arrived to help out.
2. With my parents improvement I was able to finally return home to Sherri & our lovely province of Newfoundland.
3. Sherri and I are now engaged.
4. With my return, Sherri & I renewed our commitment to getting healthy.

I have so much to say and do on my blog, but I have so much to do right now. The important thing is that I'm back home, back to my blog, and back on track for 2010 to be the best year yet.... which is my hope for everyone!

Day 1626

2009-10-27T12:55:00.002-02:30

"Life is a series of surprises, and would not be worth taking or keeping if it were not." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life has been extremely busy lately. My parents are slowly improving..... which is great, but they still have a long way to go before I can return home to Newfoundland.

I just returned home from a brisk walk and I feel great. I've managed to keep on track over the last few weeks even though I'm under an incredible amount of stress, and typically finish each day exhausted. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm surprised by my commitment under these circumstances.

I have a few posts on the go saved as drafts, and if all goes well I'll try to complete them tomorrow. I also need to update my sidebar with last weeks results. As for now, I'm heading to bed.

Crunching Numbers

2009-10-20T00:32:00.004-02:30

"Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare." ~ Rene Descartes

Numbers are important to me. They help me keep track of things. Keep me organized. Help me visualize progress, or the lack thereof. They are an essential part of tracking time, past, present and future.

With that in mind, lets take a moment to consider some important numbers in regards to this blog.

- Born Squishy was launched on Saturday, May 14th, 2005
- 4 Year, 5 Months, and 5 Days ago......
- That makes this Week #231 or Day #1619

- My starting stat's were as follows:

Age: 31
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 243.0 lbs.
Body Fat %: 34.2

- On Sept. 9th, 2009 (after being absent for 187 Days) I changed my starting stats & date to:

Aug. 1st, 2009
Age: 35
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 259.0 lbs.
Body Fat %: 39.7

I realize that this really isn't necessary, but I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my deceit.... not that it fooled anyone. I just couldn't face returning (yet again) to my blog in worse shape than I started in.

I understand the whole "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger" and the importance of "learning from our mistakes"...... I just couldn't acknowledge it at the time.

So..... until the day comes when time travel is an viable option and I have ability to distort the 'space-time continuum', I'll have to remember to live in the present, learn from my past, and apply that knowledge to make a plan for the future.

Day 1620 here I come.

Quick Update

2009-10-16T11:33:00.005-02:30

"Don't let people drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance"
~ Unknown

Things have been insanely busy lately. I don't have enough time for a full post, so here's another very brief update:

1. My father is slowly recovering from his surgery.
2. My mother is still in the hospital and is improving in health, but hasn't made any progress in terms of her condition...... surgery might be the only option left.
3. My brother and I have patched things up.
4. I'm very excited to announce the arrival of my GoWear Fit "Lifestyle and Calorie Management System" device. I'll have a very detailed post on this in the future..... hopefully near as apposed to distant.
5. I created an account to track my calorie intake on SparkPeople...... detailed post to follow.

Although I've been taking great care of my parents, I've completely neglected my own health and well being. I've binged, spent far too much time in front of the computer, had little to no exercise..... Yadda, yadda, yadda.... I need to spend more time on helping myself.

With GoWear Fit, SparkPeople and this blog I hope to make progress in looking after me.

My brother

2009-09-28T01:03:00.005-02:30

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity"
~ Proverbs 17:17

I'm by no means a religious person, but this quote hits too close to home at the moment.

As you know, my brother and I just had a big blow out that nearly came to blows. He left the house, with me close at his back trying to persuade him not to go. He told me to just leave him alone (in so many words). I didn't, but eventually gave in to his repeated request for 10mins alone"".

He drove off..... that was almost an hour ago.

For the sake of my parents, my brother, and my sanity, ~~I have~~ we have to resolve this ASAP..... hopefully when he comes back. We need each others support, and we need to work together..... otherwise I'm not sure how we'll get through the next few days, let alone the next 3+ weeks.

Patience will be paramount.... wish me luck.

UPDATE: he returned, looked at me and said "I'm going to bed". He wasn't in the mood to talk, but we did hug and agreed to talk tomorrow.

I took the dog for a late night walk and saw a shooting star. I won't reveal my wish, but it was a little more localized than "World Peace" ;)

Overwhelmed - Part Deux

2009-09-21T03:10:00.006-02:30

"Sound character provides the power with which a person may ride the emergencies of life instead ob being overwhelmed by them. Failure is... the highway to success." ~ Og Mandino

I'm not quite sure what Oggy considered to be "emergencies of life" but I think I'm entering a state of emergency that is almost unquantifiable in nature. Success or failure are concepts that I don't even think can be applied to my life at the moment. The only factor that remains to be significant at the moment is survival, and right now that aspect feels unachievable at the best of times.

Here's a really.... really brief run down over the last few weeks:

My Father
- after being diagnosed with emphysema (about a month ago) went in for a biopsy... a procedure that was supposed to be an in-evasive in/out ordeal.
- his procedure turned out to be very evasive. He had severe drug interactions at the hospital and was held for over a week.
- he's now in incredible pain, is barely mobile and recovery time is 7-13 weeks.
- impatient, intolerant, quick to anger, defensive, emotional roller coaster.

My Mother
- her lupus flared up, her back pain went through the roof and she developed severe flu like symptoms.
- she was rushed to the hospital, and after tons of test was diagnosed to have a staff infection in her spine.
- she spent 6 weeks in hospital and was released about a week ago.
- since her release, she's in incredible pain, almost immobile, and keep food/water down or in.... I'm trying not to get gross.
- I had her taken back to the hospital today for more tests, to be hydrated.... but they sent her home again by the end of the day. Apparently she's in too great of a risk being at the hospital due to her illness and current infection.... there's too many people at the hospital that could make her already bad infection even worse.

Brother
- is in the middle of a separation from his wife of 10yrs.
- has been diligently trying to juggle his new job, taking care of both parents and the above mess.

Myself
- I've only been home to see Sherri 3 times over the last year.
- My roommates were returning to Newfoundland, so I was in the process of moving to a new apartment.... that was until my new roommates back out on me.
- between missing Sherri beyond belief, having 2 ailing parents and an exhausted sibling, and no place to live I decided to pack my stuff up and make the 4000 km drive to Ontario to help out.
- I'm hoping to gets things somewhat back to normal here before making the remaining 3500 km trek back to Newfoundland.

Additional Notes:
- Sept. 19th was my birthday..... which I worked O/T on and it sucked.
- I'm completely emotionally drained.
- my brother and I came very close to beating the crap out of each other today.... emotions are extremely high and my parents place, although perfect for them, was never designed for four adults...... and my brothers 2 kids who stayed over for the night.

Originally I started writing this post the day after finishing my last post. I had a decent week and I ate well at work with the exception of one shift where I left my lunch by the front door of my apartment and was forced to dine from the vending machine, as 16hrs away from home, without food is not an option.

The days following the start of that post probably wiped out my week of progress. The news from home, and the loss of the apartment was just too much for my fragile will power to cope with. My inability to cope lead to a lot of binging and inner turmoil until I had a heart to heart with Sherri, and later my boss, which lead to the decision to quit my job & return home.

I realize that I keep using the word "home" in 2 different contexts, which I guess i should explain. My original home, the home of my family is here in Ontario. The place I consider my true home now is Newfoundland, and more importantly with Sherri.

I had a lot of things that I hoped to discuss in this post, but with everything that's been going on I think I'll leave them for a later date, when things are a bit less hectic and when I'm able to think a little more clearly.

I had typed a few point for notes that I was going to discuss and although I'm leaving that for another day, I'm going to leave them here for future reference...... these are only half completed thoughts or ideas, so some will only make sense to me.

- Observation about 12 step programs, Food addiction, eating disorder, binging, tweak, never ending process, now week.... and day.... ,working on wordpress.

Thanks for letting me rant and for taking the time to read this mess of a post.

Overwhelmed

2009-09-21T02:54:00.005-02:30

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it” ~ Terry Pratchett

I have so much to discuss, but to tell you the truth I have absolutely no idea where to begin. I think I'm going to call it a night and get some much needed sleep. Hopefully that will give my brain a few hours to digest all my thoughts into some sort of semblance of a plan of attack.

Until then goodnight.

Back to Blogging

2009-09-09T20:37:00.001-02:30

"I wanted to be an up-to-date King, but I didn't have much time"
- King Edward VIII

I've finally updated my sidebar and sorted out all the links & most of the information. I'm on a much needed vacation, and I'm spending it @ home here in Newfoundland. 2009 has been a really rough year for me. Both of my parents are ill and have been in and out of hospital, which has been extremely hard for me since I'm working out West in Alberta, my home & girlfriend (which I rarely get to see) are back East in Newfoundland, and my ailing parents are in Ontario.

To put things in perspective, I've only seen Sherri 3 times over the last year, and I spent a month at home with my parents. Beyond that I've been working my ass of in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Food/eating wise I've been a complete mess during my absence from my home (and my blog)..... and my weight/health is proof.

During my visit, Sherri and I discussed this and other related things to great length and we both agreed that we have to make some serious changes in our lives.

I don't have much time to discuss anything right now (it's taken me 3 days to compose this), but I will be posting more during the upcoming days. As an FYI, I work 3 days, followed by 3 nights, followed by 6 days off, so my blogging will come and go in spurts.

I'm flying back to Fort McCrappy early tomorrow morning and it's off to work the next day for the beginning of my 6 day rotation.

Thanks for popping by and checking up on me over the long months of inactivity.

Going Home For a Visit

2009-08-23T08:55:00.005-02:30

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." ~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

I'm flying home to see my sweetie on Monday, and during my stay I plan to update my blog.... as it's long overdue.