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Food Log

Breakfast was two slices of toasted Italian bread with honey, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee.

Today was a CSA community work day. We picked apples — 28 bushels between six of us. As they always do on work weekends, they fed us. I had two bean enchiladas, a slice of zucchini bread, a bagel chip with marinated goat cheese, a garden salad, and some train wreck casserole (zucchini, tomato, and feta cheese).

When we got home, we sat on the porch and had a bottle of Saranac Pale Ale.

Dinner was a garden salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, two slices of Italian bread, with a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and apple crisp with whipped cream for dessert.

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Food Log

Breakfast was a slice of peach pie with whipped cream, a glass of orange juice, and three cups of coffee. I weighed 159 pounds.

I walked over to the HUB for lunch. I had Panda Express chicken with mishrooms and mixed vegetables on chow mein noodles with hot and sour soup, and a fortune cookie.

Make serious decisions in the last

few days of the month.

Lucky Numbers 2, 5, 9, 15, 28, 29

Dinner was pan fried haddock, green beans, and rosemary roasted potatoes, with two bottles of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a slice of peach pie for dessert.

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Workout Log

I went for my upper body workout at the MBNA Fitness Center tonight.

  1. Treadmill: 5 minutes@4 MPH
  2. Incline Press: 12@85, 8@85
  3. Compound Row: 12@135, 12@135
  4. Seated Dip: 12@100, 12@100
  5. Lateral Raise: 1@75, 7@75
  6. Triceps Extension: 12@55, 12@55
  7. Biceps Curl: 12@3, 12@3
  8. Reverse Biceps Curl: 12@2+3, 12@2+3
  9. Treadmill: 5 minutes@4 MPH

The Vertical Chest machine was not available so I moved to the Incline Press, which is similar, but exercises a few more muscle groups. As such, I skipped the Incline Shoulder Raise. The Triceps Extension could go up by another 5 pounds. I also like the Hoist machine for the Biceps Curl and the Reverse Biceps Curl. I want to up the Biceps Curl to 3+2 next time.

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Charley

Radar image of Hurricane Charley land fall.

Hurricane Charley — now a major category-4 storm — makes landfall… oh… within a few blocks of my parents house. I hope they evacuated a long time ago. With 145 mile an hour winds and an 18 foot storm surge, I don’t hold out a lot of hope for the house.

[Update: The eye of storm came ashore on North Captiva Island just before 4 p.m. with 145 mph (233 kph) winds and a storm surge in excess of 10 feet (3 meters). It then crossed Charlotte Harbor before pushing into Port Charlotte and Charlotte County, and then continuing inland (Florida assesses Charley’s toll).]

[Update: I found my parents. They’re alive, and well, and living in a motel in Fort Meyers. Still no word about the house.]

[Update: The house is undamaged. There are some trees down, there is no water or power, but otherwise things look as good as can be expected.]

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The French Chef is no more

Julia Child, whose warbling, encouraging voice and able hands brought the intricacies of French cuisine to American home cooks through her television series and books, died in her sleep three days before what would have been her 92nd birthday.

“America has lost a true national treasure,” Nicholas Latimer, director of publicity for Alfred A. Knopf publishing, said in a statement Friday. “She will be missed terribly.”

Julia Child dead�at 91

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Workout Log

I went for a lower body workout at the MBNA Fitness Center tonight:

  1. Treadmill: 5 minutes @ 4 MPH
  2. Seated Leg Press: 12@20, 12@20 (Hoist ~200, should have been 205 Nautilus)
  3. Prone Leg Curl: 12@4+1, 12@4+1
  4. Seated Calf Extension: 12@8+1, 12@8+1
  5. Seated Crunch: 12@4+1, 12@4+1
  6. Back Extension: 12@125, 12@125
  7. Treadmill: 5 minutes @ 4 MPH

The workout actually took 32 minutes — the same as the last time — but was planned for 27. I wonder what is taking the extra five minutes. I would like to increase the leg curl, the crunch, and the back extension for the next time. Good workout.

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Food Log

Breakfast was an omelet — with sautéed onion and peppers topped with a little salsa left over from last night’s fajitas — and two cups of coffee. I weighed 158 pounds.

I had two cups of green tea at the office this morning.

It was raining at lunch time, so I did not get to go for a walk. I had an Act II Mini Bag microwave popcorn for lunch.

Before heading over to my workout I had a Nature Valley Oats ’N Honey Crunchy Granola Bar.

When I got home, we relaxed with a bottle of Saranac Pale Ale.

Dinner was a pasta salad and three slices of garlic bread with a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a slice of peach pie for dessert.

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Fitness FAQ

What are the best ways to lose weight?

Don’t be so concerned about how much you weigh. Instead be concerned with how much of that weight is fat. You want the weight loss to be fat, not muscle or water.

To lose fat you need to burn more calories than you take in. To do it efficiently and to make sure it stays off, the following three steps should be taken and should become part of your every day lifestyle.

  1. Start an aerobic program. The activity should be something that you like doing and look forward to doing. The activity doesn’t need to be an aerobics class. Instead it could be walking… Anything that will elevate your [heart rate] and keep it around your Training Zone for at least 12 minutes. Remember, the longer the better.

  2. Modify what you eat. Eat [a balanced, low-fat diet.] Also eating small meals more frequently during the day will raise your metabolism and keep you from getting hungry.

  3. Incorporate Resistance Training: To build muscle that will, in turn, help burn calories throughout the day. A simple weight program where you slowly add weight and perform basic exercises every other day… is enough for most people.

What is aerobic exercise?

Aerobic means [depending upon] oxygen. [In aerobic exercise] your muscles are working in an oxygen rich state. After 12 minutes [this] causes your body to produce fat-burning enzymes.

An aerobic exercise is one that fits the following four requirements:

  1. Is steady, nonstop.
  2. Lasts twelve minutes minimum.
  3. Has a comfortable pace.
  4. Uses the muscles of the lower body.
What should my heart rate be to lose fat?

When doing an aerobic workout your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) needs to be determined. Your MHR is defined as 220 minus your age… While performing aerobic exercise your [heart rate] should stay within 50-80% of your MHR. This is your Training Zone…

How long should I work out to burn fat?

An aerobic work out should last at least 12 minutes. Do not count your warm up or cool down, only the amount of time your [heart rate] is within your Training Zone…

Why 12 minutes? This is the amount of time needed for the body to start producing fat burning enzymes. The idea is that you want to get your body to use fat for energy. After 12 minutes you start to burn fat at a higher rate.

What’s a warm-up? Cool-down?

A warm-up is an activity that gets blood flowing to your muscles and slowly elevates your heart rate. Usually a… brisk 5 minute walk… is enough…

A cool-down is just the opposite. You want to gradually slow the body down. This is usually done by… walking at a fairly fast pace and gradually slowing down over a few minutes…

What is anaerobic exercise?

Anaerobic means [not depending on] oxygen. [In anaerobic exercise] your muscles are working in an oxygen deprived state. This causes your body to produce sugar-burning enzymes. You are expending energy faster than your body can replace it by metabolizing oxygen.

An anaerobic exercise is any activity that fails to meet the… four requirements [of an aerobic exercise. Weight training, for example.]

What things should I know before starting a training program?

A person beginning a training program needs to realize a few things before they begin.

First, changes don’t happen overnight. You have to think about where you want to be a year or two from now and slowly achieve minor goals. Putting on muscle, or taking off fat should be done slowly for best results.

Second, if you want to become more healthy you’ll need a permanent lifestyle change. Many people take up aerobics or weight training, lose/gain a few pounds and quit. Months later they’re back where they started from.

Third, you need to be informed. There are plenty of books and magazines to help get you started. Ask a lot of questions and experiment with different exercises and/or activities.

Last, not everyone has the genetics to build 20" arms or to run a sub 4 minute mile. Don’t get discouraged about what you don’t have. Improve on what you do have.

Should I eat before or after training?

You should eat when it makes you feel best. To improve performance it is generally recommended to consume some kind of quick energy source (carbs, sugars) prior to exercise and some source of protein after to aid in recovery and growth.

How can I get a washboard stomach?

You can’t spot reduce! Men generally store fat around their waist, while women generally store it around their hips…

The best way to get and keep a washboard stomach… is by following a low fat diet and doing plenty of [aerobic exercise]… Get rid of the fat and your abs will show up…

Frequently Asked Questions

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Food Log

Breakfast was a bowl of cold cereal, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee. I weighed 157 pounds.

I took today off so that Gretchen and I could go down to the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market. We went to the Country Cupboard for lunch. I had a meatloaf sandwich with provolone cheese and tomato on whole wheat bread. I also had French fries and two glasses of iced tea.

When we got back, we had a bottle of Saranac Pale Ale. We had another later while we made dinner.

Dinner was fajitas and a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.