Day 62-


When you measure the amount of work that you do when exercising the value most often cited is heart rate. The amount of blood that your body pumps through the circulatory system as a response to stresses. If we buy into the fat turns into CO2 theory, then wouldn’t it be more accurate to chart respiration instead of heart rate, since respiration is directly correlated to CO2 transpiration?

Here are some numbers: Mr. J. Blow, our model model, has a resting respiration rate of 12 times a minute and in that minute exhales .6 grams of CO2, or .05 grams per breath. Any activity that increases his respiration should have a corresponding increase in CO2 emission. Lets say that Joe goes for a long run in the morning, say an hour, and during his run sustains a ventilation rate of 30 breaths per minute. 18 extra breaths a minute for 60 minutes times .05 grams comes to 54 grams of CO2. For the body to turn 1.1 kg. of fat into energy you would have to inhale 2.9 kg. of O2, producing 2.8 kg. of CO2 and 1.1 kg. of water. Using this math, our model’s little jog burned up 18.6 grams of body fat, evidence of why consistence and dedication is so important to staying healthy. This is in addition to the roughly 300 grams of fat the body uses each day to maintain base metabolism, interesting to say the least.

Day 59-


What to do when you get stuck is something that haunts everyone. When motivation is not working, when diet is not working, when working out is not working out, what do you do?

I have maintained a diet log and a fitness log for two months straight, not missing a single day. I have lost a little over 2 pounds this month, should I be disappointed in the size of this loss? I don’t think so. I am still conflicted about strength vs. cardio, not sure which way to go.

my food-
4 eggs(320 cal.)P28F21.2C1.6
1 can tomatoes and chilies(50 cal.)P2.5F0C10
1 tsp. coconut oil(40 cal.)P0F5C0
total=410 cal. P 30.5 F 26.2 C 11.6

1495 cal.
total=1895 cal.

Day 58- You Get What You Pay For

Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is. The model used in this photograph does not work out 4 minutes a day, she more than likely puts in at least an hour just in spin class or running to keep her bodyfat down. Add weight training/resistance training, HIIT, gymnastics/bodyweight and there is a significant investment in time involved in looking that fit. No one looks like a fitness model by accident, it can’t happen.

I look at the time I spend just to look not-fat, and I have to respect people that can do this. There is a secret, hard work. No way around it, it takes what it takes and if I don’t want to put in the work I will not get the results.

my food-
total=2700 cal.

Day 54-

Do you remember why you do this? Do you remember what you want? Do you remember saying that you would do anything, anything at all to get fitter and lose weight? That applies when things don’t go right, when the numbers are going in the wrong direction, when things seem to get in the way of getting to the gym. It’s called discipline. Keep your head in the game, stay focused. Eye on the prize, eye on the ball, eye off of the buffet table.


my food
6 eggs(480 cal.)P42F31.8C0
1 can Wolf Brand Chili(270 cal.)P9F9C45
total=750 cal. P 51 F 40.8 C 45

chinese buffet
total=2362 P 204.3 F 132.4 C 74.2
daily total=3112 P 255.3 F 173.2 C 119.2

My workout-none

Day 53- Motivation

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 10.33.31 AM

Ever had one of those days(weeks) when the plan just seems to slip farther and farther away? I started the week with a raging case of DOMS and it has just gone downhill from there. When I could use my arms again I had done some yardwork and general cleaning in the garage and in the meantime collected what I suspect was a spider bite that has swollen a spot on my wrist to the size of a boiled egg.

I have hit a bit of a plateau in my weight control plan, 282 seems to be a sticking point. I am wondering if it is time to get serious about cardio and start doing 20-30 miles on the bike every day for a couple of weeks and see where that goes. I have read some things about carb cycling, predominately here and think that it may be worth a try in the future. It is pretty complex but I think with practice it may be doable. The important thing is to do something, and keep doing it.

my food
4 eggs(320 cal.)P28F21.2C0
1 Can tomatoes and chilies(50 cal.)P2.5F0C10
3 oz. bacon(459 cal.)P31.5F35.4C1.2
Total=829 cal. macros P62 F 56.6 C 11.2

my workout-
Lawn mowing=1055 cal.

Day 44- Healthy At Every Size?



Absolutely not.  This is a movement that could not be more wrong.  I have friends that battle type 2 diabetes every day and are way too big, they are not healthy.  I myself, could be in better shape, I am not at a healthy weight yet.  Diet and exercise are not the enemy, they are the answer.


No  food tracking today, I’ve been a bad boy


Workout-Active rest day

Day 42- Fiber, The Forgotten Macro


Just when you thought you were doing everything you could to eat right, there is this other thing. Fiber, dietary fiber, 35-40 grams a day. Since it does a great job of reducing the chances of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, goes without saying that a minute of two a day is well worth it to make sure you are getting enough dietary fiber.

Oatmeal, lentils, nuts, beans, all good sources of fiber. Here is a great list from Today’s Dietitian. The one thing they do not break down is whether the fiber is soluble or insoluble, I am not entirely sure that the difference is that important as long as an acceptable amount of total fiber is taken in.

If you do decide to increase your daily fiber follow these two rules, do so slowly and increase your daily fluid intake with the additional fiber.

my food
6 eggs(480 cal.)P42F31.8C2.4
1 tsp.(40 cal.)P0F4.8C0
total=520 cal.P 42 F 36.6 C 2.4

20 oz. ground beef(1400 cal.)P95F110C0
4 tbsp. coconut flour(80 cal.)P4F4C16
total=1480 cal.P 99 F 114 C 16

bad snack
peanut butter(756 cal.)P29.4F67.2C25.2
crackers(490 cal.)P7F10.5C84
total=1246 cal. P 36.4 F 77.7 C 109.2
daily total 3246 cal. P 177.4 F 228.3 C 127.6

my workout-none, pre-event week

Day 40- For John, In Waiting Room I.

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to help a friend and in the process, see an actual miracle occur. My friend has been fighting cancer for the past two years and his doctors had told him that he had had the last chemo-therapy they would give him. What they were saying between the lines was, if his radiation treatment didn’t work, he would die, there was nothing else they could do. He was going to get the results from his radiologist to see if they had destroyed the last of his cancer.

MD Anderson is a huge complex of buildings in downtown Houston, it is also the most advanced cancer treatment facility in the world. You see an incredible diversity of people there, all with one thing in common, every single person wearing a white wrist band has been given a death sentence and this is their court of last resort. If the doctors here cannot help them, they will die.

The radiology department is in the basement of the complex, far away from the main entrance called the ‘Aquarium’ upstairs. I have been wheeling my friend around in his chair for quite a while finally arriving at ‘Waiting Room I’, radiology. The area is quite full, we manage some seats in the corner, the people next to us are a couple in their forties. We chat for a bit and I find out that ‘John’ is here for a very aggresive cancer and that he is in the middle of his radiation treatments. When he finds out where we are from it comes out that he too is a cyclist, in fact the Hotter’n Hell 100 is one of the rides he has always wanted to do but this year he is just too sick to do it. A nurse calls ‘John’ back into radiology and we quickly say goodbye, wishing each other good luck. When his turn comes, my friend is told by the staff that he is cancer free, his treatments have worked, he comes back in six months for a followup, we are done here.

At 7:05 a.m. on Saturday 29, 2015 approximately 14,000 people will start the Hotter’n Hell 100 endurance ride and I will be one of them. I will be wearing a white wrist band with the words “John from Waiting Room I” on it. My new friend from MD Anderson will ride with me in spirit. Hopefully next year he can be here in person.

My food

4 eggs(320 cal.)P28F21.2C1.6
1 tsp. coconut oil(40 cal.)P0F5C0
total=360 cal. P 28 F 26.2 C 1.6

The Triple, from Rafter J in Iowa Park, Tx.
1/4lb. brisket(374 cal.)P29.2F27.7C0
1/4lb. pulled pork(236 cal.)P32.3F10.9C0
1/4lb. smoked sausage(364 cal.)P13.6F32.4C2.8
1 bun(117 cal.)P4.1F1.6C21.1
1 cup pinto beans(245 cal.)P15.4F1.1C44.8
total=1336 cal. P 94.6 F 73.7 C 68.7

16 oz. chicken breast(496 cal.)P104.4 F 5.6 C 0
1 tbsp coconut oil(120 cal.)P0F14C0
4 tbsp. hoisin sauce(200 cal.)P0F0C50
total=816 cal. P 104.4 F 14 C 50
daily total=2512 cal. P 227 F 113.9 C 120.3

My workout
Bike ride- 15 miles, 1300 cal. 9.5 MET hours

Day 38- Aerobic Activity: Burning Fat Or Burning Rubber

Aerobic activity burns fat, true or false? Yes and no. Without getting into a huge discussion about aerobic threshold and anaerobic threshold and VO2max, let’s just say that you don’t burn any fat by walking and you don’t burn any by sprinting. When you run at a speed that barely allows you to carry on a conversation, you are at an optimal fat burning intensity, keep it up.

When searching the ‘net for information on aerobic activity, be sure to vet your author!  Some sites cater specifically to performance athletes and make no disclaimer to warn people that may be new to a sport that what they refer to is for experienced athletes and they should scale down or look elsewhere.   I will call out a particularly popular HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) program here, although they have some of the smartest minds in the world contributing to their site, make no mistake, the subject matter that they tackle is for the SUPER ELITE athlete only.  If they speak of a certain method of running training, you can safely and happily ignore every word printed, UNLESS, you happen to run the mile in under 4:30 or have a series of unbroken 5k or 10k wins, this information cannot help you, it will only injure you.

I run for good health and I am never going to the Olympics, I don’t need the speed.  I need the sweat and the barking dogs at 4 am when the rest of the world is still sleeping, except for the people that own those damn dogs, I hope.  I want to wear smaller clothes, I want to eat smaller meals and I want to play with my grandkids for a long time to come.  But if you want to get technical you can, there is a guy named Joe Friel who probably wrote the book on aerobic training.

my food
4 eggs(320 cal.)P28F21.2C1.6
1 can tomatoes and chilies(50 cal.)P2.5F0C10
1 tsp. coconut oil(40 cal.)P0F5C0
total=410 cal. P 30.5 F 26.2 C 11.6

17 oz.chicken breast(521 cal.)P110.5F6C0
1 onion(64 cal.)P1.4F.1C15.5
2 jalapeños(8)P.2F0C2
4 tbsp. Hoisin sauce(200 cal.)P0F0C25
1 cup lentils(480 cal.)P40F0C80
total=1273 calories P 142.2 F 6.1 C 122.5(serves 2)

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese(240 cal.)P39 F4.5 C15
daily total=1913 cal. P 211.7 F 36.8 C 149.1

My workout- active recovery

Day 37- Finish Your Plate



Was that your first cognitive memory of eating at the table? Me, too. Must have heard that one a thousand times. I was a baby-boomer and you would have thought that I grew up in the Great Depression. Don’t let that go to waste, there are kids in China, over and over again. It was my first bad eating habit.

Musgo, there was another one. Everything in the refrigerator Must Go! Generally the night before the trash went out, all leftovers regardless of mark or pedigree got thrown on the stove and then on our plates. Very slimming for the frigidaire, for us, not so much.

Sammich! The Devil between slices of bread. Super processed, ultrarefined, bleached even, white bread with three of the most unnatural (food?) items ever conceived: bologna, american cheese and Miracle Whip. My favorite sandwich ever, the double decker with double cheese. Weighing in at a whopping 944 calories, over 600 from fat, Ronald McDonald would have been in awe. And I would eat 2 of these obscenities without batting an eye.

Breaking bad habits and replacing them with new, better habits will eventually lead to better health. It’s working for me.

my food
18 oz. cantaloupe(180 cal.)P3.6F0C45

4 eggs(320 cal.)P28F21.2C1.6
1 can tomatoes and chilies(50 cal.)P2.5F0C10
1 tbsp. coconut oil(120 cal.)P0F14.1C0
6 corn tortillas(300 cal.)P6F6C60
16 oz. 2% milk(260 cal.)P16F10C24
total=1050 cal.)P 52.5 F 51.3 C 95.6

16 oz. ground beef(1228 cal.)P122F78.4C
total= 2458cal. P 178.1 F 129.7 C 142.2
Todays workout- active recovery