Weight II

So much for my determination to get in 25 hours of writing and such a week. Misao has been in Japan for two weeks and I got working on two projects of a physical nature and got myself to two political rallies (even ended up doing some telephone surveying) and a lecture at SARUP. I could have gotten to two lectures if they had posted the events properly. Taking care of the retail business by myself added eight extra hours a week. I did no writing while my wife was gone.

Misao had a lot of weight to bring back from Japan. All these sweet goodies were gift wrapped and every piece of sugary goodness individually wrapped. It is like that in most of Asia. So much for environmentalism. The weight of all that containering nearly put Misao’s baggage overweight. I think you can all see why I have become so broad.

Being alone, doing my own grocery shopping I have lost more weight. My experience is that when one approaches 280 pounds it is noticeably debilitating. It is not as much fun to ride the old mountain bike when you get to 270, at least in an aggressive fashion. One of the reasons I have not been riding as much as usual this year. When you get to 260 it becomes hard to compete at a sport level.

More than the goal of dropping under 250 pounds is to get in the best shape of my life this Winter. The type of trainer I will buy depends on where we are financially this Thanksgiving. Financial burdens and headaches should be out of the way by then. A basic Cycleops trainer, for the quality, will be my choice if the money is still tight. Otherwise I will go with the Taxc Flow. You can buy the basic model and upgrade later to a virtual reality system; the Flow Multiplayer. The computrainer is the industry standard for the serious athlete but cost nearly twice as much. It is beyond what I need. Its extensive training features can be accessed by attending a training session at a retailer. On the East Side I believe Crank Daddies holds them in their basement in the Winter.

Weight  is an issue with tablets also. Yes, I am talking those computer things. A basic reader is lighter than a tablet, something ardent readers appreciate. I would like a reader if I could afford one. A question I have been pondering is whether an e-ink screen is far easier to read than a back lit traditional screen. From what I have researched people have no problem reading long periods on LCD screens but find an e-ink screen more enjoyable. Also there is no glare on a good e-ink screen.

Then I thought of when I was a kid, before computers were available to the common man. I hated reading the glossy paged books. So I guess I will eventually buy a reader with an e-ink screen. It would be great if you could get one with Pandora radio or that could play your music files.

In my reading I discovered sidebars and other busy-ness on the page can distract people and make reading less enjoyable. Obviously something our local newspaper has failed to understand in the layout of their webpage. I may simplify my own blogs. They take constant attention, something I have been slipping at, as links often disappear or change over time.

And what about those Packers? Everyone says they won. Even some Vegas Casinos and online betting sites have returned the money to those who bet on the Packers. Even the NFL knows they won as they settled with the real referees real quick like. So if everyone knows the Packers won Monday night, why did they lose? The story of my life.

But September hasn’t been all bad.

Weight

I heard that putting a mirror in the kitchen is one tactic for losing weight. That is, you will think twice about reaching into the refrigerator when you see your chubby self giggling across the room. I find looking at old photos a source of inspiration to lose weight also. I spent four years in Korea getting to the studio most every night after working the early hours of the morning and doing volunteer activities much of the day.

I could use some quiet time too just to sit and reflect without disturbance.

Decreasing testosterone is a big problem for some as they get older. It is related to weight gain as endless advertisements for supplements suggest. Of course if you want to compete you cannot be using supplements of that kind but there are natural ways to increase one’s testosterone.

The WORS Treadfest is this weekend at The Grand Geneva Resort. One of my favorites, but I will just not be able to make it. Everything is topsy-tervy for us right now on many levels, most related to money, and I had not even thought of this class act of an event until just now.

Thanks to our new Roku (cheaper than a TiVo or paid TV) we have access to hundreds of free workout shows including  yoga and kick boxing. This will give me plenty of interesting exercise when the snow flies. Winter is the time my weight goes up. It always goes down in the summer. There are medical reasons for weight gain also. One relates to vitamin D which your body makes with help from the sun. So this Winter I will be focusing on vitamin D supplements.

The gym is always a place I should be going to all year, but can usually only get to in the Winter. I got there with a friend the other day and can still work up to and bench 185 lbs. more than a few times. Ideally a man, if he wants to call himself a man, should be able to bench at least 200 lbs. a few times, which I imagine I can still do I just didn’t want to push myself not having lifted in a while. A goal of double plates (2-45’s each side, 45 lb. bar) or 225 lbs. is what I try to maintain. Pushing beyond that is risking injury though I made a run for 300 lbs. and may try again to go for triple plates (315 lbs.) just to hit the standard. Even with losing the strength later muscle memory will serve one well in case of emergency.

Me and the raccoon had a face off the other day. As I entered the alley he ducked behind the telephone pole. Peering out from behind it he knew I knew who he was and he knew me. He turned away and scurried off between some buildings. He was obviously intimidated by my powerful frame.

I picked all the peaches this last Saturday. We had more than a third more than this lost in the great peach incident of 2012, when an entire branch snapped off under its own weight while the peaches were still green. I had to pick them as the raccoon and other critters were eating them, particularly at night. I suspect the raccoon had something to with the great peach incident. There is a reason they wear masks.