Getting Back on Track

Back to 222 something after a couple weeks!

Recently changed to having a hot bowl of oatmeal, instead of my typical breakfast smoothie. The bowl of oatmeal wasn't as filling either.     Maybe it's just the morning smoothie is easier to digest so my body gets the hit of protein more quickly in the morning, calming the appetite down

Anyhoo, my weight jumped up from 222 something to a consistent 224lbs for well over a week after I made the switch to Oatmeal bowls for breakfast.   Stayed stuck around 224 for almost 2 weeks even though I've been biking a lot.   Makes sense though after calculating the calories of my new breakfast.

A heaping cup of peanut butter flavored Oatmeal is about 400 calories, (see recipe), but I also ended up eating more for breakfast in general

• a peeled apple (100 calories)
• a hefty slice of 50% whole wheat sourdough bread with PB (200-250 calories)
• 9-12 dark chocolate covered almonds, 160 calories
• a 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts in the shell, 160 calories

total  = 970 calories 

I switched back to my Smoothie breakfast option, (~250 calories... 1 cup soy milk, 1 Scoop Orgain protein powder, 1 scoop pbfit powder, 1 cup of water)

• 1/2 cup COLD peanut butter oatmeal   OR  a thin slice of 50% ww bread with PB.  150-200 calories
• 1 apple or 1 peach  80-100 calories
• 3 dark choc almonds   50 calories

total = 500-550 calories 

I think the smoothie may help me feel "full" enough more quickly because of the bigger volume?   When losing weight you always feel slightly hungry, but there's tolerable hunger and then there's low blood sugar HUNGRY!!!!.       The smoothie keeps me in the tolerable hungry zone, where the bigger oatmeal breakfast pushed me completely out of weight loss mode, and it's hard to shift back and forth.

So I'm switching back to my Smoothie breakfasts as I do my final weight loss push to get under 220lbs. 

To lose 1 pound per week, I need a 500 calorie deficit per day, so it's easy to see why I got stuck at 224 after switching to daily oatmeal bowl breakfasts.   I added 500 calories of food per day, unintentionally.

 BUT!!! this experiment was worth it because I've found 2 new dessert ideas that should work long term with my new healthy lifestyle

Eating a cold half cup portion of the aforementioned peanut butter flavored Oatmeal satisfies my ice cream cravings and it's only 150-200 calories, (see recipe).   Oats are great for cholesterol too.    As the weather warms up, a salad for dinner with some cold oatmeal for dessert doesn't sound that bad to me.

I also found this  Almond Flour Based Protein Bars recipe     Completely unrelated to the smoothie vs oatmeal breakfast issue, I wanted to find a healthy alternative to Clif Bars when I'm out doing long bike rides.   I had a bag of almond flour in the pantry I needed to figure out how to use.   It's also corrected my cravings to overindulge in unsalted roasted peanuts.    Just a 1/2 cup portion of peanuts IN THE SHELL!!! is 160 calories.   Yowza!     And apologies for TMI, I'm already eating a lot of fiber, so the extra fiber from the peanuts was making #2's painful.   Who knew?    

The first batch of almond flour protein bars I made using Orgain Peanut Butter Protein Powder, https://a.co/d/03iQw5A7   and BJ's Wellsley brand natural peanut butter, and it frikkin rocked!   

Totally reminded me of these peanut butter squares I made a lot during Covid shutdown, this recipe,  which (oopsie) totals nearly 5000 calories per batch vs the 1600 calorie total of the almond flour recipe.     No wonder I ballooned to over 300 lbs during Covid.    Btw, it's easy to copy and paste recipes into Google's Search, and its AI prompt will give you a calorie total if you just first type, What is the calorie total of the following recipe.    Just FYI.

Back to the Almond Flour recipe, the 2nd batch I made with Orgain Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder, and BJ's almond butter.    Still good, but way less addictive, a good thing.      I cut them into small 50 calorie, 1 inch square sizes.    I also only use 1/3 cup of maple syrup because the Orgain Protein Powders have natural sweeteners like Stevia. 

The almond squares help me not overeat after getting home from a long bike ride.   They should pack well on longer rides too, but we haven't had a super hot day yet.   They could get messy when it's over 80F/27C.   Clif bars get boring after awhile, and I don't want to get in the habit of eating junk food when I'm out bike riding.    Part of my minor weight uptick was overindulging in ice cream or a pizza slice when I was out on a longer 2-3 hour ride.    I buy snacks more AFTER I get down into the lower 210's, but I need to lose the last 10lbs first.    No regrets, I need to take a short break and have some fun, but back to the final push.

Once I'm down to the lower 210's I can enjoy the extra 3300 calories per week then.   Subtracting about 200 calories because my Basal Metabolic rate will be less per day.    Food-wise,  I'm still very happy with the healthier stuff I make and eat now, but the occasional pizza slice or ice cream cone will be fun.     Almost there!

 

First weight below 220... kind of

UPDATE: [Sunday 26apr2026,  weekly weigh-in of 222.6 lbs / ~ 101kg]

And on a happy note.   I lost some weight over the last week while camping.     I weighed 227.4 lbs/103kg when I left, but I'd been feeling kind of backed up last week.   I think I'd been eating too much high fiber sourdough bread.

So let me preface that my <220lb/100kg weigh-in does NOT technically count.    I weighed myself post-shower after a sauna session after driving home.   The Sauna was great for loosening up after driving 4 hours, but I didn't stop once to pee during the drive home, so I was dehydrated.   I didn't drink much after my morning bike ride, and I didn't guzzle water while driving because I didn't want to get stuck in Hartford rush hour traffic if I had to stop once an hour for pee breaks.    I got through Hartford around Thursday 3p.m.  Only had about a 2mile stretch where people were driving fast bicycle speed (like 20mph).  Not complaining,  traffic was steadily moving; it wasn't stop and go.

Anyhoo.   Drumroll please!    Booyah!   219.8lbs.   Sorry, it's been a dream when I started at 291.6lbs last June to see a weight below 220. 

This morning pre-breakfast, wearing 0.8lbs of clothing.

 

After breakfast was 222.   So I'm getting SUPER close to getting under 220.   Yay!    Ideally, I'd love to be lower 210's so I have a buffer from 220.   I want 220 to be my new max weight.    Fingers crossed, keeping the weight off will be so much easier now that I figured out high fiber, healthy, filling food I like.

 

I think the key to dropping 5+lbs this past week, was that I didn't bring any sourdough bread with me.   I ate my current favorite bean patty recipes (pre made at home).   

https://dishingouthealth.com/chipotle-black-bean-burgers/#wprm-recipe-container-9978 

and this new Indian bean patty recipe I found.   

https://ministryofcurry.com/black-bean-burgers/ 

I'd eat the above in a large, low-carb whole wheat wrap with lettuce, onions, peppers and some sauce (see below)

I worried a little about running out of the patties above, so I bought a frozen bag of bean and cheese burritos from Walmart (210 calories each, I'd eat two at a time).   I'd get them again.  Ate 6 out of the 8 before getting home. 

I also brought a gallon size ziploc bag of broccoli,   and a separate 1 gallon (~4liters) bag of lettuce.   I just stuff a few paper towels in the bag to absorb moisture and change the towels every couple days.    

I had diced bell peppers and red onions and 2 small bottles of siracha spicy mayo and southwest chipotle sauce  

I kept all the burrito making stuff in a plastic shopping bag, so it was easy to pull it out from the Dometic cooler fridge to make a wrap for lunch or dinner.   I usually alternated between Mexican and Indian.

For dessert i had the options of dates, dark chocolate covered almonds, apples, or home made baked beans, https://hunneyd.blogspot.com/2025/11/deconstructed-instant-pot-baked-beans.html 

 For snacking, roasted unsalted peanuts,  wasabi almonds, or the aforementioned dates/ choc covered almonds.

For breakfast I started with protein smoothies with almond/soy milk, but figured out how to use my tiny 1.5 liter hawkins induction ready pressure cooker on my induction cooktop to cook 1/3 cup of steel cut oats for breakfast.    

You have to be careful the pot doesn't start spewing foam after the pot starts venting.   I found medium heat until it vented once, remove the pot from the burner for minute to calm down, then add back to the burner on low for 5 minutes, and then let it naturally cool another 5-10 minutes (it's cold outside when camping).    Too fiddly/complicated?  idk

I'd then add

• 1 scoop Orgain chocolate fudge protein powder (plant based)
• 1 scoop PB Fit peanut powder
• 1 spoon/tablespoon of ground flax seed
• 1 spoon natural peanut butter
• at least 1/2 cup of soy milk

Not vegan, but I like the shelf life of soy/almond milk.    Soy is thicker  and if water consumption is a worry it uses far less than almond/dairy milk during the milk making conversion process.

I did use an insulated Yeti bowl for the first time while eating and during cold mornings 40-50F/5-10C   it kept the oatmeal nice and warm while I ate.    In a normal bowl, it will somehow get grossly too cold to eat by the time it cools enough to start eating it.  It's like you get a 30 second window to wolf down the whole bowl.   With the yeti bowl, you'll have to blow on each spoonful the first minute or two, but then you can just start slurping the oatmeal down and it stays warm until you finish in my experience.

Yeti bowls are overpriced, but I would recommend a double-walled, insulated stainless steel bowl for camping.   I got the big 2quart/liter size one and it's big enough to use as a small dish sink, so the hot soapy water stays hot as you clean up.   Win win. 

 

 

Static week weight-wise

Weigh-in was 226.2.    Lost a whopping 0.2 lbs this past week.    I've noticed this pattern of losing a ton of weight over a week, and then the next week my body rebels.    It was one of those rebellion weeks; I gained half a pound, and then came back under slightly vs last Sunday.     C'est La Vie.   

I will say the weird thing is "feeling" like I've binged and overeaten a ton when I actually haven't.    Weird how the body adjusts like that.   Probably a good thing.    I only mention so you don't think I'm lying around moaning and starving.   Not the case.    I've felt quite full lately.

I've been saving more recipes i see on instagram.   I need to cook some different stuff, I've been in a rut lately.   Going to try this recipe next.   I want to try adding more sweet potato to my diet.   https://glow-diaries.com/vegan-cottage-pie/#recipe     

I don't think regular salad for dinner is going to cut it every night.    Never really thought that was going to last.   At best, it would work for 1-2 months to get under 220, but I don't think it'll work that long.    With the aforementioned vegan pie recipe, I love that the author listed stuff in grams.    Makes getting the veggie ratios so much easier.     I have a small kitchen digital scale for my baking, so it's easy to use for other recipes too.

And, I think I may try this bean salad next.    But I think the term salad is overused in this case.   It's more like a cold bean dish.   Maybe I'm biased?    To me salad requires leafy greens and broccoli/cauliflower.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWFW7TpCI6j/ 

Chickpea, Edamame & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Dressing

For the salad:

• 2 cups cabbage, finely shredded (green, purple, or mix)

• 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (drained & rinsed)

• 1 cup shelled edamame (cooked)

• 1 medium carrot, grated

• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)

For the sesame dressing:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1–2 tbsp water (to thin, as needed)

Sprinkle Toasted Sesame Seeds  and/or Panko

 

230.1 weigh-in Monday

I'm thinking it's the shelled peanuts I've been eating recently.    I've slid into a habit of grabbing a handful of shelled peanuts per meal.   If my math is right, i'm adding 400-500 calories per day doing that.   Oops.

 Back to broccoli/celery for a snack when needed

 I can do peanuts when bike touring, when I'm burning a crazy amount of calories.

 Peanuts aren't nearly as filling as broccoli/celery anyway

 

 

 

Weight Struggle week

Some weeks are harder than others for losing weight.   If I hadn't mentioned yet, I do my weekly progress weigh-ins on Sundays.   Sunday is also my rest day and cheat meal days (after the weigh-in).    In fact, I just had home made sushi for lunch.    Dinner will be back to the routine.     

I've also learned to taper off my exercise on Saturday, so I'm not retaining water excessively for the weekly progress weigh-in.   Being retired, I try to avoid hitting the trails on the weekend anyway; too busy.  So yesterday, I just did an hour of indoor kayaking on my kayak erg machine; I was recovering from a long, indoor bike ride I did Friday, more on that below.    I have an older model kayakpro ergometer in the attic.   Here's an ad photo i found.  

 

Weirdly, I felt kind of hungry most of this week, and it felt hard to not overeat.    I did do a ton of xc skiing the week before, so probably related to that.    This past week, I tried eating salad for dinner more, but i think my home made dressings were way more caloric than I thought.   I made a lentil soup Friday, and that fixed my hunger issues (more fiber?).    I'll have to do some googling to try and figure out why that worked.    Having a brothy indian/mexican lentil soup with cooked mushrooms and/or spinach for dinner seem to work better than salad for dinner, weird.   Live and learn I guess.

on a postive though, my blood pressure has been consistently good, if it continues, I think I may just start checking once a week.    Today was 104/68.     Eating well and losing weight, i feel like I'm out of the danger zone, so I can check less often. 

Last Sunday my weigh-in was 228.9, and I spent almost all week after that floating between 230.1-230.2, but i did have a 229.1 weigh-in today.   Weird to be happy with gaining 0.2lbs.   But it's way better than 1.2 lbs, and I've been way ahead of my 1lb/week plan this year.   No biggee.    I could stay put for 3 more weeks and still be ahead of my 1 lb/week plan.    I did well this Winter, and I think as I get back to riding outside, the weight loss will resume again.

 

 

Friday I decided to do a mega (for me) 55 mile ride on my indoor Rouvy bike trainer.  Technically it's my specialized sequoia gravel bike on a Saris H3 trainer, using Rouvy software.     It was my longest indoor ride ever (4hrs 3 minutes).  It goes against my ethos of not exercising the weight off, but so be it.   The day before (thursday),  I did a 1 hr and 50 minute ride that felt easy, so I decided to just go for it Friday.   In the past, my butt couldn't take riding more than 90 minutes, but the new SQ labs saddle is comfy. 

 

One thing I like when riding Rouvy indoors is when I see big climbs like the picture below coming up on the computer screen.    I snapped this photo of the computer screen with my cellphone during the ride.

The Rouvy software uses my bike trainer to adjust how hard I have to pedal, so combined with the screen views, I can kind of pretend I'm riding outside.   Rouvy also has you input your weight, so it adjusts how hard the hills are according to your weight too.     On the hills, I shift the gears on my bike so it's on an easy low gear (low gears, aka granny gears), just like I would when riding outside.     

Riding indoors, you have to setup some fans to stay cool.    There's no breeze like you get when riding outside.   I also have my trainer on a rocker plate, so I can rock the bike side to side as I pedal.   I made the rocker plate myself, it also slides back and forth a little as I pedal.   It dramatically reduces sitting discomfort.   The forces making the rocker plate tilt side to side and/or slide back and forth are no longer going straight to my butt.   As far as I'm concerned it's a must for indoor riding.   See my rocker plate blog post, click here   

Over the Winter, I've really liked the Maine Ironman Rouvy route of the ironman race course that was in Maine a few years ago.  I've ridden it 3 or 4 times this Winter.    I usually just do 1-1.5 hours or so per day, taking 3-4 days to finish it.     Nice to know I could do it all in one go now.

Ridewithgps also has the route.   Different software I subscribe to for navigating when riding out in the real world.   It made doing the Erie Canal super, duper easy.    Like an old gps gadget but made for bicycles; way better battery life than trying to use your cellphone to navigate.    You might need an account to open the following link, I don't know.   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43721905   

RidewithGPS makes it easy to download the navigation to my bike computer, so maybe I'll try biking it in the real world someday.   Zero interest in triathlon racing again though.   I do like swimming but not with people kicking me in the face or getting swum over by some clueless idiot.    Looks cool on TV seeing a big mass of people swimming in a giant pack, but it sucks being in the middle of it.

Anyhoo, the super long indoor ride I did Friday likely helped me drop a pound for my weigh-in today.   I did go slower than my normal workout pace.   I coasted on the downhills a lot, and in general, I didn't try super hard.   I wasn't attempting to race at all, just wanted to do the ride in one go.     I did move the seat back a tiny bit, and titled the nose down, but my butt felt pretty good for the 4 hours on the bike trainer which is far less comfortable than riding a bike outside.    Nothing rubbed raw, and nothing sore the next day.    After the snow melts this Spring, I want to start doing longer rides and not waste good weather.

During the indoor ride, I texted Jacqui around 11am to ask if she'd bring me some of the lentil soup I made earlier that morning.    She did!    I asked for a food delivery around Noon of warm soup with a slice of buttered toast, and she delivered.   I was a Happy Boy!   I was eating a couple dates and half a Clif bar each hour too.   I asked Jacqui to bring me lunch because I was worried if I paused the ride, Rouvy would automatically end the ride if I took too long, and I wanted to finish it all in one go.     In theory you can pause up to 1hr and 59 minutes, but I've had the software glitch on me before, losing the entire ride!   Could be the computer going into standby mode too, will check.     I won't abuse Jacqui's food service though, so now that I've done it once, i'll risk getting food on my own next time.   a 15-20 minute break would be nice tbh.

Btw, Lentil soup is PERFECT when riding.    It's hydrating and has nearly all the nutrients (protein, fiber, carbs, vitamins, minerals)  you need if you add a slice of bread or some rice.   I personally like this recipe, it comes out more soupy than others I've tried, which is great for hydration,  https://www.cookingclassy.com/mexican-lentil-soup/    I puree it a lot with an immersion blender.   Be warned, it's usually enough for Jacqui and I to have soup once a day for a week.   For dinner I often saute a large pan's worth of raw sliced mushrooms and heat up 2 ladles worth of soup in a separate small pot.    Probably less calories than salad with too much dressing (which i think has been my weight loss struggle this past week)

220 Something!!!

 

Technically 0.8lbs less because I weigh myself in my sleep clothes, but consistency matters!    I kind of do that because I weigh myself before eating and after using the bathroom.   It balances out, and lowers the risk of flashing the neighborhood (I keep the scale in the kitchen where I can't avoid it). 

Anyhoo, 220 something!    yee haw!     Really loving what I'm eating, and I don't feel deprived.   3 meals a day and snacks   (click here, for recipes)

I think the main lesson I've learned this go around is that healthy eating combined with lots of xc skiing is like a super power for losing weight during Winter.    That and the red light/infrared sauna I got back in November has done wonders for fending off my normal Winter depression induced sloth and overeating.

Fingers crossed I've finally figured out the formula that works for me to break the cycle of gaining 20lbs over the Winter, and then struggling to lose it over the Summer moving forward.   I'm really excited to do all the outdoorsy stuff with so much less weight to carry around this Spring.   Heck last time I rode my tour bike was in Oct, and I was 259lbs.      It's going to be weird doing the big hills at least 30lbs lighter.  Like entering a cheat code I hope.     Last time i used the surfski I was over 270; hopefully being 220 something will mean less cold waves swamping the sides.    Frikkin brrr.

Last but not least, I'm going to update my Weight loss plan page above with my snacks.  But here's the current list.   I realized healthy snacking is probably as important as my bean/lentil meal recipes

• dark chocolate covered almonds from BJ's (wellsley branded)
• roasted, unsalted peanuts in the shell (the shells will slow you down)
• wasabi coated almonds (the salt & spices will slow you down)
• a pealed and cored apple or a grapefruit 
• home made sharp cheddar cheese crisps
• search online for recipe, i pat with paper towel to help get rid of the oil after cooking 
• a half slice of 100% rye sourdough with a thin schmear of Nutella and a couple pecans on top 
• VERY much like a cookie, but way more fiber   
• Dates (not for general snacking)
• super calorie dense, but I use them when I'm close to bonking post workout
• 2-3 max per day, each one is 50 calories.   a whole apple is <100 

When out skiing, biking, snowshoeing or whatever, I'll bring 1-2 Clif bars with me.    After exercising for an hour, I try to eat 1 Clif bar per hour while adventuring.    I mix it up with healthy home made rolled oat cookies sometimes too.    You need carbs to keep your muscles going when exercising for hours at a time.

Technically, no longer obese!

 Just barely though, so as I bounce around weight-wise this week, it won't be technically true.   And I'm probably a tick under 6'2" now too, but WHO CARES!!!

At 6'2", stepping on the scale seeing 233.9, subtracting 0.8lbs for clothing, I'm 233.1   which is a BMI of 29.9     Overweight is 25-29.9.   So I'm just barely, baaaaarrrrrrley   out of the obese range, but I'll take it!

 Time to go do my morning workout, celebrate the little wins!    

Not stopping here.   The goal is to get well under 220lbs.   I want my new max weight to be 220, so I'm shooting for the lower 210's to have a buffer.

Will keep on the Mediterranean diet and continue the daily weight checks as a lifestyle.    might even bring a scale when I go on long camping trips in the truck camper.    It's more about joint health though, so I don't think i'll get a scale that does body fat.   I don't want to obsess over that too.

 

Next day update....   weigh-in was 232.8!!!!     I think I've been retaining water because I've been hitting the local xc ski trails hard.    I keep relearning my body likes to retain water when I'm pushing harder than normal and my muscles get sore.     It's just weird because I go through these cycles of seeing the same number day after day on the scale, and then all of a sudden over a couple days, there's a massive 2 pound drop.

 

A failed week? Not really...

Part of why i track my weight in a spreadsheet is for when I have weeks like this.   Weight went up and down a few times.   I felt like I was failing this week.    But looking at the numbers, I still lost a pound this week.   Now that I weigh less, losing 1 lb a week is my new goal.     At some point, I"ll have to accept a half pound a week most likely.

Anyway, I've noticed that when I exercise harder than normal, in this case lots of xc skiing, I'll retain water as my body tries to heal up sore muscles.    Throws the daily weigh-ins off.    Could be the added exercise pushes me to overeat too.   Who knows?    Weirdly though, I didn't feel hungry this week, more like I was bloated/constipated.     TMI, I know, but I share that just to say I'm not ravenous or starving myself.

 

And....while I still ate healthy this week, I think my retrospective lesson is that I can't eat my black bean patty recipe AND this higher calorie red lentil curry every day and still lose weight.   The recipes are still very healthy, just heavier calorie-wise.   With the lentil curry I did air fry a bunch of cauliflower to lessen the caloric hit, but it has a full can of regular fat coconut milk in it.   I need to find an easier Indian, lower calorie lentil soup recipe i like.   I have a butternut squash based one, but it's a fair amount of work.   

I made my mexican lentil soup yesterday, and I think that helped me have a good weigh-in today.  https://www.cookingclassy.com/mexican-lentil-soup/#jump-to-recipe 

I need to make a video on my approach to soups like that.    The 2 main things I do is a bit of sauteeing to add flavor before putting everything in the instant pot to finish cooking, and the second is I'll reserve a little bit of the instant pot contents with a slotted spoon before pureeing the rest.    It makes a creamy soup that still has some textured bites, so you don't feel like you're eating nursing home gruel.

 Anyway, today is the Superbowl.   Patriots fans are so spoiled.  I'm going to splurge with home made sushi for lunch, and my 50% whole wheat sourdough pizza for dinner.   I've learned to only eat 2 slices out of 8 and to eat a big salad so I don't pig out.   It's actually satisfying and I avoid the blood sugar crash/nap I used to get after eating pizza.   We normally eat at old people/farmer hours for dinner (5p.m.) so if I have the salad then, I can hold off on the pizza until 6-6:30.

I did get a couple new toys for my xc skiing this week.   A boot and glove dryer and a winter camelbak/backpack.    

Boot and glove dryer, https://a.co/d/0gdEJGgP 

I like you can turn off the heater and just run air.    the heater and fan is in the center and it forces the air out of the 4 towers in the corners.       Skiing every day, I was wondering why my feet would get cold sometimes, and I realized it was because my ski boots hadn't dried out fully from the day before.   Problem solved!    Great for after snowblowing and drying my gear out. 

 

 Insulated CamelBak backpack   https://a.co/d/0dRh9B3P 

 It has a 2 liter water reservoir.   I've found I just wasn't drinking as much as I should while skiing.   I tried my regular camelbak that has an insulated sleeve, but if I didn't drink every 15 minutes it would freeze the line.    This bag works much better, and it has extra storage for day hikes/ski outings.   for food and extra hats/gloves/clothes.   The insulation might help keep the water cool on hot summer hikes; I'll find out this Summer

 

 

 I'd bought a two pack of these back ventilation things to help your back not get so sweaty.   It does fit with this camelbak, just barely.  Helps that i've lost weight i suppose.   Even in the cold temps i wore it.  my xc ski jacket has vents on the back.   You get sweaty skiing, and wet clothes get cold.   Need ventilation.

https://vauclusegear.com/products/ultralight-ventilation-backpack-frame 

 

xc skiing and snowshoeing

I lost 6.4lbs over January.    Took a rest day yesterday (Friday) because it was super cold, but today, I plan on going skiing later after it warms up.    It's -2F/-19C right now.     It'll be 20F/-6.5C by noon.

Nothing exciting ski-wise.   Just a 2 mile flat section of rail trail that doesn't get much use by hikers or dog people.

I bought new backcountry skis (Madshus, 62 Panoramas, steel edged), and I enjoyed them for a quick outing Thursday.   They're 20mm wider than my old off track skis, but still fast enough for ungroomed classic cross country stride skiing, but the extra width helps with trails with fresh powder or other people have walked or snowshoed on.   Helps me slide over the dips and divots.

In the nearby Carlstrom Forest woods down the street from7ujm my house, I've been using my 37" long Crescent Denali aluminum frame snowshoes.    I can walk a 2 mile loop in the woods.   It's not scenic.   No views really, but good to be under the trees.    The one view you get is of a lot of dead fall in a swamp/marsh area.

https://crescentmoonsnowshoes.com/mens-powder-ski-snowshoes-denali-37-white/ 

 

First couple days I was noticing nothing other than the occasional rabbit/squirrel tracks crossing my trails.    Thursday I finally noticed some dog tracks in my snowshoe trails from nearby houses.    Good to see, and it felt nice to pack down some trail to make some puppers happy. 

 

Last Winter I also bought a smaller pair of their much smaller and lighter foam snowshoes.   Those are super fun and great for big guys walking on packed trails, either from other walkers or snowmobiles.      Half the price, more than half the weight, and they have little screw heads in the bottom so you don't slip on ice.   Super fun.   But again, they'd be useless in fresh snow IMHO.   I'm going to see if I can get Jacqui to go snowshoe with me after it warms up to 32F/0C.   I'll have her try the fun ones below

https://crescentmoonsnowshoes.com/eva-foam-snowshoes/ 

 

I did have an exciting weigh-in this morning 235.9!!!!, but I bet it'll be higher tomorrow morning.  I retain water after intense exercise, and again I'm going skiing later today.   I do my weekly weigh-ins on Sundays, my normal rest day.   Oh well.   At least I got to see 235 something.   And during my weigh-ins I'm wearing 0.8lbs of clothing too.      

I took my rest day yesterday because it was too cold for skiing/snowshoeing yesterday, only a high of 12F/-11C .      I've notice that the day after a rest day, i get my best weigh-ins.   I think it's because my body stops retaining water to help repair muscle.

In good news, I don't really feel like i'm dieting anymore.    I feel more like I've figured out a new way to eat healthy but enjoy it.    Eating a diet with more fiber and nutrients, I actually feel less hungry than when I was overeating.   It's frikkin weird!    Like a diet induced way of going on Ozempic/GLP1 shots.   The only caveat is dining out.   I don't crave it anymore.  There really aren't great healthy, dining out options, which is fine.   There's always salad I guess, and I can get lentil/bean dishes at Indian/Mexican restaurants. Dining out is too expensive now anyway.    

At BJ's, I even bought unsalted, roasted peanuts, still in their shells yesterday....AND I LIKED THEM!!!!    I used to hate the unsalted nuts.    Hate is too strong.   I just found them super bland.     Now,  they're not so bad.   Probably because I rarely eat chips anymore (crisps for your Brits).      

Per a recent Viva Longevity episode, I'm now working on upping my nut and seed oil intake.   I know peanuts aren't technically nuts, but they're very similar.    I also eat almonds, walnuts, pecans daily.   I should increase my healthy oil intake some probably.   

The guy that hosts the Viva Longevity channel was a tech guy.   Made his money and got out, but I don't think he's rich enough to be obnoxiously out of touch.   A kindred spirit.   He made enough money to retire early and spend more time doing the stuff he loves.    

 Anyhoo, he's older than me (70 something), a couple inches taller, and vegan.   But his blood work was still not good.   He's had bad numbers his whole life.   Like ridiculously high.    He recently re-tweaked his diet to eat more seed oils and nuts and BAM, amazing numbers!    The exact opposite of what the current health fad people are saying sadly.

 Again he was VEGAN, but his overall cholesterol was still 280 mg/dL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg_oDjern20 

 Look at his numbers now

His oldest Triglyceride numbers were when he was down to 185lbs and doing Ironman Triathlons.   He stopped racing due to AFIB risks.    As he started to put on weight, he tried low fat, high carb diet for awhile and the triglycerides and cholesterol spiked.

In his video above he really does a wonderful job explaining why there's so much misinformation.    A lot of it is the same old story the USA has been cursed with,  "Grifters grifting".    Glorified carpet baggers.        Sometimes it's a doctor meaning well but just not having the background in causal statistics to know better, but oftentimes, it's just a photogenic, extroverted doctor/health expert looking to make a buck.

 People get hurt and taken for a ride.     And then we all sit back and wonder why Trump supporters don't trust the experts.    THIS IS WHY!!!!

 Maybe as AI improves, we'll be able to use AI to filter through the mess.    But for now, AI doesn't really have true intelligence yet.    It's insanely good pattern recognition (better and far faster than human abilities), and it will regurgitate answers it finds most often.    

 So why would i put so much trust into a single youtube channel?    He doesn't make money on it.  He's not pushing books, he's not selling supplements or protein powder.   He does it because he nerds out on it.   He's retired, it's not even his job.    Any money made, goes back into the channel's production costs.    Also, if you open the description on his videos, it's all linked to the books and research he uses.

The problem is his channel isn't filled with attractive fit people and he's not paying for bots to push his content.    I fear it'll never break through, but I'm thankful to have found it.    Even if at times it feels like it's just me.

 

 

unsticking the weight loss

I'm getting better at tweaking things when my weight loss gets stuck.

I had 5 days in a row last week where my weight wasn't budging.   At first I was ecstatic at seeing a 230 something weight on the scale, but then the worry crept in.   I was plateauing again.    But after a few small changes, I just ended up with one of my best weeks in a while, ending at 237.8 lbs!

 

First of all....sometimes you're going to indulge in more pizza, bread, desserts, etc. than one should.  It happens, move on.   Maybe my relief at seeing a 230 something weight was triggering some snacking, idk.    I also think sometimes if you're lacking nutrients, it pushes your body to snack more.  

 I tried to get out of the rut by doing longer rides on my indoor weight trainer.   This was dumb...   I have to keep reminding myself that losing weight solely by trying to burn it off is NOT sustainable.  In fact, it usually just makes you binge on higher calorie stuff.     And I STILL need to find a comfier seat for the indoor bike, my poor butt.   

I realized I'd been cooking the same dishes for a month, so I think I just needed to change things up a little.  

Not having indian food in a while, I made a tikka masala, using a 1/2 cup of regular fat coconut milk instead of the recipe's heavy cream.   But here's the real kicker. no chicken/tofu.   I just used the instant pot to cook a cup of dried navy beans instead.     I thought the creaminess of navy beans might go better with the sauce than when I tried chickpeas.   Sure enough, tasty!     Maybe a future youtube video I'll make.

Upping my low calorie, high fiber intake helped me to stop overeating my 50% whole wheat sourdough, and BAM! weight loss back on track.     

I also made some home made (Greek) tzatziki sauce to replace the ranch dressing I used when snacking on raw broccoli or celery.    Actually, I started snacking mid afternoon more consistently and I found i was eating less at dinner.

I also have started having an apple or grapefruit at the end of each meal.

Less hunger, more weight loss.     It's frikkin weird!

And no Mom, I'm not overdoing it  (lol, jk).   I only lost 2.2 lbs this past week.   Which is still < 1% of my body weight.     I'm sure it'll slow down again, my goal is 1 pound per week until I get below 220.

In retrospect, what made me the most happy this past week is that I got the weight loss going again by actually upping the amount I was eating.   Just stuff like tofu, apples, grapefruit, raw celery/broccoli.   Cheap at our local BJ's warehouse.

Feels good. 

Currently ahead of my 1lb/week plan again, due to this past week's success.   Using a BMI for 6'2" I'll no longer be obese once I'm under 233.    BMI Healthy weight will likely never happen, < 192 lbs.   BMI is for average build, so I'll be happy with middle of the "overweight" range.      Ideally I want to hover around 215, with a new, permanent max weight of 220 (once I see 220, back on diet until 215).   I'll get there by June if I stick to losing 1lb/week

 

 

 

 

50 pounds lost in 2025!

 Officially hit my main weight goal for this year!    Hit it yesterday and again today,  241.4 and 241.2 respectively (just shy of 110kg)

I needed to get under 241.6 to have officially lost 50 lbs since June (291.6 lbs).    Yay me!   LOL 

This also means, if I can get to 239lbs before my Jan 7 physical, I will officially just be "overweight" per the BMI chart instead of obese (height of 6'3").   I haven't seen 230 something since 1999/2000.

Just to repeat my earlier blogs, my new diet feels very sustainable and satisfying.   I love it.   I don't crave the chips, donuts, greasy pizza, burgers, etc like before.  I truly LIKE what I'm eating now.    Learning to make 50% whole wheat sourdough bread probably helped a lot too.      The main downside of how I eat now is I can't find fast food variations of healthy bean/lentil dishes when traveling.   But I have my fridge and microwave in the truck, and there are always Indian and Mexican restaurants.    

The Viva Longevity youtube channel just posted a very applicable video to what I've discovered this past year.    My appetite is no longer overwhelming.  Eating high fiber, mostly plant based helps me feel full during the day.     The following video also explains why my blood test results back in November were so good while still technically "obese".     Only my LDL was outside the healthy range (108 instead of <100).     I expect everything to be in range after another year, and after getting under 220lbs/100kg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks0hHmkXXuo  

 

From the Viva Longevity youtube link above, Miguel has a google drive link to his food pyramid.   I've attached it here too.  You can double click on the photo to make it bigger.

It's what I was saying in my earlier blogs.   I still eat meat, but just a few times a month.   I still probably have more dairy than I technically should.   Lately I've been making my own cheese crisps, and I still have 2% Fage Greek Yogurt almost daily, but I did recently switch to Silk Soy milk.     China's not going to buy our soybeans anymore, so I think Americans should step up.   Planting Soybeans replenishes the soil.   Soy milk needs less water too 

 

Soymilk alone tastes more bean/nutty than milk, but I drink it with my protein powders, so it's not noticeable.    The "soy boy" insults are nonsense.     Soy's phytoestrogens don't raise estrogen levels in men.    https://sniglobal.org/origins-of-the-soy-feminization-myth/

 

My last health topic on this blog, when I had my colonoscopy, the doctor told me I have early Diverticulosis too.    So if you watch that video above, Diverticulosis eventually becomes the much worse Diverticulitis, which ended Miguel's father's life far too soon.   If you're like me, don't ignore it.

Diverticulosis is another motivation for me to follow the diet plan above.   The Keto/Paleo diet would be extremely uncomfortable for my gut now. 

 

B

 

Before I do longer bike touring, I need to figure out how to cook bean/lentil dishes on the road.   

 

I may get one of these, and learn how to use it.   A lightweight pressure cooker.    

 

https://www.keith-ti.com/products/keith-titanium-ti6302high-altitude-mountainpressure-cooker

 It only gets up to half the pressure of my Instant Pot, but it's lightweight, 520g or a tick over 1 pound.   That's a manageable weight to haul bike touring/back packing.   The size is relatively ok too; I could probably store my primus stove in it.    Then I could bring dried beans/lentils on the road, a few spices, a small oil jar and maybe some dehydrated coconut powder, so I can more easily follow my high fiber diet while bike touring.    With some experimenting, I can learn to pre-soak the dried beans/lentils to shorten the cooking time too.    When I did the Erie Canal too, it was fun to revert to junk food from Stewart's gas station for a few days, but my gut didn't feel as good and I felt bloated in general.    

 

 

I have the Keith multicooker already, so this Winter I'm going to experiment with soaking beans/lentils first and see if that works with the multicooker.   Probably won't work.   It's smaller, but not pressurized.  It's more like a lightweight, double cooker, steamer.   Works great for making rice and not burning it to the bottom of the pot, but plain white rice takes 10 minutes.   Brown rice takes 20minutes.      I'd rather have a bigger pressure pot and only need 5-10 minutes.   More on that later.

 

https://www.keith-ti.com/products/keith-titanium-ti6300-plastic-free-multifunctional-cooker 

 

 

Finally, I think my next steps will be to make some short Youtube videos for my Dad, or maybe guys/gals that don't cook much.   The videos will require an Instant Pot.   I want to make wuick videos that are "good enough" to help people try making these dishes.   When they master my level, they can watch the better youtube videos on those dishes. 

Weight Loss Strategies

Lost 45 lbs, < 30 to go 

Before I begin, weight can be a sensitive subject, and I know I'm very lucky I could retire earlier than normal.    If any of this blog is salt in the wound, sincerely sorry.   Wasn't my intent. 

Mostly, I just want to figure out my weight loss success this year, and to think out loud a little about what made it possible.

Here we go...

One of the main reasons I decided to retire a few years ago was to have the time to work on getting down to a healthy weight and get rid of the stress, but I got distracted with the freedom the first couple of years, focusing more on the truck camper and cross country road trips at first.    Solved the stress half at least.   

Got a new Primary Doctor 

Surprising myself a little, I signed up with a new primary doctor after going without one for 15 years.    What's that corny pun/saying?  Living in Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.     My previous doctor retired over a decade ago, and I just let things slide.  I think not getting a new doctor was just me avoiding my weight issues.

During the initial wellness visit back in early June, after giving my family's and personal health history, I explained I wanted to lose weight and get healthier, and I gave a rough outline of my diet and exercise plan.   My new doctor gave the go ahead.   I think that's an important first step.    I'm now down to 252.8 lbs as of Nov 23rd, starting from 293 back in June.   Officially 40lbs lighter!   My recent blood work (Nov 18th) was good too.   Only the LDL and MPV values were just barely above the good range, but my doctor pinged via the mychart app saying not to worry.   Those values will come down into the healthy range as I lose more weight, and everything else was in the healthy range.   I even got my first colonoscopy done in September, no major issues found.  Yay adulting!

Mostly Bean and Lentils Diet 

My new diet plan was eating mostly bean and lentil based dishes with roasted, low-starch veggies.    Yeah, you may toot more at first, but the toots don't smell (once you're eating mostly plant based).  Long term, your digestion will improve dramatically.  It's worth it, beans have so many benefits, read this  https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-beans

Assuming you read the link above, I want to stress that bit about how beans (and lentils) support the good bacteria in your gut and why it matters so much.   From online...

Good bacteria (probiotics) in your gut help weight loss by influencing calorie absorption, boosting metabolism, regulating appetite hormones (like GLP-1, PYY), reducing inflammation, and even affecting fat storage, primarily by breaking down fiber into beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, making you feel fuller and less prone to gaining weight, though effectiveness depends heavily on specific strains and individual gut makeup 

I've also been cooking everything for myself, even bread.   I can even make a decent 50% whole wheat sourdough bread now, using my own sourdough starter, also helping gut health (good bacteria).   I still use eggs and dairy in recipes, so I haven't gone full vegan.   I still eat meat occasionally too.    

Here are my other blogs about diet/food related stuff

Finding Sustainable Diet Changes, recipe list   

How to cook beans and lentils in your Instant Pot

How to roast veggies in the air fryer, more pots to clean but foolproof 

Unexpected Home Cooking Backfire 

Learned the hard way that cooking at home does not automatically mean losing weight.  

Jacqui and I have been dining out much less since Covid, from 2-3 times a week to 1-2 times a month.  We also stopped picking up subs and getting takeout, which we did all the time before Covid.    When we were both working, food high in fat, sugar, and salt was our stress relief of choice.    We often turned the leftovers into meals at home by adding some rice and veggies.

During Covid, I improved my cooking skills a lot.   I can now make really tasty stuff at home, even sushi.   Thanks Youtube!  (it's way better when you pay for no ads)  At first, I made dishes we'd get when eating out, and I ate way too much of what I was making, and the unforeseen consequence was ballooning up to 317lbs by Spring 2021.   Oops....I know.  bad.   I made the mistake of assuming home cooking automatically meant fewer calories, and I spent most of Covid wearing stretchy sweatpants.   Lesson learned.    Now I check every morning before breakfast, and record my daily weigh-ins and blood pressure on a Google Spreadsheet and it's shared with my doctor's office to stay accountable.     I'll never go months/years at a time without stepping on a scale again, and (note to self) put on some non-stretch, big boy pants occasionally!   (trousers to you Brits)

Biking and Exercise 

But back to this year,  I'm biking a lot again.    I even have a computer-controlled bike trainer up in the attic (Rouvy.com), so I can ride during the Winter or when the weather isn't good outside.    Our attic is well insulated and temp controlled, like the rest of the house.   Combining my outdoor and indoor bike rides, I've biked 2,300 miles so far this year and will definitetly hit 2500 before year's end.    Technically half what I could do in my early 20's, but I'm very thankful my joints still feel ok 30+ years later.   Super Thankful

Here's a blog with more detail about my biking and exercise in general, 

How and maybe When to Exercise when you're heavy and trying to lose weight 

Viva Longevity Youtube channel 

I've learned a lot about what's actually "healthy" by watching this guy's youtube channel  Viva Longevity    He loves reading all the latest books and papers about clinical and epidemiological diet/exercise research, and he's great at summarizing things in easy to understand ways.    The videos focus on aging well and living a long active healthy life; it can be nerdy though, consider yourself warned, like medical doctor level nerdy.       It's not the gym bro/fitness fad content that pollutes so much of Youtube.

Weight Goal

My goal is to get under 220lbs/100kg, which at almost 6'3" is still "overweight" per the BMI chart, but I'm a big guy.   Yeah, yeah...sounds like the excuse "I'm not fat! I'm big boned!"  (South Park).    Maybe I'll keep going later, but I want a weight I can actually get to, maintain and not be miserable.    I think as you get older carrying an extra 10-20 pounds is probably a good thing.    A little belly fat helps you survive the health hiccups that come later in life.    I have zero interest in competing in races or getting 6pack abs (sorry Jacqui)

Weight Loss Conclusion(s) 

I finally learned losing weight is a lot easier when you combine exercise with eating tasty, healthy, filling, and lower calorie food.     Much easier than fasting, skipping breakfast, and/or relying on Will Power to eat smaller portions of high calorie, highly processed food.

• Find your motivation
• For me, I love biking, kayaking, and hiking more than junk food, and carrying so much extra weight was making those things less fun.
• I retired early so I'd have the time to lose the weight and get healthy; I consider it my job now.  A heart attack or stroke gets really expensive, really fast.     Do Your Job!
• Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for "eating too much" 
• Find tasty, healthy, lower calorie foods that trigger a "feel good" response.    
• Of course pizza/hamburgers/fries taste better than a healthy lentil curry (to most people), but I feel better after eating the lentil curry.  No food coma or bloating.  "Feeling good" is addictive, and it's changed what I crave over time.  
• when weight loss stalls, you've probably lost enough weight to lower your daily calorie needs, (known as your BMR basal metabolic rate).  well done!   Time to tweak your diet again
• when changing diet/exercise, always focus on what you enjoy and can do for the long term
• Celebrate the little wins along the way, break down the big goal into smaller achievements
• probably my next milestones will be hitting 243 (50lbs!) and then 239 (officially "overweight" at 239, but no longer "obese" per BMI) 

Anyway, hopefully I've shared something useful above.    

Thank You's

A huge Thank You!  to Jacqui for supporting me during all the lifestyle changes this year.  She never complained when I went out on a ride for a few hours; actually, she usually seemed happy about it (should I be worried? jk).   She's been great about eating the bean and lentil stuff without complaint, and discreetly taking care of her own cravings when needed.   She'd just occasionally get her own lunch when out running errands or meeting up with friends.   As Jacqui told me once,  "I managed to get a PhD, I think I can feed myself! "    Topped off with a well-delivered, sarcastic, "Thank you very much..."  zinger.     But seriously, Jacqui's independence made this all so much easier for me.

Also, a big Thanks to Jeff and my parents.   I'm sure some of my texts about my weight loss project were boring and/or annoying at times this past year.  Thanks for celebrating my little milestones along the way.   The encouragement was appreciated! 

And that about wraps things up for now.    I'll blog with some updates soon.

Wishing you all Happiness, Good Health, and Success following your own path.