Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
LoseIt!
One of the wonderful things about my new iTouch is this—LoseIt!. I started using this free app on March 13. With its simple assistance, in the space of almost 2 months, I've lost 15 pounds!
As with any tool, you get out of it what you put into it. The tool itself is not magic. If there's any magic, it's the wonder of asserting your free will—i.e., I'm gonna do this: period. In my case, "do this" refers to my goal to lose 20 pounds.
Being very conservative, I gave myself all summer to reach that goal. I'm simply amazed to see myself 75% of the way toward my goal within 8 weeks. So, I gave myself the summer and spring is not even over yet. Not too shabby.
In my case, I haven't been simply watching what I eat. I've also been working out. In particular, I've been taking advantage of a local hill. For weeks, all I did was walk up and down. Lately, I've advanced to jogging down the hill and walking back up as quickly as I can. I slow down to keep my heart rate between 150 and 160 bpm. It's easy on my aging joints. I burn a helluva lot more calories more quickly than just walking up and down a level street.
Long story short: LoseIt! has inspired me to cut down on sweets significantly, eat far more fruits and veges, and simplify the challenge of counting calories day to day. The end result is not just weighing less, but improving my quality of life in many, many ways.
As with any tool, you get out of it what you put into it. The tool itself is not magic. If there's any magic, it's the wonder of asserting your free will—i.e., I'm gonna do this: period. In my case, "do this" refers to my goal to lose 20 pounds.
Being very conservative, I gave myself all summer to reach that goal. I'm simply amazed to see myself 75% of the way toward my goal within 8 weeks. So, I gave myself the summer and spring is not even over yet. Not too shabby.
In my case, I haven't been simply watching what I eat. I've also been working out. In particular, I've been taking advantage of a local hill. For weeks, all I did was walk up and down. Lately, I've advanced to jogging down the hill and walking back up as quickly as I can. I slow down to keep my heart rate between 150 and 160 bpm. It's easy on my aging joints. I burn a helluva lot more calories more quickly than just walking up and down a level street.
Long story short: LoseIt! has inspired me to cut down on sweets significantly, eat far more fruits and veges, and simplify the challenge of counting calories day to day. The end result is not just weighing less, but improving my quality of life in many, many ways.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Amtrak
This past weekend, Mary and I paid another visit to Philadelphia. This time, we went by train. Our last visit was by car. That was a high stress option. The train proved to be a very comfortable, decidedly low-stress option. As such, the price—about $50 one-way—was a bargain.
Among other things, it meant shunning one of the busiest traffic corridors in the nation—i.e., through NYC. You can navigate around that, of course. But it adds hours and miles to the drive. For my money, being able to sit back in a comfy chair, listening to my music, reading a good book, enjoying the views out the window once in a while while someone else drives is worth every penny.
Also, Amtrak features something called a "quiet car". What that means is no gabbing on cell phones or loud talking. Take it to another car if that's what you want. And, happily, fellow passengers are not shy about enforcing the quiet car rules. We enjoyed one of these quiet cars all the way from New Haven to Philly. Ahhhh.
Among other things, it meant shunning one of the busiest traffic corridors in the nation—i.e., through NYC. You can navigate around that, of course. But it adds hours and miles to the drive. For my money, being able to sit back in a comfy chair, listening to my music, reading a good book, enjoying the views out the window once in a while while someone else drives is worth every penny.
Also, Amtrak features something called a "quiet car". What that means is no gabbing on cell phones or loud talking. Take it to another car if that's what you want. And, happily, fellow passengers are not shy about enforcing the quiet car rules. We enjoyed one of these quiet cars all the way from New Haven to Philly. Ahhhh.
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