Beers Across America: Fish, Food, The Beast, and More

Fish
My fish are hungry. Please be sure to feed my fish when you visit the site by clicking your mouse in the pool.

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Goal
One of my goals for this trip is to lose weight. Last year, the day before my 49th birthday, I checked myself into the hospital because of some strange feelings in my chest and electric feelings in my arms. The doctors looked in my blood vessels, found some partial blockages, and put in a stent to open up one of them. I did not have heart damage which means, I technically did not have a heart attack. Still when I asked the doctor about alternative to the procedure, he said I could go home a die. Chilling and not much choice.

After all this, one becomes suspicious of every strange feeling. I had a stress test earlier this year with good results. At the end of January I started to diet with the notion of improving my health. So less food, less bad fats (monounsaturated fatty acids are okay), more fiber, less simple sugars, and, alas, no ice cream and other goodies. There is one food that can actually reduce build up in blood vessels: oatmeal. So I decided to eat more of that. Whole oats. They cook up fast in the microwave and have a good nutty flavor. I personally add nothing to it.

So at the turn of the year after bulk up season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, several birthdays and Easter), I started watching what I eat and weighed around 285. I have been floating around this weight for years. At the end of January I started logging my food intake with an iPhone app and weighed 278. To lose 2 pounds a week at that weight I could eat about 2100 calories a day. I also walked. I started walking to the MAX train station which is 3 miles one way from my house. Not every day, but many, and built up to walking for 2.5-3.5 hours at least one day of the weekend often both. I would often cover 11 miles.

When we started the bike trip I was down to 263.

On this trip I estimate we burn an extra 4-5000 calories a day (6-7000 total). There is a lot of room to eat. In fact, I have been more concerned about making sure I eat enough, even when I am not hungry, to ensure I have energy enough for the ride ahead. There is nothing worse than limping into the end of a ride because of bonking from not enough energy. It happens.

Well yesterday I had my first opportunity to weigh. I hope the scale is accurate. It says I have lost 43 pounds at a mid-day weigh in. I weighed in at 223. Nice. If I lose enough I may be able to reduce medications which is another goal. I would love to get to about 185. It looks like I'm losing about 7 pounds a week so sub-200 may be possible and even desirable as the last few pounds would be lost with a more favorable and reasonable diet.

There are challenges ahead, the big one adjusting eating habits to maintain the new weight. But I'm up for that. It's past time to put as much as I can, right. I don't want to be debilitated sooner than necessary as I ripen.

Strawberries

So we were riding along and I saw a farm advertising you pick strawberries. I thought: "Why not. We should stop in, pick a few, and enjoy!". We went on. A few miles later there is a farmers market selling strawberries only now I just must stop. I picked up a basket. Now what? How can I ride and eat strawberries. Well, I did. I found a way to balance the basket between my handlebars and brake cable and off we went. I was happily eating strawberries as we streamed down the road. It was bliss. Until I applied the brakes to catch something Alicia was saying. I lost half the berries. Still I had plenty to enjoy!! (Oh, and I did manage to share one or two with Alicia.)

The Beast

Prowling the roads is this immense scary beast. It has a high pitched sound, moves fast, and is tall enough to drive right over a cyclist. When we see these we cringe. They are also normally wider than a lane, extending into the shoulder where we poor, hapless cyclists try to dwell and pass quietly by.

See how it dwarfs the SUV?! A chilling sight to see looming up from behind.