Countdown to Amicalola: Springer Saturday #4

The Springer Mountain Shelter. All along the trail these are placed roughly 8-15 miles apart (i.e. a day's hike) and can be used in lieu of a tent. 

Date: January 31, 2015

Current Week: 01/28/15 - 02/4/15
Days until Amicalola: 53
Pounds to next weight goal: 9.2 (+4.2)
Total Loss Last Week: 2.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 30
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 250
Minutes Exercised, Week: 111
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

One problem with keeping a daily journal is that can feel like a roller coaster. Today's weight recording is a good example of this problem. I'm a bit perplexed at the result's considerable reversal. It's not that I wasn't anticipating a bit of a reverse. I did have a bigger dinner after a typically big lunch yesterday, and I did break my 8:00 PM rule for a small late night snack. However, this shouldn't have resulted in that much of an increase.

Countdown to Amicalola: Keeping the Streak Alive

This is along the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain. Contrary to the appearance these are not alpine meadows. The balds are maintained by using various methods, including cattle and goats. The only parts of the Appalachian Trail above the tree line are in New Hampshire and Maine.

Date: January 30, 2015

Current Week: 01/28/15 - 02/4/15
Days until Amicalola: 54
Pounds to next weight goal: 5.0 (-1.4)
Total Loss Last Week: 2.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 40
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 250
Minutes Exercised, Week: 81
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

This workweek began with disappointment, but its ended much better. Four straight days I've mostly stuck to my plan, and the results have shown the wisdom of that. I've still got some work to do, particularly adding a wider variety of fruits and vegetables to my meals, and cutting back on the greasy, salty lunches. However, I've made great strides in exercise and calorie management.

Countdown to Amicalola: Keep on Truckin'

I believe this is on the Appalachian Trail looking NOBO not too far away from Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If it isn't, it's doing a pretty good impression of the trail there.

Date: January 29, 2015

Current Week: 01/28/15 - 02/4/15
Days until Amicalola: 55
Pounds to next weight goal: 6.4 (-1.2)
Total Loss Last Week: 2.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 41
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 250
Minutes Exercised, Week: 41
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

Three days of keeping track of what I eat*, and three days of the scale going the right direction. You know, I make this same realization every three months or so. You'd think I would have caught on by now, right?

Countdown to Amicalola: Eight Weeks and Counting

A tranquil pond at the base of some cliffs. Not pictured: The lethargic cottonmouth basking at the edge of the road not too far from here. 

Date: January 28, 2015

Current Week: 01/28/15 - 02/4/15
Days until Amicalola: 56
Pounds to next weight goal: 7.6 (-2.4)
Total Loss Last Week: 2.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 35
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 250
Minutes Exercised, Week: 0
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

It was a close run thing, but week three of my countdown ended up heading in the right direction. While not a major loss, it's still almost three times the previous week's tally. This, coupled with over an hour of additional exercise during the week, made it a very good start.

Countdown to Amicalola: Bouncing Back

Where is this along the Appalachian Trail? Um, nowhere, as this is Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois.

Date: January 27, 2015

Current Week: 01/21/15 - 01/27/15
Days until Amicalola: 57
Pounds to next weight goal: 10 (-3.2)
Total Loss Last Week: 0.8
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 35
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 179
Minutes Exercised, Week: 215
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

Well that was a good bounce in the right direction. Clearly recording what I was eating (at least for breakfast and lunch) helped me limit my dinner. By easing off in the evening, and getting more than 30 minutes of exercise, I was able to cancel out most of the past weekend. As long as I can stick with this, I think I may be able to keep things going well.

Countdown to Amicalola: Cooking the Books

This picture has nothing to do with this post or with the Appalachian Trail. Eh, I guess one those hedgehogs kind of look like me on the scale this morning.

Date: January 26, 2015

Current Week: 01/21/15 - 01/27/15
Days until Amicalola: 58
Pounds to next weight goal: 13.2 +2.2
Total Loss Last Week: 0.8
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 20
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 179
Minutes Exercised, Week: 180
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

So that seems to be going the wrong way, isn't it? At first, I have to admit I was perplexed by this result, but then I remembered that I had really splurged for lunch, going three courses at one of my favorite casual restaurants. It's quite possible that I went over my calorie limit on that one meal, and followed it up with a less ostentatious, but still calorie heavy dinner later in the evening. That, coupled with a relatively small amount of exercise, certainly didn't help my day. Had I been tracking what I ate, I probably could have avoided this mess.

Countdown to Amicalola: Walking through Chicago

This Appalachian Trail marker is from a sidewalk in Hot Springs, NC. This is one of several places along the trail where it goes directly through a town.

Date: January 25, 2015

Current Week: 01/21/15 - 01/27/15
Days until Amicalola: 59
Pounds to next weight goal: 11.0 (0.0)
Total Loss Last Week: 0.8
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 83
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 179
Minutes Exercised, Week: 160
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0
Miles Hiked, Week: 1.5
Miles Hiked, 2015: 1.5

Although I didn't do any hiking yesterday, I did get two nice walks in walking from Union Station in downtown Chicago to the AMC River East 21 and back. It's the polar opposite of where we'll be hiking come March, although the tall buildings do occasionally look like mountains made of glass and steel, instead of granite and trees. This was good enough to cancel out a day full of crappy eating, leaving me this morning where I was on Saturday morning.