Jumped on the scale this morning, looked down:
370
Yeeeeah. I don't think so. As much as I would love to weigh that, I doubt I lost 106 pounds in a week!
I grabbed the scale, looked all over it for a website or a RESET button or something. For being a scale that can weigh up to 660 pounds, it's a pretty simple device. Just 4 buttons. "Hold" will hold the weight so you can weigh multiple items and get a total. "Unit" switched between Pounds and Kilograms. There's an On - Off button and a button marked "Tare" - no clue what that did. No Reset of any kind.
I don't have the manual for the thing anymore - I'm sure there was one. There might have been one. Either way I don't have it. A series of web searches revealed that a) the MedWeigh company is in New Jersey (the sticker on the scale says Brooklyn) and b) MedWeigh does not have a web site or support of any kind. Great.
So, I went back and power reset the thing - when in doubt, fall back on old skills. When it came back up I tried weighing some water. 16 oz. of water weighs a pound, right? So, I gathered water in containers, about 224 ounces, 7 quarts - about 14 pounds. Scale said it was 11 pounds. Wrong!
Power cycled the thing again. The On/Off button is actually the On/Zero/Off button. If you hit this button it will zero out the weight. Thus, if you sit the scale on a slightly uneven surface, and it reads -8 pounds, you can zero that out and get an accurate weight. And that's about what happened. When the scale came back on, it was reading -8 pounds. So, I zeroed it out and tried the water again. It weighed 14 pounds this time. I got on the scale:
425
Again, I would love for this to be my weight. But, I doubt I lost 50 pounds in one week. Maybe the scale had been screwed up last week? Maybe I did weigh 425? My shirts don't fit like I weigh 425!
Then, something occurred to me: 14 pounds of water - in containers - would weigh more than 14 pounds. The containers weigh something. And, what the hell is "Tare?"
Tare
–noun
1. The weight of the wrapping, receptacle, or conveyance containing goods.
Hmmm … I went back to the scale, hit the "Tare" button and a tiny symbol on the display went away. Hopped on the scale; 465.
While I'm not a fan of my current weight, 465 is a lot more realistic than 370!
Regardless of all of this fun. I've stayed on my diet all week, including going out for dinner last night. I went shopping after dinner last night and just the thought of going near the baked goods area was repulsive. I love that! When this diet works, it works so well!
Breakfast has been waiting in the kitchen for about an hour - Ima go eat now!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Lessons Learned
Friday is my busiest day - which isn't saying much. My business is ramping up, but it's still pretty slow. It's been a very long ramp. Anyway, on Fridays I deliver my paper. I also felt inspired, I wanted to get some new places to distribute my paper. I aimed at three.
The day started well. I had some bananas in soy milk. I also made a concoction I'm kinda proud of - I found a coffee product that is surprisingly good. I've adopted the Pacific Northwest as my home, so I don't have/haven't found the Coffee Snob Gene. I'm more of a tea guy, if anything. I like the smell and taste of coffee, but not in large amounts. Bitter, over roasted coffee turns me right off. People say "French Roast" and I start looking for water, tea, coke - anything. Anyway, I found this Nescafe Suave stuff in the store. The label is in Spanish with English subtitles - how American! It's just instant coffee, but it's not as bitter. A big mug about half full of water in the nuker for three minutes, two spoons of this stuff, six packets of Splenda and fill the rest of the cup with Vanilla soy milk and you have a coffee drink I can get behind! It has a very nice caramel finish. Smells just incredible. It even looks pretty in the cup! It'll probably take me a year to get through the container, but not bad to stay on my diet and fill my odd, here and there coffee yearning. Certainly cheaper than a $5 (or more!) Soy Latte at some coffee place!
So, I had my bananas in milk and my cheapo latte, jumped in the shower and hit the road. I delivered here and there and then pulled into my first target: the Lakepointe Bar & Grill. It's a pub in Kenmore - that just recently started serving lunch - excellent. I walked in, walked up to the bar and caught the attention of the man behind the bar.
Barkeep: Can I help you?
Me: Yes, I'd like to distribute my newspaper here.
BK: Okay.
Me: Have you heard of the Coffee News®?
BK: Yup.
Me: (FIRST TIME this has happened! Everyone says "No") R-really? Can I put the stand up over there?
BK: Sure.
Me: Thanks!
I was so excited I totally forgot to ask the nice man's name. It was literally that easy. In December I was either being told the decision maker wasn't around and I could never get the decision maker or I was given the third degree - now people just don't mind. Sure, put it up right over there.
The next two new places were about as easy. Sure-right-over-there-thanks. Great. I got all three places I aimed to get and I ended the day with a grand total of 25 distribution points. Nice. The biz is doing well. It doesn't feel like I'm selling an empty bag anymore. Makes me happy.
As I got out at Pasion Tequila, the last restaurant I've added to my empire, I had that fuzzy & fragile feeling I get when my blood sugar is too low. Usually, I have some time when I get this feeling. I was nearly done, so I wasn't worried. I placed my new stand, got in the car and started driving. The fuzziness got worse - fast. Hmm … there was a Safeway up the street, I decided to stop in and get a snack, some Slimfast bars or something. I parked and walked in, the fuzziness getting worse. I decided on a small OJ, I hunted the store until I found some South Beach bars and I grabbed a large container of raisins. By the time I got in line, I could barely see straight. The lady at the counter was asking me questions and I was trying to talk and be polite and eventually I told her my blood sugar was crashing. She handed me the OJ and asked if I needed her to call anyone. She was nice, but I waived her off, telling her I was gonna go outside and eat the bars. I drunkenly walked to the car, drinking my OJ. I polished off two bars and the OJ and probably a cup of raisins. That wasn't fun!
So, lesson learned. The remainder of the bars are in the car and there they will stay. If I had gotten that fuzzy while driving, I'm not sure what would have happened. The next time I get that fuzzy feeling, I'm not going to wait - I'm going to eat something. That was scary and I don't want it to happen again. My Fridays are getting longer as I add more locations and it's a lot of activity; drive, get out of the car, walk, walk back, get back in the car, drive, wait in traffic, repeat 25 times. My goal is to have 50 distribution points, so this isn't going to get easier. This is the first week I've done this while dieting. I'm usually slurping on a full sugar soda after having a pile of fast-food. I'm going to start bringing a few snacks with me. I may even make it a Friday ritual to eat lunch at one of the restaurants I deliver my paper to - can't hurt, right? Just a salad or something, but some food none the less! Speaking of food, dinner is pictured there on the left - chicken breast stir-fried in olive oil with mushrooms and broccoli. (It needed ginger and soy - on my shopping list) That was a big bowl of food. I couldn't finish it. Snack for tomorrow!
All in all, a good day - even with a big bump in the middle. Now, if I can just make some sales ….
The day started well. I had some bananas in soy milk. I also made a concoction I'm kinda proud of - I found a coffee product that is surprisingly good. I've adopted the Pacific Northwest as my home, so I don't have/haven't found the Coffee Snob Gene. I'm more of a tea guy, if anything. I like the smell and taste of coffee, but not in large amounts. Bitter, over roasted coffee turns me right off. People say "French Roast" and I start looking for water, tea, coke - anything. Anyway, I found this Nescafe Suave stuff in the store. The label is in Spanish with English subtitles - how American! It's just instant coffee, but it's not as bitter. A big mug about half full of water in the nuker for three minutes, two spoons of this stuff, six packets of Splenda and fill the rest of the cup with Vanilla soy milk and you have a coffee drink I can get behind! It has a very nice caramel finish. Smells just incredible. It even looks pretty in the cup! It'll probably take me a year to get through the container, but not bad to stay on my diet and fill my odd, here and there coffee yearning. Certainly cheaper than a $5 (or more!) Soy Latte at some coffee place!
So, I had my bananas in milk and my cheapo latte, jumped in the shower and hit the road. I delivered here and there and then pulled into my first target: the Lakepointe Bar & Grill. It's a pub in Kenmore - that just recently started serving lunch - excellent. I walked in, walked up to the bar and caught the attention of the man behind the bar.
Barkeep: Can I help you?
Me: Yes, I'd like to distribute my newspaper here.
BK: Okay.
Me: Have you heard of the Coffee News®?
BK: Yup.
Me: (FIRST TIME this has happened! Everyone says "No") R-really? Can I put the stand up over there?
BK: Sure.
Me: Thanks!
I was so excited I totally forgot to ask the nice man's name. It was literally that easy. In December I was either being told the decision maker wasn't around and I could never get the decision maker or I was given the third degree - now people just don't mind. Sure, put it up right over there.
The next two new places were about as easy. Sure-right-over-there-thanks. Great. I got all three places I aimed to get and I ended the day with a grand total of 25 distribution points. Nice. The biz is doing well. It doesn't feel like I'm selling an empty bag anymore. Makes me happy.
As I got out at Pasion Tequila, the last restaurant I've added to my empire, I had that fuzzy & fragile feeling I get when my blood sugar is too low. Usually, I have some time when I get this feeling. I was nearly done, so I wasn't worried. I placed my new stand, got in the car and started driving. The fuzziness got worse - fast. Hmm … there was a Safeway up the street, I decided to stop in and get a snack, some Slimfast bars or something. I parked and walked in, the fuzziness getting worse. I decided on a small OJ, I hunted the store until I found some South Beach bars and I grabbed a large container of raisins. By the time I got in line, I could barely see straight. The lady at the counter was asking me questions and I was trying to talk and be polite and eventually I told her my blood sugar was crashing. She handed me the OJ and asked if I needed her to call anyone. She was nice, but I waived her off, telling her I was gonna go outside and eat the bars. I drunkenly walked to the car, drinking my OJ. I polished off two bars and the OJ and probably a cup of raisins. That wasn't fun!
All in all, a good day - even with a big bump in the middle. Now, if I can just make some sales ….
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Getting Good at Starting Over
The title is a Foo Fighters lyric. I heard it tonight and it sounded about right for my life.
So, I moved out of the house I had moved into. I decided to do this a few months ago. When I told my housemate, she decided to sell the house. Luckily, I found a decent apartment and I'm living by myself again. Just moved Saturday, still lots of unpacking to do. This place is huge - a real value for the money. I don't know what to do with all the room.
I found out the reason I'm getting it at such a good price; the previous resident committed suicide. The building was built in 1964. Jay, the dead guy, moved in in '64. He kept all his leases, they found them when they cleaned the place out - he paid $68 a month for his first lease. He was a heavy smoker and had pets. One of the neighbors tells me the walls in here were just coated with nicotine, the floor was covered in hair. One of the people that cleaned the apartment said the place had only been painted a few times in those years. The neighbor tells me that Jay lit up a charcoal grill in the apartment and asphyxiated himself. They cleaned the place thoroughly, painted, installed new countertops, put in new carpet and new appliances. But, I can still smell cigarette smoke. I'm burning some incense to help. I'm the second tenant in a 45 year old apartment!
My business is starting to take off. I made my first sale a week or so ago and I have some good leads for a few other sales. If I can make three to six sales a month, I'm golden. At that level I'll never get rich but I'll pay the rent. I think I can grow this into something big.
That brings us to the reason for this blog: my diet. I dropped it in mid-January and didn't look back. I had a handful of excuses, don't I always? But, I knew once I moved out I'd make an effort to get back on and go back to the gym. So, here we are, Day Two. So far, blah-blah-blah.
I told a friend yesterday that if I can keep my business going and stay on my diet, in five years I'll be the man I want to be. My! How my dreams have shrank. At nearly 40 my idea of a good life is being a 200 pound mediocre salesman. But, yeah, that doesn't sound too bad right now.
I'm still playing the Lotto.
Weighed in yesterday. There are worse weights than 476, but I'd rather be the 419 I got to last summer. Now that I'm looking at the old ticker data, a year ago today I weighed 453, which would be better than where I am. But, it could be worse, about two years ago I weighed 495. If I'm starting over, I guess I'd rather be at 476 than 495.
I've spent so much money since I've moved into the place. I had an empty fridge and cupboards. I didn't even own salt & pepper. But, now that there is food in the house, I won't be eating every meal at a fast food place like I've done since January. That'll save some money. I can easily spend $10 on breakfast at a drive thru. I think all told today my food totaled less than $10, and I'm stuffed to the gills. Dinner is pictured there on the right. I'm back to my petite sirloins - that's one stir-fried with onion and mushrooms. It came out very tender! The side dish is steamed broccoli and I'm even using Smart Balance instead of butter - and not much of that! The steak was about $3, the broc was maybe a buck and that was the big meal of the day. I used to eat with chop sticks because I fumbled with them and I ate slower. That trick doesn't work anymore - I'm getting too good with the sticks!
I'll get back to the gym soon. I've been busy unpacking. I think by this weekend this place will feel like home and I'll give the gym a shot next week. All these months of paying for something I'm not using feels very stupid. Worse, I set a reminder that beeps my phone everyday to go to the gym - I have found a way to beat myself up automatically. At least that's what it feels like. Soon I'll be able to hear that beep and feel a sense of accomplishment instead of cold self loathing.
Yup, this is the beginning of the diet - I'm low powered and depressed. It will pass. Just want to stay on the diet this time for longer than 90 days!
So, I moved out of the house I had moved into. I decided to do this a few months ago. When I told my housemate, she decided to sell the house. Luckily, I found a decent apartment and I'm living by myself again. Just moved Saturday, still lots of unpacking to do. This place is huge - a real value for the money. I don't know what to do with all the room.
I found out the reason I'm getting it at such a good price; the previous resident committed suicide. The building was built in 1964. Jay, the dead guy, moved in in '64. He kept all his leases, they found them when they cleaned the place out - he paid $68 a month for his first lease. He was a heavy smoker and had pets. One of the neighbors tells me the walls in here were just coated with nicotine, the floor was covered in hair. One of the people that cleaned the apartment said the place had only been painted a few times in those years. The neighbor tells me that Jay lit up a charcoal grill in the apartment and asphyxiated himself. They cleaned the place thoroughly, painted, installed new countertops, put in new carpet and new appliances. But, I can still smell cigarette smoke. I'm burning some incense to help. I'm the second tenant in a 45 year old apartment!
My business is starting to take off. I made my first sale a week or so ago and I have some good leads for a few other sales. If I can make three to six sales a month, I'm golden. At that level I'll never get rich but I'll pay the rent. I think I can grow this into something big.
That brings us to the reason for this blog: my diet. I dropped it in mid-January and didn't look back. I had a handful of excuses, don't I always? But, I knew once I moved out I'd make an effort to get back on and go back to the gym. So, here we are, Day Two. So far, blah-blah-blah.
I told a friend yesterday that if I can keep my business going and stay on my diet, in five years I'll be the man I want to be. My! How my dreams have shrank. At nearly 40 my idea of a good life is being a 200 pound mediocre salesman. But, yeah, that doesn't sound too bad right now.
I'm still playing the Lotto.
Weighed in yesterday. There are worse weights than 476, but I'd rather be the 419 I got to last summer. Now that I'm looking at the old ticker data, a year ago today I weighed 453, which would be better than where I am. But, it could be worse, about two years ago I weighed 495. If I'm starting over, I guess I'd rather be at 476 than 495.
I've spent so much money since I've moved into the place. I had an empty fridge and cupboards. I didn't even own salt & pepper. But, now that there is food in the house, I won't be eating every meal at a fast food place like I've done since January. That'll save some money. I can easily spend $10 on breakfast at a drive thru. I think all told today my food totaled less than $10, and I'm stuffed to the gills. Dinner is pictured there on the right. I'm back to my petite sirloins - that's one stir-fried with onion and mushrooms. It came out very tender! The side dish is steamed broccoli and I'm even using Smart Balance instead of butter - and not much of that! The steak was about $3, the broc was maybe a buck and that was the big meal of the day. I used to eat with chop sticks because I fumbled with them and I ate slower. That trick doesn't work anymore - I'm getting too good with the sticks!
I'll get back to the gym soon. I've been busy unpacking. I think by this weekend this place will feel like home and I'll give the gym a shot next week. All these months of paying for something I'm not using feels very stupid. Worse, I set a reminder that beeps my phone everyday to go to the gym - I have found a way to beat myself up automatically. At least that's what it feels like. Soon I'll be able to hear that beep and feel a sense of accomplishment instead of cold self loathing.
Yup, this is the beginning of the diet - I'm low powered and depressed. It will pass. Just want to stay on the diet this time for longer than 90 days!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)