Alligatorob's Diary

[Petal001]

Rob I worry I admit that you are eating so little calories that you are now finding it harder with the afternoon urges . Please try and bulk up some of the meals. Say a cup of soup or something . Or have it as an afternoon snack. Make some with with veg and stock . Sorry if you think I’m being interfering .

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well and feel good. The weather is miserable though, mixed rain and snow, a cold slushy mess.

I ate 2 pieces of pizza tonight, its the first time I have eaten 2 pieces since starting this diet. It was Friday night pizza with the grandkids, so that is what we had, I could have steamed some broccoli or made a salad instead, but I didn't. Not sure I needed both, but I wanted them so I did it. I did select smaller pieces and fed the crusts to the dogs. The pizza does put me into the 13th century for the first time in a while.

Make some with with veg and stock .

Thanks Petal, I know you have suggested that before, and as a result I got some dried vegetable stuff for making a low calorie soup. I can make a cup for less than 50 calories. Will try it soon.

Sorry if you think I’m being interfering

Yeah, I guess you are, kind of, but isn't that what we're supposed to do here? You input is always much appreciated, never hesitate to say what you think, I always listen and consider advice here from anyone.

Friday
breakfast yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110

snack banana 100

lunch
sardines 180

snack
banana (bananas were getting old, had to eat them) 100

dinner
2 slices pizza, no crust 615

snack
apple 95

total calories 1,280

The first Maori people arrived in New Zealand in about 1280. They were Polynesians, perhaps from Cook Island, the Society Islands or there abouts. The first Europeans did not settle in New Zealand until about 500 years later. I have to admit that I am pretty ignorant of the native peoples of both New Zealand and Australia. Until I saw this I didn't realize how different the Maori are from the Australian Aborigines. Most of what I know about the Maori comes from watching them play rugby. I know the Native Americans have a long and interesting history, and some very interesting cultures. I am sure the same is true for the Maori and Aborigines, I just don't know much about it.

 

[Llama]

Yay, a new century! I hope the pizza was delicious.

 

[aiminglow]

Yes indeed, re: the interesting histories and cultures - an ocean of them!
Good for you, enjoying the tasty (and mildly nutritious) part of the pizza and letting the less interesting crust go by the wayside.

 

[jackbenimble]

Wow, 600 calories for 2 slices of pizza - without the crust? Now understand why I gain weight anytime I'm near the stuff.

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, a very busy one.

Took the grandkids Christmas shopping and wrapping. We go to this place that used to be the world's largest army surplus store, when I was in high school and the Vietnam War was on Ogden was home to the world's largest non weapons military depot. Surplus was shipped there and sold off by the trainload, literally. Sometimes it was auctioned and folks had to bid on the rail cars unopened. This place had something like 20 acres of stuff, mostly junk but lots of interesting things if you took the time to search, bombs (mostly defused), tents, strange tools, etc. Those days are long gone. They do still have a tank or two most of the real surplus is gone, now they just sell a huge selection of low cost low quality junk. A great place to turn the grandkids lose with a budget to get gifts for friends and family. Then we came home and wrapped the treasures.

After that my wife baked a bunch of cookies, sugar and gingerbread for the kids to ice and decorate. I helped and we ended up with a whole lot of unique iced bears, butterflies, alligators, dinosaurs, etc. Nothing professional, but nothing you could find in a store either. Thought it all I managed to eat just one bite. It wasn't too hard, I am getting used to that kind of temptation.

Wow, 600 calories for 2 slices of pizza

Yes it is amazing, and that is after a deduction for the trimmed crusts. In the past I would have had at least 4 slices and a bunch of other stuff, it feels good not to have to do that anymore.

Saturday

breakfast
yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110

snack
apple 95

lunch
yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110
snack banana 100
one bite of an iced gingerbread man, a leg 30

dinner
steamed broccoli 60
turkey 200
homemade peach wine 200

snack
apple 95

total calories 1,160

 

[Emilyrose]

Sounds like a lovely day out Rob. I love how the bombs were only mostly defused, lol.

Well done on only chomping on the poor gingerbread man’s leg, I’m sure you appreciated your discipline. I understand what you mean when you say it gets easier to say no after a time. I want to get back to that stage.

 

[liza]

one bite of an iced gingerbread man, a leg 30

lol that made me laugh!

After that my wife baked a bunch of cookies, sugar and gingerbread for the kids to ice and decorate. I helped and we ended up with a whole lot of unique iced bears, butterflies, alligators, dinosaurs, etc. Nothing professional, but nothing you could find in a store either. Thought it all I managed to eat just one bite. It wasn't too hard, I am getting used to that kind of temptation.

That sounds like a really fun time. That's great that you were able to have a bit and leave it at that!

 

[MegaDeuce]

Oh, and the calorie thing on the bike says I burned 48, not very impressive. Not enough to make up for my wine calorie under count yesterday, about 70 when applying the LaMa factor.

My mindset was always: I'm doing cardio for my heart, lungs, and muscles, not for the calories it burns. That's the only way I could stay sane watching the calorie meter tick up once every two minutes!

Out of curiosity what's the LaMa factor? Apologies if you explained it elsewhere.

 

[Llama]

I would have been like Aladin in the cave in that store as a kid! You sound like an awesome granddad. Glad the cookie temptation wasn't as great as it would have been a year ago.

 

[Petal001]

Rob firstly I never really knew what a surplus store was and that makes perfect sense . I have never been to one I don't think there are any here .
And well done on avoiding the cookies . I also agree you sound like a super granddad. My kids missed out on a granddad like you which is sad but I'm glad to see your grandkids having a brilliant time .

 

[alligatorob]

Have to confess, after posting last night I had some kind of whiskey cocktail, it was made for me. I didn't drink it all, but probably more than half. Also my 16 year old grandson came by, he has just started his first job as an assistant cook at a pizza place. He brought something he called hot slices, and was quite proud of them. He gave me one, I took a couple of small bites and then when he wasn't looking gave the rest to the dogs. I did not eat the apple I put in the diary, even so I had a few calories above plan.

the bombs were only mostly defused, lol

There is a story of someone buying an old safe from a ship years ago. When they got it home they found the self-destruct mechanism and explosives were still in working order. No one was badly hurt, but all have been more careful since.

Out of curiosity what's the LaMa factor?

Its the calorie conversion from sugar to alcohol in the fermentation process. You lose 15% of the calories. I knew the sugar content of our peach juice, so I needed it to figure out the calorie content of the resulting wine. It came to me courtesy of our resident guru on most everything, LaMa.

I would have been like Aladin in the cave in that store as a kid!

Even as an adult its a tempting place, the only place I know of with tens of thousands of unique things for under $10, the kids budget limit. Fold up candle lanterns, fire starter kits, colorful ropes, crank flashlights, ammo cases, practice hand grenades, all kinds of hats, still a little left over surplus, even a few old bombs but they are way over the $10 limit. Prices go up as supply goes down.

I never really knew what a surplus store was

Probably because Ireland has been more peaceful of late than we have. The stores really got started after WWII, and a few are still around. Problem is our military no longer brings all of its surplus back to sell, not sure what happens to it now. They do seem to have some military items, mostly from foreign countries, Israeli, Indian, Ukrainian, etc, but the prices for that are a lot higher than they used to be for our left over stuff. So if you want a Polish gas suit and mask or an Egyptian flight suit they have it, but not cheaply.

Thanks Liza, it was fun.

 

[Cate]

I don't think you have a need to confess to half a whisky cocktail, Rob.
I agree with Liza- I'm sure you're an excellent granddad. They're lucky kids

 

[alligatorob]

Just did my 40 laps on the bike for the first time in a few weeks.

The snow isn't gone, but its melted or sublimed off of enough to give me gravel on about 80% of the ride, the snow and ice are just left on the north side of the house, the downhill parts. And it was real cold, well below freezing so the ice wasn't so slick where I did have to ride on it. Make a kind of squeaking sound. Don't know if I can make a regular thing of this yet or not, but it felt good today.

The exercise bike thing is kind of embarrassing, the one ride I did on it chaffed my backside pretty well, and then the chaffing became a rash. I have some good padding for the next time, but am reluctant to try it before healing... Funny that a real bike seat is easier for me than the exercise bike. The real bike seat does hurt a little, mostly bruising I think, but it heals pretty quickly.

 

[aiminglow]

That's odd, about the difference between the seat on the real bike and the seat on the exercise bike! Maybe it's to do with the angle of the upper body during the exercise?
Rotten luck about the chafing/rash, anyway, and hope it heals before too long.
I'm glad you had the fun of the real bike again, even if just for the day. (And I'm glad you're too sensible to bike when it's slippy enough to lead to a fall!)

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, ate well and got in a rare bike ride.

Thanks Amy, and I am being pretty careful on the bike, some times I feel a bit over cautious, but particularly after seeing how easily a hip can break I don't want a fall. Cold I can work with, slippery is another story.

Sunday
breakfast
yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110

lunch
some kind of potato, egg, and cheese thing, a small/medium piece, just a WAG 450

dinner
eggplant parmesan 269
large lettuce only salad 40
homemade apple juice 140

snack
apple 95

total calories 1,184

It was in 1184 that King Philip II, aka Philip Augustus began paving the streets of Paris. Philip is credited with transforming Paris from a midevil backwater to one of Europe's leading cities. In addition to paving the main streets he constructed the Louvre (as a fort), built the central market of Les Halles, and made significant progress on the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. He also first gave a charter to the University of Paris (the Sorbonne).

Phillip had numerous marital problems, his first wife died in child birth. Then after marrying Ingeborg (renamed Isambour), daughter of the King of Denmark he discovered she had bad breath and so refused to crown her queen. He then tried to marry a count's daughter from Geneva, but his bride to be was kidnapped and ended up marrying her kidnapper. Phillip then succeeded in marrying a Dalmatian Duke's daughter, but after two kids the Pope declared the marriage invalid, and that Phillip was still married to Ingeborg/Isambour. Phillip then took Ingeborg/Isambour back, but it was another 12 years before he made her his queen.

 

[Llama]

Poor Ingeborg, imagine being humiliated like that and still having to go back to the guy. Probably the same for the duke's daughter of course. I watched a movie about (modern-day) Kirgisian bride-abductions earlier this year and basically if the kidnapper could force their victim to stay over night he was guaranteed she'd agree to marry them as her "virtue" (how I hate that word!) would be ruined even if nothing had happened and nobody else would marry her.

 

[Petal001]

Rob from what I recall you indoor bike is completely different seat to your real bike .
I notice you and I eat the very same breakfast every single day . I think your grapenuts are like my granola . I just have fruit everyday with mine . I have ate it solidly now for 7 months .

 

[alligatorob]

if the kidnapper could force their victim to stay over night he was guaranteed she'd agree to marry them

Doesn't sound like much of a basis for a relationship! I have know people who were in arranged marriages, Sri Lankans and Indians, that were amazingly successful. But all were willing participants in the process.

I notice you and I eat the very same breakfast every single day

Looks like it, I also eat fruit sometimes. Yogurt and cereal is just easy, good for you, and tastes good. Some days when I am busy I eat it for lunch also.

 

[alligatorob]

Just did my 40 laps, dodging most of the ice.

It was cold, colder than yesterday, maybe ~20 F, 7 C. If its as cold tomorrow I may need to find warmer gloves. The joys of ice cycling, can I call it icycling? The 40 laps were harder today than yesterday, my body reminding me that I've been off for a few weeks I guess.

from what I recall you indoor bike is completely different seat to your real bike

Yes Petal, it is my indoor bike is a recumbent one, a big seat and you kind of lean back. Just to sit on its much more comfortable than the real bike. I think my problem is when I used it the first time it did not have much padding and I chaffed an area on my backside that has recently lost a lot of natural padding (fat). Then a kind of rash set in. Hopefully it will all be cured by the time it snows again, and I am ready with lots more padding.