A season of renewal

Just a quick drop-by to wish an hour, a day, a season of renewal and new energies to my visitors here. I have been hard at the work of finishing my book about independent publishing -- part how-to, part anthem, about publishing both on the Kindle platform and more generally -- and haven't been here as much as I wished to be, but I'm moved this morning to re-purpose a paragraph from the manuscript and share it here:

By heralding and thus extending the life of the good work of others, as readers, writers, and citizens, we are casting bread upon the water. We writers have had to face up to the fact that our initial hopes, that we might happily pursue our writing lives in a Garden of Eden, assured of a loving audience as large as we had any cause to imagine, forgiving of our flaws, where all our needs would be fulfilled, turned out to be delusional. We have been banished to the real world and cursed, like Eve and Adam, to work hard for a living. But it is work that we can do, and be happy to do.

Cheers to each and all!

This week: 237.5 ... 238 ... 237.5 ... 238 ... 236.5 ... 236 ... 235.5

Friday 3.21.08

• Weighed in at 237.5, down 36 from 8/31/07
• 8 am - Apple fritter & coffee with soy milk - 495 calories
• 11:45 am - Artichoke and red pepper salad with roasted garlic and feta cheese - 450 calories
• 5:30 pm - 15 minute walk - 105 calories burned
  
• 6 pm - Wheat & rice flakes with strawberries & soy milk - 975 calories
• Total: 1920 calories consumed; 105 burned - 1815

Saturday 3.22.08

• Weighed in at 238, down 35.5 from 8/31/07
• 6:45 am - Special K & coffee with soy milk - 300 calories
• 12:30 pm - Southwestern turkey pepper jack sandwich & coffee with soy milk - 485 calories
• 3 pm - 30 minute walk with Danny and Brownie along the Charles - 210 calories burned
• 7 pm -- Salad with cajun shrimp, calorie-free dressing, fresh strawberries with soy milk - 600 calories
  
• Total: 1385 calories consumed; 210 burned - 1175 net calories

Sunday 3.23.08

• Weighed in at 237.5, down 36 from 8/31/07
• 7 am - 3 cups fresh strawberries with 1 cup soy milk & coffee - 250 calories
• 1 pm - Salmon salad, turkey salad, roast garlic, protein shake - 850 calories
• 5:30 - 20 minute walk - 140 calories burned
• 8:30 pm - Southwestern turkey pepper jack sandwich & 3 bananas - 680 calories
• Total: 1780 calories consumed; 140 burned - 1640 net calories

Reading notes from my Kindle:


From The No Sweat Exercise Plan (Harvard Medical School Guides) by Harvey Simon:

"The key to weight loss is a 'C' word, but despite America's latest dietary fad, it's not carbs but calories. The math is simple but unyielding. To reduce, you must burn up more calories than you consumer. In nearly every case, sustained weight control depends on eating less and exercising more. The more you exercise, the more wiggle room in your diet."

No surprises here. And on that note, I am going for a walk.

Monday 3.24.08

After dropping some weight easily last week I seem to be on a bit of a plateau despite sticking with my regimen pretty well, so I am going to try to be a little more systematic about the walking. Each trip to Starbucks (except in crummy weather) will be balanced by at least a 10-minute walk.

• Weighed in at 238, down 35.5 from 8/31/07
• 6:30 am - Reduced fat turkey bacon sandwich & black coffee - 350 calories
• 7:15 am - 20 minute walk - 140 calories burned
• 11:15 am - 22 min jog/1.7 mi - 350 calories burned
• 4 pm - 3.5 oz turkey, 1 large banana - 220 calories
• 5 pm - 10 min walk - 70 calories burned
• 6:30 pm - Meatloaf, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, large banana - 1000 calories
  
• Total: 1570 calories consumed; 560 burned - 1010 net calories

Tuesday 3.25.08 - OPENING DAY @ 6:05 am from Tokyo!

• Weighed in at 236.5, down 37 from 8/31/07
• 8 am - Large coffee with soy milk - 15 calories
• 10:30 am - Reduced fat turkey bacon sandwich & coffee with soy milk - 365 calories
• 11:15 am - 10 min walk - 70 calories burned
• 2:55 pm - 10 min walk - 70 calories burned
• 3:15 pm - Celery & carrot sticks with ranch dressing, coffee with skim milk - 115 calories
• 7 pm - 10 min walk - 70 calories burned
  
• 7:30 pm - Chicken fajita salad - 650 calories
  
• Total: 1145 calories consumed; 210 burned - 935 net calories

Wednesday 3.26.08

• Weighed in at 236, down 37.5 from 8/31/07
• 8:30 am - Reduced fat turkey bacon sandwich & coffee with skim milk - 365 calories
• 1 pm - Jogged 1.6 miles around Danehy Park - 320 calories burned
• 3 pm - 10 min walk - 70 calories burned
• 3:15 pm - Chicken fajita salad - 650 calories
• 8:30 pm - Chicken caesar salad, pint of Bud Lite, too many cookies - 2100 calories
  
• Total: 3115 calories consumed; 390 burned = 2725 net calories

Thursday 3.27.08

• Weighed in at 235.5, down 38 from 8/31/07
• 9 am - Reduced fat turkey bacon sandwich & coffee with skim milk - 365 calories
• 12:30 pm - Jogged 1.7 miles around Danehy Park - 340 calories burned
• 1:30 pm - Chicken fajita salad - 650 calories
• 2 pm - 10 min walk - 70 calories burned
• 5:30 pm - Ultimate salad with blackened chicken; skim latte - 850 calories
• 8:30 pm - Small piece of cake to celebrate Lynn's 3rd GA anniversary -200 calories
  
• Total: 2075 calories consumed; 410 burned = 1660 net calories