Day 89 Review

It was a great day.

On top of 4.5 hours of exercise I managed to clean out my closet and dressers. I collected 2 garbage bags of clothes in poor condition to give to my motorcycle mechanic for rags. I'm hoping to persuade him to be somewhat gentle on my next invoice. I packed a total of 4 bags of clothes to donate to an orphanage I try to support. A couple of the boys are pretty large kids. I am hoping the home can use the clothes to help alleviate some of their financial burden. Though I suspect my suits and neckties will end as rags as well. It is all good.

I am left with only a few article of clothes. Amazing, I went shopping the other day and the jean sizes end at 36 inch waist. I thought they might fit but they only had straight leg....I will always be a freak in Japan. It is all good. I went to my favorite tailor, "The guy from India" and his shop is gone now. I hope he lands on his feet. My family and I will be in Canada next week and I'm planning a massive shopping trip.

An old sweet lady offered me a piece of brown sugar made from sugar cane. One of her relatives from up North made it. I took the smallest piece on the plate. A chocolate bar is about 200 calories and I'm guessing the piece of I ate was around 100 calories. It was pretty good.

Good Night

Day 89 Excercise

45 minute walk (stairs & hills)
1.5 hours Elliptical Trainer
1.5 hours weight training (arms, chest & legs)
45 minute inline skate

Total 4.5 hours

Day 89 Calories

Yogurt & Cereal 170
Apple 80
Miso Soup & Grapefruit 200
2 boxes Raisins & Banana 260
Mixed Salad & 4oz Chicken 500
Apple 80
Small chunk of Brown Sugar 100?

Total 1390

Day 89 Weight 89kg (196lbs)


Day 88 Review

Due to the rain I did not exercise as much as I would have liked, but it was still a great day.

Day 88 and 4 more weigh-ins until my 3 month diet is over. 8 is a very auspicious number for some Japanese due to the way the kanji character for 8 is written. I also remember the Olympics opened on the 8th second of the 8th minute of the 8th day of the 8th month, 2008. It is safe to say our Chinese friends also look favorably on the number 8. It would have been nice to weigh 88kg on my 88th day.

You know there are lots of nice people in the world but we meet very few sincerely, great human beings. My Batto Jutsu Sensei is one of those people. I've had the opportunity to train with him for 4 years now and have grown to truly respect the man. He is a gentleman and a great Japanese man. Also, a very careful, shrewd and talented teacher.

Sensei wouldn't care if you were a green man from the moon with no language skills. If you wanted to train, he would do everything possible to teach you the Art of his life. I had no interest in Martial Arts and met Sensei by chance. I started to train and have been doing so semi-regularly for 4 years. Truth be told, If it were not for the man specifically, I would have stopped going.

Sensei was consistent about mentioning my weight problem and smelling like brewery on Saturday mornings. He was always sincere. Never malicious. While changing into our street clothes today, he told me how much better I looked but felt - I still had about 10kg more to go. You know what? You know how I felt? Damn it! ...I felt, he is correct. Though I suspect 9kg is closer to the mark. I love honest people.

I now weigh what I weighed in High School. I am perfectly happy. My diet is almost over but I now realize my weight loss journey is not over. It won't be over until I find my ideal weight and then learn to maintain it by living a normal healthy life.

Good Night and Peace

Day 88 Excercise

1 hour walk
1 hour Batto Jutsu Practice

Total 2 hours

I train at the Prefecture Budokan. Below is a picture of the 1st floor Dojo where we train. It is a wonderful facility.


It costs 160yen (1.60USD) for a two hour visit for an adult. Under 19 and students pay 90yen a visit. The Okinawan staff are pretty laid back and the time limit is not strictly enforced.



There are 3 Dojos, a Gymnasium and a weight room. Staying healthy and fit in Okinawa is very affordable.





Day 88 Calories

Lite Yogurt & Cereal 170
Almonds 80
Vegetable Soup & 2oz Sanma (Pacific Saury) 300
Orange & Raisins 170
Bean Salad, 2oz Salmon & an Apple 450
3 Figs 150

Total 1320

Day 88 Weight 89kg (196lbs)


Day 87 Review

It was a great day.

My skate tonight was a classic. There was one old guy playing his flute. Every time I passed him he stopped playing, smiled and waved. Another old guy was playing his Sanshin and singing something about a princess.

There was lightning to the South.

I stopped to chat with a couple of nice Air force guys skating boarding with some locals. They weren't as good but they made up for it in their willingness to go a bit faster and a bit harder. Mostly, they were trying to improve their Japanese.

At the end of my skate I stopped at the sea wall and it just stared to rain. I made it back to my motorbike and had a nice cool ride home in an evening mist. I was thinking it will probably be a full moon on the last day of my 3 month diet.

Good Night

Day 87 Excercise

1 hour Elliptical Machine
1 hour weight training (arms & chest)
45 minutes inline skate

Total 2 hours 45 minutes

Day 87 Calories

Cereal & Soy Milk 170
Apple 80
Spicy Bean Soup 300
Orange & Almonds 150
Goya Champuru & an Apple 500
4 Figs 200

Total 1400

Below is a picture of Goya Chanpuru (Bitter Melon Stir Fry). It is a real simple dish; Firm Tofu, Back Bacon, Goya (Bitter Melon), Bean Sprouts, Egg, Sea Salt & Pepper. Stir fried, at at a low temp, using Olive Oil. I figure the portion below is 420 Calories.


I apologize for my poor camera skills.

Random Thoughts & Update

Cycles.

My livelihood is dependent on business & economic cycles. Specifically, the currency changes between the Yen and US, Cnd. and Aus. Dollars. I think about cycles everyday. There is no "understanding" them - just being aware, developing a feel and learning to guess.

The farmer and rancher are intuitively aware of season changes and weather patterns. Depending on the size of the outfit, commodity prices in Chicago, Winnipeg, Kansas and maybe Osaka and Zhengzhou are checked daily.

Since moving close to the ocean I have become familiar with tide and current cycles. Something the fisherman knows intuitively. I have even studied the phases of the moon as they have an influence on the traditional festivals here in Okinawa. Earlier sea travel and commerce were all dependent on obvious cycles to the people living during those times. Today, I think most people are ignorant of the cycles around them.

My goal is to lose weight. Checking and recording my weight every morning seems natural. I have noticed a number of cycles and cycles inside cycles. While calories intake and exercise remain constant I notice my weight will stay the same for 2-6 days and then drop quickly over 1-3 days. Exercising more and/or eating less does not really effect this cycle.

That said, I need to lose 5 kg to reach my goal. Based on my reading of my weight loss cycles I should finish my diet at 87kg. I will of course work hard to hit 85kg. Though, hitting 85kg is not important as long as I know I tried my best, up to the last minute.

Have a nice day.

Update.

I really don't think the experts really know exactly what is going on when you try to lose weight. Each person seems to have different experiences. What works for some, doesn't for others. Some people lose weight quickly, some slowly. None of it matters as long as one tries. Though, considered a wayward Catholic, I still have respect for the "Mysteries". There seems to be a lot of mystery in the weight loss game. We just need to believe we are doing the right thing and simply try.

Again, have a nice day.

Day 87 Weight 90kg(198lbs)



Day 86 Review

It was a good day. I pushed as hard as I could on my morning walk with intermittent jogging. Battou Jutsu Practice was great. It would be considered a very low intensity workout. Lots of breathing and concentrating. However the dojo was quite warm and the sweat poured off. I never go hard inline skating at night. I don't have any safety equipment and I'm usually tired and tend to be careless.

Between my soup and bean salad I still managed to consume 6 cups of diced veggies. Cabbage, celery, bean sprouts, carrots, leek, onion, green beans, gobo and some goya. Sorry, and Nira (garlic chives). I also had 6 litres of water or tea today.

Good Night and Peace.

Day 86 Excercise

1 hour walk
1 hour Battou Jutsu
1 hour inline skating

Total 3 hours

Day 86 Calories

Yogurt & Cereal 170
Fig & Almonds 80
Chicken Soup (3oz Chicken) 300
Peach & Raisins 150
Bean Salad 400
3 Plums & 2 Fig 200

Total 1300

Random Thoughts

My 3 month Okinawa diet is almost over. I am in the process figuring out how to move on to the next step. I just read a great article at Lyle McDonald's Body Recompostion site call the Full Diet Break. If interested you can read it here.

Day 86 Weight 90kg (198lbs)

Like I wrote last night. I am so focused on my diet that I see lessons everywhere. I finished my book on Zen Lessons last night and I promise these are my last quotes,

Fojian said,

"The ancients experienced difficulty and hardship, and encountered perils and obstacles, and only after that did they experience peace."

"It seems that when the task is difficult the will is sharp; hardship makes the thoughts deep. Eventually one can turn calamity into fortune..."

Have a nice day

Day 85 Review

It was an all round great day.

English books were 70% off at Yohan Books today. I picked up Zen Lessons "The Art of Leadership" translated by Thomas Cleary. I am so focused on my diet I "see" diet lessons everywhere. I found this interesting.

Miaoxi said, "The ancients would adopt what was good when they saw it, and if they made a mistake they would change it." And, "...They worried about nothing so much as not knowing their own bad points, and liked nothing so much as learning of their mistakes."

Good Night and Peace

Home Grown Goya (Bitter Mellon)

Below is a Goya (Bitter Mellon) my wife's grandfather gave us. The old guy tends his garden everyday and supplies veggies for about 8 families.



It common to see Goya growing in yards and over parking spots. I took this picture just outside my door. There seems to be a deep unspoken union between Okinawans and growing, eating and sharing vegetables.



Day 85 Excercise

1 hour walk
1 hour bicycle ride

Total 2 hours

Day 85 Calories

Lite Yogurt & 30 grams Muesli Cereal 170
Almonds 80
Vegetable Soup & 1oz Sardines 300
1/2 Avocado & 1 Dried Fig 170
Shirataki Salad & 3oz Shrimp 390
1 Plum & 1 Dried Fig 80

Total 1190

Day 85 Weight 90kg(198lbs)


12 Week Review

I finished my 12th week and have one more week until I finish my 3 month Okinawa diet. I've lost 37kg(81lbs) for an average of 3.1kg(6.75lbs) a week. Today I weigh 90kg and have 7 more weigh-ins to reach my final goal of 85kg. It will be close.

I am trying to model my diet after the Okinawan seniors who tend to have the longest life span of any people in the world. I set 8 additional goals. The first 3 goals I set after reading about successful dieters who personalities I could identify with.

The last 5 goals are a bit peculiar. I met an old Okinawan/Taiwanese holistic healer/Naturopath (not sure what he would be called) in a little restaurant. I told him how I was struggling on my diet and he gave me some advice. He was a sincere man but I ignored him. Later, I decided to incorporate his advice into my faltering diet.

Goal 1 -Weight myself everyday.
Without fail I have done this. I understand why the "experts" are against this but for me, at this stage in my diet, it has been essential.

Goal 2 - Consume less than 1600 calories a day.
My daily average is almost bang on 1500 calories a day. Fighting the urge to eat in the evening made me cranky at first but now I have no problems. At the next stage in my diet I will no longer count calories but am very thankful I took the time to educate myself.

Goal 3 - Exercises 1.5 hours a day.
The last 3 weeks I averaged 2:15 exercise a day. Overall, I average about 2 hours day. Over a week; about 6-8 hours low intensity exercise, like walking. 4-5 hours med/high intensity and 2 hours weight training. Usually, I excercies early in the morning and after dinner.

Goal 4 - Drink 12 cups of Sanpin Tea everyday.
I drink at minimum 1 litre a day.

Goal 5 - Eat 1.5 cups of Konnyaku a day.
I never succeeded. I average 4-5 cups a week. I do love the stuff and put it in my soups and stirfrys. I make a shiritaki salad with diced vegetables, konbu and olive oil.

Goal 6 - Eat half a goya (bitter melon) a day.
I never succeeded. I eat one goya a week. But I did start drinking 1 litre of goya tea a day. It is bitter and took a bit getting use to but I really like it.

Goal 7 - Eat 10 cm of Gobo Root (burdock) every day.
I surpassed this goal. I put burdock in my soups, stirfrys and eat it boiled, just like a carrot.

Goal 8 - Eat Konbu (seaweed) 3 times a week.
I also surpassed this goal. I put a bit in my soup and stirfys. I also keep some soaked and add it to my mixed salad. I never eat it more than once a day.

Day 84 Review

It was a great day. Tomorrow morning is my 12 week weigh-in. I tried my hardest today and will be satisfied with whatever number shows up on the scale. Not wishing to sound sappy by repeating myself but I must say, my diet would be much more difficult without my wife's understanding.

I sometimes add garlic chives to my soups, salads and stir frys. The Japanese name is Nira. You can check out the wikipedia entry here. If you like a softer garlic taste and see them in the market, give them a try.

Growing up I never ate Spam. I came to Okinawa and found it served as part of the main dish in many restaurants. My wife would buy a can or two a week and now, I eat it regularly. I really like it. I once sat beside a Hormel Rep on the plane and he told me Okinawans buy more Spam per capita than any other state, prefecture or province in the world.

The thing is, the portions most people eat are very small, around, 2oz. My wife was not impressed when I put half a can in my morning omelet and put the other half in my sandwich for the beach. This of course was about 1 year PD (Pre-Diet).

Good Night

Sunset over the East China Sea

I went inline skating this evening and arrived at Ginowan Park just as the sun was setting. While not the most beautiful sunset, it is the first one I've seen since the begining of the rainy season. I apologize for my poor camera skills.

Day 84 Excercise

45 minutes walk (hills & stairs)
1 hour Elliptical Trainer
1 hour weight training (legs and abs)
1 hour in line skating

Total 3 hours 45 minutes

Day 84 Calories

Yogurt & Banana 170
Apple 80
Miso Soup & 3oz Spam 300
Raisins & 16 Almonds 170
Mixed Salad & 1.5oz Sardines 400
Orange 80

Total 1200

Day 84 Weight 91kg (200lbs)

91.2kg is equal to 200.64lbs. I am almost at the magical 200 pound gate that guards, what some fat bloggers call, Onderland. It has been an interesting journey, I hope to enter this magical place sometime before tomorrow morning. Have a nice day




Day 83 Review

A really good day. I've been to parties and not drank before but last night, for the first time in my adult life, I went to a party at a Bar and did not drink. I wish I trusted myself to have just one or two but I didn't. That will be my next goal - learning moderation.

I started my "All Fruit Sunday" on a whim a month back.I quite enjoy it. I wonder if it will ever be a fad diet? Speaking of fad diets I just read someone blasting the apple vinegar diet.

An old sensei at the dojo has been adding vinegar to his water for years and recommended I do the same. Out of respect, I have. I'm sure it is not hurting anything. Don't know how much it helps. But I don't have the urge to bash nor the willingness to be negative. Why do others?

I forgot where I read that dieting is 80% mental and 20% diet & exercise. Dieting sure seems like a mental game but I suspect faith plays a big role. You have to have faith that your method is "correct". You have to believe you have an "edge". If you start questioning your methods you will probably fail. In my experience, life is like that. Just my two bits.

Good Night

Day 83 Excercise

1 hour walk

Total 1 hour

Day 83 Calories

Apple 80 (6:00)
Kiwi 50 (7:00)
1/2 Melon 120 (8:00)
1/2 Avocado 120 (10:00)
Grapefruit 90 (11:00)
Banana 80 (12:00)
Orange 80 (1:00)
Apple 80 (4:00)
Orange 80 (5:00)
Avocado 240 (6:00)
Mango 140 (7:00)

Total 1160

Day 83 Weight 92kg (202lbs)