Day 28 of 100 Days to Thanksgiving

Day 28 of 100 Days to Thanksgiving
253/236/195
September 11, 2005

I came back from my camping trip last evening (Saturday), a day early.
We couldn't go to Middle Sister because the snow level was so low and
the ground may have been covered in snow and ice, so we went to the
Jefferson National Park area in Central Oregon. We went about 6 miles,
climbing about 3000 feet on Saturday. The rain fell - as did hail
later on - and it was very cold and, for me, arduous. But a heck of a
lot of fun. (I had bought some cigars to celebrate my climb up but had
forgotten them in the car. Just as well - with the roaring wind at
Hunt Lake, I'm not sure I would have been able to light them anyway.)


Before I left on Friday, I weighed 236 and so 17 pounds are gone in 28
days.

In my tent on Friday night and on Saturday morning, I was listening to
"On the Road to Appomattox," this a 7 cassette series talking about
the Civil War. This sure helped me to get to sleep with the loud storm
outside and also kept me on task while packing the next day. (A lot of
my stuff weighed more coming off the mountain as it was waterlogged.
Next time I'm getting more synthetic, water resistant material.)

I sure didn't overeat on the trail, having had a dehydrated beef and
potato dinner for dinner and a dehydrated turkey noodle dinner for
breakfast - an average of 500 calories each. But the surroundings
were awesome even at Hunt Lake.

Today I've been quite stiff at times (bending my thighs is sore) but
we went up our little hill again today and I did fine for me.

I've been enjoying the books on tape recording, even though my
attention has been wandering and I would not be able to reconstruct too
many details of the battles fought and the personalities of the various
generals, etc. One famous general described was Sedgwick and perhaps
his claim to fame was declaring about the Rebel sharpshooters:
"Don't worry, boys! They couldn't hit an elephant from this
distance!" just before he was shot dead by a sharpshooter. (It struck
me that perhaps even if he thought he might be vulnerable at that
distance, he still might have wanted to encourage his men.)

At any rate, I'm almost finished with the tape series and I doubt
whether I would have finished a book on the topic. This taped series
has kept me on task enough to learn what the book is saying. So I
haven't lost the thread of the story, the circumstances, etc.

Seems to me that in weight-loss, it's very important to find
something as well that will allow one to generally continue to focus on
"being good enough for long enough" for day after day, week after
week, month after month. Whatever thread works for us should be
considered, including: low calorie and exercise, low-carbs, vegetarian,
etc., etc. Whatever it takes to help us to (as they say about
soldiers' feet) "pick 'em and put 'em down" long enough to
get to where we want to go.

I hope everyone has a great week ahead and season ahead and that we all
will be successful with whatever program we adopt!

Yours,

Caleb