Day 20 of 100 Days to Thanksgiving

Day 20 of 100 Days to Thanksgiving
253/240/195

My scale showed me at the same weight as yesterday - 240. So still 13
pounds gone. My little indicator "wanted" to go lower - I could
see it struggling, quivering, wanting to go lower. (Actually, I just
made that part up. My balance indicator is a malicious and terrible
little instrument and clearly is the seat of all that is evil in the
world. Actually that part is true. I think sometimes.)

However, weight loss or time on a good "diet and exercise program"
- they will result in the same thing - a healthier person over
time.

Reminds me of one of my hiking friends who doesn't like to look at
the map, the GPS, etc., when he hikes. He likes to be surprised by what
is coming ahead. Another friend likes all of those accoutrements (and I
do too). I was surprised once by his taking out his GPS and being able
to point to exactly where he wanted to be through thick woods. (This
was six years ago and since then I have gotten one of those devices as
well.) GPS units get their data from satellites overhead - three
satellites and you've got a fix on your location.

This last friend prints out maps before hikes, has GPS coordinates,
altitude gained, etc., and that's the kind of stuff I really like, in
part because it tells you where you are, how much you have left to
reach, and how much heavy uphill you still have ahead. Kind of like the
notion of going to a grocery store and getting a big bag of groceries
- you can always (or almost always) just make it through your front
door. So, too, knowing the goal ahead helps one forge on rather than
quit.

In a hike, all the valid signs agree with each other (where you are on
the map, your altitude, your distance to your goal, etc.) and it's
the same with losing weight. (Hence, huge amounts of good-tasting food
still count, no matter whether someone has caught me devouring it or
not.) Fewer calories in than you're burning and weight is lost. More
calories in than you're burning and everything else being equal
(except, perhaps, for those lucky few) and weight goes on, and on, and
....

Anyway, I hope the signs are great for everyone! Whether it's numbers
on the scale, pants or dresses fitting better, a faster time in a walk
or run, etc.!

I went up my hill yesterday without a backpack and did well. I had
about 1100 calorie yesterday - some chicken, vegetables and a little
rice, three crumpets, and about 7 or 8 skinny crackers. Today we're
hanging a door (have never done it and I expect a lot of rich
vocabulary to come out of my mouth, but www.hammerzone.com is a great
place to learn about such things) and later I'm up the hill with my
25 pound pack. Our Middle Sister hike is next weekend and 7 days from
today, we hope at this time of day to have been ascending the mountain
for about 3 hours. (Starting out at about 6 a.m.)

It's a beautiful day here in the Portland, Oregon area and I hope
it's great where you are as well!

Yours,

Caleb