Category Archives: Losing Weight

Contest, Losing Weight, Tomatoes

No Gain

On January 7th, I started on a program to lose a half-pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5 lbs. 
Weight on Sunday, Mar.11th: 198.0 lbs.
Target weight yesterday was 200.0 lbs.

I am 2.0 lbs ahead of schedule.

I lost just .1 lbs. this week. At least I did not gain anything. My resting heart rate was 56 beats per minute. As long as it’s in the 50’s, I consider that good.

This week there was an unusual amount of eating out. And to make matters worse, I didn’t train at all for the whole week. But it was not because I was totally lazy. It was because I felt that the rest would do me good.

I plan to resume my normal exercise routine tomorrow, and must make sure to ride my bike tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, that’s when we’re having the final judging of the Tomato Recipe Contest we are sponsoring. It will be held at the Hawai‘i Community College Gourmet Dining Room, where our judges will taste-test 15 tomato dishes in three different categories. Students from the Hawai’i Community College food service department will prepare each dish.

Each winner gets a $350 Foodland gift certificate and a personal farm tour of Hamakua Springs Country Farms, as well as their way paid here. We will tell you about the tasting and judging and announce the winners here on Wednesday.

Bike, Losing Weight

Training

On January 7th, I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5 lbs.
Weight on Sunday, Mar. 4th: 198.4 lbs.

Target weight yesterday was 200.5 lbs.
I am 2.1 lbs ahead of schedule.

I’m getting in shape for a mountain bike “Poker Run” on April 15:

Monday – Forty minutes on the elliptical training, plus some weight lifting (three sets of 10 reps).

Tuesday – Cross-country hill climbs on the farm. There is a 35-minute course with three steep hills. Next week, I’ll do one of those hills twice.

Wednesday – Sixty easy minutes on the elliptical.

Thursday – Forty minutes on the elliptical, plus weight lifting (three sets of 10 reps). I’m working toward four sets and increased weight. Last week, I did four sets of 25 crunches. This week, two of those sets were done with five-pound weights behind my head.

Friday – I rode Banana Hill, which is 45 minutes straight up. I’m improving; it wasn’t so painful.

Saturday – Rest.

Sunday – I rode for three hours. I am a little ahead of schedule with my weight loss, so next week I’ll take it easy and do two and a half hours. Then the following week, three hours and the week after that three hours and 30 minutes.

I am increasing my training intensity and so far, so good. Every third week, I’ll decrease the intensity so that I don’t injure myself.

Training is something I like to do. It’s much easier for me than controlling calorie intake. It is what it is and I’m not agonizing about it.

Bike, Losing Weight

Riding

Richard Ha writes:

On January 7th, I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5 lbs.
Weight on Sunday, Feb. 25th: 199.6 lbs.
Target weight today: 201.0 lbs.

I am 1.4 lbs ahead of schedule.

Last week, I wrote that I’m in training for a mountain bike Poker Run on April 15th. My plan is to be able to ride my bike for three continuous hours by then.

Today I rode for two hours and 35 minutes at an average heart rate of 126 beats per minute. I’ll probably be able to do three hours within two more weeks.

Although I was not able to go this week, I still plan to practice in Kulani twice per week. This past week, I did a cross country ride through the farm, going up and down four hills. This week I’ll add one more hill, and so on. The whole ride takes less than an hour.

It’s obvious to me, though, that the single most effective thing I can do to increase my performance on April 15th is to lose weight. So in between the heavy training, I’ll spend at least an hour per day burning fat at a very low heart rate. I say a “very low heart rate” because my objective is to avoid training so hard that it affects my training schedule. This takes a lot of self discipline. One needs to force oneself not to charge, and train too hard.

Bike, Losing Weight

Poker Run

1 Comment

Richard Ha writes:

January 7th I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5 lbs.

Weight on Sunday, Feb. 18th, 2007: 200.3 lbs.

Target weight today: 201.5 lbs.

I am 1.2 pounds ahead of target. Resting heart rate is 64 beats per minute, which is 10 beats per minute higher than usual. This probably means I am not completely recovered from two hours on my bike yesterday.

I’m training for a Poker Run on April 15th. I just learned about this from Chris Seymour, elite mountain biker and owner of the Hilo Bike Hub. It’s a mountain bike event where jugs, with playing cards in them, hang from trees along the way. You collect one card from each jug you come upon. The further you go, the more cards you collect. And at the end of the day the best poker hand wins. This will be a fun ride.

The route is long and tough. Chris told me there will be a beginners’ loop, which will continue on as the advanced riders’ loop. When I asked him how long it would take, he said it might take him 45 minutes or so for each. I know it would take me at least two hours for the beginner loop. This is off road, and there is a world of difference.

On Monday, when I first heard about it, I thought the Poker Run sounded interesting. On Wednesday, I thought, “Hmm.” By Friday, it was “Where am I, and what do I need to do?” On Saturday, I took a two hour ride. On Sunday, I was totally committed.

I have eight weeks to train before the Poker Run. My goals:

• To be able to ride continuously for three hours by systematically increasing the length of my long rides.
• To be comfortable riding off road by practicing in Kulani twice a week.
• To increase my ability to ride at high heart rates for short frequent bursts by doing off road hill climbs, where I reach high heart rates for short periods.

What would help me the most is losing weight. I’m like a 170 pound guy in fairly good shape who’s carrying a 30 pound pack. Any weight I lose between now and then will allow me to go faster for a longer time. So I plan to cut way back on sugars and fats. I’ll be careful to eat the amount of carbs and proteins I need, but not go much over. I’m eating salads every night.

Now I have real motivation to lose weight. I have a hard time getting motivated by things such as, “You will look better,” etc. But mention a race and I can really relate and focus.

I’m busy making up my training schedule. This will be a lot of fun.

Losing Weight

Dressing Up

Richard Ha wrote:

On January 7th I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5
 lbs.
Weight on Monday, Feb. 11th, 2007: 200.9
 lbs.
Target weight today: 202 lbs.

I lost .4 pounds this week instead of the .5 I’d planned. But I am still 1.1 pounds ahead of target. Resting heart rate is 55 beats per minute. This is fine. I exercised and rode my bike at a relatively easy pace everyday.

I put an air shock on my bike. Chris Seymour, who owns Hilo Bike Hub, noticed I was leaning too far forward at Kulani. Also, my bike’s front end had too much sag so we adjusted that. With some practice, perhaps, I can keep from going over the handlebars. The position feels much better and it’s easier now to lift the front end, such as when I need to go over logs.

I am trying to eat a salad for dinner every evening and practicing what I learned from Chef Alan Wong recently about making my own salad dressing. June and I were fortunate enough to sit in a salad dressing class that Chef Alan recently gave his new chefs. He is an excellent teacher and said to think of the lesson like karaoke, in that the basic principle is like the melody. Once we understand the basic principles of salad dressings, he explained, we can improvise and "sing it" our own way.

For salad dressing, he said a ratio of 1 part vinegar (acid) to 3 parts oil is fairly well-balanced. One part acid to 2 parts oil would be fairly acidic for most people, he said. If one wants to neutralize the acid without adding oil, one can add sugar.

Since I want to lower calories, I used less oil and added Splenda to neutralize the acid. This worked fine.

Some of the basic ingredients he uses are chopped parsley, mustard, minced scallions, minced garlic, Hawaiian salt and ground pepper. I could make the oil and vinegar mixture and then whisk in the rest of the ingredients and pour it over salad greens. If I bottled that mixture, I learned, the oil would eventually separate out. But if I beat in an egg, it would stabilize the mixture and keep it from separating.

Chef Alan cubed some tomatoes, salted them and let them sit for 15 minutes. Liquid came out of the tomatoes and settled on the bottom of the bowl. Next, he added his basic ingredients (described above) and lightly tossed it. Then he poured this over salad greens and tossed that. It became a tomato and lettuce salad. I liked that.

One day I experimented by replacing the tomatoes with ponzu sauce and oil and cubed ahi. I added this to the basic ingredients, tossed it, poured it on some lettuce and tossed it again. This was simple and good. I’m starting to hum along to the melody.

So I’m still experimenting. I’m eating a lot of salads from the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers we grow. Now that salads are becoming such an important part of my meal plan, I’m glad we are moving toward seeing how nutrient-dense we can make our vegetables.

I’ll write more about my journey as I continue learning about making salad dressings.

Losing Weight

Reinventing the Wheel

Richard Ha wrote: On January 7th I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5
Weight today, Feb. 4th, 2007: 201.3
Target weight today: 202.5

Because I was already “ahead of schedule,” I am still 1.2 pounds ahead. However, this past week I gained .8 lbs. instead of losing .5 lbs., as had I meant to.

Resting heart rate today: 53 beats per minute. I’m doing fine in this area. My heart thinks it’s inside a 150-lb. person who’s carrying a 51.3 lb. backpack. That’s pretty good if you look at it that way.

This past Sunday I rode my bike too hard and for too long. I rode around the neighborhood for 70 minutes at a pace 10 minutes faster than my previous best. I even stood up and got out of the saddle for each of the six small hills. That was a first. I almost felt like a real bike rider.

However, the consequence of riding too hard is that I was only motivated to exercise twice during the rest of the week. I’m very well-rested today and so will put in maybe 90 minutes cruising. My goal for this week is to exercise every day, while being careful not to push too hard. I intend to push hard on only one day, and only for about 30 minutes. From previous experience I know that this will not cause overtraining.

Had I not pushed too hard on my Sunday bike ride, I know I would have lost a little weight instead of gaining. Also, I was not willing to pass on the liliko‘i cheescake that June and I shared at Café Pesto. So now I owe.

Besides over-exercising, I’ve been experimenting with different salads and salad dressings. June and I sat in on a salad dressing-making class that Chef Alan Wong gave last week for some of his new chefs.

I had planned to eat a salad every night while experimenting with the new principles we learned. But instead of following Chef Alan’s instructions, I made portions that were too large and I experimented with different proportions of oil and vinegar. Some of my concoctions had much more oil than recommended.

But I needed to experience it for myself in order to understand the principles. So that, combined with hardly any exercise, resulted in my weight gain this week. I’m sure that if I had followed Chef Alan’s instructions, I would not have gained weight. But reinventing the wheel is what I do. Cannot help.

I’ve said that I would fast when I gained more than half a pound. And I will. I’ve been procrastinating about taking a blood test for a routine doctor visit that is coming up soon. Since I must do this sooner or later anyway, I’ll fast starting today at 3 p.m. and take the blood test tomorrow. This will kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Alan Wong, Losing Weight, The Good Life

Reward

Richard Ha wrote:

On Jan 7th I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5
Weight today, Jan. 28, 2007: 201.0
Scheduled weight: 203.0

I am 2.0 pounds ahead of schedule.

Resting heart rate today: 54 beats per minute.

Months ago, in a previous incarnation of my weight loss program, I got down to 200 pounds and planned to reward myself by having dinner with friends at Alan Wong’s Restaurant in Honolulu.

This past Saturday night, June and I, along with Linda and Dan Nakasone, finally went. For appetizers I had an ‘Opihi Shooter. Here’s what is in that fluted, two-ounce shooter glass, from the bottom up: An olive, a couple slivers of scallion, a couple pieces of fennel, a slice of basil and a slice of shizo leaf, an ume plum, four pieces of diced tomatoes, two more slivers of scallion, an ‘opihi, a wasabi pearl and a sprig of chervil. When you down all this in one shot you get a sensory short-circuit.

We also shared a dish of three different tomato salads. The flavors were incredible. This is not just “eating”—it’s an experience. I stuffed myself.

For my entrée, I had Ginger-Crusted Onaga. It was prepared perfectly. It had a nice crispy crust and sat on a bed of Nozawa sweet corn with Hamakua mushrooms, surrounded by a miso sesame vinaigrette. For an instant, my memory flashed on when Dad used to go fishing and would bring home moi, and Mom would steam it in ti leaf with Hawaiian salt and ginger, then pour hot spattering sesame oil and then shoyu over it.

The dish does not look like that at all, nor are the ingredients the same. It just brought on that memory flash for a moment. That added to the experience for me.

For dessert, June and I went for the Five Spoonfuls of Brulee, which consists of macadamia nuts, Waialua chocolate, Ka‘u orange, Kona Mocha and Liliko‘i brulee, each served in an individual saimin spoon. Then, Michelle, the pastry chef, brought out four variations of Wailua Chocolate truffles for each of us. We were so full we didn’t think we could eat another bite, but they looked so good we had to try. They were just delicious.

But we were totally full, so we asked for a doggie bag. The truffles came back in two little gift-wrapped boxes. Incredible. June protected her treasures all the way back to Hilo.

And it turned out that wasn’t enough of Chef Alan’s creations, so on Saturday June and I went to The Pineapple Room for lunch. The food was delicious and the staff incredible. Again, we indulged.

And this is why I am so happy. In spite of trying so many of Chef Alan’s creations, I lost more weight this week than was my goal. My strategy? I made an effort to eat a little less before our splurges and a little less after. This, along with my exercise program, worked and I was able to continue losing weight.

Maybe I should reward myself with another trip to Alan Wong’s when I hit 200 lbs. again. I think everybody would be game.

Leslie’s note: Wait a minute, Richard—You’re not supposed to keep gaining and losing the same couple pounds over and over so that you keep getting to go back to Alan Wong’s!

Losing Weight

Threats

Richard Ha writes:

This is the second week of my new “post-holidays” weight loss program, and I am losing weight steadily.

I’m making good progress by merely threatening to fast. My new rule is that if I gain more than half a pound per week – instead of losing a half pound, which is the goal – I will fast the following day from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m. Whenever I think about fasting, I find myself focusing on the calories I’m eating and my diet “self-corrects.”

It also seems important that I keep to a regular routine and make sure to eat every meal. This week I skipped breakfast twice, and I noticed my weight fluctuates more when I do that. Fortunately I’m only focusing on losing a half pound per week. Still, I need to constantly be aware of how many calories I’m eating. It’s easy to underestimate.

My exercise program is also proceeding well. I’m riding my bike more often and at a higher level of exertion. Yesterday I rode for an hour, at an average heart rate of 126 beats per minute, and this did not feel hard. It felt about the same as my exertion level back in May and June, when I was exercising at 108 beats per minute. So I’m making progress.

On Jan 7th I started on a program to lose a half pound per week.
Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5
Weight today, Jan. 21, 2007: 202.1

Planned weight: 203.5
I am 1.4 pounds ahead of schedule.

Resting heart rate today: 55 beats per minute.

Losing Weight

Back on Track

Richard Ha writes:

This is the first week of my revised weight loss program.

My plan is to lose 1/2 pound per week. If, during any week, I instead gain more than a half pound, my strategy is to fast from 3 p.m. the next day to 10 a.m. the following day, and then continue with my eating program as detailed here.

My plan is to eat three normal meals per day and two planned calorie snacks, one at 10 a.m. and the second at about 3 p.m. Each snack will consist of around 110 calories.

I find I’m more conscious of keeping to this meal schedule now that I’ve added the “skip an evening meal whenever I’m more than a half pound behind schedule” component. I don’t only think about the current day, but I find myself doing contingency planning–in case I need to skip a meal, what will my meals consist of prior to and after skipping the meal? This is helping me be more conscious of my calorie intake.

I plan to continue with my exercise program, where the goal is to lower my resting heart rate to below 50 beats per minute. Three times a week,B my plan is to do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at 130 heartbeats per minute. Twice a week I will do 40 minutes at 120 beats per minute. On one day, I will exercise for 90 minutes in the 120 -125 beats per minute range. And one day I will do three intervals hitting 150 beats per minute or higher in a 30-minute period. Mountain bike riding will generally fulfill this requirement.

Weight on Jan. 7, 2007: 204.5
Weight today, Jan. 15, 2007: 202.7
I lost 1.8 pounds since last week.

Scheduled weight: 204
I am 1.3 pounds ahead of schedule.

Resting heart rate today: 54 beats per minute.

Losing Weight

Christmas Cookies

Richard Ha writes:

The cookies and holiday leftovers are gone now, and my weight is up to 204.5 lbs. Over the holidays, I gained more than five pounds.

But there is no sense in beating myself up about it. Instead, I am refocusing my efforts.

I plan to lose a half-pound per week until I weigh 190 pounds. This should take me 29 weeks, meaning I should be at 190 lbs. on July 29, 2007. If I get ahead of schedule, which I suspect might happen, I’ll just shorten the target date.

My other new effort is that I plan to follow Leslie’s weight loss plan. She eats three normal meals and two pre-planned snacks in between. The key to her success is that she does not eat anything after the last meal; “not even a grape.”

Because I know that I am not that disciplined, I need a safety valve. That safety valve is an occasional “fast.” When I become more than half a pound behind schedule, I’ll fast between 3 p.m. and 10 a.m. the following morning. I’ll eat a controlled snack at 10 a.m. and resume my normal eating schedule at noon. I’m fasting right now.

To put everything into perspective, I started to exercise and lose weight back in May when I noticed I was having a hard time straightening up after sitting for a while. I was starting to take on an old person’s gait. I knew I needed to do physical exercise and lose weight or I would be taking the long downhill slide.

My resting heart rate at that point was in the mid-70s. Now it’s in the mid 50s. A lower resting heart rate is an indicator of physical conditioning. This tells me that though I’m overweight, I am in pretty good cardiovascular shape.

I plan to use this format to report my progress from week to week:

Weight on Jan 07, 2007: 204.5
Weight today:x
Scheduled weight:x

Pounds ahead (behind) schedule:x

Resting heart rate today: x