Engineer’s Bookshelf
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Earl54
There should be a huge (umm, pun partly intended) market for this, but I'm ...
Duane Benson
I’m going to walk across America!
Clive Maxfield
5/21/2012 4:51 PM EDT
In my earlier column It looks unappealing and it smells appalling, but… I mentioned that I had just started reading A. J. Jacobs’ latest work – Drop Dead Healthy – One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection (Click Here to see that column).
Well, I finished this book yesterday, and let me start by saying it was a jolly good read. It is particularly interesting to me because I really do need to change my own lifestyle – spending eight hours a day working on a computer without taking any form of break or exercise is not doing me any good at all. This isn’t just about losing weight and getting “6-pack abs” (although that would be nice), it’s also about increasing one’s lifespan, freedom from disease and pain, and achieving a sense of emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
As it says on Amazon, as part of Jacobs’ quest:
Now, Jacobs is the first to admit that he is not going to spend the rest of his life dieting and exercising to the same levels he did while researching his book, but he does say that he is going to keep on practicing quite a few of the things he discovered on the way.
As part of his journey, Jacobs provides a lot of useful tips and tricks, like keeping a food log (more below). None of this is revolutionary. We’ve all seen most of it before. The thing is that, as part of reading this book, I took notes on things that (a) made sense to me and (b) I think that I can do (and keep on doing).
The first thing I’m going to start doing is eating better. My usual workday involves a lot of black coffee and not much food. Once I’m in my office, I can happily work through the day without easing anything or even thinking about food. Later, when I return home, I have a big supper. None of this is good for me. I know that it’s much better to have a number of small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day.
Also, as I mentioned, one of Jacobs' tips is to keep a food log. He says that you tend to eat healthier and in smaller quantities if you write it all down. So as of this morning I popped into the supermarket on the way into work to purchase some supplies and I started my log as follows:
I’m afraid that’s it with regard to the food log so far – I’m eating the sandwich as I type these words (decades of “hunt-and-peck” typing have given me the ability to type with either hand while doing something like drinking coffee or eating a sandwich with the other). However, I do have plans for an apple as a mid-afternoon snack, which will be dutifully recorded in my log.
Another obvious point is portion control. Starting this evening, I’m going to employ Jacobs' trick of eating off a smaller plate – he used his kid’s "dinosaur plate"; I’m going to use a side plate.
Of course eating less is not enough on its own; it’s also important to exercise. I used to walk everyday a few years ago, but I fell out of the habit (you miss one day, then another, then you find a week’s gone by, then a month…). Well, that’s all over – I’m going to start walking again. The thing is that I like to have a goal to aim at, so I’ve decided to walk from Central Park in New York to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
Actually, much as I would like to, I’m not actually going to walk the path as shown on the map, because I have a wife and son who would miss me and I have a job that won’t do itself. Instead, I’m going to keep track of how far I walk and then plot my virtual progress on the map. I started off by asking Google for directions from Central Park to San Francisco – the result was the map shown above – three pages of directions, and a summary that said the total distance was 2,911 miles.
When I glanced at the directions for exiting Central Park they seemed a little strange, so I zoomed in on the map to see what was happening. As shown below, these directions had me starting off by heading North-North-East, then doing a U-turn, then coming back through Central Park, followed by a little “jig”, then under the Lincoln Tunnel, followed by a 360-degree loop…
The problem, of course, was that I had asked for driving directions. When I clicked the button for walking directions, things changed slightly as shown below. Now the journey has grown to 2,966 miles (with 49 pages of directions) and early on I have to take a short excursion into Canada (I hope they will be kind to me :-)
I’m not in any rush here, you understand. As part of its directions, Google informs me that my trek is anticipated to take 39 days and 4 hours, but that assumes I’m doing nothing but walking all day, every day. In reality, I’m only going to walk a little here and a little there when I can, so it could take me two or three years to complete my journey. I don’t care … I have my goal … as the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC) famously said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Last but not least, you will be happy to know that I’m not going to bore you with this on a day-by-day basis. I’m just going to quietly go off and do my own thing. Having said this, once I start seeing some significant progress, it’s hard to imagine that I won’t be shouting it from the rooftops (grin).
In the meantime, do you have any tips and tricks on how to lose weight (and keep it off) and generally increase one's health and well-being?
If you found this article to be amusing and/or of interest, visit Programmable Logic Designline where – in addition to my blogs on all sorts of "stuff" (also check out my Max's Cool Beans blog) – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to programmable logic devices of every flavor and size (FPGAs, CPLDs, CSSPs, PSoCs...).
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
Well, I finished this book yesterday, and let me start by saying it was a jolly good read. It is particularly interesting to me because I really do need to change my own lifestyle – spending eight hours a day working on a computer without taking any form of break or exercise is not doing me any good at all. This isn’t just about losing weight and getting “6-pack abs” (although that would be nice), it’s also about increasing one’s lifespan, freedom from disease and pain, and achieving a sense of emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
As it says on Amazon, as part of Jacobs’ quest:
He consulted an army of experts— sleep consultants and sex clinicians, nutritionists and dermatologists. He subjected himself to dozens of different workouts—from Strollercize classes to Finger Fitness sessions, from bouldering with cavemen to a treadmill desk. And he took in a cartload of diets: raw foods, veganism, high protein, calorie restriction, extreme chewing, and dozens more. He bought gadgets and helmets, earphones and juicers. He poked and he pinched. He counted and he measured.
Now, Jacobs is the first to admit that he is not going to spend the rest of his life dieting and exercising to the same levels he did while researching his book, but he does say that he is going to keep on practicing quite a few of the things he discovered on the way.
As part of his journey, Jacobs provides a lot of useful tips and tricks, like keeping a food log (more below). None of this is revolutionary. We’ve all seen most of it before. The thing is that, as part of reading this book, I took notes on things that (a) made sense to me and (b) I think that I can do (and keep on doing).
The first thing I’m going to start doing is eating better. My usual workday involves a lot of black coffee and not much food. Once I’m in my office, I can happily work through the day without easing anything or even thinking about food. Later, when I return home, I have a big supper. None of this is good for me. I know that it’s much better to have a number of small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day.
Also, as I mentioned, one of Jacobs' tips is to keep a food log. He says that you tend to eat healthier and in smaller quantities if you write it all down. So as of this morning I popped into the supermarket on the way into work to purchase some supplies and I started my log as follows:
- 09:00 a.m. Handful of shelled walnuts (good for Omaga-3, whatever that is)
- 11:30 a.m. Medium banana (good for all sorts of things, plus it looks funny)
- 01:00 p.m. Sandwich: Two slices of whole wheat bread (3 grams of fiber per slice), 2 slices of 99% fat free smoked turkey breast, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, yellow mustard, pepper (no salt).
I’m afraid that’s it with regard to the food log so far – I’m eating the sandwich as I type these words (decades of “hunt-and-peck” typing have given me the ability to type with either hand while doing something like drinking coffee or eating a sandwich with the other). However, I do have plans for an apple as a mid-afternoon snack, which will be dutifully recorded in my log.
Another obvious point is portion control. Starting this evening, I’m going to employ Jacobs' trick of eating off a smaller plate – he used his kid’s "dinosaur plate"; I’m going to use a side plate.
Of course eating less is not enough on its own; it’s also important to exercise. I used to walk everyday a few years ago, but I fell out of the habit (you miss one day, then another, then you find a week’s gone by, then a month…). Well, that’s all over – I’m going to start walking again. The thing is that I like to have a goal to aim at, so I’ve decided to walk from Central Park in New York to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
Actually, much as I would like to, I’m not actually going to walk the path as shown on the map, because I have a wife and son who would miss me and I have a job that won’t do itself. Instead, I’m going to keep track of how far I walk and then plot my virtual progress on the map. I started off by asking Google for directions from Central Park to San Francisco – the result was the map shown above – three pages of directions, and a summary that said the total distance was 2,911 miles.
When I glanced at the directions for exiting Central Park they seemed a little strange, so I zoomed in on the map to see what was happening. As shown below, these directions had me starting off by heading North-North-East, then doing a U-turn, then coming back through Central Park, followed by a little “jig”, then under the Lincoln Tunnel, followed by a 360-degree loop…
The problem, of course, was that I had asked for driving directions. When I clicked the button for walking directions, things changed slightly as shown below. Now the journey has grown to 2,966 miles (with 49 pages of directions) and early on I have to take a short excursion into Canada (I hope they will be kind to me :-)
I’m not in any rush here, you understand. As part of its directions, Google informs me that my trek is anticipated to take 39 days and 4 hours, but that assumes I’m doing nothing but walking all day, every day. In reality, I’m only going to walk a little here and a little there when I can, so it could take me two or three years to complete my journey. I don’t care … I have my goal … as the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC) famously said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Last but not least, you will be happy to know that I’m not going to bore you with this on a day-by-day basis. I’m just going to quietly go off and do my own thing. Having said this, once I start seeing some significant progress, it’s hard to imagine that I won’t be shouting it from the rooftops (grin).
In the meantime, do you have any tips and tricks on how to lose weight (and keep it off) and generally increase one's health and well-being?
If you found this article to be amusing and/or of interest, visit Programmable Logic Designline where – in addition to my blogs on all sorts of "stuff" (also check out my Max's Cool Beans blog) – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to programmable logic devices of every flavor and size (FPGAs, CPLDs, CSSPs, PSoCs...).
Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).
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David Ashton
5/22/2012 12:46 AM EDT
"In the meantime, do you have any tips and tricks on how to lose weight (and keep it off) and generally increase one's health and well-being?"
I've heard Bean sprouts are good.....
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Max the Magnificent
5/22/2012 11:00 AM EDT
I fear you have developed an unnatural obsession about bean sprouts :-)
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SteveD_Aus
5/24/2012 8:20 PM EDT
As long as the beans are cool...
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Max the Magnificent
5/25/2012 9:38 AM EDT
LOL
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SteveD_Aus
5/22/2012 2:04 AM EDT
Curious. Interesting that in the US the walking distance is longer than the driving distance, which does not match my quick tests in Australia, the UK and Europe, presumably because a driving route is optimised for speed, not distance and walking is all about the distance, including any suitable back road.
The US must be really optimised for driving!
Google keeps offering the use of ferries in Europe for walkers, though. London...Edinburgh takes you via the Netherlands...
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Max the Magnificent
5/22/2012 11:01 AM EDT
If you go downtown in Huntsville Alabama where I live, you take your life in your hands if you try to walk across the main road -- you are much safer getting in your car and driving across :-(
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Manca Massimo
5/22/2012 6:52 AM EDT
Hi Max, I suspect that your walking route is a little bit longer because you can't walk on highways but anyway it is an interesting virtual tour. I should suggest you to change the route to visit some famous USA places as Death Valley, Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge and so on and then when you will do the equivalent distance you should make a "virtual photo" of you in the place, so you will update us of your progress with something like a virtual postcard. :-)
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Max the Magnificent
5/22/2012 10:41 AM EDT
Hmmm... I like the idea of taking virtual postcards -- I think I will do that
With regard to changing the route to visit some interesting sites ... maybe I'll do that on the walk back (grin)
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Frank Eory
5/22/2012 1:40 PM EDT
On Google Maps, ask for driving directions from San Francisco, CA to Tokyo, Japan. Hilarious!
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Max the Magnificent
5/22/2012 4:15 PM EDT
One thing I heard that stuck in my mind is "If you aren't hungry enough to eat an apple ... then you aren't hungry"
Makes you think...
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Max the Magnificent
5/22/2012 4:18 PM EDT
You hear all sorts of terms like BMI when you are dieting, but someone just told me about a rule-of-thumb he'd heard, which is that tummy/belly fat is the worst for you and the hardest to get rid of -- and the amount you have is a good indicator of your overall health...
... also that you should aim for your waist measurement to be 1/2 your height, so if you are 6 feet (72 inches) tall, you should aim for a 36-inch waist...
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seaEE
5/22/2012 11:54 PM EDT
Some books that might be of interest for the virutal or non-virtual walker:
A Walk Across America, Peter Jenkins
Into A Desert Place, Graham Mackintosh (he walked the perimiter of the Baja peninsula)
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Max the Magnificent
5/23/2012 10:04 AM EDT
Cool Beans -- I will add these to my Amazon Wish List (I think I'll have a lot of time to read on my walk :-)
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Paul A. Clayton
5/23/2012 4:43 PM EDT
As "everyone knows" water and fiber intake is important both for providing a full feeling (which it seems is not a problem for you) as well as for digestive system health. (Substituting water for most common beverages can also reduce caloric intake.)
Other obvious factors include accountability (even a self-motivated person like yourself might find the involvement of others helpful), encouragement (this is partially part of others involvement but also involves having goals of varying size and rewards of various kinds and degrees--e.g., a program that tracks your progress might play one of several reward statements recorded by your wife (like "Good job" for lesser goals, "Cool Beans!" for medium goals, "Come give me a kiss" for larger goals)--variety can be helpful, especially for the more frequent rewards, and diversity of degree of goals/rewards can also be important), and managing one's goals (plan for failure--what to do if the goal for a day, week, or month is missed, even for variations in failure--and plan for excessive success (it is easy for some to become complacent when things are going well).
Yet another obvious piece of advice (from the Greek philosophers): know yourself. (Sometimes self observation is insufficient to discern one's strengths and weakness, so it can be helpful to have others share their observations.)
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Max the Magnificent
5/23/2012 4:50 PM EDT
Unfortunately, the reward I want at the moment is an ice-cold beer...
...why oh why can't drinking beer cause you to LOSE weight? (grin)
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antedeluvian
5/24/2012 7:57 PM EDT
"ice-cold beer"...
I thought Brits were only allowed warm beer
;-)
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Max the Magnificent
5/25/2012 9:38 AM EDT
So long as it's beer I don't care :-)
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bk1
5/24/2012 12:28 PM EDT
From the looks of that walking map, you'll be doing a bit of swimming, too!
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Max the Magnificent
5/24/2012 12:45 PM EDT
If you zoom in you'll see that I pass close to the water but don't actually go in it (unless I lose my concentration, of course)
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Bellhop
5/24/2012 2:46 PM EDT
It's a simple equation:
Calories In less than Calories Out
Reduce the left side of the equation. You can eat a candy bar in less than a minute, but it will take several miles of walking to remove those calories.
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Max the Magnificent
5/24/2012 2:48 PM EDT
I can live without the candy ... it's not drinking beer that's making me sad...
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Underwater Wizard
5/24/2012 3:21 PM EDT
Google says 2966 miles (39 days 4 hours) if you ask it for walking directions! It also routes you through a portion of Canada.
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Underwater Wizard
5/24/2012 3:23 PM EDT
I replied too soon, I see that you include this info lower down in the page!
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Max the Magnificent
5/24/2012 3:26 PM EDT
@"I replied too soon"
Ha!
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Max the Magnificent
5/24/2012 3:23 PM EDT
Of course to do it in 34 days you'd have to be walking more than 70 miles a day...
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Gruntmaster5000
5/26/2012 3:06 AM EDT
I applaud your goal Max, and wish you well on your journey. I am on a similar quest, only I must take the circuitous route (no Sparky pun intended) over water. My weapon of choice is a rowing machine and MY quest is to row from the home of the wonderful people in Goose Bay, Gander, Newfoundland to Seattle and back once or twice before I die.
But that Mandlebrot guy is harshing my mellow, and I don't think I will challenge you to a race, even if the virtual scull is a much faster and more efficient mode of transportation than a virtual stroll.
Bon Voyage, my friend.
GM
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Max the Magnificent
5/26/2012 11:29 AM EDT
Thanks so much for sharing this -- I was starting to worry that I was a bit "strange" -- it's nice to know that I'm not alone :-)
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FHBSM
6/18/2012 5:12 PM EDT
"In the meantime, do you have any tips and tricks on how to lose weight (and keep it off) and generally increase one's health and well-being?"
Here are 4 food toxins you should avoid eating:
1. Sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup)
2. Cereal grains (especially refined flour)
3. Omega-6 industrial seed oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, etc.)
4. Processed soy (soy milk, soy protein, soy flour, etc.)
It may be difficult to follow at first, but it gets easier over time and your body will thank you.
For a full description on this, please refer to the following links:
http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-1
http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-2
http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-3
etc...
Good luck and stay healthy :)
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Max the Magnificent
6/19/2012 12:16 PM EDT
Cool Beans -- thanks for the info.
FYI I just got back from my annual checkup and my cholesterol is GREAT!!!
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Earl54
6/19/2012 6:02 PM EDT
My wife found that she has type 2 diabetes, which is unfortunate, but by watching her carb intake, substituting whole carbs for processed carbs, and a good deal of walking, she dropped 40 pounds over the course of a few months. It was like having a wife that is 10 years younger (she is 57). She has more energy and is much happier. One idea is to divide the dinner plate into fourths. One for protein, one for starch, one for a green vegetable, and one for a colored vegetable. Voila - balanced nutrients and reasonable calorie intake, if the plate isn't too big and you don't fill it too many times ;-)
Good luck Max!
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Max the Magnificent
6/20/2012 12:06 PM EDT
Great advice -- one thing I'm currently doing is trying not to eat anything after 6:00pm -- on the days when I do achieve this I sleep a lot better plus I never wake up in the middle of the night with an "acid tummy" ... my neighbor said that he lost 30 pounds just doing this but eating as usual in every other way...
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andrewgray
7/2/2012 8:10 PM EDT
Well, You cannot beat doing 2 or 3 rounds of P90X. I am 55 years old and have done three rounds, and have gotten fit. Also, Dr. Joel Fuhrman's GOMBS (YouYube, "3 steps") approach to diet is a good start too. I follow Dr. Fuhrman's GOMBS:
G: Greens
O: Onions
M: Mushrooms
B: Beans and Berries
S: Seeds
but I add another G:GARLIC, and another two M's:Meat(lean/not too Much).
Finally, now that I have finished 3 rounds of P90X, I was able to get on my bicycle and start riding 40 miles, 50 miles, 60 miles, 90 miles, ... 100 miles in one day. Once you get to where you can ride a Century, "Boy, you are in shape".
And finally finally, an anti-candida program will help fight the aging process. This not for the faint of heart though.
Andrew Ancel Gray
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Max the Magnificent
7/2/2012 9:06 PM EDT
Hi Andrew -- thanks for the advice -- I'm not sure what P90X is but I will look it up. Re GOMBS ... I think I'm more of an OMBS man, unless we make the G stand for Garlic ... and I'm assuming that there's a "Silent I" for "Ice Cream" and an even more "Silent B" for "Beer" (grin)
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DrQuine
7/19/2012 10:05 PM EDT
Engineers and scientists are ideally suited to diet. We respond to logic, evidence, data, and results. That said, the necessary ingredients are a means to count calories ingested and (secondarily) a means to estimate calories expended. I'd suggest a calorie counting smart phone app in which EVERYTHING eaten is logged. The magnitude of the problem quickly becomes apparent and then those foods with the highest caloric contribution and least psychic benefit can be dropped. Exercise earns caloric credits (or faster weight loss). Determining a daily upper limit of food calories that is 500 calories or more below the body's burn rate will result in a pound loss per week (3,500 calories). It is simple math. Fasting for the rest of the day if the limit is reached will quickly correct any wayward snacking. Recognize that the caloric requirements of the body are reduced as the body weight is reduced so the caloric limits need to be adjusted downwards through time. An app such as Keyoe's Diet Assistant (which I bought for my Palm Pilot in 2004 enabled me to lose 40 pounds in 6 months) can do these calculations. I still down more than 30 pounds. Such software will display net calories after food and exercise are entered and estimate time to reach a particular goal. If data entry sounds burdensome, it is actually a quite beneficial side effect - skipping the exotic doughnut is less trouble than looking up the caloric count. Good luck!
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Max the Magnificent
7/20/2012 9:39 AM EDT
All very good advice indeed -- thanks so much for sharing this
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Duane Benson
9/29/2012 2:00 AM EDT
re: "Unfortunately, the reward I want at the moment is an ice-cold beer..."
After I finish my robot, maybe I'll make a system that can give you just that reward. Of course, it will calculate the amount of physical work you need to perform in order to compensate for the calories consumed. It would then requires some type of action, like stair steps, treadmill, iron pumping... not opening the refrigerator until you've first burned off the calories.
Version two of the device could offer you warm beer when you've burned off the calories and reward you with cooler beer for additional exercise.
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Earl54
10/1/2012 9:53 AM EDT
There should be a huge (umm, pun partly intended) market for this, but I'm afraid after a short time the used market would be full of robots decommissioned by owners whose desire overcame their deligence.
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