[Previous days: 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11]
Just a quick heads-up: these posts are a bit longer then usual. I also mention a bit of relationship drama. I wasn't sure whether or not to include that, but I've decided to since I want to be transparent about everything that happens during this experiment. Feel free to skip over it.
DAY 12 OF 30
It felt great waking up in my own bed. Or rather, I woke up on my couch, but it's all the same to me. I'm just happy to be home.
I had some errands to run, however, so I woke up early.
First on the agenda was a haircut. One of the difficult things about traveling all week for work is that I have a narrow window in which to visit my barber. Saturday mornings, in other words. To complicate matters even more, it's an extremely busy barbershop. The owner has a cool story, and even though my barber, Chuck, and one other guy are there, the wait can be as high as a few hours just mere ten minutes after opening.
They're the best though, and that's why they're busy. It's awesome. I just hate waiting in line.
Which is why I wait thirty to forty-five minutes before the shop opens. That way I'm in and out ASAP.
But I was exhausted from the long days this week, so I reset my alarm a few times. I also stopped by the QuikTrip near the Iowa State Fairgrounds for the usual: a Planters Sustaining Energy Mix (chocolate, of course), a peanut butter Bear Naked bar, and a sugar-free Rockstar.
Breakfast of champions, right?
Fortunately, Friday mornings aren't as wild as Saturdays--there were only three others waiting when I arrived fifteen minutes early. I could deal with that. I walked out about forty minutes later looking good as new.
That left a far less-enjoyable matter to attend to.
Things with the girlfriend have been shaky lately. It's not that either of us have done anything to cause tension, it's just that something has felt "off". We don't fight, and haven't yelled at each other. But something isn't right.
I looked at the clock, however, and realized that it was still too early to go deal with it. She works nights, and I figured she'd still be asleep.
So I went to REI instead.
I needed some non-prescription sunglasses since I recently purchased contacts, and REI is the midst of a big sale. My membership netted me a solid discount, and I found something much more reasonable than anything Oakley sells. If I want to spend that kind of money, I'll just get another pair of prescription specs.
While I was there, however, I had an interesting experience--at least by my standards. I've been pursuing a sort of minimalism in my life, trying to limit my purchases and select things based upon function and purpose. For example, I invested in a few pairs of quality raw, Japanese selvedge denim instead of doing what I used to do and buy numerous pairs of slightly less-expensive, trendy denim that wears out a year later. I also like this grey "pima stretch crew" t-shirt that Banana Republic sells (although I see they've replaced it with a thinner, "performance" version, so I may have to shop elsewhere now), and I've purchased six of them. It's the shirt in my profile picture on Instagram. They work with jeans, shorts, running shorts, whatever. They also look good under sweaters and button-down shirts. I can wear them in almost any situation.
By limiting what I purchase for clothes, I not only save money and avoid having unnecessary items, I don't have to waste time worrying about what to wear. It's great.
But I saw a red polo at REI that looked good, so I tried it on. I'd have bought it right away in the past. An impulse purchase without a moment's hesitation. As I looked in the mirror, however, I realized that I don't need it at all. It's wholly unnecessary to my life.
It's a minor victory, I suppose, but the "me" who was here five or six years ago shopped and spent money excessively--chasing that ever-elusive "perfect purchase" that would make everything better. I even shopped to alleviate boredom, and it worked fine until it stopped working.
Sort of like the way I used to consume food, now that I think about it.
After REI, I stopped by a Kum & Go and purchased a turkey, provolone, and multi-grain sandwich. Then it was off to the girlfriend's house. We went for a long walk and tried to figure out this mess.
I won't bore you with the details, but some context is important. She started working at a company my father owned--and recently sold--one year after I graduated from high school. I've been attracted to her for a long time. But I'd gotten fat, out of shape, and generally a bit uncomfortable with the prospects of my love life. I knew what I looked like. I saw myself in the mirror. And whether you think it's right or wrong, the way we look does affect our prospects with the opposite (and same) sex.
Two and a half years ago, however, I was working at his company in a temporary capacity since I'd recently moved back to Des Moines and was looking for a job. She was still there. After losing most of my weight, I decided it was now or never. So I asked her out. A few days later, as I just completed my first 50+ mile bike ride, I got a text saying that she'd agreed to go out with me. I suggested a trendy, new restaurant, and that was that.
We'd been inseparable ever since.
But she agreed with me that something isn't right between us--even though we had a difficult time figuring out what, exactly, it is. I suggested that we sleep on it and wait until Sunday to figure out our options.
I was hungry by that point, so I stopped at the Caribou Coffee in Pleasant Hill's HyVee Gas. I ordered their new sun-dried tomato panini, a pack of cinnamon Somersaults, and a chocolate peanut butter bar from Earnest Eats. The sandwich was a few more calories than I thought--610 in total--but damn, it tasted good.
Then I went running.
I chose a route on the country roads in Runnells. It's one that tried to run years ago--only to struggle for breath after about a hundred feet, feeling as if a thousand needles had been jabbed into my sides. Of course I now run it effortlessly, enjoying the solitude and the occasional wave from the drivers of passing vehicles. I even run down the large hill, turn around, and run right back up. I suppose that's not particularly impressive, but I remember how it felt to be beaten by that hill. It's good enough for me.
All in all, it was around 3.5 miles. Not terribly long, but a great run nonetheless.
Just before I stepped in the shower, my buddy texted me and said he was going out for his birthday. I wasn't going to eat with them, of course, but I'd hang out for sure.
On the way, I pulled back into the QuikTrip by the fairgrounds and purchased another chocolate Planters Sustaining Energy Mix. I was also thrilled to see one of their Snack Fresh packs that comes with carrots, cheddar, pretzels, and grapes.
I scarfed down both as I drove towards downtown Des Moines.
Tomorrow should be a much better day. I'm joining my cycling club for a long ride in the morning, and I already know that'll be a good time.
I've been looking forward to it all week.
MFP Summary for 5/20/2016
The Good:
- I'm finally home
- That sun-dried tomato panini was delicious
The Bad:
- Relationship drama. Great.
DAY 13 OF 30
Once again, I reset the alarm a few times.
Dammit, I thought, as I snapped out of my fatigue-induced fugue and looked at the clock.
But I'm quick. I tossed on my cycling bib and favorite jersey, put my contacts in, did a quick job of brushing my teeth, and was out the door grabbing everything else along the way. I even did a quick wipe-down of my chain and re-lubed it before loading the bike into the back of my car.
Except there was one problem: I was hungry.
Fortunately I still had half a pack of those raw almonds from Week 1 in Texas. They sat on the passenger seat, just begging me to eat them. But it wasn't enough.
About ten minutes later, I sprinted into the HyVee Gas in Altoona, purchased a sugar-free Redbull and some sort of Gatorade Fuel Bar, and promptly downed both.
Then I parked my car in front of the HyVee parking lot and began removing my things.
I was about to pull out of the parking lot and cross the street when my group came pedaling down the road.
"Hey, Frank!" said one of our de-facto leaders. I returned the greeting and pulled out, filling an open space in the pack.
I rode solo for almost two years. Truth be told, I was intimidated by this nonsense idea that everyone in a cycling club was an overly-serious bike snop who rode Cervelos with deep, carbon rims. I had an entry-level road bike at the time, and I wore a cheap North Face dri-fit shirt and an old pair of my father's bicycling shorts.
Even when I dropped almost $3,000 on my new bike and some accessories, I still rode solo for a bit.
But I had it all wrong. Maybe some cycling clubs are like that--I imagine that the one at the new Lifetime Fitness monstrosity in West Des Moines has a few of those folks--but mine is just a phenomenal group. They're mostly older and over the age of 40, but most have cycled for decades. There's some women in their 50's and 60's who teach spin classes, business professionals, and also normal people from the East side of Des Moines.
I'm definitely the quickest person there, but our core group can get up and go.
One of my favorite memories was last year during a long, summer ride--about 70 miles that morning. We were coming back to Altoona from Slater, riding on this flat stretch of country road. It was the sort of day where you can zone out and take in the wide expanse of bright, vivid colors, occasional tiny clouds, and almost feel like you're a part of everything around you--a minor, infinitesimal occurrence that's passing slowly over the surface of this enormous planet.
You might call it "getting in the zone" or simply "physical meditation", but it can't be forced, and it's an almost spiritual experience for that brief moment.
There's two older guys from around West Des Moines who ride with us occasionally, and they're fast. I decided to turn up the speed and just go, and they did the same. We sped across that road for a good ten or fifteen miles, averaging 24-25mph, and didn't say a word. We just pedaled hard.
"Whew," said one of the guys, when we stopped to regroup. "Now that was fun!"
I couldn't agree more. That's why I don't ride solo as much these days.
We put in forty-three miles today, riding mostly on country roads with one big hill after another. I could feel it since I haven't put in as many miles as I'd like. I travel every week, so I can't ride my bike except for the weekends. But the great thing about going up hills, of course, is that you get to go down.
We stopped at two Casey's General Stores as we went from town to town, and I purchased a snack bar at one and a Gatorade recovery drink at the other. I normally don't drink those--I think they're largely unnecessary--but I'd probably burned through 1,100 calories by that point. I wanted something I could drink and be done with.
It was a while later that I returned to my car and noticed a message from a reporter at Channel 13--our local NBC affiliate. We'd spoken about doing a segment on my gas station experiment, and he wanted to meet up tomorrow at noon.
I said that would work.
It's been a while since I've been on television--roughly ten years, in fact. I became involved in some ridiculous political activism in college, and I'd been on multiple networks and radio shows. Even one of the popular shows on Fox News.
It might be strange doing this again, but it should also be a good time.
After the ride, however, I came home and crashed. I was still exhausted from everything that happened this week.
Of course the business with the girlfriend still weighed on my mind--especially since our route today was almost exactly the same as that ride from two years ago, after which I received the text saying she wanted to go out for dinner. But I guess these things happen.
The more I thought about it, however, I realized that I know exactly what's wrong. It's been obvious this entire time--the solution too. But I'll have to put everything on the table and propose something a bit radical. It'll work, but I don't think she'll go for it. I guess we'll see.
That evening, I had a strong urge to eat pizza. It just sounded good.
I drove to HyVee Gas in Altoona--hoping that they'd sell take-home versions of HyVee Pizza. If you haven't had that before, then you're missing out.
But alas, there were none. It must've been another location that carried them. I didn't feel like driving around, however, so I just purchased some buffalo chicken strips instead.
I took it easy after getting home, relaxing and reading a book.
Tomorrow will be in interesting day. I'm going to be on the news for the first time in a long while, possibly split up with my girlfriend of two years, and then go over to my father's house to hang out by the pool and have dinner--or rather, to eat food from the nearby Kum & Go while they enjoy something more delicious.
Talk about a series of highs and lows! But that's sort of life, isn't it?
MFP Summary for 5/21/2016
The Good:
- I had a great ride with my cycling group
- I'll be on the news tomorrow
- I've figured out what's wrong between my girlfriend and me, and I'm going to propose a solution
The Bad:
- I don't think she'll go for it
DAY 14 OF 30
I chose to weigh myself a day early.
My flight to Detroit leaves tomorrow at 6:20 AM, and I won't have the chance to stop in a Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I know they'll miss me coming by to stand on their demo scales and snap pictures, but I think they'll survive.
Fortunately, I have a scale at home that's accurate. I've tested it enough to be sure.
One-hundred sixty pounds, exactly.
I laughed out loud as I tried it once more to verify, but it was the same result. That means I've lost three pounds since I began this experiment. Three pounds. And losing weight wasn't even part of the plan. I just didn't want to gain any!
So where's it coming from? After all, I don't need to lose weight.
I've been staring at myself in the mirror every day, and I think I have the answer. It's my midsection.
When you lose a lot of weight as I did--eighty pounds down from my heaviest--sometimes the body is stubborn about certain things. My arms, legs, back, shoulders, and upper body have an low percentage of body fat. I'm quite solid, actually. You can see the strands of muscles in my shoulders and back, and my calves are especially well-defined. But my midsection--around the waist--is the last holdout. I don't really care, of course, but I think that's where the weight-loss has come from. I've noticed more definition in my stomach lately.
Gaining definition and losing some weight while eating at gas stations...who would've ever thought?
After the weigh-in, I drove to the Caribou Coffee at Pleasant Hill's HyVee Gas to work on some /r/loseit updates before meeting up with Reid Chandler of Channel 13. My order was more of the usual:
- Egg white and turkey bacon sandwich
- Almond-flavored Earnest Eats trail bar
- Cinnamon Somersaults
- Sugar-free Rockstar
I also ate two more of the peanut butter energy bits from Altoona's HyVee Gas on the way over.
At noon, I met Reid and the cameraman (I'm so bad with names!) at a QuikTrip in Des Moines. They warned me that QT is often sketchy about filming on their locations, but we went inside and explained what was up.
"We're from Channel 13," he explained, "and we're doing a story on this guy, Frank Beard. He's eating gas station food for thirty days to prove you can eat out and stay healthy. We wanted to know if it's alright to film him buying some food here."
The manager thought it was an awesome idea, actually. But corporate had to approve these things, he said, otherwise he might get in trouble.
So we drove to the HyVee Gas on Fleur. If anything, there was surely a store director we could speak to over at the grocery store. And HyVee is always easy to deal with.
Reid explained the situation once again, and--sure enough--they referred us to the store director. No big deal. We walked across the parking lot and went to the store's customer service counter, explaining the situation to a girl over there.
"The store director isn't actually here," she said, looking apologetic. "But let me get one of our other managers. He can probably help."
We spoke with him, he referred us to corporate, and fortunately Reid remembered that he has the number for someone in corporate who could get us the approval we need. She answered the phone, agreed to call the right person, and called us back moments later to say that we're good-to-go.
Awesome.
So I hooked up the microphone, stood in front of the store on the sidewalk, and answered questions about my experiment. It's been a while since I've done this sort of thing, however, and I probably spoke a bit too quickly. It's a habit going back as far as I can remember.
Oh well. It still turned out great, I think.
I thanked them for coming out, the cameraman took a picture with my phone, and we parted ways.
Then I drove over to the girlfriend's house.
She was ready when I got there, and I planned a little outing at a local park that she hadn't been to before. We stopped at a HyVee deli to get a sandwich made for our picnic, and I had some strawberries and celery that I brought with me from HyVee Gas.
We've always enjoyed going to parks together. Hiking, walking around, rollerblading if there's paved trails--it's just something we like to do. So I thought it was a fitting plan for what may possibly be our last time seeing each other. I wanted at least one last good time.
Without going into too much detail, I proposed a solution that would fix a major source of stress in her life and enable a fresh start. Sell the money-pit house, sell the parrots--she has three of them, we get a nice apartment together, and we focus on saving at least 50% of our income. In five or six years, we'll both have larger war-chest and many more options. But as I explained, when I'm with someone who's stuck in stasis and constantly stressed out about it, it stresses me out. I can't do that.
She agreed that my proposal makes sense, but in the end, I don't think she was willing to make the changes.
"I guess that's it then," I said. "It's over."
It was as amicable of a break-up as there's ever been, but it was still sad. Two years and a future I'd began to believe in--just gone.
I took her home, retrieved the rest of my things, and said goodbye.
At that point, however, it was late enough that I had to get to my father's house. I told him I'd come by for dinner and to swim. I also wanted to watch the segment I filmed--which Reid said would be on the news at 5:00.
On the way, however, I stopped by a Kum & Go and picked up my dinner: a grilled chicken on ciabatta. I also grabbed some veggie snack packs that I ended up forgetting in the refrigerator.
Sure enough, the segment aired at 5:00. It was a bit odd seeing myself on TV for the first time in roughly ten years, but it turned out really well. I think I got my point across.
The night ended well, despite the drama with the now ex-girlfriend. Although my father and I used to have issues, we get along great these days. We're too similar, I think, and that's created problems in the past. But it's nice to talk to someone who actually gets me--even if brutal honesty isn't what I always want at the time.
I started some laundry when I got home, and then I got ready for bed.
I have to wake up at 3:45 AM, put my clothes in the dryer, and leave for the airport by 4:30.
I need some sleep.
MFP Summary for 5/22/2016
The Good:
-
I filmed a segment about my experiment for Channel 13 in Des Moines
-
The gas stations in Des Moines have so many healthy options!
-
I had a great time swimming and chatting at my father's house
-
I spoke with my girlfriend, putting all the concerns on the table and proposing a workable solution
The Bad:
- I broke up with my girlfriend (or is that good?)
Thoughts and Concerns:
- I'm going to Detroit tomorrow, and I don't know what to expect. It'll be interesting.
As always, you can follow me on Instagram and MFP. You can also get links to my daily summaries on my website. If you want some context and would like to know more about me, I'd suggest reading this and this. You can also read more about the motivations for my experiment here.
Submitted May 29, 2016 at 01:54AM by maester_ia http://ift.tt/1Uc4dt7 loseit
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