It has been a great week here in California for bike riding. There has been a lot of sunny days to start the ride early in the morning, but before I get going I start the day off with following morning breakfast protein shake.

I blend the following items in a blender:
Amasai – Cultured Dairy (GreenFed)

Whey Protein Powder (Grass-fed)

Raw Whole Milk (Grass-fed)

Ground Cinnamon

Blueberries

• Amasi is really a fermented milk beverage and has the consistency of a liquid yogurt. This grass fed version increases the amounts of Omega-3’s as well as CLA’s in this “Amasai” giving it more health benefits.
• True Whey is made from milk from contented cows which are grass fed as well. They are never subjected to any growth hormone treatment chemicals, pesticides or genetically modified organisms (GMO`s). Its nondenatured and sweetened with stevia (which is the only sweetener I use) and its flavored with real vanilla.
• Raw Whole Milk from 100% grass fed cows. It has all 20 of the standard amino acids. It contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a polyunsaturated omega 6 fatty acid which has many health benefits: raised metabolic rate, immune system strengthening,lowered food allergy reactions, and also a cancer-fighting agent. It also contains 60+ functional enzymes.
• Ground Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control. Improving insulin resistance can help in weight control as well as decreasing the risk for heart disease.
• Blueberries have been shown to shrink cancerous tumors and prevent the development and growth of cancer, reverse memory loss, and also improve physical coordination and balance. They reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. Urinary tract infections can  be prevented by blueberries. Blueberries help build strong bones. Blueberries are low in calories, high in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants.

I have been drinking this shake for the last 2 months now and it has sure helped me feel healthier, stronger and has been helping me lose additional weight.

Odometer Miles: 3125

Today was the coldest of any day in the past month. It was 28 degrees this morning. It doesn’t often get that cold around here. I had to decide if I was going to ride to work in this extreme cold. After watching some of the morning news it showed several cars spinning out on the ice that had built up overnight on many roads in the city I decided to drive instead.  I then drove home for lunch and rode back to work on the Optibike since it was now about 40 degrees. On the return trip home later in the early evening it was already getting quite cold so I’m sure it is going to be another cold one again tonight. One of the hardest parts of my body to keep warm while riding is my face. Here is what I look like when it is really cold outside and I need to go out on these rides:

Staying this warm makes it easy to enjoy a ride even on a cold day!

I passed 3000 miles this week!

Odometer Miles: 3062

During the weight loss recruitment call last week I was asked how well the Optibike has worked for me. So here is a more detailed version of how my life changed for the first few months around the time I started using one.

In the last few months of 2010 I joined a Biggest Loser Contest at work. I had 14 other workmates who all decided to join in on this contest and see who could lose the most weight in a 2 and half month time span. I had heard of previous weight loss contests going on here but never had decided to actually jump in but this time I did. I was determined to do something about my weight and my health and this was my challenge to start doing something about it.

When we started the contest I weighed in at 295 lbs. I’m very competitive so I was going to be really serious about this. I had the right attitude. Finally! I wrote down everything I ate in a spreadsheet everyday, for every meal, even any snacks. I proportioned my meals to the right size, I counted the fat, fiber and calories for the meal. I used my wife’s WeightWatchers book to help figure out the correct # of points that I was eating and used that as a tool to make sure I was on track. I even figured out the formula being used so I could easily set it up in a spreadsheet to calculate it for me and log my food intake. I also logged my activity on my pedometer.

I walked at least several miles a day. I would walk during lunch to the nearby Subway to get a 6 inch sub with no cheese and no mayo and no oil to make sure it was the 5 grams of fat or less just as advertised. I found that you could substitute the black bean patty for the hamburger patty at the local Chili’s and cut out a lot of the fat. I would substitute the fries that would come with that meal with a salad with non-fat honey mustard dressing. I was determined. I even walked the 5 and a half miles to home from work, though my feet didn’t appreciate the blisters.

While waiting for my Optibike to arrive I rode my 15 speed bicycle to work and back every day. I would walk or ride at lunchtime as well. The first of 3 weigh-ins happened about 2 and half weeks into the contest and I had already lost 22 lbs! The first place winner for that round though lost only 20lbs but since his starting weight was lower than mine he had lost more percentage of weight which made him win according to the contest rules. But there were 2 more weigh-ins that were going to happen before this contest was over so I continued on.

The following week my Optibike arrived. Hallelujah! I started riding that into work everyday. Using it to go all over the area during the lunch break, then I would ride it home at the end of the day. This was fun and I was feeling invigorated and getting a lot of exercise at the same time. The nice thing about going electric is that I can ride as hard as I want then I can rest when needed then continue on again. I can arrive at work without feeling too tired then I can scream home having fun all the way and work up a real sweat if I want to. I continued on my diet plan. The second weigh-in came up about a month later and I won that one. I had lost over 32 lbs by then. Then the final weigh-in came in and I had lost 41.6 lbs winning the final round as well. Wow, this really works! Diet and excercise, just like the nutritionist had told me 10 years ago. Experts would say that I lost too many pounds too fast. I never felt that I starved myself. I was just careful about what I ate. I enjoyed what I was eating. I had to watch my glucose levels closely though since if I didn’t have enough carbs in a meal, especially for lunch, then by the late afternoon my levels could drop too low. When the opportunity came up to get into the Optibike “Weight Loss” contest I jumped on that as well.

Odometer Miles: 2986

Hopefully it has been a good one for you but I’ve started out the New Year with getting a cold. Not exactly the best start but I haven’t been sick in a long time. Many people use this time to come up with a resolution for the year. I usually don’t wait until the first of the year to start one. I started this fitness contest back in March 2011 and already 10 months have gone by and its getting down to the finish line. I hope everyone is doing well in their endeavors and getting plenty of riding in and hopefully you are feeling better then when you first started. If you haven’t started riding and improving your fitness and health then now is the time. If you have to make a resolution to get started then do that. You have to make the first step, after that its just a matter of making a daily habit of doing it.

Odometer Miles: 2928

Now that Christmas is around the corner there have been an increased influx of goodies into the office. Not only is there a table that I must walk by every time I go into the office but I have even been delivered all sorts of Christmas cheer directly to me. I even asked if the goodie table could be moved to another location far from me to keep the temptations down. After all, I am in a fitness contest and they know it!  Here is one of those tables just loaded with Christmas cheer:

I have been good at avoiding this table for now but when somebody approaches me and says “Here, have a cookie.” or “Take some of this candy that my mother-in law made.” I usually try to be nice and take a few samples. I usually end up taking them home though for the rest of my family to enjoy. I have been continuing on my lower carb diet and the glucose results are looking better now. I’ve have been continuing to ride to work this past week even though its been getting into freezing temperatures now. I can’t do it without wearing my thickest head sock “Balaclava” and my ski gloves. It sure makes a difference between getting frostbite and riding comfortably.

Merry Christmas!
Odometer Miles: 2819