AustinBike

Annnnd then today I pressed my luck on an "unmentionable trail." I was a snot machine and my eyes are swollen. Get me to late February and everything will be fine.

Did 16 miles out on the greenbelt yesterday with my combo of cedar serum and generic Claritin. Worked great, significantly less mucus than a typical ride. YMMV, everyone's body is different.

Probably a safer loss pattern; losing it quick is not really recommended. If you put it on slowly you are probably best to take it off slowly in order to let your body adjust.

Here's a snapshot of December through today. Notice that there were 3 times that I gained more than 3 pounds in a single day, around the start of the month when I had 2 parties in a weekend, xmas itself and then Chicago (this one was 6 pounds in 2 days.) Every time I went up quickly in weight, I was riding the next day and watching what I ate - immediately dropped the weight. Most of this is because it was water weight. Now think about your friends that aren't as active and don't eat well. They pick up 3 pounds, complain like it is the end of the world, and it takes them 3-4 weeks to work it off because they are sedentary or not watching what they ate. When I bump up, I swear off beer and carbs completely and that will magically drop off the weight (provided I am moving enough). I move back to moderation once I am back down the my range. After having lived at the 200-210 range for years, I realize how lucky I am now and the discipline keeps me going. But I also have the luxury of being able to bike every day and not everyone has that. Exercise alone will not solve the problem but it is very additive to the solution. If you really want to lose weight, don't spend a lot of money on fancy stuff. Go to Walmart and get a $20 blood glucose meter and start tracking your morning glucose. This will do more for helping you lose weight than all the CrossFit memberships. Added bonus: it helps with high cholesterol and Alzheimer's prevention as well.

I dropped 50 as well, about the same proportion. I don't have saggy skin so I must have gotten lucky. My issue is that my temples appear sunken because my of the 50 pounds I lost appears to have been in my head. I kinda have a skeleton look now and you can't hide that with clothes so it sucks worse than saggy skin. But it is better than hauling two extra bikes up the hill with me on every climb.

I also bought some surgical masks and toss a few in my camelbak in a ziplock bag for those days when you know the numbers are gonna be off the charts. I's rather be Michael Jackson (with 2 gloves on) than be sitting on the couch. The only down side to the masks is that they will make my glasses fog. Taking off the glasses exposes the eyes to cedar, so your option is to have itchy eyes or overall respiratory problems. I'll take the eyes over lungs any day.

Either way I don't want either of you guys in the urinal next to me, I have no idea what you are up to.

I will try to pull the pics of me a few years ago from the server, I puffed up like a porcupine with cedar. My new regimen is below. Cedar serum (should have started in December or even November) - 15 drops in a glass of water that you sip all day Claritin-type anithistimine (10mg of Loratadine) every morning It's a bitch, but you can power through. I use the antihistamine not only for sinuses but also for skin.

Went to Chicago and gained 6 pounds in 48 hours. That is literally 1 pound every 8 hours INCLUDING WHEN I SLEPT. got home and rode a lot while cutting back on eating. 6 pounds are gone (~4 of it was water weight). that is the key to being healthy, you can go overboard and get back on track quickly. If you are not eating healthy it is harder to recover.

So many people think that they can eat with impunity because they did a big ride. Any one of those things in the video would have been fine, but piling them all on is a problem. The biggest misconception however is the raw idea of "calories in < calories out" as the way to lose weight. Yeeeeeessssss, this is *technically* true but there is another element on top of that. GOOD calories are way better for you than bad calories. If you burn 1200 calories on a ride and then eat a 1000 calorie piece of chocolate cake you are worse off than if you ate a 1000 calorie salad. Technically both will give you a net reduction in calories (which is good) but the lack of nutrition in the cake will not really help you. Additionally, all of the carbs in the cake will leave you hungry for more in another hour, fat and protein will hold you over. Yeah, I'm the guy that often drinks a beer or two after a ride, but I am very disciplined the rest of the day. The content of the calories is just as important, if not more important, than the raw number of calories.

And rental cars in Paris? Definitely overpay for their coverage. Learned the hard way that the Amex coverage does not cover tires and BMW M-class tires are expensive and must be bought in pairs 😉

I have XT brakes and GX shifters. Two separate clamps on the handlebars, no adapters. Work fine together.

And who is the builder? Can you PM me their info? (don't post here)

Quick question: I know the new Freeride 512 stuff is not really for public consumption yet, but what is the status of Ninja? I had a request to update my site with more recent Brushy info, and I don't know a.) how publicly legit it is and b.) do people consider this separate or part of brushy.

Likewise. With the holidays over I think I will have some parts available and maybe some non-tech stuff. Anyone need a free iHome iPod speaker with a 30-pin iPod connector?

Always remembered his name from Guitar Magazine while growing up in Chicago. That shop is about 3-4 blocks from me but never went in. Was going to ask him about refinishing my 73 P-bass and after a friend's experience decided not to; he's very high end and not really seeking new customers. When you're that good, you don't need to bother with guys like me.

I'll take it! The website could use some video.

What is that dog seat and does it easily fo on and off the bike?

A sunny pre-xmas ride at brushy:

95 PSI? Amateurs 😉 Our pressure is so high that we have limiters at the house. I think ours is like 120 or so because we are near hospitals (allegedly). And the old pipes in our neighborhood break all the time here but the pressure never drops after the repairs are done.

Like it all you want, he's still not gonna smile. I believe he is autistic. Seriously. Dog autism is a thing. But he is the best dog we've ever had.

This is an incredible Polish porter. Took my nephew out for Polish food in Chicago because he is heading off to Estonia for his first real job. The food was great but this porter was incredible. I've had their lagers at this restaurant in the past but this one really takes the cake. If Spec's can get it I will pick some up.

This is "Pantsless Pale Ale" from Alarmist Brewing, down the street from where I used to live in Chicago. Didn't really need to stop for a beer, but when you live a pantsless life, you need to support the people that really make it happen. Technically I was wearing pants, but I was the only one in the tap room, so I could have done the deed and taken them off.

Lucky is a tough dog though he doesn't look it. He was a stray, living on the rough streets of Oltorf. Now he is spoiled but still enjoys a bike ride. This is literally his excited face. He does not know how to smile.

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