Healthy Bagel blog series

Starting A Healthy Lifestyle Voyage (Healthy Bagel)

I’m starting a healthy lifestyle voyage. Let’s start it together. I may have started my journey before this blog post, but I’m still just starting this trek.

Everyone has their ideal weight. Mine is 155-165 lbs.

We also have ranges and limits, or at least I do. These weights change how you feel or think of yourself. I’ll share you my ranges to show you what I mean.

My Ranges:

Note: These are just my ranges, your ranges will be different

  • Blue (my favorite color): 155-165 lbs. I am great, healthy, and people should look at me.
  • Green: 166-180 lbs. I’m still good, maybe I’ll make 1 or 2 switches. I’ll think about it.
  • Yellow: 181- 190 lbs. Yeah, I’ll make those 1-2 healthy switches.
  • Orange: 191-199 lbs. Maybe I need to watch what I eating and exercise more.
  • Red: 200-209 lbs. Major diet changes and exercise routines need to happen.
  • Critical Alert: 210 lbs and over. No! I didn’t even know I needed this range. Red zone should be the end! It’s time to really focus on my diet and being more active.

Where I am starting:

Currently, I’m in the orange zone at 194.8 lbs, but in August of 2017 I was in the Critical Alert zone. I wasn’t paying attention to my weight or life style; working at a desk then coming home to work on my writing or visual art. I was not active and went for quick food rather than healthy.

It had been a slow climb to 210. On my phone I have an app that I apparently have had an account with for about 9 years. The chart looks like a good finance report that is trending up. This of course is typically bad for your weight.

9 years ago I was 160 lbs and downloaded the app to lose those 5 lbs, maybe I wanted to lose 10 at that time.

I have bounced a bit since 2017 and haven’t really been too focused on my physical or mental health. That is until a few months ago, when I finally decided that I should start making my goals priorities.

First I just started with journaling and doing intermittent fasting. I saw more results from journaling than I did with limiting my eating window. I have since decided to go back to counting calories and working out.

End Goals:

  1. I will regularly increase my exercise until I am working out for 6 hours a week.
  2. I will weigh 165 lb.s by January 2020, unless I have proof of low- average body fat.

I also have mental health goals, but besides journaling they are harder to quantify and example.

Space-Riders: In the Ship (#3)

Space-Riders

#3

Otto, took his place in the pilot’s seat on the control deck with Zio taking a seat next to him as a co-pilot. “Do you have a flight program installed?” Otto asked.

“I have simple flying software installed. I should be able to help you fly the ship, but am not capable of flying a ship by myself.”

Otto nodded and started the engine. He would be able to fly his new LiBatto XZ952 space-ship, that he had named Aimi. Captain Otto smiled once her engines started up. Each engine made its own purring sound and Otto smiled grew as each of the 10 engines turned on.

Neither of them noticed the lady standing behind them. She was sitting against the wall and completed camouflaged. Her face and torso matched the wall completely and her lower half blended into the seat. Even when Zio looked around, he did not see her sitting there.

Once the ship was up in the air and heading to the next planet they were suppose to go to, the camouflaged lady started to snack on the chocolate covered raisins, she had bought in the town they had just left from.

The ride was smooth and uneventful until Otto punched in the coordinates of the planet where he was planning to pick up his first shipment using Aimi. The camouflaged lady had already visited Patarex, the planet Otto set as the destination, and had an almost lethal experience. She shook her head and the ship diverted from its path. Instead of heading toward Patarex it started to go in the opposite direction.

This confused both Otto and Zio. They both tried to work on a solution, but after 2 hours of trouble shooting and trying to turn the ship around they were defeated. All of the ship’s information and itinerary said they were going to Patarex.

Aimi, the ship was clever, she knew that the camouflaged lady did not want to be found out, but also knew that the others on the ship would not give up trying to turn her around unless she displayed what they wanted to see. She was not given a new location, so searched the universe for another planet, solar system or galaxy with the same name. She found a solar system named Patarex far away from the planet the captain wanted to go to and set her path.

 

Space-Rider #2 (Entering the Ship)

Space-Riders

#2

Otto, the captain, turned the corner with Zio close behind. He smiled at his new cargo ship before turning to the parking lot’s attendant to sign free is ship and pay the parking toll.

While Otto did this Zio stared at the ship with a puzzled look on his mechanical face.

When Otto turned his attention back to Zio and his ship he saw Zio’s confusion. “What?” Otto asked.

Zio answered with, “I am a mechanic and a doctor. I am not programmed to fix or maintain a tree.”

Otto paid little attention to Zio as he continued to walk, while he told him,“Alright, If I ever transport a tree I will not ask you to do anything to it.”

Zio still puzzled responded with, “ You are aware that your ship is a tree from the planet Calowixo?”

Now Otto was confused and stopped to tell his companion,“Zio, this is a ship, not a tree. I have flown it from Lardeth to here. Trees typically do not fly, since they must be rooted to the ground and are plant forms.”

“That is true with the exception of the Blurack tree that lived in Wid on Calowixo.” To Zio this was common knowledge. He had many employers who traveled to many different solar systems and many different galaxies. Zio never forgot any of the planets or stories he was told, so although he had never been to Calowixo, he knew stories of the great planet, since his first and second captains told it to him.

Being human, Otto had not gotten a chance to travel as much as Zio. He had not heard of Calowixo or JuJu596, which was the galaxy Calowixo belonged to. This being the case he stated, “I would believe you if I had ever heard of Calowixo. Now, if you are saying that you are unable to help me with my ship, you are freed from your duties.”

Zio sighed, he had been on the dusty planet, Kilo, for a full year now. He only sat and waited for a full year. His last captain had died on Kilo and when those who inherited the ship came, they did not need Zio. He wanted to be wanted and needed to work, so he told Otto, “I do not wished to be freed from my duties. I will join you. There is still a ship within the tree.”

Still not believing Zio’s claims that there was a planet called Calowixo Otto told him, “Right, we’ll be stopping at the next planet that has a doctor for droids.”

Both men started to walk towards the ship, again. Captain Otto touched his dark brown electronic forearm cuff to open the ship’s cargo ramp. The two men walked in and started the journey they did not know they were going on.

Story Time with Pink Sunshine

Introduction

Pink Sunshine sat in a world just a portal away from yours. Everything was the same in this universe. The sky was blue, grass green, and people feel in love. God existed in this world, too, the only difference was that people named the children things like Pink Sunshine, Purple Lady and Blue Bull.  Yes, Sunshine sat in this world thinking of the extraordinary story she felt she needed to tell.

It was a true story but not a common story. It was not a overcoming a monster type of story, although it was partly about her and her friends overcoming trials and troubles while they grew into better people. That was not the main focus, though. It was not a rags to riches story either, no matter how valuable she felt her new life was. She did not think her life was a quest or voyage story either, but she did reflected most about the voyage to her new life and that aspect of the story. She did not want to label it as a comedy either because that would imply that it was not also a tragedy.  She decided that the story she had to write was, just like her group of friends, all different types.

This is her story, about how Pink Sunshine and the Gang of Colors went on a voyage across their country only to find the monsters within themselves while discovering the quest of their life time which made them rich in some ways and changed their lives forever.

Their voyage was not the exact beginning though, it is just what started the life changing events. No, the story really starts years earlier when the first three meant.

Pink Sunshine was dating the Viking when she meant the Green Brain and Black Doom. Brain was the Viking’s best friend and Doom was part of the group that they had dinner with every night. Sunshine did not make a connection with Brain at first and was totally put off by Doom’s black clothes and black makeup. Neither of them would become Sunshine’s friend until after the summer that the Viking and Sunshine dated. Once they broke up, close to autumn  and the beginning of another school year for the college students, Sunshine still hung out with Doom.

It was odd but Sunshine found herself hanging out more and more with the man who kind of scared her. Doom was the opposite of Sunshine; if he  smiled she would know something was wrong. Doom smiling meant something was not right or he was playing a trick on her. When Sunshine smiled, which was often, it simply meant she was happy and everything was at least okay.  Sunshine and Doom had one common interest which was enough to start a friendship on.

Later on in the school year Doom re-introduced her to his friend Brain, who like his name would suggest was very smart and analytical. The trio shared the same common interest and their friendships developed based on that interest, which they gathered to enjoy every day.

It was late in the fall semester when she found out that the Viking shared in on the same common interest. Brain, Doom and Sunshine were headed to Brain’s friend’s house for a party. It took them a while to get ready and get to the party, but at midnight they finally arrived at the house, only to find out it was the Viking’s house.  Sunshine was thrilled that the Viking found this interest and that they could share in the enjoyment of their common interest.  That night is when the trio became four.

The school year went on and because the real story doesn’t start for a few years we should jump to when Brain moved in with the Marque and the Blue Bull. Now Brain and the Marque were friends before, in fact the Marque was good friends with the four. Doom and Sunshine would walk together to Brain’s house from campus or just meet up at the house every day. Soon Bull started to hang out with them, when he was not busy.

During the school year Sunshine realized that the four person gang became five then six. After a few parties where the Viking brought the Mic, lovingly nicknamed by the Marque, the gang grew to be seven. The eighth  member was the Actor, he too enjoyed the common interest shared by the four. He also shared an interest of the theater with Sunshine, which was both of their majors.

They spent a solid year as an eight member group. It was not until Brain went away during the winter break, in between semesters, that ninth member even entered the story.  Her name was Purple Lady and until a year after the voyage across the country she was the only other female in the Gang of Colors. Doom brought her into the group, all because he was only with Brain far away and Sunshine staying with family while the school was closed.  Doom started to hang out with her because they were co-workers; he continued because she found she enjoyed the common interest.

When Brain came back from his trip and school started back up Lady continued to join in on the common interest that bonded them together. During this semester Brain, Doom and Sunshine planed to make a big move. They wanted to go some where like paradise and Lady wanted to join them. They started to plan not really knowing where exactly there destination would be at first, but as the semester went on they decided to move to where Brain’s cousin was living. While time past Brain went through a break up with his then long distance girl friend and Lady went through a similar break up. After their break up the two of them grew closer, one reason was because they both understood what the other was going through.

About five weeks before the move Brain, Doom, Sunshine, and Lady realized they really needed to plan the details of the move and their new lives they would be starting. They at least needed a moving truck, that they could book and not be laughed at, and a house or apartment with four bedrooms.  During the five weeks leading up Brain and Lady made it public knowledge that they were dating, now and Bull told them that he wanted to join them in moving to paradise. He just did not know when he would go.

At the time of the planning and moving Bull was engaged to be married to the landlord’s daughter. His plans for moving started with the landlord’s daughter moving with him, then he wasn’t sure if she would go with him. He realized that he did not want to marry the landlord’s daughter after all. He was still not sure when he would join the other four that would be moving.

The night before the road trip start Bull called Brain up and asked him if he was could go on the road trip. The morning of the road trip Sunshine found out that Bull was going with them. That road trip is really where this story starts to get interesting.