On the Bike, Snow Report, Eggshells, and Other Miscellany

In my previous post I said I was going to take a break from biking. And I did. For about a week, then I hopped back on the bike and have been riding regularly since then, albeit at a leisurely pace. I even commuted to work (20 miles each way), and I stopped to take this photo on Wednesday night.


For the past week we've had beautiful weather, with sunshine and highs in the 50's and 60's. Last Saturday we awoke to our first snow, but it was just a dusting which quickly melted. The snow in northern Wisco and Michigan that fell yesterday didn't get us, but we have abundant wind and cold air today. Will make for a cold, slow ride this afternoon.

Several weeks back, Myles blogged about using eggshells in his coffee. Last week, after I used a couple of eggs, I washed out the eggshells using my fingers to scrub away the membrane from the shell under running water. I let the shells dry overnight, then ground them up in my coffee grinder the next morning. You know that smell when the dentist drills your tooth to prepare for filling a cavity? That's the smell that emanated from the grinder.

I added those ground up shells to my freshly ground Meijer (a regional big box discount store) coffee, and made a pot of fresh coffee. I must say, I didn't like the coffee at all. I kept thinking of the dentist with every sip. I really like my dentist, but I don't want him messing around with my coffee. I think if I was making cowboy coffee, adding finely-broken eggshells would probably help settle the grounds and make the coffee taste better, but I don't recommend using a coffee grinder to process your eggshells.

On the weight-loss front, I've lost 17 lbs since early October by following the Spark People plan. I've used dieting to lose weight before, but I never knew what I should be eating. My previous diets were primarily lettuce salads, rice, and bananas. But the spark people plan gives a detailed menu each day, and lists the grams of carbs, fat, and protein for each menu item, so I can easily track how much I've eaten for each meal and each snack. In addition to the food plan, there is a fitness plan that is very helpful also. All this is free, which is the best deal I've had in a long time.

A couple of things I've learned is that I have been mistaking the empty stomach feeling for hunger, and that eating "healthy" food doesn't make up for eating crappy food. I'm learning that food should be treated as fuel for the body, not for an emotional treat to help me feel better.

Something I don't think I've mentioned much before is that I spend a great deal of time playing disc golf. Yesterday I got my first hole-in-one after seven years of playing. In addition, my disc golf buddy Paul and I tied the course record for best-disc doubles, so yesterday was a great day.

Happy riding!