Suggestions for interesting and tannic red wines.

Seriously, I want to get back down to about 195 or so, so it looks like if I shoot for 3000 cals per day & continue my vigorous exercise regimen (25-30 miles of walking per week plus some weight lifting, not to mention all the summer yard work) I should eventually get there.

David, I don't know your numbers but assuming you are 210 and burn 15.2 calories per pound and eat 3000 calories a day, here's how the model would work:

Weight Eat Use Difference New Wt

5/3/2009 210 3000 3,192 (192) 209.9
5/4/2009 210 3000 3,191 (191) 209.9
5/5/2009 210 3000 3,190 (190) 209.8
5/6/2009 210 3000 3,190 (190) 209.8
5/7/2009 210 3000 3,189 (189) 209.7
5/8/2009 210 3000 3,188 (188) 209.7
5/9/2009 210 3000 3,187 (187) 209.6
5/10/2009 210 3000 3,186 (186) 209.6
5/11/2009 210 3000 3,185 (185) 209.5
5/12/2009 210 3000 3,185 (185) 209.5
5/13/2009 209 3000 3,184 (184) 209.4
5/14/2009 209 3000 3,183 (183) 209.4
5/15/2009 209 3000 3,182 (182) 209.3
5/16/2009 209 3000 3,181 (181) 209.3
5/17/2009 209 3000 3,181 (181) 209.2
5/18/2009 209 3000 3,180 (180) 209.2
5/19/2009 209 3000 3,179 (179) 209.1
5/20/2009 209 3000 3,178 (178) 209.0
5/21/2009 209 3000 3,178 (178) 209.0
5/22/2009 209 3000 3,177 (177) 208.9
5/23/2009 209 3000 3,176 (176) 208.9
5/24/2009 209 3000 3,175 (175) 208.8
5/25/2009 209 3000 3,174 (174) 208.8
5/26/2009 209 3000 3,174 (174) 208.7
5/27/2009 209 3000 3,173 (173) 208.7
5/28/2009 209 3000 3,172 (172) 208.6
5/29/2009 209 3000 3,171 (171) 208.6
5/30/2009 209 3000 3,171 (171) 208.6
5/31/2009 209 3000 3,170 (170) 208.5
6/1/2009 209 3000 3,169 (169) 208.5
6/2/2009 208 3000 3,168 (168) 208.4
6/3/2009 208 3000 3,168 (168) 208.4
6/4/2009 208 3000 3,167 (167) 208.3
6/5/2009 208 3000 3,166 (166) 208.3
6/6/2009 208 3000 3,166 (166) 208.2
6/7/2009 208 3000 3,165 (165) 208.2
6/8/2009 208 3000 3,164 (164) 208.1
6/9/2009 208 3000 3,163 (163) 208.1
6/10/2009 208 3000 3,163 (163) 208.0
6/11/2009 208 3000 3,162 (162) 208.0
6/12/2009 208 3000 3,161 (161) 207.9
6/13/2009 208 3000 3,161 (161) 207.9
6/14/2009 208 3000 3,160 (160) 207.8
6/15/2009 208 3000 3,159 (159) 207.8
6/16/2009 208 3000 3,159 (159) 207.8
6/17/2009 208 3000 3,158 (158) 207.7
6/19/2009 208 3000 3,157 (157) 207.7
6/20/2009 208 3000 3,156 (156) 207.6
6/21/2009 208 3000 3,156 (156) 207.6
6/22/2009 208 3000 3,155 (155) 207.5
6/23/2009 208 3000 3,154 (154) 207.5
6/24/2009 207 3000 3,154 (154) 207.4
6/25/2009 207 3000 3,153 (153) 207.4
6/26/2009 207 3000 3,152 (152) 207.4
6/27/2009 207 3000 3,152 (152) 207.3
6/28/2009 207 3000 3,151 (151) 207.3
6/29/2009 207 3000 3,150 (150) 207.2
6/30/2009 207 3000 3,150 (150) 207.2
7/1/2009 207 3000 3,149 (149) 207.1
7/2/2009 207 3000 3,149 (149) 207.1
7/3/2009 207 3000 3,148 (148) 207.1
7/4/2009 207 3000 3,147 (147) 207.0

As Stuart teaches, either reduce the 3000 calories or increase the calories used per day per pound by climbing a mountain a week incrementally, for example.

I've increased my average areobic activity from 1.5 to 3.5 hours per day over the past 16 weeks, and ate 2,000, 1200 and 1500 calories per day, depending on the period. As noted, lost 2.2 pounds per week.

Stuart rocks!

[David M. Bueker]

Bob,

What level of aerobic activity does the model assume?

Bob, you're an inspiration! Keep up the good work!

Bob,

What level of aerobic activity does the model assume?

There is no assumption of any particular aerobic activity.

The only assumptions are Stuart's principles put into a mathematical formula and that you lose 3500 calories for each pound lost. In the short term, that assumption is almost certainly false: some weight loss is water containing no calories and some weight loss may be of protein which is less dense than fat.

Nonetheless, almost all the diet books use 3500 calories per pound for humans.

The model works for slug a couches and for martathoners -- totally indifferent to activity.

I can see in rough terms that my calories per pound per day is roughly correlated positively with increases in aerobic activity. I'll run the numbers and revert.

Bob, you're an inspiration! Keep up the good work!

As are you, Steve.

Got a good tannic wine for me to add to my lineup?

Thanks. Bob

Bob, congratulations on your new and improved lifestyle. I never call it a diet. If you like rustic wines, try a Pinotage from South Africa.

Bob,

What level of aerobic activity does the model assume?

David, as a first approximation, during the first 8 weeks of this period, I averaged the equivalent of 9.9 hours a week of aerobic activity. They are a variety of activities including hiking at 2 mph at 1000 gain in elevation, walking at 15 minute miles, elliptical trainer at a level between hiking and walking, and physical labor.

During the second 8 weeks I average the equivalent of 16.9 hours a week of aerobic activity.

Calories used per day per pound in the first 8 week period were 14.0 and during the second 8 week period were 16.0. I'll run a couple of tests on these results and revert if there is a major error.

Best, Bob

[David M. Bueker]

In other words, you were constantly on the move. Ah well.

Well ... for one to three hours on average a day anyway.

[David M. Bueker]

Oh shoot...I read hours instead of days. Well that's more realistic. Phew. I get a good 10 hours min without trying. I try to get over 15 in the summer.

[Jenise]

My tentative goal is 140 pounds,

That's pretty darned small. How tall are you?

That's pretty darned small. How tall are you?

5' 6", although like many OFs I'm shrinking a bit, perhaps closer to 5' 5.5".

The belly/butt ratio is a better objective -- ideal is 0.91 and at the moment I'm at 1.02. Hard to predict where that will end up -- my butt is shrinking at about the same rate as my belly as I write these words.

Maybe the cardiologist in June will come up with a better objective, but it's fun to have an objective measure. I've collected a wonderful pile of rocks from around the neighborhood -- one to five pounds each -- and have been slowly moving them from the Now Bob to the Was Bob pile.

When the Was Bob is complete we plan to build a retaining wall around a little garden near the garage and enclose my cherry tomato plants!

Point of clarification: I was wrong about the source of the advice about drinking tannic wines to help avoid or minimize the sugar addiction problem I have.

A South Beach veteran who has become something of a guru for newbies made the suggestion, but wrote that it was nothing more than speculation on his part. He points out that wine is essentially a simple sugar, no matter which one you drink, so the effect, if any, would be psychological.

My internist does drink young tannic wines after decanting for a period of time. He writes: "I drink young wines because they cost less. The tannin needs to be tamed and decanting them for 4 to 6 hours in a ships decanter will usually do the trick."

I conflated the two bits of advice. Sorry for any confusion.

Bob,
There is actually a link between tannic wines and cardiovacular health, at least according to a paper published in Nature 1-2 years ago. Researchers in the UK looked at populations where the incidence of heart disease was less than what was predicted for their intake of saturated fats, etc. They then correlated those populations with the consumption of young, tannic, red wines. (French Paradox Redux). From this, they then speculated that the tannins of the red wine might (emphasis on might) be responsible for the cardiovascular benefits, especially as they are thousands of times more abundant in wine than the highly touted resveratrol and other flavonoids. It's still much debated, but an interesting hypothesis. If you're interested in staying within budget, Madiran, Irouleguy and Aglianico would be my choices. Good to hear about your health progress.

Mark Lipton

Thank you Mark. I'm looking forward to getting a green light soon. Wine certainly became a source of great joy in my life 15 years ago. Best, Bob

Thank you Mark. I'm looking forward to getting a green light soon. Wine certainly became a source of great joy in my life 15 years ago. Best, Bob

Bob, you have a budget? First time I ever heard that!

Bob, you have a budget? First time I ever heard that!

It's the internist who mentioned the price of the wines he prefers Bob. But, my budget for wine is actually negative by about 25 cases over the past 12 months.

No purchases at all, and I've given away about 25 cases to people who would enjoy them. That may change -- hopefully -- later this year, but at the moment I'm not stimulating the wine economy to any extent.