This Song Has No Title

Sorry, no song today.  I know how upset you all are.

Brian's Stats

Current Weight: 210.0
Loss this week: 1.2
Total loss: 6.0

Kate is at 210 too.  Good job, Kate!

Down to You

I loves me some Joni Mitchell.  Today's Random Song Friday is Down to You by Joni Mitchell.  It's on the fantastic Court and Spark album.  It's a wonderful song.  Melancholy and regretful.

Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow
Just when you’re thinking
You've finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking
At your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger

A warning for all of us currently in a good state of mind.  Remember, it comes and it goes.  I don't really want to hear that right now, but I know it's true and I know I need to hear it.

Brian's Stats
Current Weight: 211.2
Loss this week: 1.2
Total loss: 4.8
% of body fat: 33.4%
BMI: 29.5

I need to talk about this whole weight thing.  I'm not losing weight all that quickly, but my love handles are almost gone.  I can only pinch them now, not hold them.  When I lost weight last time I was well under 200 before I could do that.  So this is clearly different.  I can also squeeze another belt hole down, but that wouldn't be comfortable.  When I can do that comfortably, my waist will be around a 34.  I started at a 38.  The last time around my waist was a 34 when I was under 190 lbs.  I feel I'm doing this the right way.  I'm not starving myself, far from it.  I'm usually not hungry!  Not that I starved myself last time, but I was clearly hungry more often last time around.  (The definition of starving?)

Bottom line, I'm proud my commitment and away I go!

Madman Across the Water

Today's Random Song Friday is Madman Across the Water by Elton John.  This is my favorite Elton John album, same title.  I love Rotten Peaches, Levon and Razor Face.  I also like Madman Across the Water.

The chorus:

We'll come again next Thursday afternoon
The in-laws hope they'll see you very soon
But is it in your conscience that you're after
Another glimpse of the madman across the water

I always believed that Elton was referring to himself in this song, or more accurately, Bernie Taupin was referring to Elton, as it was Bernie who wrote the lyrics.  My Internet searches seem to agree with that.  I wasn't sure why Elton viewed himself as a madman, but I guess as I get older I understand.  We all have these demons inside our heads, don't we?  And it's all about how we deal with them.  I'm certainly trying to deal with mine and to a certain level succeeding.  At least I can say that today, maybe tomorrow will bring something different.  But I'll keep fighting, that I can promise you all.

As the song says:

Will they come again next week?
Can my mind really take it?

Yes, I think I know what he's talking about.

Now, on to the good stuff...

Brian's Stats
Current Weight: 212.4
Loss this week: 1.2
Total loss: 3.6 (probably closer to 6)
% of body fat: 34.4%
BMI: 29.8

Kate can post hers in the comments.  Or maybe I'll add it here later.  Either way, she's probably kicking my ass.  She's focusing on her diet much more than I am.  I'm focusing on fitness.  We're both winners!

Scale vs. Snow

So, no Random Song Friday this week.  Sorry about that.  It snowed all day Thursday and Friday.  I got more than 2 feet of the stuff.  My snowblower conked out again.  But I was almost done at least.

Here's a picture of my front walkway:

Snow!

As promised, I got a new scale.  Unfortunately, this also means that I need to press the reset button on my weight.  I probably started out weighing more than 216, probably more like 218 or more.  This new scale tells me my weight to one decimal point, BMI and % of body fat.  Percent of body fat is interesting because I'm working out pretty seriously.  I should be losing body fat quicker than weight.  As for BMI, this needs to be thrown out the window.  A 30 BMI is OBESE.  A man weighing 215 pounds at 5'11" has a BMI of 30.  (In other words, ME!)  There is no way anyone would EVER call me obese.  Overweight?  Sure, I am overweight.  Obese, NO! 

Anyway, along with my weight I'll be putting down % of body fat and BMI so we can follow along with it.

Brian's Stats
Current Weight: 213.6
Gain this week: 0.6 (probably not, but I'll stick to it)
Total loss: 2.4
% of body fat: 34.4%
BMI: 29.9 (yay!  no longer obese!)

Kate's Stats
Current Weight: 210
Loss this week: 1
Total loss: 3

So Kate is winning and she says that she's working out now too.  Go Kate!

Taxi

Today's Random Song Friday is Taxi by Harry Chapin.

Ah, there are so many songs I like better from the late Mr. Chapin then the everpresent Taxi, but the song certainly IS on my iPod and it came up randomly, so here it is.

When I was a teenager, probably 15 or 16, I was in the car with my dad and this song came on the radio.  I liked the song and was singing parts of it.  My dad then told me, "you know, this was one of the first songs on the radio that openly mentioned drug use."

I took this in for a moment and thought about the song and then realized he was right!  It was about drug use.  I had never thought about that before.  So I said the very impressive statement, "really?!?"  And he said, "yes, before this song it was a big taboo to discuss such things."

Looking back, there are times when you begin to feel a little more like an adult in your parent's eyes.  This was one of those times.  It sounds silly that a song about drug use would make me feel more adult, but it was obviously an adult topic and my dad felt I was old enough to mention such a thing to me.  It's stayed with me ever since.

Now on to the BvK program.  Kate and I both get a pass this week.  Kate has been dealing with some stuff (see her blog for info) and I strained my back.  I did recover from this a little bit late in the week.  I put in one good workout and some cardio.  I didn't lose any weight, but I was able to comfortably go down a belt loop!  Now that's progress!

Current Weight - 213
This Week's Loss - 0 lbs.
Total Loss - 3 lbs.
Belt Loops Down - 1

Graceland

Today's Random Song Friday is Graceland by Paul Simon.

I watched Spinal Tap the other day with my wife.  She had claimed to have never seen it.  After their gig in Memphis gets canceled they decide to visit Elvis' grave.  They sing Heartbreak Hotel and they try to harmonize.  They fail miserably.

Too funny!

My wife didn't laugh.

That's the first thing I thought of when finding out that today's song would be Graceland.

There is a girl in New York City,
Who calls herself the human trampoline.
And sometimes when I'm falling flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
Whoa so this is what she means.
She means we're bouncing into Graceland.

This verse always struck me funny. Human trampoline? People are always bouncing off of her? When Mr. Simon says, "when I'm falling, flying or tumbling in turmoil I say, 'whoa, so this is what she means.'" Trampolines do not fall or fly or tumble. People ON trampolines do that. If she's a human trampoline then people are doing that ON her.

Yeah, I know, I'm reading too much into it. But, sorry Mr. Simon, it just doesn't work.

So, that brings us to the end of this week's Random Song Friday. I wish you all a wonderful weekend! Goodnight and good blogging.

NEW FEATURE - BvK!  Kate challenged me to a weight off!  She thinks she can beat me.  Bwahahahaha!  She has no idea what she's gotten herself into.  We'll be announcing our weight as part of our special Friday segments.

Current Weight - 213
Total Loss - 3 lbs.