i dream of sushi

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  • Why Am I Still Fat?

    I’ll tell you why. That’s because I took 2 months off and just ate everything in sight. It was a combination of Chili’s and a pickleball injury that truly, really did me in. That, and of course, my propensity to fall into an abyss of no exercise and binge-eating. Getting out of it after just two months is actually some sort of record for me. Usually these binges last up to half a year. This is actually a WIN.

    So anyway, I am on my third day of trying to drop more fat. So far I’ve lost 3lbs.. which is actually behind schedule. I was hoping for maybe a 7lb-loss this week, just because I have so much fat to lose. I’ve had exactly one workout – to be fair, it was deadlifts.. and my walkpad just broke down and gave up on me. Well, the my walkpad may be giving up, but I’m not. I’m determined to lose 20lbs this month. Today is chest day, so maybe that will jumpstart my metabolism. Get my body burning fat AND building muscle. At least that’s the hope. I’ve still got quite a long way to go, not to mention the almost 20lbs binge that set me back.

    What I’ve realized with this whole weight-loss and fitness journey is that the details aren’t that important. The most important factor in this game is TIME. If you stack up enough days, enough weeks, enough months, you WILL see changes. You don’t have to be perfect the entire time (although it sure helps,) but you have to be consistent. Show up 85% of the time. The workouts may be lazy, but it’s sure better than just sitting on your butt all day. It’s great to hit your protein goals, but you know what? Staying in a calorie deficit, just by itself, is a win.

    That’s what I’m striving to do now. Not perfect, but consistent. Steady. It’s a little tougher because I’ve given myself a pretty stiff deadline, so I may be doing way too much, but at the end of the day, if I can string together 2 to 3 weeks, maybe a month and a half of just not messing up, things WILL change for the better. We are all gonna make it.

    Having said that, I am STILL completely, pathetically bombing on my sports betting. These WNBA players need to get their act together, FAST.

  • OASIS REUNION CONCERT!

    I bought my first OASIS record in Hong Kong, at an HMV store. Up til that point, I had only heard Wonderwall, and didn’t really think too much of it. However, I had decided that I should give my generation’s music a chance, instead of just listening to the same stuff that my dad listened to (although their generation’s music was, and is still, definitely better than anything that’s come since.)

    That’s how I found myself with a cassette tape of Oasis’ live album: Familiar to Millions. I was blown away. Every track was amazing. My soul shook. The songs weren’t particularly fantastic, but whatever rock stars have, they had it. They’re probably the last rock stars the industry has left. I listened to that record all the time. In the car, at home, anywhere I could play it. I didn’t care for their studio albums – I felt they were all too subdued and boring. It was the energy they gave and got the live crowds that drew me in.

    And that’s why when they announced that they were coming to my country for a concert in 2002, I, a poor student, ponied up the $20 for a general admission ticket. I was set to go alone, as most my friends at the time didn’t really like Oasis, but I didn’t care. To be part of one of their concerts was something mind-blowing to me at the time. Unfortunately, they cancelled the show. The official press release was they were concerned about their safety or something like that, but it was most likely just another blow up between Noel and Liam. The brothers were infamously feuding in those days. And so came an end to my Oasis dreams.

    Until now. When they announced the 2025 reunion tour, I lost it. I checked flights. I checked hotels. I checked tickets. I was willing to pay upwards of $2000 to watch what was in my opinion, one of the best live bands of all time. Never mind that they were old men by now. I had to see them.

    And after months of waiting for tickets, I am in possession of Upper Box seats to their Melbourne concert. This is going to be biblical, mate. Over 20 years in the making. So what if they’re old? So what if I don’t really enjoy Melbourne? I’ll eat at Outback steakhouse, toss them a few aspirin, and watch the two architects of the soundtrack of my childhood. Don’t look back in anger, mate. Live forever.

  • We’re Back

    So I’ve been gone 2 months. And in that time, I’ve gained around 15lbs. Still lost weight overall, but it’s terribly frustrating to have undone so much progress. That being said, today is a new day. Or at least, tomorrow will be a new day. I’ve already pigged out today lol we are human, after all.

    It’s going to be pretty tough getting back into the swing of things. I’ve got a vacation coming up in 3 weeks, and I’d like to be at a comfortable weight for that. Hard to be doing all that walking while carrying around all this excess weight. I’m looking at hopefully losing the same 15lbs I gained back. Let’s see. The plan of attack is to start lifting slowly. Follow the same blueprint that let me lose all that weight in the first place. It’s going to be tough, but I think 3 weeks of just locking in can really make a significant difference.

    I’ve also been on a hell of a bad run with sports betting. I’m losing every thing I put on. It’s crazy. Health hasn’t been too great, either. Maybe I’m in one of those life slumps. Or maybe it’s the ghost month. Whatever it is, I hope things get better soon. I could use a break. Or two. Or five. Where are those winning lottery numbers when you need them.

    That being said, I do have quite a few things to look forward to. I’ve got two international trips coming up (more on this later), plus I’m hitting up one of the best beaches in the country before the year is out. It’s a lot of money, but what’s done is done. I’ve already shelled out the dough, so I may as well enjoy myself. Yet another reason to get in shape F A S T. Things just taste better when you aren’t pigging out all the time. The walks around a new city are also much improved by not being 40 lbs overweight. It’s the small things, right?

  • They don’t make ’em like they used to

    I hate today’s music. It’s just.. not very good.

    I grew up on my dad’s music. We’re talking Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Hall & Oates – all the greats. Then I had my own discoveries. The Dave Matthews Band. Oasis. Kanye (lol.)

    None of the music today can even compare to what I grew up listening to. Am I being crazy? Am I just too old to appreciate what they put out today? I mean, Al Stewart was talking about how the Russians beat back the Nazis. What are we even talking about today? Where’s the substance? It’s completely non-existent. Just the same old drivel about a cookie cutter love between cookie cutter people.

    I mean, check out Dave Matthews. He’s tossing out a lot of love songs. But at least you can picture the people in the songs being a little overweight. They all don’t have abs. They may be balding. The women don’t look like they came out of a Sports Illustrated Bikini edition magazine. Real people.

    Everybody’s so obsessed with their image and looking good – it’s killed all creativity. We’ve lost the musicianship that made bands like Chicago great. Did you know that the great Jimi Hendrix openly admitted that Chicago guitarist Terry Kath was a much better guitar player than him? We deserve a better class of musician, not the slop they’re serving us today.

    As far as Kanye goes.. I miss the old Kanye. The man is a lyrical genius. All the way up to the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – at least 90% of his music was all BANGERS. Not sure what happened. Maybe the Kardashians.

  • Day 50

    In 7 minutes, I will have completed 50 days of trying to get fit again. In this time, I have lost exactly 22.3 lbs. I could have lost a lot more, but a man’s got to live, right?

    It’s a pretty good milestone to hit – 50 days. Enough to tell myself I did something. I’ve dieted before, but not with this consistency. At least not in a long time. It feels pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. I feel so much lighter. My knees don’t hurt as much. My cardio conditioning is miles away from where I started. I can actually play basketball again for more than 3 possessions.

    Now some stats for everybody, because I know you must all be so curious. I had 13 cheat days. I worked out 28 times. I walked 926,000 steps. That one is big. Getting myself a walkpad was the best decision I’ve made for my health in a long time.

    To be honest though, it’s a battle everyday. I always want sushi. I always want steak. I always want a Zinger from KFC. Then there are days when the scale just won’t move. Even when I know the numbers add up to me losing weight – the scale refuses to accept the math. It’s those days that get me running to the cupboard for some chips, or to the fridge to fix myself a midnight snack (cue 13 cheat days). And those days are coming with more and more regularity. Is this the plateau? Is this just my body waiting out the whoosh effect?

    I’m currently in one of those funks right now. The solution? 2 hours of basketball. I’m nowhere near as good as I used to be, but at least I’m running. Maybe the scale will get the message.

  • THE TWO BEST WORDS IN SPORTS – GAME 7

    I’ve got to admit, I didn’t see this coming. I had the OKC Thunder winning the chip months ago. But these pesky Indiana Pacers didn’t seem to get the memo.

    Now I don’t have a horse in this race. I have no deep emotional attachments to either team. I just figured that OKC’s swarming defense, couple with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive brilliance, was going to be enough to win this year’s Larry O’Brien trophy. And who in the hell is Larry O’Brien, anyway? Any relation to Conan O’Brien? Hehe. A little basketball humor there.

    So what are the Pacers doing right? First, we have to say that the level of basketball talent in the NBA today is unmatched. Everybody is literally more skilled and more athletic than the players of yesteryear. If you disagree with this, you don’t believe in evolution. People get better with time. It’s a fact of life. I say this to point out that it is no longer a league where a couple of stars can get you a championship. Depth matters. From the 1st guy to the 15th guy on the roster, everybody needs to be able to make plays on a high level.

    Would Michael Jordan still be a superstar if he played in today’s game? Absolutely. He’s a freak of nature athlete, with solid fundamentals, with a psycho-like competitiveness to him. Will he be 6-0 in the finals? No shot. Opposing teams would pack the paint and force him to shoot 3s.. which he is terrible at. And that’s why the Pacers have a real shot.

    They push the ball up, limiting turnovers. Everybody can shoot the 3, drive to the hole, and is athletic enough to compete with OKC. This is modern basketball at its best. It’s definitely not as exciting without the superstar highlights, but the math usually wins out. And that’s what we’re seeing here.

  • Getting Older All The Time

    A few months back, I stepped on my weighing scale at home – you know the one, the one with biological impedance analysis technology to tell you in unforgiving detail just how out of shape you are – and apparently, I am 68 years old.

    Now this confused me, because I’m pretty sure that I’m a few decades shy of that. I tried again, and alas! I am not only fat and out of shape, I am old. At least according to the machine. I took a long, hard look at myself in the bathroom mirror and I had to face the facts. I did have the body of a 68 year old man. I was carrying too much fat, I had on too little muscle, and I had more chins than the capital of China.

    It’s not like I didn’t know I was living a pretty unhealthy lifestyle. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, but food deliveries – ah, that is my poison of choice. Most of my disposal income went to ordering takeout. We’re talking McDonald’s, Chili’s, Pizza Hut, even the occasional Texas Roadhouse. Couple that with a sedentary office job and no exercise, and you have a morbidly obese 68 year old man.

    I knew I had to do something, so I’m pretty stoked to share that I am currently on the second phase of my healthy living plan!

    I started at roughly 240lbs, spent 100 days to get down to 210 (Phase 1), took a break and got back up to 225, and now currently sitting at 205, 40 days in with Phase 2. Yes, the weight rebound was planned for. It was the holidays, plus I had a few trips planned. I wasn’t going to be dieting on vacation.

    More than the scale weight, though, I love how much better I feel. Everything is just easier. I’m even enjoying eating more. Plus, eating home-cooked food is a hell of a lot kinder on the wallet. I plan to get under 200lbs for the first time in a long time in around 2 weeks. Let’s see what the scale has to say about that then.

  • Echoes of Tokyo

    Why sushi? Deep in the throes and trenches of my diet, I dream of sushi. Not of prime rib, or burritos, or even McDonald’s. No, I dream of sushi. In Japan. In nondescript, family-run sushi restaurants where only the locals know to go. On the 6th floor of department stores in the heart of the city. In kaiten sushi places, where color-coded plate are brought along like promises on conveyor belts. This is what I dream of.

    I miss Tokyo. The lights, the people, the weather. The collective heartbeat of courtesy and personal civic responsibility. There’s just something truly magical about it. Even the impossibly tiny hotel rooms have grown on me. The last time I stayed in a hotel room larger than 20sqm, I felt oddly cold and alone. And the metro – Holy Moses, smell the roses – the metro. The Tokyo subway is by far my favorite mode of commute. The whole city is so connected. It is on time to the minute. Yes, Tanaka-san, I will meet you at the station at 4:52pm on the dot. No, Nakamura-san, I will not be needing a personal car. The metro will get me where I need to go.

    So did I just start a blog to talk about my love for Japan and its handling of raw fish? Maybe. We’ll see. I have many other interests. But for today, I have sushi on my mind. Welcome to my blog.