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Hey Folks!
Well, I bet you thought that I had bailed on the “getting fit” message that I’ve been preaching since the inception of livedeckerscolorado.com? Good news my friends, I have not! I’m here today to begin the second half of this blogging mission I’ve created for myself, by sharing with you my recipe to achieve optimal health and wellness. Catching those back up to speed who have been following along, and just to give those that are reading for the first time, I’m in the process of trying to shed 100 pounds in one year’s time. I am trying to accomplish this enormous, life-changing task by completely changing my lifestyle, implementing a consistent daily exercise routine, and taking control of my diet by eating mostly a plant-based diet, with minimal protein intake from red meat and poultry. Back in October of 2015, I was seen by my Cardiologist after having a third battle of congestive heart failure, due to an out of control arrhythmia and my hearts inability to regulate it’s own rate. After getting the situation under control, medications adjusted, a clearance from the Doctor to get back into a fitness routine, and the desire to really change the way I thought about food and daily life, I was ready to get rid of this life-controlling 100 pounds! On this date, October 21, 2015, I weighed in at a whopping 289 pounds! As you know, I live in the mountains of Colorado, and cycling in February typically isn’t the most opportune time to get a 20 mile daily bike ride in each day, so I basically let the physical activity diminish to a casual walk along the river, as I fly-fished for physical activity through the winter months. This simply did nothing for the message I was have supposed to have listened to in October, resulting in poor energy, painful joints, and an overall “bad attitude” in general. In April of this past year I was fortunate to attend Major League Baseball’s Spring Training, in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Upon returning from this trip and looking at the pictures of myself on the beach, I was frightened at what I saw! I saw someone who didn’t look happy in his own skin! I saw a guy who desperately needed to change “his ways” when it came to eating and exercise, or I was going to simply going to continue to gain weight, most likely develop diabetes, or worse yet, succumb to the heart condition.
The first week of May, 2016, I began to take daily walks on forest roads surrounding my community, and shortly after, those “daily walks” turned into 3 hour hikes, climbing upwards to 1,000 feet in elevation, 3 or 4 times a week. After getting my legs back and some cardio work in for a month, it was time to get back on the road bike that helped me lose the 100+pounds I had lost between 2012-2014. Around the first week of June, I began to ride my daily route from Decker’s/Trumbull, to Nighthawk. This is a 10 mile stretch of road that offers an excellent training route, comprised of a 5 mile hill climb section and a 5 mile valley section that both follow the South Platte River. I am currently doing this ride each morning at about 8:30am, and finishing by 9:45. I’m currently on a training schedule of 7 days on/ 1 day off. After the bike ride, which I am keeping interval numbers from, that I’ll be sharing periodically, I am using an “Old School” aeROBICRider. This is one of those early/mid-90’s pieces of exercise equipment that looks like a stationary bike seat with a cross-bar to pull yourself up with. You are basically doing a pull-up with your own body weight, while doing a pseudo crunch at the same time. Check out the picture in the gallery! Ok, enough background, let’s get to some of the results of all this work! As of this date, I’m currently weighing in at 220 pounds and have lost about 7 inches off my weight. This is a total weight loss of 69 pounds since October of 2015, with the last 50 pounds coming off since about the beginning of May.
In this paragraph, I would like to share with you some of the dietary changes that I’ve made, along with some of the reasons I have chosen my new, mostly plant-based diet. In July, I attended a culinary demonstration with a message, by Chef Mark Anthony.http://www.chefmarkanthony.com You may have seen him on the Food Network. http://www.fooodnetwork.com. After listening to Chef Mark speak about the mind blowing numbers of Americans suffering from diabetes, heart disease, and as Chef Mark likes to say, “the killer diseases” I decided that I was going to give his way of eating a try. The “message” that I eluded to earlier is pretty simple. By taking care of the body, you are also taking care of the mind. In return, you will be closer to your higher power, ultimately taking care of the soul! As a Chef of over 25 years myself, I found it refreshing to actually spend the time to create MY food for MY health reasons and focus on what I should be putting into my body each and every meal. Planning my meals around my exercise and workout routine has been key to the successful weight loss. Each morning, I’m up by 5:30am and begin my morning routine of feeding the dogs, checking the river flow reports, and assembling my “already made’ meal components for my morning power breakfast of good carbohydrates such as brown rice or barley, protein from beans or lentils, one over-easy egg, 1/2 of a whole wheat bagel, single banana, and about 2oz. of non-fat vanilla yogurt! This usually gives me enough energy to make it back from my ride and eat again, usually before noon. I then usually have a small mixed green salad, with about 4-6 oz. of deli turkey or some grilled chicken breast, sometimes just the greens and raw vegetables. For the rest of the afternoon, I like to snack on mixed nuts, dried fruits, raw celery and carrots. My evening meal is mostly just some assorted pieces of fruit, a remix of the breakfast components, less the egg! more raw or grilled vegetables and that other half of whole wheat bagel from breakfast! That’s basically it my friends! This is how I’ve been losing the weight! I will add that I am drinking about two and a half gallons of water each day! My goal is to give you a weekly update on the weight loss and dietary choices. If you would like to join along, please do! Subscribe to my blog and you’ll be emailed whenever I publish a new post!
Chris
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September 10, 2016
fishing reportGood evening everyone!
Chilly start to this morning in the valley, temps in the mid-30’s overnight, with a good frost covering the grass and the tips of the willows! Flows have been pretty erratic, going from the low 300’s, upwards to 500 this morning! We’ve got 488 in the canyon and 475 in Trumbull. With the second bump in flow in just three days, we’ve seen substantial moss, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier in the week. I haven’t been fishing much today, went out just a few moments ago, but no luck as I was a little early on the evening hatch, but didn’t feel like switching over to a nymph rig! The fishing that I have done in the last two days has been so-so! From what I’ve noticed, the fish are still staying deep, but will take that perfectly presented dry if offered! Keeping with the dry-dropper theme, the evenings towards dark have been most productive for me. I’ve also had more success with a variety of bugs this time of night, tying on single dry’s such as a Parachute Adams or a BWO. Once it really gets dark, the fish seem to be rather aggressive on the streamers, such as a green or black Wooley-Bugger. It’s looking like another spectacular day up here tomorrow, so come on up and try your luck! Looking to spend a few days here in Decker’s/Trumbull? Please take a look at http://www.southplatterivercabins.com. Flies and Lies also has cabins for rent, visit them at http://www.flies-n-lies.com. That’s all for now folks! Got a small fishing party put together for the morning, pictures to come! Have a great evening and I’ll see you on the river!
Chris
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September 9, 2016 Fishing report “flows are up”
fishing reportGood evening folks!
Just when you thought things were calming down with the flow, they’ve bumped the South Platte up some more! We’ve been on a roller coaster this week my friends, with the river flow going from the 290’s, up to our current flow of 479 cfs. Surprisingly, the clarity isn’t that bad. There is considerable moss to deal with, but not as much grass that we saw earlier in the week, with the previous bump in flow. The fishing has settled down a little with the up and down flow increase, but what I’ve noticed is the fish are just going a bit deeper during these periods. One thing I definitely increased this morning was the amount of weight on my rig. I have struggled in the past with not getting my flies down where the fish are feeding, so I made sure to get enough nymphing mud between my 2 split-shots to guarantee my flies would be getting where they needed to be. With a pink San Juan Worm, trailing a grey Hare’s Ear, followed with a black, two-bit hooker, I was able to put two nice rainbows in the net. As dusk turns to darkness, I’ve been throwing an Olive Wooley-bugger by the moonlight. On several occasions, my first or second cast to the bank or the granite wall has produced a large brown, aggressively taking the bugger the instant it hits the water! Obviously, the flow in Cheesman Canyon is also higher today, with a current flow of 488 cfs. One thing you have going for you in the canyon verses the lower Platte here in Decker’s, would be the amount of moss that’s flowing as a result of the flow increase. All in all, the fishing has been good, space is much easier to come by on the river, and the weather has been great! More to come over the weekend, as I plan to fish some of the sections of the South Platte, downstream from Trumbull. Until then, have a great evening and I hope to see you on the river!
Chris
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September 8, 2016 Fishing Report
camping, fishing report[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”54″ gal_title=”september 8 2016″]
Good Evening everyone!
Checking in this evening to give you a quick update on the river conditions here in Decker’s/Trumbull. After the flow increase of the South Platte the other day, the moss has decreased considerably, and the chocolate milk of a river we saw yesterday, and the day before, has thinned quite nicely. We’ve got 337 cfs below the dam, with 332 in Trumbull. Blue skies, plenty of sunshine, and temps in the low 80’s’ provided an excellent day on the Platte! Great thing about September, the kids are back in school and the river is pretty wide-open. Weekends are still rather busy, but the weekdays are prime for some quality fishing at the hole of your choice, with plenty of open stretches of water to fish by yourself. I didn’t fish much today, but got out just after 11:00 this morning to catch a few fish rising on a few of the remaining Trico’s that had died off and were drifting along the way. I threw on a single bug, no indicator, and quickly made two tosses about six feet upstream from where I saw the rise. First pass, nothing, second time through I was hooked up on a small rainbow which took a small, size 24 Parachute Adams. I had a couple of fish flash my bug over the next ten minutes, picking up a small brown and calling it a day. Tomorrow is looking like more of the same, with sunny skies and warm temperatures in the forecast. Keep in mind that Lone Rock Campground is the only campground in our area to accept reservations. Make yours right here at http://www.reserveamerica.com. Until tomorrow, have a great day and I hope to see you on the river!
Chris
Trumbull, below Brush Creek
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September 7, 2016 Fishing report
fishing reportGood morning my fellow fishing enthusiasts!
Got up early this morning at 3:30 in anticipation of my trip to the Dream Stream, to realize that we actually had planned the trip for Thursday! Oh well, guess I’ll do some reconnaissance in the Decker’s area today! We saw a pretty big bump in the flows yesterday afternoon. We’ve gone from 284 cfs in Trumbull, to 409 cfs this morning. 418 cfs in the canyon, with Decker’s at about 400 cfs. We’ve got a bit of chocolate milk for a river this morning and I’ve seen some pretty good amounts of grass and other river bank debris floating downstream. Usually, within 24 hours or less, the sand and mud settle and the fish return to normal behavior. This doesn’t shut the fishing down, it just changes a bit, but offers chances to try other bugs and different tactics. One of the things I like to do when this occurs, is to throw on a San Juan Worm and work the banks where the worms are being dislodged with the rising water level. Going out in just a few to try my luck with the Trico’s, but going to toss that worm and probably trail something flashy like a bead-headed pheasant tail or a dark, two-bit hooker! It’s going to be in the upper 70’s today, with clear skies and some wind. If you’re making the trip up to see us, be sure to stop in to Flies and Lies, http://www.flies-n-lies.com to pick up all the flies and gear you’ll need for a great day on the South Platte River, Decker’s, Colorado. Have a great day and I hope to see you on the river!
Trumbull, below Brush Creek
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September 6, 2016 Lifestyle update!
lifestyle and fitness[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”52″ gal_title=”food and fitness pics September 6 2016″]
Hey Folks!
Well, I bet you thought that I had bailed on the “getting fit” message that I’ve been preaching since the inception of livedeckerscolorado.com? Good news my friends, I have not! I’m here today to begin the second half of this blogging mission I’ve created for myself, by sharing with you my recipe to achieve optimal health and wellness. Catching those back up to speed who have been following along, and just to give those that are reading for the first time, I’m in the process of trying to shed 100 pounds in one year’s time. I am trying to accomplish this enormous, life-changing task by completely changing my lifestyle, implementing a consistent daily exercise routine, and taking control of my diet by eating mostly a plant-based diet, with minimal protein intake from red meat and poultry. Back in October of 2015, I was seen by my Cardiologist after having a third battle of congestive heart failure, due to an out of control arrhythmia and my hearts inability to regulate it’s own rate. After getting the situation under control, medications adjusted, a clearance from the Doctor to get back into a fitness routine, and the desire to really change the way I thought about food and daily life, I was ready to get rid of this life-controlling 100 pounds! On this date, October 21, 2015, I weighed in at a whopping 289 pounds! As you know, I live in the mountains of Colorado, and cycling in February typically isn’t the most opportune time to get a 20 mile daily bike ride in each day, so I basically let the physical activity diminish to a casual walk along the river, as I fly-fished for physical activity through the winter months. This simply did nothing for the message I was have supposed to have listened to in October, resulting in poor energy, painful joints, and an overall “bad attitude” in general. In April of this past year I was fortunate to attend Major League Baseball’s Spring Training, in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Upon returning from this trip and looking at the pictures of myself on the beach, I was frightened at what I saw! I saw someone who didn’t look happy in his own skin! I saw a guy who desperately needed to change “his ways” when it came to eating and exercise, or I was going to simply going to continue to gain weight, most likely develop diabetes, or worse yet, succumb to the heart condition.
The first week of May, 2016, I began to take daily walks on forest roads surrounding my community, and shortly after, those “daily walks” turned into 3 hour hikes, climbing upwards to 1,000 feet in elevation, 3 or 4 times a week. After getting my legs back and some cardio work in for a month, it was time to get back on the road bike that helped me lose the 100+pounds I had lost between 2012-2014. Around the first week of June, I began to ride my daily route from Decker’s/Trumbull, to Nighthawk. This is a 10 mile stretch of road that offers an excellent training route, comprised of a 5 mile hill climb section and a 5 mile valley section that both follow the South Platte River. I am currently doing this ride each morning at about 8:30am, and finishing by 9:45. I’m currently on a training schedule of 7 days on/ 1 day off. After the bike ride, which I am keeping interval numbers from, that I’ll be sharing periodically, I am using an “Old School” aeROBICRider. This is one of those early/mid-90’s pieces of exercise equipment that looks like a stationary bike seat with a cross-bar to pull yourself up with. You are basically doing a pull-up with your own body weight, while doing a pseudo crunch at the same time. Check out the picture in the gallery! Ok, enough background, let’s get to some of the results of all this work! As of this date, I’m currently weighing in at 220 pounds and have lost about 7 inches off my weight. This is a total weight loss of 69 pounds since October of 2015, with the last 50 pounds coming off since about the beginning of May.
In this paragraph, I would like to share with you some of the dietary changes that I’ve made, along with some of the reasons I have chosen my new, mostly plant-based diet. In July, I attended a culinary demonstration with a message, by Chef Mark Anthony.http://www.chefmarkanthony.com You may have seen him on the Food Network. http://www.fooodnetwork.com. After listening to Chef Mark speak about the mind blowing numbers of Americans suffering from diabetes, heart disease, and as Chef Mark likes to say, “the killer diseases” I decided that I was going to give his way of eating a try. The “message” that I eluded to earlier is pretty simple. By taking care of the body, you are also taking care of the mind. In return, you will be closer to your higher power, ultimately taking care of the soul! As a Chef of over 25 years myself, I found it refreshing to actually spend the time to create MY food for MY health reasons and focus on what I should be putting into my body each and every meal. Planning my meals around my exercise and workout routine has been key to the successful weight loss. Each morning, I’m up by 5:30am and begin my morning routine of feeding the dogs, checking the river flow reports, and assembling my “already made’ meal components for my morning power breakfast of good carbohydrates such as brown rice or barley, protein from beans or lentils, one over-easy egg, 1/2 of a whole wheat bagel, single banana, and about 2oz. of non-fat vanilla yogurt! This usually gives me enough energy to make it back from my ride and eat again, usually before noon. I then usually have a small mixed green salad, with about 4-6 oz. of deli turkey or some grilled chicken breast, sometimes just the greens and raw vegetables. For the rest of the afternoon, I like to snack on mixed nuts, dried fruits, raw celery and carrots. My evening meal is mostly just some assorted pieces of fruit, a remix of the breakfast components, less the egg! more raw or grilled vegetables and that other half of whole wheat bagel from breakfast! That’s basically it my friends! This is how I’ve been losing the weight! I will add that I am drinking about two and a half gallons of water each day! My goal is to give you a weekly update on the weight loss and dietary choices. If you would like to join along, please do! Subscribe to my blog and you’ll be emailed whenever I publish a new post!
Chris
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