Tag Archives: jacksonville

Keto, Weight Loss, & Old Buildings

First and foremost, I am down 29 pounds from Keto. I love it. The only reason I don’t love it is I’m not quite as strong as I was when I was 225 or 230, but everything else is great! I feel good, I am not self conscious, I am not hungry, I eat one and a half meals a day, I don’t care what others think or say, because this feels right and I feel good. I am so close to being under 200, for the first time in 10 years, it’s really awesome.

Dave is down 28 pounds since starting Keto back in early April! He’s been experiencing the same benefits; not hungry, we eat one big meal a day and then some snacks at night (or a small meal). The only thing that’s he’s experienced negatively from Keto is the keto cramps, which he’ll get in his hips or calves, but he’s been taking magnesium to help with that!

And continuing the Keto conversation, my Mom started Keto last week when I was up there with her and is down 8lbs already! Yes, I am quite excited and incredibly proud. 🙂

I’ve been doing a ton of exploring, or.. a little bit of exploring but really blowing it up on Social Media, which is fine, because it’s been consuming me so much that I even dream about it. The ole UrbEx. Inspired by our abandoned Ford manufacturing plant here in Jacksonville, designed by the great Albert Kahn, who is also known as The Architect of Detroit. How cool is that? Our plant here is 165,000 square feet, and was thriving in the first half of the 1900s. After Ford vacated and sold it off, it had a few other businesses and occupants, but largely has been sitting abandoned and empty since the 70s. Which is horribly sad, and it makes me cry when I’m there, because it’s this gorgeous building, beautifully designed with a purpose and now it sits and rots.

Beautiful old doors, still original, at the Albert Kahn Ford plant in Jacksonville
Beautiful old doors, still original, at the Albert Kahn Ford plant in Jacksonville

 

The current owner bought it a couple years ago and his plans for the building are unknown. I hope they don’t plan to just tear it down and start over, it’ll just be another gem destroyed like so many others. Because of fear of demolition, I feel like I’m running out of time with the building. I feel like one of these days, it’ll just be gone, and then forgotten. So when I go visit, each time is a different experience. I notice different things, pay attention to new details, and savor the old ones. The skill and the passion that went into designing this place over 100 years ago, the care for the workers, creating natural light for a better work environment, the gorgeous location right on the water (how great to come to work every day, to open those beautiful crank windows that line the ceiling the whole length of the building, and see the view of the water and the Mathews Bridge?)

View of the Mathews Bridge from inside the Albert Kahn Ford Plant in Jacksonville
View of the Mathews Bridge from inside the Albert Kahn Ford Plant in Jacksonville

 

Even as it sits without a known purpose, it’s still breathtaking. I’ll continue to visit for as long as I can get away with it.

I also need to update you about my trip to Wisconsin and Michigan from last week! My tour de abandoned Detroit, and all of its marvels.

Monthly Update – May 2016

My training has been consistently inconsistent. I have really tried to stay in a good routine these last couple weeks, and just last week, I determined that I would work regular people hours like everyone else, regardless of what work was left for the day. This means I need to work on my efficiency, perhaps go in to the office earlier and get more done during my quiet time, and then be out the door by 5-5:30p. This allows me to go to the gym in the evening if I want to, eat dinner with Dave, watch a TV show or two, and then get to bed by 11p. Last week it worked pretty well, so I’m hoping that except for extreme install circumstances, or crazy deadlines that come up sometimes, that I can stick to that.

Today I came home around 4p, which was wildly luxurious. Dave and I had an early dinner, which was also fantastic, because it means I’m not eating at 9p and going to bed soon after. So bad!

My gym time has been 2-3 times a week, plus here and there at our neighbor’s gym, called Training for Warriors – River City. They are a CrossFit style gym, but without the dirt and grunge and nitty gritty. They have AC, no tires, no ropes, they don’t do Olympic lifts, but the body weight type stuff is very similar, as is the camaraderie. They are just starting out, and since we did some decals for them, I traded training time for installation time. Total win win for everyone!

So all in all, 4-5 times a week maybe. The TFW stuff is usually not as intense as CF, unless I make it more intense, or add in more reps. I hope they do well! They could really get a great customer base and following if people find out about them. It’s most of what people want from CF, but with AC and spotless equipment and spaces. The training and coaching is a bit more individualized, and it definitely can cater to an older population, too.

So, with my new ‘normal’ schedule happening again, I want to start blogging again. Stay tuned.

 

Jax Beach Sunrise