KeithBartlett.com

When I think back to 1999, the first time I lost 60 pounds, the program was pretty straightforward. My diet was very strict: bacon, eggs, steak, water and NO caffeine. The exercise? Skating. Hours and hours per day of skating. But, that was 1999.  I haven't skated in about 15 years. This morning was my eighth time out on my new skates. If it's supposed to be like riding a bike, well, I may not have forgotten but there are definitely a few things for my muscles to relearn. The first few times out I thought maybe I should have gotten a bike. But, no bike. If it worked in '99, it will work now. I am gifted with a foundation of good health. The only thing different this time is the calendar. I'm committed. And skates are faster than shoes.  

 

  This is a great opportunity to prove that if I did it once , twice, I can do it a third time. Here is my TikTok video update.

      The day after I shot the video I made 159. This feels great! The best thing is I am not even craving the cookies. Three boxes are chilling in the freezer for that next major level, 149. When I bust those cookies out it will be live on TikTok and then posted here.     I'm using an app called "Simple App" to track my food, drink, and fasting times. It has helped tremendously in staying focused and on the path. Before I used the app I felt like I was just winging it everyday with the keto and the varying hours that I fasted. I was already down 10 from 182 to 172 when I started using the app, but since then the weight has come off more quickly as I now have a plan to follow and track my progress.      The biggest difference though is that I simply have a different frame of mind about my health and my weight. I'm a minimalist and very good at shedding things I don't need. I have applied that same mindset to my weight. I simply don't need the extr...

     I have been looking forward for weeks to making this post. I was 182 pounds when I sadly resigned from Starbucks on September 19. Today, after being kept away from the constant temptation of the pastry cart and from 3, 4, or 5 lattes a day, I am down 16 pounds and back to 166.      166 is also a big deal for me because that's exactly my weight on January 18 of 2020 before the onset of the pandemic. Like millions of us I packed on pounds during lockdown. I hit a peak of 194.2 in May of '21. I felt miserable.       I started this blog in August of '21 when I decided to get serious about taking off the weight. From August to November last year I dropped a quick 20 pounds from 189 to 169 right before Thanksgiving. Then I gave in to the holidays and put half of it back on. After the holidays and into the new year I couldn't get back the commitment I had last fall. I got serious again this August and this time I'll only take a light but d...

Today's closing share price of $87.27 is a round trip back to March 26, the day it was announced that Howard Schultz was returning to Starbucks. On the day the news broke of Shultz's return, the stock gapped up 5.2% to close at $87.41. T hrough April 4, t he stock continued to rise a total of 10% to $91.49 when Shultz announced the suspension of the share repurchase plan. Shares gapped down 3.7% to $88.09 on that news and continued to decline reaching a 52 week low of $68.39 on May 12. Shares have made a steady recovery from the May 12 low that is in line with the turn in the S&P 500. Yesterday's positive earnings call showed that inflation has not slowed customer demand and the impact of union organizing is negligible. If you are a Starbucks partner using the Employee Stock Purchase Plan you bought your most recent shares on June 30 at $72.57. That price is 6.1% off the 52 week low set on May 12 and at today's close is a gain of  14.7%. Nice trade!

It's hard to believe and somewhat disappointing that it has been more than 6 months since I hit my year low of 169. The good news is that after a few weeks of a diet and exercise reset I am feeling much better and my waist size has shrunk a comfortable amount. Under 175 as of Monday, I'm pushing a little harder on the bike to get the 169 mark as soon as possible.