Fitness Health Network » exercise

Training Trials

macdaddy — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:20:36 +0000

Remember when I said that exercising with a cold is a good idea? Well, scratch that–at least for today anyway. I woke up this morning at 4:45 to go to the gym even though it wasn’t my day. Pam had to work early, so she didn’t have time to run with her group this morning. It’s also my daughter’s birthday and I didn’t know how much time I’d have to get my run in this afternoon. Being the dedicated runner/weight loser/healthy life liver that I am, I got up early to go for a run.

My throat hurt, my nose was stuffy, and I had a bad sinus headache. I hit snooze one time and then remembered that I had to be home by 6:15 so that Pam could leave for work. 5 minutes later I was out of bed, dressed, and in the car headed to the gym.

Today was the second day of my half marathon training plan. A 5 mile run consisting of a 1 mile warm up and cool down sandwiching 3 miles at 8:57 min/mile pace. It was not a fun run by any stretch of the imagination. I made it through, but struggled a lot. I really expected it to be easy to complete and was a little upset with the actual difficulty of it.

There’s probably a combination of reasons why I struggled. I only ate a 150 calorie protein bar and drank a bottle of water before the run. That’s not a great breakfast before going for a 5 mile run. Also, I’m sick and am having a hard time breathing. My nose is stuffed up and my throat hurts–maybe I should learn to breath through my skin!

All in all, I’m proud of myself for getting the job done, but it wasn’t fun. I’ve got 9 more miles to go this week (2 tomorrow and 7 on Sunday) and that will be 16 for the week. The plan increases by 10-15% per week until I hit long runs of 12 miles at week 14. Here’s to not being for the rest of the time!

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Related Articles at Get Fit Slowly:

On Feeling Fit
Ask The Readers: How Do You Like Lifting Weights?
Finally Healthy!

Ideas For Losing Those Last Pounds

macdaddy — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:02:40 +0000

I know it’s only January, and most of us have renewed energy regarding weight loss, but some of us have been at this for a while and need a little jump start to get us refocused in the right direction.Â I am also aware of the fact that 17 pounds (the amount that I still want to lose) may constitute more than “those last few pounds” but I think the following ideas are good for breaking through any weight loss plateau.

I think that the main reason people stop losing weight (especially if they’re still committed to doing so) is that their body gets used to the routine and starts to adapt.Â After all, our bodies are genetically programmed to store energy in times of plenty for when things are scarce.Â For many of us, the times of scarcity never come and so our bodies just continue to store the extra energy and we get fatter each year.

So what do we need to do when our weight loss levels off but we’re not quite where we want to be yet?

Don’t Give up!
This is the most important aspect of any life changing behavior. We have to work very hard to condition our bodies to adapt to the new habits and to drop the old bad habits. When I was a baseball player, my coach used to tell us that it takes 300 correct attempts IN A ROW for a new habit to replace an old habit. I’m not sure if his method was based in research, but the point is valid. It’s hard to change. Stick with it, deal with the setbacks, praise the successes and concentrate on them. They’ll come more often and things will get easier!

Shock Your Body!
I’ve been doing some reading online and there’s a new buzz word out there in the fitness and exercise world called “muscle confusion.” If you’ve seen one of those infomercials for the P90X program, you’re familiar with the term. Basically it’s a way to get better results from your fitness routine by not allowing your body to get used to what you’re doing. You shock your muscles and they respond faster and you get better results. So if you can afford it, or if you’re creative, totally change up your routine. Get a new weight training circuit or hit the elliptical instead of the stairmaster. Go for a run outside instead of the treadmill or try a jump rope. This is the reason that I’m thinking of getting a new workout every other week from a personal trainer at the gym. I want to force my body to get stronger, faster, and fitter and keep it from resting on its laurels.

Tweak Your Diet!
Just like your body can adjust to its exercise plan, it can also adjust to its calorie reduction plan. Whenever I’m being really successful counting calories, not only am I tracking my caloric intake, but I’m also eating many of the same foods each day because it makes calorie counting easier. Unfortunately, your body can also adapt to this system. It’s best to vary your intake of foods while keeping your calorie deficit about the same. This makes more work for you if you’re a fitday user, but it may be worth it. Another thing you may consider is taking a 2 week hiatus from calorie tracking. Still eat mindful, but don’t worry so much about what you’re eating. Then after two weeks, maybe your body will respond to your diet again. Finally, you may have to readjust your caloric needs if you’ve recently lost some weight. Now that you’re lighter, you may not need as many calories to maintain your weight so you might have to further reduce your calories to keep losing the weight.

Try A Supplement?
I’m not a big fan of supplements any more. I’ve used them, both the “over the counter” and the medically prescribed types, and have had some success with them. There are tons of “thermogenic” over the counter supplements out there. My biggest problem with them is that very few, if any, of them are FDA approved and therefore haven’t been subjected to the same rigorous testing procedures that the medically prescribed solutions have undergone. My advice here, take it for what it’s worth, is to avoid anything over the counter and only seek medical treatment for weight loss if you just can’t lose large amounts of weight on your own.

Everyone can lose weight. It’s a simple matter of arithmetic. Burn more calories than you eat and your weight will decrease. It’s not easy, but you CAN do it!

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Related Articles at Get Fit Slowly:

I Guess I’m Actually Doing This…Gulp

macdaddy — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:55:05 +0000

January’s half over now. I haven’t lost a pound. But I’ve exercised a lot and am happy with my fitness levels. I ran a hard 4.5 miles the other day and felt sore in my hamstrings when I finished. My resident running expert said that if your hamstrings are sore you’ve been pushing your pace and if your quads are sore, you’ve been pushing your distance. I know that if I want to finish my 1/2 marathon in 2 hours, I have to get some speed work done, so I guess sore hamstrings are a good thing.

Now that my running goal is out there in two places (here and here), I decided that I really need to make a plan to accomplish that goal. So I went over to Runner’s World and accessed their Smart Coach website. It’s a cool little interface where you type in a previous race time, how many miles you’re currently running, how hard you want to train, what distance you’re training for and how long you have to train for it. Then it spits out a week by week plan tailored to get you to your goal. The one thing that it doesn’t do is let you type in a goal time for the race you’re training for. So I’m not sure how fast this thing thinks I’m going to run my race. But all of the workout paces look like they’re about right. If you need a race training plan, you might want to check it out. If you’re interested here’s the training plan that I was given. I might modify it a bit, but it’s the general plan that I’m going to follow to get enough miles in so that my body is ready for the half marathon in May

The Date Is Set For My First 5K

NCN — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:36:21 +0000

Baring any unforeseen scheduling issues, I will run my first 5K on April 25, 2009.

I am excited – and nervous!

So far, I’ve been training exclusively on a treadmill. Once it warms up a little outside, I’ll start some roadwork. Right now, if pressed, I can run a mile-and-a-half without stopping. This is up from less than a quarter-of-a-mile just three months ago. A 5K, however, is 3.2 miles – more than twice what I’m capable of at the moment.

I’m pressing forward, following the Couch to 5K program, and my stamina is improving. I’m focusing on making my legs stronger, because it’s not really my wind that gives me trouble, it’s my legs. (The funny thing is, my hips and thighs are very strong, but my calves need a lot of work.)

I’ll be heading to they gym today – that makes four days in a row – and I’m going to push myself and see if I can hit 2 miles, without stopping.

Oh, I’ve purchased some new running shoes, a pair of Asics. I can’t wait for them to arrive so that I can put them on and break them in.

Side note – I am now down about 6 inches in my waist – and I’ve been forced to buy new pants and new belts. What a wonderful problem to have!

Roundup: First Sunday of August

Weight Ladder — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:03:15 +0000

For weekend reading from the Fitness Health Network this week checkout these posts:

How do you know if you’re properly hydrated? Journal of Healthy Living posts for Proper Hydration: Clear Urine Is Best.
Fat Man Unleashed asks Why Are We Fatter Than the Animals at the Zoo?
A Little Help – Best Way To Cook Chicken by NCN asks for a recipe for a healthy and delicious way to cook chicken. Got one? Send it in!
Lazy Man and Health blogs Are You Eating Enough of These 9 Diet Foods?
The Myth of Moderate Exercise by Get Fit Slowly exposes fact from fiction.

If you’re not finished yet, check out these readings from those that linked or commented to me in the last week:

Over at Quick to Fit Weight training is good for your health! And better still you can do it even if you don’t want to bulk up.
You know what I always like to read? MizFitOnline’s Guest Chef Time: Thinking Thin style. I always need recipes.
Healthy Habits write Super Carbs!!! – Obesity Research Update #5.
Coffee? Coffee! Check out Spunkysuzi’s new find.
A run with a podcast over at Andrew is getting fit, is an excellent idea. Instead of music, listen to your favorite podcasts!
If you need a motive to stay fit, or even if you don’t, try something like Run Bulldog Run is doing and run for money. Help out local students go to college. See Memorial Scholarship 5k for more.
Runner Girl’s “Detox” Update is a personal look at diet detox. Is a Diet Detox Right For You?
Are you looking for smoothie recipes? Read Fantastic Fast Food Recipes: The Smooth Fad of Smoothies at Healthy New Age Blog for some delicious sounding recipes.
Be Naturally Fit asks have you ever had to Pay for Slip ups?

Originally posted 2008-08-03 05:06:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Running, Lifting, Swimming

NCN — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:01:32 +0000

I had a great workout today – and yesterday.

Yesterday, I ran a mile, walked another, and did a very intense leg workout.

Today, I ran a mile, walked two, worked out my biceps, and swam several laps.

I have to tell you, I’m really starting to feel like an athlete – literally for the first time in my adult life.

Now, I just need to move past running one mile and make it two – and then three!

Oh, I”ve managed, since September, to double the amount of weight I’m lifting with my legs. As for my arms, I’m now lifing 50% more. Yes!

Sweat A Cold–Don’t Feed It

macdaddy — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:38:57 +0000

A couple of years ago, I had to literally talk myself into getting exercise. Unless it was a round of golf, or a pick up game of basketball, I would have to drag, or be drug, into the gym or onto the street for a workout. Not anymore. Now I look forward to the “me time” associated with working out–Pam, you didn’t read that last sentence.

However, whenever I get sick, I still try and talk myself out of exercising. In the past, when I haven’t felt good, I’ve taken it as a sign that my body is trying to tell me that it’s time for a break. I’ve had cough, cold, and mild sinus infection for about 2 weeks now but I’ve still continued to work out. I haven’t felt great at times. In fact, the other day I actually stopped running. But I just learned a few things in the New York Times that tells me I’m doing the right thing by continuing to exercise when I’m sick.

Neither exercise performance nor metabolic responses are adversely affected in those exercising with colds. Psychologically, you may not feel great while doing it, but the latest research shows that you’re physically able to perform as well as when you feel perfectly healthy. I’m not so sure this is true for elite athletes, but for the average Joe, I buy it.

Many people actually feel better while exercising with a cold. The current research suggests that exercise doesn’t decrease recovery time. It also doesn’t actually decrease the symptoms of your illness, but many people with a cold reported feeling better after working out. This doesn’t work for me, but it may for you.

The research cited in this article, like many of the health and fitness articles I come across, was a very small study (only 45 participants). So take it for what it’s worth. I find it remarkable that there are so many studies out there in this field that get published with such small study samples. In any case, it doesn’t sound like exercising will sick (unless you are really sick) is such a bad idea. Maybe we should replace the old “feed a cold” idea with “sweat a cold.” It can only help us lose a little bit more weight, right?

Feeling A Lot Better–A Great Workout Helps!

macdaddy — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:11:31 +0000

Last week was a very good week for me. I counted and tracked my calories each day using a combination of fitday and Lose it! (Thanks JD and readers for suggesting Lose It!) I only made it to the gym one time in the morning, but I ran every day during nap time. Even though I felt terrible during my runs, the simple fact that I continued doing so is a step in the right direction.

I went out Thursday and Friday night and made some mindful choices about my eating and drinking, but still wasn’t as healthy as I could have been.
On Friday afternoon, I went for my outside run and felt absolutely terrible. In fact, I only made it about 25 minutes before I gave it up for the day. It was cold and I was all stuffed up so I packed it in.
Then on Saturday, I played golf and had my best half-round ever. (I won’t mention the other half)
Pam ran 22 miles on Sunday morning, I watched football and played with the kids, and then we entertained Sunday night so we had a very busy weekend.

Also, we stayed up a bit later than normal last night, and when the clock struck 4:45 I wasn’t in any mood to go to the gym. When I got there I did a quick 10 minute warm up on the treadmill, hit the weights for 45 minutes, and than ran another 2 miles at the end. It was a good, fast, hard workout. The best part was that I felt great on the treadmill at the end–even after free squatting for the first time in months. Maybe I just needed to rest my legs a little bit more after my long run last Saturday.

This week, I’m going to concentrate on keeping track of my calories again and hitting the gym all three mornings. Plus, I’m going to continue my afternoon nap time runs. I hope to see a little bit of downward momentum build on the scale this week as well. It seems that both JD and I are back on the right track–it makes me excited for the future.

2-Hour Half-Marathon? What Was I Thinking?

macdaddy — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:58:31 +0000

Since my 10-miler on Saturday and all my cocky talk I’ve really been struggling this week. I took Sunday off, but got back on the treadmill on Monday (4 mi), Tuesday (3 mi), Wednesday (3.5 mi), and Thursday (3 mi). Each day has been significantly harder; I’ve been breathing harder than normal; my legs feel heavier than normal. Let’s face it, I’ve begun to worry a little bit. I’m not worried at all that I’ll be able to finish the 13.1 miles–I’m pretty sure I could go out tomorrow and complete the distance. But I’ve got to admit, my time goal of 2 hours has me a bit worried.

I think that part of the problem is that I’ve been running in the middle of the day during the kids naps. So far this week, I’ve been really motivated in terms of both my calorie counting and my exercise and nap time has been the only time that I’ve been able to make the time to workout. In fact, I’m pretty impressed that I’ve consistently done it during my only free time of the day–that’s not like me at all.

Basically, I can’t tell if I’m still really fatigued from putting my body through something that it’s never been put through before, or if I’m bored with my treadmill workout, or if I need some other type of cardio workout to get me out of this funk. Some time this weekend, I’m going to get outside and get a run in and see if the wind in my face allows me to go faster and feel better. I always run faster outside and feel better, so I’ll know something is wrong if this doesn’t work. Now, the big question is do I want to play golf on Saturday, or go for a run? I already know the answer…fore!

My First 10-Miler

macdaddy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:56:24 +0000

Saturday morning, after Pam’s weekly long run with her running group, we went out to lunch with another family. We hit the local Chinese buffet restaurant. I ate a big, unhealthy meal and felt totally crappy afterward. I hadn’t eaten at a place like that in a long time and my body didn’t like me at all. I also didn’t run on Friday so I needed to get a workout in. Dutifully, Pam and I drove separately to the restaurant so that I could go to the gym after lunch and she could take the kids home for their nap. At some point during the morning, I told Pam that I wanted to run for an hour–and that since the NFL playoffs were on TV at the gym, I could coax my body into staying on the treadmill that long.

So I left the restaurant burping up Chinese food and MSG, dreading my run at the gym. I got there and the game had just started so I did too. I don’t run for an hour very often so I had a plan to get myself through it. I would run for 2 miles, and then walk for 3 minutes. I did this 3 times in the hour and when it was over I didn’t feel badly at all. So I kept going. By the time half time was over, I had been on the treadmill for 1 hour and 42 minutes and had run my first 10-miler ever!

I ran those last 4 miles in 40 minutes. My pulse averaged 160 bpm during the course of my run with a maximum of 176. I was definitely working hard, but my lungs felt great the whole time–I didn’t feel winded at all. Because my body isn’t used to running that long, I did start to feel it in my hips, knees and thighs towards the end. Sunday I was pretty sore but today I’m feeling great again.

When I got home on Saturday afternoon, Pam and the kids met me at the door. I raised my hands over my head, looked at my runner wife and said, “10 miles in 1:42!” Pam looked at me and said, “YOU just ran 10 miles?” Then she looked at Megan and said, “Jeez…Your daddy IS turning in to a runner!”

This run gave me a confidence I never knew I had. I was definitely ready to get off that treadmill after 10 miles. But I could have continued for another 31 minutes to get to that half-marathon distance. I know the time would have been more than my two-hour goal. But I’ve never run more than 7 miles at any one time before Saturday. And I wasn’t pushing myself very hard. I know that I have it in me to run a 2 hour half marathon. Just watch and see.

5K Training Week 3 Day 1

NCN — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:48:59 +0000

I’m training for my first ever 5K road race. Yesterday, I began Week 3 Day 1 following the Couch-to-5K program.

Here’s what I did -

5 minute warm-up walk

90 seconds running

90 seconds walking

3 minutes running

3 minutes walking

90 seconds running

90 seconds walking

3 minutes running

It felt good to get back to my routine after a week off for the holidays. Today, I’m going to do some strength training for my arms and back – but I really feel like doing some running, too. I might do the strength training in the morning, and then do my running when I take my daughter to gymnastics this evening.

Mac’s 2009 Health And Fitness Goals

macdaddy — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:40:12 +0000

I guess I’ve been silent long enough. That time of the year is hear again. It seems everyone under the sun–from fitness blogs, to news agencies, to the local rag–all have articles where people are listing their New Year’s Resolutions. Inevitably, they deal with diet, health and fitness. I’ve read somewhere that 50% of resolutions fail within the first month and that they mainly do so because people aren’t specific enough with their goals and they don’t set up a plausible plan of action (POA) to achieve said goals. Goals such as I’d like to lose weight, get in better shape, or become a better person don’t have a lot of teeth to them and so they’re easy to forget about. I don’t want to fall in to that trap so I’m going to tell you about a few very specific goals I have for the upcoming year. But first, let’s talk about some of the progress I’ve made. In the past year I’ve:

lost 22 pounds
decreased my body fat by 6%
went from a non-runner to a frequent runner
competed in my first 10K race and 2 other organized races of shorter distances
took my shirt off at the beach and didn’t worry about it

I didn’t accomplish all of the goals that I set for myself in 2008. For example, I thought I would have reached my goal weight by this time. Instead, I’m only about half way there. I also would have liked to have been a little more consistent with my blog posting last year. I have yet to figure out how to work ahead! Everything I write is for today, maybe for tomorrow, but never for the days or even weeks after. I’d like to get to the point where I spend a few hours blogging and get the weeks posts completed. I don’t know if I’ll ever get there, but I can definitely improve on it.

So how about 2009? Here are the fitness goals that I’d like to accomplish before the end of the year:

lose another 17 pounds to get down to 175 pounds
drop another 6% of body fat to get down to 18%
complete a 1/2 marathon in under 2 hours

Here’s my POA so that my goals don’t fall by the way side during the first month. According to the many calorie calculators available online, I need about 2600-2900 calories/day to maintain my current weight. In order to drop a pound/week, I need to create a daily 500 calorie deficit. So I’m going to shoot for 2000 calories per day. I’m going to keep track of my calories using fitday.com. And after workouts, I plan on immediately replenishing burned calories with a high quality snack that contains both a dairy product and a protein.

Dropping body fat is going to be the hardest of my goals. Staying within my 2000 calorie budget, eating low fat foods, high quality carbs, and lots of proteins will be my diet plan. Meanwhile, back at the gym, I plan on rehiring a personal trainer to meet with every other week. Once a month, I want my body fat measured. I also want him to give me totally different, high intensity weightlifting and cardio workout every other week that will raise my heart rate, build muscle mass, and keep my body guessing. After I’ve dropped some weight and built some muscle mass, I’ll ask him to coach me up on the proper form of all the exercises in the stronglifts 5X5 program.

My final goal for the year will probably be the easiest for me to complete. To complete this goal, I have to run a 9:10 min/mile pace for 13.1 miles. If I find a relatively flat course to run, I think that I can accomplish this goal pretty easily.

Always keeping these goals in my mind will help me have another productive year on the fitness front. I don’t think I’ve ever had two good years in a row–I’m confident that I can do it this time!

I Guess I Really Am A Runner

macdaddy — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:46:22 +0000

If there were two aspects of my life that my wife would like me to improve upon they would be my desire to pay attention to details (see: anal retentive) and my desire to be more of a runner.

In fact, the other day, Pam came up to me out of the blue and said, “Hey Mac…I just read in Runner’s World that some research group qualifies you as a runner if you run 50 or more times per year. Are you a runner?”

I responded emphatically with a quick “Absolutely, I’m a runner!” There are two things about this that surprised me. First off, until this year, I never would have even considered wanting to be labeled as a runner. But I have to admit, I’m rather proud of the fact that I’m a runner. At least in some research groups eyes anyway. But I was also very surprised at how quickly and definitively I responded to the question and at how much pride I have in saying that I’m a runner.

A few seconds later, Pam continued…”It says here that you’re a frequent runner if you run over 100 times per year. Are you a frequent runner?”

This time I paused and thought a bit. I don’t really know the answer, so I responded something about how I’m probably flirting with becoming a frequent runner. I’ve kept pretty good records of all my workouts this year, so I could probably go back and count my runs and get a pretty good estimation of how many runs I’ve completed. But that would be, well, a little bit anal retentive. We can’t have that now can we?

The Benefits of Joining a Gym

Lazy Man — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:12:46 +0000

You may have tried several times to begin a workout regime at home, and haven’t stuck with it. Or, you simply do not know what to do to get into shape. Purchasing a treadmill didn’t work and it got old after awhile. You may also feel like you have no support when exercising alone at home. Well the answer to these common issues is joining a gym. Some gyms offer very flexible and affordable options, so many people can afford them and they offer extraordinary benefits.

You Keep Working Out – If you are going to pay money to join a health club, you are much more likely to frequent it often. Also, building the gym into your daily routine is often quite convenient. A workout on the way home from the office may be a great stress reliever to calm you down before heading home to a busy household. Try and find a gym that is right on your drive home. This will prevent skipping workouts.
Motivation – Just being in a gym can be motivating. People who are committed to working out and being healthy, which is encouraging will surround you. You will also be very exposed to people who have the body type you may someday have. Believe it or not, studies have shown that being around someone with your goal look may motivate you to keep going.
Support – There is a lot of support at a gym, and that can be very motivational and helpful to many individuals. One of the best things to do is hire a personal trainer for your first few workouts. Many gyms offer this free of charge when you join. Take advantage. Even if you do not continue to work out with a trainer, they can teach you the correct workouts to be doing to reach your specific goals. Make sure you tell them what your goals are. If you are trying to lose weight, tell them. If you are trying to tighten up, let them know. That will construct a workout plan that caters to your body and your needs.
Equipment – Another great benefit of joining a gym is that most will stay updated with the newest and best technology. This is good for you because it means you don’t have to update your home gym. It is important to have a variety of exercises in your routine and you simply cannot get that from a home workout, unless you can afford to stock an entire gym.
Classes – Most gyms offer classes free of charge to their clients. Classes are a great way to improve your health. They are also a fun and structured way to hold you accountable to a workout. You are less likely to skip out if you have friends from spin class waiting for your every Tuesday and Thursday. Consider joining a class at your new gym.

Of course not everyone can afford a gym. Go to your local gym and speak to someone about your financial situation and your workout needs. Many will try to accommodate. If finances are tight, avoid super luxury gyms with ridiculous technologies like laser scanners and thumb print security. These gyms are more pricey and they will be less flexible to work with you.

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Weekend Roundup: Back Still Aching Edition

macdaddy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:24:24 +0000

Well, today marks the two-week anniversary of my back tweak. It’s a lot better, but still not perfect. I can live my life (except for running with the kids) pretty much pain free. I’m not wincing every time I sit, stand, or roll over in bed any more. But I’m still hurt. I haven’t been to the gym in two weeks because of it, and I’m missing it a lot. It’s time to head back in and get a light workout and see how it feels. On Monday, if I’m not 100% better, I’m calling a doc. I just don’t know who to call–my primary care doc, a back doc, a sports doc, a PT? Who knows???

Meanwhile, there’s been a lot of good posts from the guys at the fitness health network, here are just a few of them.

Lazy man wrote two interesting posts about weightlifting that seem pretty relevant to my life right about now. The first one dealt with free weights versus machine weights, and the second dealt with building muscle strength in your legs.

Weight Ladder wrote about some ways to dramatically decrease your calorie intake. I’m not sure how dramatic they are, but they are good ideas to help you cut calories from your diet.

And Israel wrote a really good post about the link between the rise in obesity in America and the rise in quick weight loss diet programs. It’s a good read.

Next week, I’ve got one more Superfoods post planned so if you like it you have something to look forward to and if you don’t, you only have to skip reading one more entry. Have a great weekend.

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

J.D. — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:21:22 +0000

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has released its physical activity guidelines for adults and children. The official web site offers a number of different ways to access this information:

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
Be Active Your Way: A Guide for Adults
An activities toolkit for communities and organizations
The advisory committee report for health professionals and researchers

For the first time, Americans are encouraged to do both aerobic activities and strengthening activities.

The guidelines recommend at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week (moderate aerobic activity as in “I can talk while do them but I can’t sing”) or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity every week (vigorous activity as in “I can only say a few words without stopping to catch my breath”).

Adults are also encouraged to do muscle strengthening activities at least two days a week. The two guidelines for these types of exercise are:

Include all the major muscle groups such as legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms.
Exercises for each muscle group should be repeated 8 to 12 times per session.

One nice thing about the Body for Life method is that following it allows a person to essentially meet these requirements. (Not exactly, though. If you do Body for Life by the book, you only get an hour of aerobic exercise per week, and you only exercise each muscle group 1.5 times.)

So, surprisingly enough, I’m meeting the Federal guidelines for physical activity. A year ago, I was a couch potato. That’s progress!

[U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans]

Marathon Day

J.D. — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:00:22 +0000

Today was a great day.

As many of you know, the Portland Marathon was held this morning. I spent most of the spring and summer training for the race, suffering a series of injuries, and learning how real runners run. My goal was to run 26.2 miles this morning.

I didn’t do it.

I didn’t walk the race, either.

But I did go to the gym for an hour of upper-body lifting, followed by twenty minutes of intervals on the treadmill, and finishing with some stretching. It felt great.

I know that I’ve done the right thing, foregoing a mediocre race this year for a well-prepared race in 2009. I have a year to get ready, and my physical fitness is already way ahead of where it was when I started this year. (I’m about where I was in late June, I think.)

My legs still give me pain when I run, but it’s mostly minor stuff like shin splints. And because I’m only running twice a week for about three miles, it’s not a big deal. I take a day off when I need to. If the pain gets too bad, I walk, or I stop to stretch. I’m not pushing myself. I’m getting fit slowly.

About time, huh?

Congrats to Mac’s wife, Pam, for running this morning, and to everyone else who participated in the race (or any other marathon this year).

I’ll be on vacation this week, so my posting may be light (or non-existent). Have fun!

Getting to the Finish – Tips for race day success

macdaddy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:49:28 +0000

This is a guest post from my wife, Pam. This Sunday, she and several other people we know will be embarking on that masochistic journey that we call the Portland Marathon. Here are some tips on how to get to finish line on race day:

If you have done proper training for a race (and of course you have!) there are three main things that will keep you from getting to the finish line:
1) Insufficient fueling and hydration (presumably the cause of muscle fatigue and muscle cramps)
2) Blisters and foot problems
3) GI issues

While injuries are not uncommon in runners, disabling acute injuries that occur during the race mostly tend to be limited to sprinters (we’ve all seen a sprinter start limping mid-race with a pulled hamstring). Acute injuries in endurance races are fairly uncommon and include things such as falls or sprained ankles – and even then these are often not severe enough to prevent you from finishing the race. Chronic injuries can and do flare up during races. So if you have been plagued by injury during your training, this is another thing that may get in the way of you having a good race. If your training has been injury free, your race is likely to be as well.

Here are a few tips to avoid the other three big potholes.

1) Proper fueling and hydration: Your muscles need energy and water to work efficiently. In the two days preceeding the race be sure eat well, with lots of complex carbohydrates in your meals (often referred to as “carbo loading” as you need to load your muscles up with carbohydrates during this period.) At the same time, be sure to drink a lot of water. You know you are well hydrated when your urine is almost clear and you have to pee frequently. Be sure to eat before your race as well (usually 2-3 hours before is a good time frame, more on that in the GI section). Keep drinking fluids up till about 30 minutes before your race. For short races like a 5K, fueling and hydration during the race are not as critical, but the longer the race becomes the more important it is to eat and drink while you are racing. A good rule of thumb is to drink about a liter of fluid each hour. If your race is longer than three hours, such as a marathon, it is a good idea to eat at least 100 calories an hour as well.

2) Avoiding blisters and other foot pains: Make sure you have a pair of shoes that fit well. Be sure your race day shoes are well worn-in. Do NOT think that new shoes will be springy and help you run faster! Ideally, you would have run in your shoes for about a month before wearing them to a race, but at the minimum aim for two weeks. On the same note, don’t test out new socks on race day. Make sure all of your toenails are cut short and don’t have any sharp corners. Make sure your socks are dry at the start of the race (if it is a rainy day, you may need to change your socks right before the race starts). Remember that your feet will expand when you run, so you don’t want to tie your shoes too tight. However, you don’t want your shoes too be so loose that your foot slides around – this creates extra friction and increases the chance of getting blisters. If you know you have problems with blisters, take preventative measures: moisture wicking socks, blister prevention powders and creams (like Body Glide), mole skin, etc.

3) Preventing GI problems: GI problems can pretty much be divided into two categories: upper GI problems and lower GI problems. To boil it down further upper GI problems are mainly stomach cramps and vomiting, lower GI problems come down to lower abdominal cramps and diarrhea. It doesn’t sound like fun, does it? But a few simple precautions should keep you from having these problems.

First eat your last pre-race meal 2-3 hours before the start of the race to give you time to digest your food. Unless you know you have an iron stomach it is a good idea to only eat easilty digestible foods (think BRAT diet: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast). Meat, eggs and milk are harder to digest and can leave you gassy – so best to avoid these before a race! Being well hydrated helps prevent cramps. Don’t drink anything with a high sugar concentration unless you dilute it with water (like fruit juices and soda). Don’t experiment with new foods and gels on race day. Don’t over consume during a race. studies have shown most people can only absorb 240-280 calories per hour while running. So don’t think chowing a Big Mac at mile 13 of a marathon will give you lots of extra energy. It will only weigh you down!

When it comes to lower GI issues, it is best to be “running on empty.” Pre-race jitters usually do a pretty good job of taking care of this! Even so, make sure you hit the port-a-potty one last time 10-15 minutes before your race. Everybody else is trying to do the same thing at that point, so you may need to get in line 20-25 minutes ahead of time. Many performance gels and beverages contain caffeine. Caffeine can boost performance, but it also stimulates the GI tract. Be sure to test your tolerance to caffeine in a training run if you are thinking of using caffeine during your race.

But most importantly: HAVE FUN! The race is a time to celebrate running with lots of other running enthusiasts. Enjoy the day and be proud of what you have accomplished!

See you at the finish line!

Post Workout Nutrition

Lazy Man — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:53:58 +0000

While many people focus on what to eat before you start exercising, I believe it is what you eat afterwards that really matters. Whether you are trying to avoid dehydration, or you find that you are really wiped out after exercising, it is important to make sure that your post workout nutrition is balanced. While each person will vary in what they need after their workout, here are just a few of the things that I have found that work for me.

First and foremost, water is essential. If you are not drinking water after your workout is all too easy to get dehydrated and to feel rundown. Make it a point to have water directly after your workout particularly if you’ve been training very hard or it is a very hot day. You may not realize just how much water you lose what you are exercising. While sport drinks can also be helpful, you need to watch out for the sugar. There really is no replacement for good clean water – especially when it comes to drinking water to lose weight.

Now let’s focus on proteins, fats and carbs. If you are on a restricted diet it can be a little difficult to know what to eat after you’ve worked out. For many, this becomes a problem because it is all too easy to cheat especially if you are extremely hungry after exercise. It is a good idea to come up with a specific plan that you can stick to and that you can fall back on even if you’re starved. Generally, most will want to limit eating fats after their workouts. In very rare cases, you may want to add some good fats. I knew a semi-professional bodybuilder once who would drink a half a bottle of sunflower oil at times. He was so in tune with knowing what his body needed to build muscle that he just rocked it out.

Since you aren’t likely a professional bodybuilder, that leaves us with proteins and carbs. Let’s focus on proteins first. One of the easiest ways to get quick protein after your workout is simply by eating a protein bar or drinking a protein shake. Look for one that will be very easy to digest so that your body can have quicker results from protein which will help you recover faster. I prefer whey protein since this is something that the body can easily digest. However, if you are allergic to whey, you may want to consider something else. It is a good idea to experiment with a few different types of fast digesting protein to see which one will work best for you.

While there are many foods that have a high amount of protein, such as tuna, they may not be as beneficial right after a workout since it does take the body longer to break them down. The key is finding a protein that your body can absorb very quickly to get the most benefits from it.

Now that leaves us with carbs. If you are on a low carb diet and trying to do strength training or vigorous exercise it can be very difficult to manage your diet and figure out what you can and cannot eat. However there are some great carbs that are very beneficial after a workout. The key is finding good carbs and stay away from the bad ones. Generally, bad carbs are the starchy ones that are found in white bread and in many cases in pasta.

Personally one of the easiest ways for me to make sure I’m getting the right kind of carbs is to eat a healthy low carb bar. It takes the guesswork out of everything and makes it a lot easier. In fact you can even find nutritional bars with a perfect balance of protein and carbs that are ideal to eat after a workout. For those that don’t have a lot of free time this is probably the easiest solution.

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72 and Active: Staying Healthy by Working

J.D. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:00:42 +0000

My neighbor, John, arrived home from Alaska over the weekend. John spends his summers on a 38-foot boat, fishing for fun in the waters around Sitka. He hosts friends and family a few weeks each year, but otherwise his time is his own.

During our winters, he spends a few months in New Zealand, helping friends on a dairy farm. And for two brief windows, John is at home, here in Oregon. From what I can tell, he spends his time watching football and doing yard work.

I like him.

When I saw his car in the driveway on Saturday, I went over and knocked on his door. He was delighted to see me. “Let’s set outside,” he said. And then, a courteous host, he asked, “Can I bring you a Mountain Dew?”

“No thanks,” I said. “I’m watching what I eat.”

“That’s great,” he said. “You do look thinner.”

“I’ve been dieting and exercising,” I said.

“Oh, I hate that stuff,” he said. “I stay healthy by working. I’ve never led a sedentary life. I’m 72 and feel as healthy as I’ve ever been. Well, my knees give me trouble sometimes, but otherwise, I try to stay active.”

We sat for an hour on his porch, discussing boats and neighbors and politics. He sipped his Mountain Dew. I munched on some grapes from the vines that grow wild around his property. He told me about fishing (I don’t know anything about it). I complained about how overgrown our yard is becoming. “It’s too much to handle,” I said.

John told me how fun it was to see my personal finance blog in Money magazine. “I told my friends that the guy who wrote that was my neighbor!” he said.

After a while, I took my leave. “I should go,” I said. “We have company coming, and I have chores to get done.”

“It’s good to see you,” John said. “Hey. You should come up on the boat next summer,” he said. “You’re welcome to come.”

“You know what?” I said. “I think I will.”

I was late for the gym this morning. I just felt like I had to get some writing done before I lifted weights.

When I went out to the car at 11:30, John was in his yard talking with another neighbor, Tom. Tom is 82, and has had heart trouble recently. He looks fit and healthy at the moment, but I know he’s concerned. I went over to say hello.

“What are you up to?” John asked, pointing at the piece of paper in my hand.

“I’m off to they gym,” I said. “That’s my log. I keep track of the weights I lift.”

“That’s crazy,” John said. He’s not the sort to hold anything back. “I’ve never understood why anyone would pay for a gym membership when they can get plenty of exercise at home. Look at me,” he said, and he motioned to his lawn. There was a pile of trimmings and lawn tools — he was in the middle of yard work.

“I’m active,” John said. “I don’t need to go to a gym. Just look at that yard of yours. If you were outside pruning things, you wouldn’t need to go the gym, either!”

We laughed, but I knew he was right. Hadn’t I just been complaining about my lack of time for yard work the other day? Still, I said good-bye and climbed into the car and drove to the gym. I lifted weights. I drove home.

But a part of me wondered if I couldn’t come up with some sort of weekly yard plan that gave me 30-60 minutes of labor every day. I’d kill two birds with one stone! I think that’s a great idea for the future, once I’m trying to maintain a certain level of fitness. But for right now?

Right now I want to keep plugging along with Body for Life. It seems to work for me: I feel strong, happy, and healthy.

Exercising with Little Time

Lazy Man — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:55:54 +0000

Do I have Time to Exercise

Americans collectively weigh more than people in other countries. One could argue that this is because of capitalism. We all strive to make money, and of course, time is money. So if we spend less time in the office, and more time in the gym and outside, how can we be making money? We can’t. But what about people who cannot stand the thought of putting on the office pounds? What about the people who have held on to healthy values but simply do not have the hours to invest in a health regime? Fortunately, with some good planning, even the busiest of individuals can enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle without investing all of the time that “meatheads” do.

First, it’s helpful to join a gym. Sure this costs money, but having all the equipment will really help you get a quick workout in. Plus, it should motivate you to pay for it. Here is an outline to a thirty minute workout that will keep you in great shape and get you home before bedtime.

Step 1. Quick cardio:

Jump on a piece of equipment that works the entire body. This means something like a rowing machine, or an elliptical machine. I’m personally a fan of the elliptical machines. Stair climbers are also great. Whatever the workout is, keep it going at a fairly quick pace – the goal is to last about fifteen minutes. This will allow you to break a sweat, get your heart rate up, and going throughout your workout without taking a long time or tiring you out.

Step 2. Lightweight training:

Next, head over to the weight area. If you aren’t a heavy lifter, don’t worry about it. Even light lifting is a great way to improve the way you look and feel. Do some bicep curls, some kind of chest exercise, and a shoulder press. Also, do something for your legs and lower body. Maybe a leg or calf press. Spend a quick ten minutes giving your muscles a work over. Do not rest between sets. Instead, move from machine to machine. If you’d rather not lift, do some push ups and pull ups.

Finally, do some stretching and abs. Spend about five minutes doing some fairly intense ab work. This will leave you feeling great right before you leave the gym. If your gym has it, hit the steam room. It’s a great way to wind down and relax after a workout.

You may also look to check out these tips if you are too busy for exercise.

Photo Credit: Gandhu & Sarah

Exercising with Little Time

Lazy Man — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:55:54 +0000

Do I have Time to Exercise

Step 1. Quick cardio:

Step 2. Lightweight training:

You may also look to check out these tips if you are too busy for exercise.

Photo Credit: Gandhu & Sarah

Treadmill Desks: Could a Walkstation Help Me Lose Weight?

J.D. — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:14:36 +0000

In a recent e-mail exchange with Lauren, I mentioned that I believe part of my physical woes this summer were a result of my deskbound existence. Except for when I’m exercising (or eating), I’m usually sitting here, in my chair, in front of my computer.

“I’ve thought many times that I ought to erect a stand-up workstation for my computer,” I told Lauren via e-mail. “I’m not sure of the long-term implications, but it seems to me that standing would be better for me physically than sitting.”

Lauren, who for some reason has better insight into The Way J.D. Works than anyone I know besides Kris, wrote back:

I have thought about the same thing. I have heard that standing burned a large percentage more calories than sitting, and activates the muscles while sitting makes them ‘go all marshmallow’.

I think this stand-up workstation is a great idea. However, take a reminder from old pubs – make a place underneath (pubs use a foot-rail) to rest one foot about 4 inches higher, to take some strain off your back. (They gave us little boxes in art school to do this while standing at our easels). If you go back and forth between standing and sitting (as I may do) this may help you in many ways. You can always just flex your glutes frequently while standing

While killing time this afternoon, I came across Jason Kottke’s aside about walking desks, standing-height desks built over treadmills. Apparently there was a recent New York Times article about these workstations.

Now all of a sudden I’m wondering if it might not be possible to blog from a treadmill. Insane? Perhaps not. Check out this video.

The only drawback? Cost. I don’t own a treadmill, so there’s no chance that I’m going to whip up one of these from scratch. (Though I will begin watching garage sales.) Buying a pre-fab “walkstation” is out of the question. They run $6,500. That’s enough to pay for my gym membership for the next 54 years.

For more on treadmill desks, check out the following:

At a mile an hour (which is a typical pace for people who do this), the average person would burn about an extra 100 calories. If I’d spend just eight hours blogging from the treadmill every week, I’d lose an extra pound a month! Hm. I wonder if Kris would let me put a treadmill in the den…

More On Early Morning Exercise

macdaddy — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:33:13 +0000

There were quite a few comments about whether or not I should be waking up at 4:30 in the morning to get my exercise in. Those comments ranged from whether or not rising that early is a “sustainable habit” to “you used to do it, so get your butt out of bed you lazy bones!”

Pam has often referred to studies that show that the majority of people who consistently exercise do so in the morning. So off to the internets I went, searching for answers to this controversial topic. It seems that every time I do some research, I never find a definitive answer. It seems that in order to find one, I’m going to have to change my question to “Is it safe to smoke?” or “Should I blow dry my hair while standing in a bath tub full of water?”

Yep, I found articles that supported exercising first thing in the morning and articles that said this was a bad idea. But, the most overwhelming piece of advice I found was that it’s better to exercise than not to. So if early in the morning works for you, then that’s what you should be doing. Here are some of the tidbits that I found while poking around:

Pros for early morning workouts:

Early morning workouts may boost your metabolism throughout the day. This is a great perk for those of us trying to lose weight.
Exercise may increase mental acuity. If this is true, then why not take advantage of it during the whole day instead of just part of it.
Exercise in the morning may energize you throughout the day. I definitely feel better when I’m working out than when I’m sitting on the couch. And the few hours right after the workout are often the best in the day. So maybe, if you start out your day well every day, you’ll have more better days and continue to exercise.
If exercise is a priority in the morning, then it’s harder for other things in your life to push exercise out of your routine.
More than 90% of people who have a consistent exercise routine do it in the morning. If consistency is your goal, then this one is hard to overlook.

Cons for early morning workouts:

Muscle strength peaks during the late afternoon. Some studies suggest that workouts performed in the afternoon are more beneficial and also decrease the likelihood of injury.
Many people are more awake and alert in the afternoon. It’s easier to pay attention and work harder if you’re alert. People who have a tendency to skate through an early morning routine also have a tendency to concentrate and work harder in the afternoon.
Circadian rhythms prepare your body for an afternoon workout. Blood pressure, body temperature, and some hormone secretion peak for many people between two and four in the afternoon. All three have been linked to better performance in the gym.

So again, it’s not really hard to find an article on the internet that helps you believe what you want to believe. This, I have found, is especially true regarding exercise and nutrition. Remember, the main point is that exercising–no matter what time of day–is better than sitting on your behind all day. Do what works for you. For me, I’ll stick with the 4:30 AM wake up call. This week.

Small Steps

macdaddy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:39:43 +0000

My, we’ve been a little bit glum around here lately huh? Yep, it’s true, both JD and I are struggling with staying on target. Our weights are up a bit, our spirits are down a bit. In the past, both of us would have given up by now. But we’re still here and we have no plans to abandon ship. How’s that for a small step?

My grand plans for hitting the gym once Megan got back into school lasted for about 5 minutes. On Monday, I suited up for my workout and headed out the door. After dropping Meg off, Liam and I headed straight for the gym. I paid my three bucks, plunked Liam down in the daycare, and listened to him scream as I turned my back and headed out the door. FIVE minutes later, they hunted me down and told me to take my kid because they couldn’t calm him down–and I didn’t even get my 3 dollars back. I was mad. Mad that I didn’t get to work out, mad that they made hardly any effort to pacify my son, and mad that I had to rethink my workout plan. This was not a good start to getting back on track.

I spent the rest of Monday thinking about how I was going to get my workouts in. I could take 2 kids to the gym daycare every time I want to work out. I think Liam would be OK if Megan were there with him. But then I’ve got to haul two kids worth of stuff every time, and pay for two kids instead of 1 every time. I don’t think I want to deal with that.

So the solution is simple, right? I’ve got to get my butt out of bed in the morning and get to the gym. It’s 6:25 in the morning, and I’m back from the gym, workout completed, muscles sore, wide awake, and feeling awesome! So the new plan is a 4:30 wake up call on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to renew my efforts in the stronglifts 5X5 program. For my cardio, I’ll be using my treadmill during nap times on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I’d like to get some cardio in everyday, but we’ll see how this goes for a few weeks. Small steps, right?

I feel great after my workout this morning. I was able to complete my 5X5 program with no muscle pains. I’m tired and sore, but not injured. I warmed up properly, correctly performed my “ass to the grass” squats with a very light weight, and even added in the 15 minute core routine from my personal trainer.

So, I’ve woken up at 4:30 one day in a row. Friday morning will be small step #2. So you see, things aren’t as gloomy as they seem. We’ll get back on track, slowly. And we’ll continue to…get fit slowly.

5 Ways Golf is the Ideal Exercise

Lazy Man — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:55:57 +0000

Golf is good for you

This article was submitted by the Golf Ball Driver, author of Golf Ball Driver (rss feed). He strongly believes in discount golf balls and likes to collect vintage golf clubs. If you like the guest post please check out his website and consider subscribing to his rss feed.

If the thought of chasing a golf ball around a course seems a little silly to you, you may just be missing out on one of the world’s best forms of exercise. There are many reasons to consider giving golf a try, especially if you are looking for a way to lose weight. Golf is much more than a game, for many it is a pastime, and an outlet that allows them to find relaxation, better peace of mind and better health. Let’s look at just a few things that golf can do for you.

Walking. Unless you are using a cart, golf is one of the best forms of exercise you could ask for. You’ll be walking more than 6,000 yards on most courses, which translates into roughly 3.4 miles. The best part is, it won’t really seem like that much because you do get a chance to stop, and you can set your own pace. Just playing golf once a week can offer you a way to easily get fit without even trying.
Nothing beats fresh air and sunshine. Why slave away in the gym when you could be out enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air? Golf offers a great reason to get outside and take advantage of the benefits of getting sunlight for melatonin production that can leave you feeling more balanced and help you sleep better. Fresh air will also have a big impact on your overall well being and at the end of your day, chances are you will sleep like a baby.
Burning Calories. Due to the fact that you will not only be walking several miles, but pulling a golf cart and actually playing, this is one of the best sports for burning calories. We’ve found a great utility that will help you keep track of how many calories you burn with each outing. The Gmap Pedometer allows you to enter in the golf course where you will be playing and track the entire route. The calorie counting option will take into account how much you weigh and display just how many calories you burned. This is terrific motivation!
Friendship. If you are looking to make some new friends, golf is a very social sport that will open up new horizons for you. This is a great way to network with a support system that will help you stay on track with your weight loss goals and you can make some terrific life-long friendships while you are at it.
It’s just plain fun. At the end of the day, despite all of these great health benefits, golf is just a lot of fun to play. That means that you’ll be getting exercise without even really knowing it, and you may even find yourself looking forward to your next outing. This contrasts sharply with dragging yourself to the gym for another torture session.

These are just a few of the many health benefits you can reap from playing golf. Give it a try today and see just how much fun you can have and how much better you will feel.

If you are looking for a discount golf equipment please consider starting you search at the Golf Course Ladder store.

Photo Credit: dskciado

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How to Stay Fit Past Middle Age

Lazy Man — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:55:48 +0000

As people age it can become more difficult to stay fit, especially if your life keeps you very busy. Many empty-nesters quickly find that once they are no longer chasing the children around, those extra pounds pile up all too quickly. Perhaps this is what Tough Money Love before he lost 52 pounds and turned his health around. While there is a common consensus among many people that middle-age equals weight gain, this does not have to be the case. There are many different ways that you can stay fit well past middle age.

Three Tips for Staying Fit

The first thing you can do is to come up with an easy fitness plan that will work with your schedule and with your personal tastes. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and in fact something as simple as walking every night can have a big impact on your health. There are many different little ways to get exercise throughout the day so that it won’t interfere with your schedule. Try out several different types of exercises to see which one will suit your particular needs the best.
Next you can work on making small dietary changes that will support your efforts with extra exercise. Although fast food is certainly well ingrained in consumer consciousness, the fact remains that it is not the healthiest food you can eat. In many cases you may have to sacrifice a small amount of convenience in order to eat the foods that will help you stay fit. Try cutting out just one fast food meal a week and you can easily start seeing weight loss results.
Another key to staying fit past middle age is to develop a network of like-minded friends. It is much easier to keep exercising when you have the support of friends to keep you going. There is a lot to be said for having an exercise buddy and in many cases you can actually form a little exercise group. Whether you get together to go to the gym or simply walk around the park, having a support network with you can keep you motivated to stay on your exercise plan.

One of the biggest problems for many people once they reach middle age is the fact that their hormones start to work against them. When you couple this with a lack of exercise and a poor diet this can easily spell trouble with weight gain. While there is not much you can do to beat the natural course of aging, there are ways that you can combat the effects that hormones and aging can have on your body.

As we get older our caloric needs change. The amount of calories you need every day for basic survival will drop off significantly each year. It is a good idea to calculate your basal metabolism needs to see just how many calories you need each day. This should be done once a year to keep on top of the natural reduction in the amount of calories that your body requires for basic functions. When you are aware of this it is a lot easier to either ramp up your exercise efforts or cut back a little on certain foods.

The Proper Way to Do Squats

Lazy Man — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:55:11 +0000

Squats are fun!

Squats are perhaps one of the most misunderstood strength training exercises. They can be very beneficial if done properly, but there are a lot of misconceptions out there. If you’re not doings squats the right way, you can risk painful injury and you won’t be getting the full benefit of the exercise. Here are some tips on how to make sure you are doing squats the right way.

First, let’s talk about your posture. When you’ve got the bar behind your back, where are you looking? If you’re looking down, your back will be slightly rounded. If you’re looking up, your neck will start to strain. Both positions are wrong. Look straight ahead and make sure that your shoulders are square. You should be completely aligned with the bar behind you, feeling equal pressure on both shoulder blades.

You may need to check yourself as you go down and come back up. Once again, look straight forward and resist the urge to look down when you’re on the way down and up when you’re lifting the weight back up. This will result in either a neck injury or a knee injury if you do not keep your posture in the correct position. Adjust slightly and try to keep as centered as possible.

Next, it’s important to make sure that your knees are in the correct position. This is hard to do without looking down, so we recommend getting into the right position without the weight and doing a few stretches. Your knees should never cross your toes. Keep doing this until you get the feel for being either too far forward or too far back. This will help you make corrections without looking when you’re actually lifting.

Now, before we go any further, one of the most common squat misconceptions is that it is better to stop before your knees are fully flexed. In reality, this can lead to injury. Your knees are strongest when they are either fully flexed or fully straight. Stopping in between puts excess stress on your joints and will be painful.

It is also very important to remember that safety has to come first. If you are new to lifting in general or you have never done squats with weights before, you will need to work up to your capacity slowly. Add a little more weight every day until you get to the point where you should be. It’s better to go slow and avoid injury than to rush. You’ll also want to pace yourself. You may not be able to do twenty reps your first time out.

Squats are incredibly beneficial for your body and they will give your entire body a workout, if you are doing them correctly. Always remember to stretch before and after squatting to avoid injuring your knee or hip muscles. Make the right adjustments to your posture before adding the weight. If in doubt, use a Power Rack until you are more confident.

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How I Saved $500 While Losing 52 Pounds in 136 Days

Lazy Man — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:55:38 +0000

A Baby Boomer Says Enough

The following is a guest post from ToughMoneyLove.com. You can subscribe to his RSS feed here.

I am 57 years old. I am 6 feet tall. In high school and college, my weight fluctuated between 165 and 170 pounds. I am careful with my money.

But……

On January 16, 2008 I weighed 218 pounds. I work in an office (I am a patent attorney) and was spending on average $7.50 per day eating lunch out. I owned three pair of pants that I could barely squeeze into. Hundreds of dollars of pants and suits hung in my closet – neglected – because they no longer fit. I couldn’t stand to look at all of my belly fat in the mirror any more. I kept reading that abdominal fat is a strong marker for bad health in the second half of your life.

I had enough. I decided on that day that the weight had to go. I set a goal of weighing 175 pounds on May 31, 2008, the unofficial beginning of summer. Being a technology guy, I also decided that I needed a highly structured, mathematically sound plan for getting there.

My 1500 Calorie Eating Plan

I did some research and learned that for an average person, a 3500 calorie consumption deficit will result in a loss of one pound of body weight. I found a free website, Fitday, that allowed me to enter in my weight loss goal. It then calculated and tracked how much weight per week I had to lose to reach that goal. I determined that I could reach my goal by a combination of a reasonable amount of exercise and eating no more than 1500 calories per day.

Fitday had other important helpful features. After entering in my personal data and activities, Fitday calculated my daily baseline caloric expenditures. It added extra calories burned each day based on the specific exercise (walking, weight-lifting) and other activities (yard word, household maintenance, etc.) that I selected from pull down lists. As I weighed myself each morning and entered that weight into Fitday, it re-updated what I needed to do to reach my goal.

Fitday has an extensive built in database of food items with nutrition data. You can also enter and save custom food items if you can’t find them in the database. All of this data is saved online so that you can access it from any internet-connected computer. That is important. Between January 16 and May 31, not a single morsel of food passed my lips without being entered in Fitday. No cheating. None. That required easy access to my data which Fitday provided.

What and How I Ate

My basic rule was this: I ate until Fitday said I had eaten 1500 calories that day. Then I stopped. During the 136 days, I went over 1500 calories approximately 6 times but my worst day was only 1780 calories. Did I eat out? Yes – I even traveled to my nephew’s wedding out of town – but I managed to eat to my calorie goal. On the few days I went over, I either did extra cardio that day or cut back on the eating the next day.

It is not easy for a 6 foot baby boomer to limit himself to 1500 calories and not feel like he is starving. What I did to handle that was to eat something every 2-3 hours during the day with each little meal in the 150-300 calorie range. The work part of the day was critical because believe me it is hard to concentrate on the job if you are starving.

My typical workday eating went like this:

Breakfast: – fat free cottage cheese with fruit or 1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal or 6 oz. cup fat free fruit yogurt.
Morning snack: – 1 ounce raw almonds (very healthy for guys my age and an awesome appetite killer).
Lunch: – 19 oz. can of Healthy Request Chunky Soup (gotta be chunky or you will not feel full) or 1 can tuna plus a few multigrain, high fiber crackers.
Afternoon snack: – Balance Gold protein bar (the caramel nut blast is great) or Trail Mix fruit and nut bar
Dinner: – Grilled chicken breast/grilled fish plus a salad with low fat dressing or a steamed vegetable High fiber bread (one serving)
Evening snack: – Red grapes or raw cut carrots/broccoli and a low fat dip or a handful of Kashi GoLean Crunch
Bedtime Dessert: – Fruit popsicle

This routine kept me satisfied and within my 1500 calorie goal. I was surprised about not being hungry but it worked.

My Exercise Plan

I did cardio almost everyday. Usually this was 30 minutes on a treadmill, 4 MPH at varying elevations of 4 to 8 degrees. (Education bonus benefit: I usually did this first thing in the morning while watching the History Channel. I learned a lot.)

I also did circuit training (upper body, lower body, core) three days per week at the local public recreation center, 30 minutes each day with stretching after.

That’s it.

My Money Savings

My work lunch routine cost me about $2.00/day compared to the $7.50 I was spending each day eating out. I ate lunch out a few days (but I didn’t eat much). Over the 136 days of my plan, I saved $5.50 per day over 96 workdays, for a total of $528.00. Not bad. I am still eating soup and tuna for lunch each day. I enjoy visualizing five dollar bills in my head when I do that.

The Results

I actually hit my 175 pound goal on May 13. I decided to keep going because there was still some loose stuff around my midsection that I did not like. I went down to 166 pounds. The loose stuff was still there so I figured that is extra skin that is not going away. (No lipo for me!) I went off the diet. Now I watch what I eat. I probably average 2500 calories per day. I still weigh myself everyday. My weight fluctuates between 166 and 169. That’s where I intend to keep it.

Other benefits: I am sleeping much better. My nasal allergies seemed to have disappeared. (Can’t figure that one out but I am not complaining.) My energy levels in the evening and weekends are way up. Unfortunately, I still don’t have a lot of clothes that fit me because my waist is now a 32. All of my old clothes were 34. I’m not complaining about that either.

My wife compliments me. (’Nuf said about that.)

My 40 year high school reunion is next summer. I have challenged some of my high school buddies to match me. I hope they do.

If you want to contact me about what I did, or learn some hard truth about money and personal finance, you can find me at ToughMoneyLove.com. You can also subscribe to my RSS feed here.

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Peaks And Valleys

macdaddy — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:23:51 +0000

This is a guest post from my wife, Pam, the fittest person I know. I wish some of that would rub off on me. Pam is trying to balance a full time family, a full time job, and a full time ultra-marathon training schedule–a tough task for anyone–and she handles it remarkably well.

Today after work I went for a run. To save time I left straight from work rather than driving someplace else to run. I decided to head along Pringle Creek to Willamette University and then run through the campus one time before the students returned to campus. Too late, the students were already back. I stuck to the plan because I haven’t explored the campus much even though it is right next to work. I followed the creek into the heart of campus, where it is artfully incorporated into the landscape. I tried to continue along the river but hit a dead end. Here, I made an about face and ran back the other way. I doubt even the new freshmen made that mistake. As I ran I passed two lion statues guarding the entrance to the theater, the SAE house, and then came across the Martha Springer Botanical Garden.

Continuing, I ran across the artificial turf of the fields, where guys were practicing soccer and then across the pedestrian bridge over busy 12th street. On the other side of the bridge was a building with fairly modern architecture, with the Japanese flag flying out front. “What the heck is this?,” I wondered, just as the sign came into view: Japan International University of America. I had no idea there was such a place, let alone in downtown Salem. The path continued on past the Willamette Bearcat softball field and then it ended abruptly in the parking lot. I wouldn’t have minded continuing my run on the street, but the gates were shut and I wasn’t in a fence jumping mood. So , it was another U-turn, back across the bridge and past the tennis courts.

A side walk garden contained very overcrowded and puny irises, which made me think of JD’s wife Kris, who is especially diligent about dividing her irises, and just like that, I was back to my starting point. A 17 minute tour of Willamette University.

To lengthen the run I continued on the Pringle Creek path in the opposite direction, off to High street, passing what I consider to be the most impressive and splendid house in Salem. The local running group often avoids high street because of the hill, but I think the old houses make it worth the effort. I finished with a loop on the bark path around Bush park including a little path by the stream – a bit of urban trail.

It would have been a very pleasant run indeed, except for one thing: I felt like crap! My legs were like lead and my breathing seemed more labored than usual, particularly given my slow pace for the day. Just a week ago I was elated by my fitness, telling Mac how great I felt, but today I didn’t feel fit at all. I didn’t feel all that great on Monday either. I just haven’t seemed to have it together this week.

I am reminded that Fitness is a series of peaks and valleys. You can try to be on your “A-game” all the time, but some days you just don’t have it. Even elite athletes have their ups and downs. People strive for peak performances, but this may lead to a down slide which defines the peak. The valleys aren’t exciting like the peaks, but they are part of the journey. We can only strive to make the next peak a little higher and work to keep the current valley from being as low as the last.