Fitness Health Network

Tropical Storm Fay Roundup

Weight Ladder — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:20:56 +0000

The flooding Fay has caused in Florida is a nightmare. My sympathies go out to those who were affected.

This week from the Fitness Health Network:

Get Fit Slowly takes a look at the Average Athlete vs. the Olympic Athlete.
The Journal of Healthy Living lists Seven Gadgets to Help Get In Shape.
Today Will Be A Great Day At The Gym says NCN.
Lazy Man and Health looks into The Baby Food Diet, the latest in diet fads sweeping the internet.
Fat Man Unleashed guest writer this week posts A Tip is Just a Tip, but a Before and After is My Life.

From Weight Ladder Readers:

Use these 13 Tricks To Maximize Your Sleep Efficiency by One Crumb to help you sleep.
Food glorious food: engineer style at MizFitOnline for tips about food and exercise from an engineer.
One of Iowa Avenue’s members writes 8 Minutes a Day for a Tight Ass.
4XLT blogs on 150 Pounds of Purgatory.
For an interesting read check out Health Habits’ Scientists Discover How to Create “Anti-Obesity” Brown Fat.
Cash Money Life says you can save $400 by getting yourself a Free iPod touch and Printer with Apple Education Discount.

Thanks to the carnivals that hosted us this week:

Workout Blog Carnival @ Workoutebooks

Originally posted 2008-08-24 05:59:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Supplements Diet Exercise Fitness

Personal Training Round Two

macdaddy — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:00:39 +0000

Yesterday I had my initial consultation with my new personal trainer. We met for over an hour; and we talked. That’s it. I didn’t sweat one bit. And it was awesome! Here’s a rundown of the meeting:

Personal History:
We spent a few minutes at the beginning introducing ourselves and talking about where I’ve been. I explained to him that I weight 228 after college, dropped to 178 and then steadily rose back to 221 pounds. Next I mentioned about how I’ve used Get Fit Slowly to slowly drop back down to 181 over the next two years.

Activity Level:
Part of the conversation revolved around my activity level. I felt that he really wanted to know what I’ve been up to and where I wanted to be. I explained to him that I’ve been running for 5 hours per week and that my current goals revolve around completing my marathon in under 4 hours.

Nutrition Analysis:
Next, we went over what I’ve been eating and some of the concerns I have with my diet. We actually wrote down a typical day’s food intake for me, analyzed it in terms of calories and macronutrients. Then we came up with a new plan based on some of his recommendations. I left the office with a better handle on nutrition and some suggestions for helping me actually achieve eating a better balanced diet.

Body Anylysis & Goals:
Next came the fun part of the morning. He put me on the scale…181.2 pounds. Then he got out the skin fold calipers and measured my body fat%…24.1% I was a little upset with this number because my new scale has me way down to 18.9% That’s a big difference between the two measurements. I knew the two methods of determining fat content would be different, but I was hoping for the number to be around 22%.

After the measurements, I told him my goals. And actually, we revised them a bit based on our conversations to that point. So now, I’m revising them a bit for you all as well. I now want my body fat to be below 15% and my weight to be 170 pounds.

Plan of Action:
After about an hour of discussion, we came up with a plan of action to get where I want to be. Nutritionally, I’m supposed to keep my intake around the same but I’m supposed to really work on the composition of what I’m eating. We came up with some strategies to get my carbohydrate intake down to around 40%, my protein up to about 30% and my fat to stay the same at 30%.
Physically, I’m supposed to incorporate weight training 3 times per week to help me build muscle and to keep my metabolism revved up for longer periods of time.

So for the next six weeks, we’re meeting on Monday and Friday mornings to workout. I’m supposed to find one more day during the week where I can repeat the workout from Monday.

I’m really excited about getting back in the gym. I’m also very optimistic about the results that I can expect out of my weight training when my primary goal is to get this marathon accomplished. I was very forthcoming with my trainer about my goals and he seemed to understand where I was coming from. So if on some weeks, I only get two strength training workouts in, I’m OK with that.

I think that today’s meeting went really well. I’m ready to gain muscle, get stronger, more flexible, decrease my body fat, eat more nutritiously, and run a four-hour marathon.

Photo Credit

Building Your Own Gym At Home pt 2

Weight Ladder — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:13:38 +0000

Why spend all that money on a gym membership when you end up making up excuses not to go every week? Why not build your own home gym where you can work out comfortably in your own home? Here is part two of a three part guide to building your own gym at home.

Space for your Home Gym

You are going to need a solid floor that you can do your exercises on. If you are lifting weights, which is what this article is focusing on, then you are going to want to have a solid surface on which you can drop weights during exercise like power cleans and dead lifts. Garages and basement floors tend to work well for this. If you have a nice hardwood flooring, you need to change your strategy a bit.

Area of Space: You need at least 10 square feet for a good workout space. Your gym should not be shoved into a corner or closed off where you will never think about it. Instead, your home gym should be in an accessible room with space, and windows for good lighting.

Height of Roof: You want to make sure that the home gym has a high enough room that you can reach above your head and still have at least a couple of feet of clearance to handle overhead movements, tall machines and so on.

Flooring for your Home Gym

The flooring that you choose for your home gym needs to be able to do two different things. First and foremost, it needs to be able to reduce the noise created by the machines and the weights that you use in your home gym. Secondly, the flooring that you choose needs to be able to protect the flooring underneath. Here are some of the options that are available to you for this purpose:

Plywood Flooring: You can use layers of plywood and then place a heavy fabric or carpet on top. The carpet may slip around a bit. It isn’t going to give you solid footing all the time, but it is a worthwhile floor option if you are looking for something easy and inexpensive.

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IRON GYM PULL UP IRONGYM ROTATING PUSH UP BARS PUSHUP

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Photo Credits: markhillary

Originally posted 2009-09-15 03:29:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Tick Tock

NCN — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:41 +0000

Man, time is just flying buy.

Let’s see. I’ve been doing a pretty good job. I’m drinking my water and getting plenty of exercise. On the food front – I’m still eating a bit more than I should, but I’m not really stressing.

I’ve managed to lose about 8 pounds, which isn’t bad considering how busy I’ve been.

I bounce back-and-forth between being “super into” dieting – and then just “kinda into” dieting.

Right now, I’ve got a super-duper-exciting project that I’m working on, so that’s keeping me very, very busy. Instead of going to the gym, I’m getting tons of exercise, working (out and around) the house.

I’m REALLY digging my calorie counter – it helps me stay focused and motivated.

Honestly, I don’t really have a lot to blog about. Life is good, the weight is coming off (little by little), and I have some very exciting things I’m working on right now. Suffice to say, 2010 is looking like a much better year (all around) than 2009.

I hope you all are having an awesome 2010. You rock!

5 Reasons to do Early Bird Exercising

Weight Ladder — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:58:52 +0000

If you can barely pull yourself out of bed in the morning, let alone exercise, it can be difficult to put together a workout plan. There are many benefits to getting in your day’s exercise in the wee hours, even if it is a little difficult at first. Let’s look at just a few reasons why exercising in the morning may be right for you.

1. Evening exercise is too easy to put off.

After work or school, we’re tired and all we want to do is relax. It is all too easy to put off that workout until tomorrow when your coach is beckoning. People who exercise in the morning generally find that they are less likely to skip their workouts once they get into a routine. You’ve got your whole day ahead of you, and you won’t be in the mode to wind down in the morning.

2. Morning exercise increases your metabolism.

One of the single best reasons to haul yourself out of bed in the morning for some cardio or strength training is that you’ll be giving your metabolism a jump start with all that activity. Better yet, the effects last throughout the day, so you’ll be burning fat even while you’re sitting at a desk. This is a great way to start your day.

3. You’re training your body to be more energized.

When you get into the routine of exercising in the morning, your body will begin to anticipate this. After a few days, or maybe as long as two weeks, your body will start producing endorphins right before you wake up. This means that you’ll wake up feeling less groggy and you’ll be more alert. If you can stick it out for a few days, you’ll be doing yourself a big favor and you will see results.

4. Your brain will thank you.

If you need to be sharp mentally for a big day at work, exercise is very good for your brain. All those good chemicals that exercise releases into your bloodstream help your brain function better and you will be more mentally alert. It may not seem like it at first, but you should notice a big difference in how you feel during the day after regular morning workouts.

5. You’ll sleep better.

Exercising later in the day tends to disrupt your body’s cycles. All the benefits we mentioned earlier will be occurring, but they will be happening too late in the day. You may find that you’re too wired to go to bed if you exercise too late in the day. All of that brain power and metabolism boosting will be going to waste! By switching to morning workouts instead, your body will be ready to go to sleep at the end of the day and you will sleep more soundly.

It may be hard to get up a few minutes earlier, but in the end, you’re doing your body a big favor. Take the morning exercise challenge for two weeks and see how you feel!

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-26 05:49:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Withings WiFi Scale: Initial Impressions

macdaddy — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:27 +0000

On Friday as I headed out the door to take the kids to school, I set out a note for the FedEx delivery person begging them to please leave my package in the garage. I was so excited for my new scale that I didn’t want to have to wait until Monday to get it. The kind lady took pity on me (I was supposed to have signed for it) and followed my instructions so that when I returned home for the day I had a shiny new toy to play with. Needless to say, nap time came a little bit early on Friday!

I’ve been using the scale for about 4 days now and I wanted to offer up some initial impressions of the device since I’ve received a fair number of comments expressing interest in it.

Setup
Let me just say that setting up this machine was about as simple as possible. Basically, you create a free account at Withings where you can set up as many as eight users per scale. It asks you a few standard questions such as height, approximate weight, sex, and age. Then you connect the scale to your computer with the included USB cable. This process configures your scale to your home wireless internet connection. Then you unplug the scale and you’re good to go.

Use

Fortunately, using the scale is just as easy as setting it up. First thing in the morning, I step on the scale before I do anything else. It automatically recognizes me, measures my weight, my BMI, and my body fat %. Then, it connects to my account at withings and uploads all of my information to make the very pretty graph that you see in this post. It also uploads my weight and BF% to the dailyburn so that I don’t have to input it there. So far, it’s been perfectly simple and very sleek.

my.withings.com
Really, the only thing negative about the whole experience so far is that I have to use the account at my.withings.com. This only bothers me because it’s just one more place on the web that I need to connect to in order to monitor my progress. I now have accounts at physicsdiet, WEendure, fitday, dailyburn, and my.withings. But really, it’s not that huge a problem because the only time that I actually HAVE to log in to the withings site is when I want to change a setting in my profile.

So far, I’m very happy with my scale. But since I’ve got it, my weight has increased each day which isn’t so good. However, I’m not too worried about it because I ate out for dinner on Friday night, sat around and watched football on Saturday. After the race on Sunday, I again watched football and then we had pizza and chocolate cake for dinner. But yesterday was a good day for eating and through it all I’ve still been logging my calories and miles to the best of my ability. I’m not worried that the weight will start to come down and I’ll be below 175 within a couple of months!

What is Frozen Shoulder?

Weight Ladder — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:47:38 +0000

The term “frozen shoulder” conjures up all sorts of mental images, but this term refers to an injury that is quite common. A frozen shoulder is a painful problem that results in a lack of mobility of the afflicted shoulder and it can be quite troublesome for many people. It is estimated that at least 2% of the population has to deal with this ailment and many of that segment are between the ages of 40 and 60.

While frozen shoulder can occur as a result of the aging process, it can also be the result of a sports injury. For example, this is a common complaint of pitchers, quarterbacks and even tennis players. It is similar to a rotator cuff problem, but it actually involves the capsule around the joint. Over time, particularly if proper treatment isn’t given, this capsule thickens and hardens to the point where movement is nearly impossible.

The entire process of dealing with a frozen shoulder can take more than two years. Typically, it begins with a dull, aching pain, particularly after strenuous activity. This pain becomes more acute if nothing is done, and in a few months, the shoulder becomes “frozen.” Movement is greatly reduced and the level of pain increases. It can take more than 24 months for the “thawing” process where the capsule reverts to its former state and movement is again possible.

If you have a frozen shoulder as a result of overexertion, or even if it occurred for reasons unknown, there are some steps you can take to help speed up the healing process. First and foremost, the activity that caused the frozen shoulder should be stopped. For example, throwing a football repeatedly is not only going to be incredibly painful, but it may actually make the injury worse.

Physical therapy is generally recommended, but this can be quite painful. It is best to have a professional assist you if your particular case of frozen shoulder is very bad. In some severe cases, your doctor may need to prescribe a surgical procedure to prevent the pain from getting worse.

Certain exercises can be performed to help with the pain and to increase mobility. Shoulder stretching exercises are the most beneficial, but only when they are performed properly. Movements should be slow and the patient must never over stretch. You can bring the affected arm in front of your body holding your elbow with the other hand and slowly stretch out the joint. Other exercises include lying on your back and slowly bringing the affected arm up over your head.

To prevent frozen shoulder, it is essential to properly warm up before attempting any exercise that it is repetitive or focuses largely on the shoulder. In addition to sports players, this can also be a big problem for weight lifters and those that do a lot of pull ups or other exercises that are weight bearing. With proper stretching and the right exercise techniques, this painful condition can be avoided.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-25 05:53:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Coming Back After an Injury

Weight Ladder — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:40:53 +0000

Injuries are an unfortunate part of exercise for many people, and in some cases, one bad injury can completely derail your plans for weight loss and getting fit. However, there are certain techniques that you can use to ensure that you’ll keep losing weight and getting healthier, even if you are laid up for a few weeks or month with an injury.

First and foremost, most of your attention should be focused on preventing injury. Proper stretching is essential and knowing how to do exercises the proper way will help prevent you from pulling a muscle, straining a ligament and injuring your joints. If it’s too late however and you are already dealing with the pain and frustration of a workout related injury, here are some tips to help stay in shape during this time.

1. Talk with your doctor.

This is the absolute first step before trying anything. You will need to get clearance to continue working out and your doctor will most likely have some suggestions that will help you formulate a new workout plan. They may also be able to prescribe some physical therapy sessions that can be very beneficial in recovering from your injury and may even be covered by your insurance plan.

2. Don’t make the same mistakes again.

Learn from your injury and make sure that you avoid having it happen again. Whether that means learning how to stretch the right way, or knowing your own limits, it is vital to put what you’ve learned to good use. Before you even think about exercising again, you’ve got to have the basics down.

3. Start off slowly.

You’re not going to be able to get right back up on that horse and gallop off. You’ll need to work back up to your workouts and take them slowly. Remember, even small segments of exercise a few times a day can be just as beneficial as long workouts.

4. Exercise the parts that are still healthy.

In order to heal properly, you’re going to need to keep your injury protected. For example, let’s say that you injured your knee. This means that any exercise you do should be focused on your upper body, or even exercises like swimming that will not put any stress on that joint. The key is to keep moving, not to make your injury worse.

5. Find alternatives to your former exercise plan.

Talk with a personal trainer that is familiar with sports injuries to develop a new exercise plan that will allow you to stay fit during your recovery period. There are always alternatives that you can try that will give you the same health benefits without stressing your injury.

6. Cut back on extra food.

It’s very tempting to lie on the couch and indulge in some comfort food when you are injured. Remember, you’re not going to be as active, so your calorie needs will be lower. Adjust your food intake accordingly to make up for your lack of activity.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-18 05:24:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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You ARE Stronger Than You Think!

Muata — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:51:44 +0000

A PR In Every Race…So Far

macdaddy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:00:29 +0000

The forecast for yesterday morning was all bad–at least for the last week. In fact, I had my introduction for this post written in my head several days ago…something like…”The Cascade Half Marathon boasts as being the only half marathon in Oregon in the month of January. Do you know why there aren’t any others? Because it’s freaking cold, wet, and windy in January!”

Well, the running gods took pity on us yesterday morning because the weather wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting. It rained a little bit, and the wind blew a little bit (nothing like blue lake), but it wasn’t cold at all. In fact, the temperature was perfect, and the rain actually felt nice while I was running.

T and I had been waffling as to how to approach the race. Our training plan called for an easy 10-miler so we were torn between running an easy 13 miler, running a marathon pace 13 miler, or running the race as fast as we could. On Friday, I thought that we had settled on marathon paced 13 mile training run–which was the middle of the road effort of the three choices.

Then yesterday afternoon, T told me she felt great and that she was thinking about going for it. And yesterday evening, Pam tried her best to coax me into racing it. She used the excuse that we would have a more recent half marathon time to input into our training plan for the marathon which would give us a more realistic glimpse into our current fitness level. In reality, she was just projecting her own competitiveness on to me.

Neither T, nor Pam had that much influence on my decision in the long run. On race day, what do you do? You race.

So that’s what we did. And I ran a good, smart race. I ran a nice and easy first mile with no problems and then settled into a pretty comfortable next 5 miles. The course was a true out and back (again, unlike blue lake) with the first half mostly in to the wind.

Pre-race, I had made a list of race paces and finish times that I thought might happen:

Possible Cascade Half Marathon Results

	Finish Time	Race Pace
Easy	2:00	9:09
Probable	1:55	8:46
In My Dreams	1:50	8:23

I made the turn around in just over 57 minutes which comes out to about 8:42 pace. At this point, I was feeling pretty good so I decided to pick it up a bit thinking that I probably wouldn’t close that gap to break 1:50 but that I could surely keep it up and stay under 1:55.

Well, I came pretty close to closing that gap. I ran the second half of the race in 54 minutes. I crossed the line in 1:51:10 and shaved 14 seconds off of my average pace from the first half. At one point towards the very end, I was a little bit delusional because I actually thought I had a chance to break 1:50. Looking back, I think I still had over 1/4 of a mile to go at that point so there was no way that I could have gotten it done.

But I’m still proud of what I did yesterday. Like I said earlier, I ran a smart race. I slowed at all 4 water stops and drank a full cup of liquid. I ate 1 Clif Shot Blox during the race at about 45 minutes in. I was able to run a negative split race which means I didn’t run too hard at the beginning and peter out at the end. Needless to say, I’m really happy with the day. We didn’t train for it, we didn’t taper for it, and we still did really well.

Since I’ve been seriously running, I’ve now competed in 6 races. I’ve completed three different distances (10K, 15K, 1/2 marathon) two times and each time I’ve improved on my initial race time. So I guess it’s true, I’ve set a PR in each and every race I’ve ever run. Maybe I should hang up my shoes now!

Exercise Anywhere You Go

Weight Ladder — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:28:22 +0000

The best way to benefit from weight loss and exercise is to make it simple. When you make small, regular changes, they will actually add up to much more serious weight loss improvement than what you would achieve by making too many changes at once. There are a wide variety of healthy workouts that you can achieve without a lot of time, space or equipment. The following workout is designed to provide you with an excellent basic workout that you can achieve outside without requiring any equipment. This means that you can rely on your own body for resistance and will be able to do this workout no matter where you are.

All that you are going to need in order to achieve the requirements for this particular brand of workout is a stop watch, enough space to execute the exercises properly, and your own body since your body is the only thing necessary for the creation of resistance. What you should be doing here is attempting to race the clock to see just how fast you can finish the exercise sequence. You should be using a full range of motion and you should never sacrifice good form for the purpose of speed with each of these movements. Simply get the stop watch started and get ready to go!

The Actual Workout:

0 – Warm Up with a light walk or jog,
1 – Begin with a ½ mile run,
2 – Transition into squats or chair-squats, completing a total of 30,
3 – Transition into push-ups or bent-knee push-ups, completing a total of 20,
4 – Transition into sit-ups, completing a total of 30,
5 – Transition into a ¼ mile run,
6 – Transition into squats or chair-squats, completing a total of 60,
7 – Transition into push-ups or bent-knee push-ups, completing a total of 20,
8 – Transition into sit-ups, completing a total of 60,
9 – Transition into a ½ mile run,
10 – Transition into squats or chair-squats, completing a total of 30,
11 – Transition into push-ups or bent-knee push-ups, completing a total of 20,
12 – Transition into sit-ups, completing a total of 30,
13 – Cool Down with a stretch and a light cool down walk or jog.

You should be scaling this workout to suit both your fitness level and your ability level. Shorten the runs or even cut down on the exercise numbers by a third or a half as needed to prevent yourself from overdoing anything. If you have problems performing any of these exercises, try to substitute in another exercise to suit your needs. Make sure that you are not overdoing it with this workout, otherwise you may end up hurting yourself without doing yourself any good.

Despite its simplicity, this is a challenging workout capable of testing your physical limits and keeping you in good shape. This workout, when combined with a healthy diet will completely revolutionize how you lose weight and get healthy.

Photo credits: Thomas Hawk

Originally posted 2009-09-07 03:58:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Improve Sleep for Better Nutrition

Weight Ladder — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:19:42 +0000

Poor sleep is capable of hampering your health on an overall basis, and this includes how well you are going to perform in any weight loss or health improvement endeavor. There are a number of side effects that are associated with sleepless nights including premature signs of aging and even a compromising of your immune system. Getting a good night’s rest should be high on the list of things that you need to do in order to boost your fitness levels and your overall health levels. Sleep is absolutely crucial when it comes to boosting your immunity to optimum levels. When you are not getting enough sleep every day, then you may end up with less effective workouts, and you may end up storing more fat on your body as a result.

But this isn’t all, because your ability to deal with stress all throughout the day is also capable of being compromised by not getting enough sleep. This is why studies are showing that women who are stressed regularly turn to food looking for soothing. Many women also eat more in an attempt to pick up their energy levels.

Here are seven tips for a great night sleep that will help you boost your overall well being and your weight loss effort in the process.

Tip #1 - Make sure that you are getting regular exposure to the sunlight outdoors, especially during the afternoon hours. Research is showing that people that work during the night can actually improve their sleep during the day just by working under bright lights at night.

Tip #2 - Before bedtime, lower the lighting in your apartment or home through the use of dimmer switches or by turning off a couple of lamps in your home. The darker space will help you calm down for quicker and better sleeping.

Tip #3 - You should not allow yourself to nod off while in a chair or on the couch. When you begin to feel drowsy, you should get up and get in bed. This will ensure that you have the highest quality level of sleep possible.

Tip #4 – You should only be making your bedroom a space for sleep. You should not turn your bedroom into an office, an entertainment center or a study hall. When you designate a special space for sleep, your sleep improves significantly in quality.

Tip #5 - When you cannot sleep for some reason, try to use thoughts and imagery in order to achieve relaxation. Deep breathing techniques are another option worth trying.

Tip #6 – If you have not fallen asleep within a period of 20 minutes, find something to engage yourself in until you feel sleepy again. Tossing and turning without reprieve is not a solution.

Tip #7 – Hide your alarm clock out of your sight, because watching your clock is not going to make it any easier for you to sleep.

Photo Credits: Old Shoe Woman

Originally posted 2009-09-09 03:29:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Weekly Roundup: July 20th Edition

Weight Ladder — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:12:26 +0000

How is your Sunday going? Are you looking to play a little golf or go fishing? Perhaps if your like my sister, you’ll spend the day sitting down with a good book.

This week from the Fitness Health Network:

It’s hot, the sun is shining, and you’re in need of SPF protection. Lazy Man and Health writes a review on Neutrogena Sunscreen.
A picture diary is a good way to keep motivated and track weight. See what your fellow bloggers at Get Fit Slowly look like: then and now in Together Again.
What are Nitrates and Why Are They Bad!? Journal of Healthy Living explains succinctly in this post.
This guest post from Fat Man Unleashed looks into Overeaters Anonymous (OA) Meetings.
NCN is right on track in One Pound A Week – Right On Schedule.

Thank you to all my readers. I wanted to give a little shout out to those that wrote to me this week:

Yoga Practice: Your Roadmap To Perfect Balance at Healthy New Age is an in depth look at yoga.
Recession Or Not – The Challenge The Fed And Our Economy Has by Free From Broke explains nominal Federal Funds rate and what it means for us.
Mizfit’s Guest Chef Time: The ImNotWorthy ImNotWorthy edition will make your mouth water.
Quick to Fit examines 100 calorie packs in Think you’re eating healthier by buying 100 calorie packs? What do you think?
Simple Weight writes this week 8 tips to make a food diary work for weight loss rather than just plain more work.
Andrew is thinking about participating in The Volcanoes Challenge.
What a work out! Boot Camp at Healthy Living Today gives a run down of Mark’s exercises for the day.
Nutrition- week 3 over at Family in Shape provides a list of healthy snacks.
At Livinlavidalocarb there is talk about A New Stevia-Based Sweetener Called Truvia.
What do you do to make walking interesting? On my walk today… Spunkysuzi takes photos.
Speaking of walks, Nutrition Fitness Life takes walks too. My Daily Jaunts says walking clears away the cobwebs!
Tippin the Scale Thursday’s over at Weight Down… Money Up, is a short, sweet, little check in for healthy eating. Where do you eat out that is healthy?

Originally posted 2008-07-20 05:51:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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4 Foods to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Weight Ladder — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:05:24 +0000

High blood pressure is a problem that affects millions of Americans every year. Many of us are struggling with numbers that are too high and we cannot seem to get them down. Before trying any of the advice mentioned here it is vital to speak with your doctor. You may need to have medication to lower your pressure or you may be able to do it with your diet. Either way, you need to make sure that you are doing it the right way.

So, let’s take a look at some foods that are known to help you lower your blood pressure. Please keep in mind that we’re not suggesting that you eat entire bowls of the below foods, but in moderation and with the right amount of exercise, each one has the potential to lower your blood pressure.

1. Oatmeal.

Out of all the foods you could eat to get your blood pressure under control, oatmeal is probably the most powerful. People get results with oatmeal that are astounding and in some cases, blood pressure readings can drop by ten points or more after a month of eating oatmeal every day. This food is rich in soluble fiber and helps bind fat in your body before flushing it away. Numerous studies have been done on oatmeal and its effects and it is one of the easiest foods to eat to help get those numbers down. Just don’t fall into the trap of pilling on the sugar to make it more palatable.

2. & 3. Onions and Garlic.

You may not be very popular, but you will have lower blood pressure with these foods. They both work in much the same way by thinning the blood and making it easier to pump it through your body. These should be eaten in moderation, or you can even take garlic capsules to get the same results, without having to worry about the breath issue.

4. Melons.

The melon family, including cucumbers and cantaloupe, have been shown to help lower blood pressure. The good news is that these are quite tasty, easy to eat and won’t leave you with bad breath like onions and garlic can. You can easily add at least one serving of either every day.

By far, the best way to really lower your blood pressure is to get healthy. This means proper exercise, the right kind of diet and talking with your doctor to determine how to get your numbers into an acceptable range. You may be able to do it with your diet, but if not, it is important to take that medication to lower you numbers. It is far better than the side effects of having high blood pressure. Just remember, never try to lower your blood pressure on your own without the care of a doctor. You don’t want to risk your health, especially if your blood pressure is already quite high. Do it the smart way and your numbers will improve!

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-12 05:47:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Weight Loss Photos

Weight Ladder — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 05:56:08 +0000

Well I decided it was time to start a photo page to document pictorially my progress. So without further ado I present…

Before and After Weight Loss Pictures

Future updates will be added to the linked page with the full size photos being added. A blog post with thumbnail(s) will announce any future pictures (similar to this post.)

Click image for larger picture:
390.4 Pounds Starting Point

337.5 Pounds (53 pounds lost) Almost 40% to Goal Midway Point:

Originally posted 2008-06-23 00:40:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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4 Heart Healthy Exercises

Weight Ladder — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:47:32 +0000

If you want to get on the road to a healthy and full life, you need to focus not only on losing weight, but also doing exercises that are going to benefit your most powerful organ, your heart. It may be tough at first, but it’s important that you don’t get discouraged. Start out slow and keep your goals in mind. Whether you need to reduce your cholesterol or lower your blood pressure, combining these tips with a healthy diet can get your body and your heart back in shape. Just make sure to hydrate!

Run

Let’s get started with the first exercise that is probably the best for your heart. Running combines all of the essential ingredients into one exercise. You’re getting your heart rate up, you’re using all of your muscles and you’re building endurance. The problem is, if you’re pretty out of shape, running can be very difficulty. For those with knee problems or joint issues, running may not be an option. However, there are low impact ways that you can still get the benefits of running without hurting yourself.

Walk

Start out by walking for ten minutes at a slow pace. After this period of time elapses, walk fast for five minutes. Go back to walking slow for ten and this time, when you’re done, jog for five minutes. This is the easiest way to start burning calories and just about anyone can do it. After the five minutes of jogging are done, go back to walking slowly for ten minutes. Repeat until about an hour has gone by. You’ll have gotten your heart rate up and you’ll have burned plenty of calories. You can gradually start increasing the amounts of running time as you get stronger.

Aerobic Workout

Next, aerobic exercise is also well suited for keeping your heart healthy. Again, you’re probably going to need to start off slowly. It may be a bit difficult at first, but you can gradually increase your workout times to around 30 to 45 minutes a day. That’s your target goal, but if you think you can do more, go for it! By reaching your target heart rate every day, you’ll be not only helping your heart, but you’ll also be improving your metabolism.

Swim

If neither of these sound like something you want to try, or you have joint problems, the next best thing to do is to try aerobic swim classes. Your joints won’t have the stress and you’ll still be working that heart muscle. You can usually find a water aerobics class at most gyms or even at your local YMCA. If you can’t find one, just go to your indoor pool at the gym and try some exercises on your own. It’s a lot easier to get started in water and you’ll be able to build up your strength a lot quicker.

Your heart is the most vital organ you have and you need to treat it right. The good news is, even after a lifetime of abusing it, getting started on an exercise plan right now can help you undo that damage and provide you with some great benefits as well.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-05-15 05:49:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Daily Burn–I’m Committed

macdaddy — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:00:37 +0000

Today is the day. My shiny new gadget arrives today from Withings. I’ve been tracking it all week on Fedex.com and it should arrive soon. You don’t know how hard it was for me to NOT pay extra for speedy shipping. I can’t wait to get on that scale and measure my weight, BMI, fat mass, and lean mass. I just hope it’s accurate because it sure did cost a pretty penny.

The best thing about this new scale is that it automatically connects to the internet via wifi and uploads all of my stats to both the withings.com website and to the dailyburn.

In preparation for the arrival of the scale, I’ve been using dailyburn all week. I’ve been tracking my caloric intake as well as my energy expenditures via exercise. But I haven’t been taking advantage of all the features.

I like almost everything about the dailyburn. About the only thing that I don’t like is the fact that there is a free version and several paid versions. Even the cheapest paid version seems too expensive to me, so I’m a free version user. Really, the only complaint that I have with the free version is that it limits the number of “favorite foods” to 20. Your favorite foods are the ones that you eat the most. They’re readily accessible on a list that is unique to you. This makes it very easy to input those foods to your nutrition log for the day. I currently have about 15 foods on my favorite list–but I can see myself filling it up in the next few days.

Dailyburn lets you track body stats, nutrition stats, and workout stats. It lets you sign up for exercise & weight loss challenges, find people to help motivate you, and look for answers to all your weight loss questions in their forum sections. In fact, there’s way more to do on the dailyburn than I will ever use.

One thing I have done, however, is to create a Get Fit Slowly group. Members are able to monitor and encourage other members to stay on target. Anyone can join in on the fun and help to motivate your fellow readers to accomplish all their goals. There’s already 6 members (woohoo!) so why don’t you sign up today!

Five Healthy and Permanent Weight Loss Tips

Weight Ladder — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:35:37 +0000

Your weight reflects many things including how many calories you consume, how much you work out, and what your individual metabolic rate is like. The composition of the food you’re eating is also important as well. Here are some tips for achieving healthy and permanent weight loss.

1 – You need you reduce your carbs. It is almost impossible for you to lose weight and then turn around and keep it off unless you are eating substantially less carbs than you used to, especially when it comes to carbs with a high GL or glycemic load. The consumption of carbs with a high glycemic load can lead to a desire for more and more carbs.

Eating a diet that is low in carbs and low in GL can help you keep control over your appetite while decreasing your craving. What this means is that you will be feeling fuller sooner and you will be feeling fuller for longer periods of time as well. You will generally find that it is much easier for you to stop eating when you are satisfied, and you will be less hungry in between your meals as well. If you are serious about losing weight, then your carbohydrates should only make up one sixth of your total calories and all high GL carbs should be removed from your diet completely.

2 – You need you reduce your fats. Reducing the amount of fat that is in your diet is going to help with your weight loss because foods that are higher in fats also are generally much higher or denser in calories as well. Fat rich foods have 9 calories per gram of fat where as it is 4 calories per gram of carbs and 4 calories per gram of protein. This means that high in fat foods are sabotaging your diet, simply put.

3 – Choose veggies! Emphasize the types of foods that are naturally low in terms of caloric density, meaning that they are high in weight without being high in calories. The ideal category to serve this purpose is low starch vegetables with a low glycemic index while still being rich in all kinds of valuable nutrients, high in the right kind of fiber and also filling at the same time.

4 – Eat plenty of fiber. You should be consuming at a minimum 25 grams of fiber per day, including at least 10 grams of the insoluble type of fiber which is the best type of fiber for your health and digestion.

5 – Do not radically change up your diet. While you are in the process of losing weight, it is strongly recommended that you avoid any diets that involve eating significantly different from what you are used to. People count the days until they’re freed of these diets and then they go back to their old habits without taking anything learned with them, and this is a waste of time and a sure fire way to relapse and gain the weight back.

Photo Credits: dboy

Originally posted 2009-08-31 03:29:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Local Produce from Farmers Markets

Weight Ladder — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:25:00 +0000

During the latter half of the summer and the earlier part of the fall, you are dealing with what is the perfect season for visiting a farmers market. There are small “mom and pop” style stands and larger, more organized markets offering extensive selections from multiple vendors. No matter which option you choose, you are definitely going to find it to be worth the trip if you are trying to expand your horizons in terms of fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy food choices. Experiencing food in its finest forms is a great way to encourage even the pickiest people to try a few nibbles of something new. When it comes to consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, the farmers market is definitely the perfect place for you to find some brand new and fabulous foods that will suit everyone in your family.

Benefits of Farmers Market Shopping

1. One of the greatest benefits of shopping at the farmers market is that the vegetables and the fruit are grown locally and they are picked at the peak of ripeness, meaning that their aroma, their taste and their texture are all enhanced greatly for better enjoyment.

2. Another benefit is that farmers market prices are typically much lower than what you will find in traditional grocery store outlets.

3. Buying locally at farmers markets is eco-friendly! Our current system for food transportation and food distribution requires the expenditure of incredible amounts of energy as well as resources. The average food item in the US is going to travel more than 1,300 miles before it reaches your dinner table. 10 percent of the energy that goes into the food system is for the production of the food, and the other 90 percent goes into transportation, packaging and marketing of the food, and many environmental problems are created by this inefficiency and wastefulness.

4. Not only does shopping at a farmers market benefit the local farmers in your area, but it also builds strength for your entire local community as well.

5. Because the produce you buy is being picked at the absolute peak of the season, the phytochemicals and the nutrients are going to be more abundant. According to Hippocrates, we should allow food to be our medicine, and this is a great way to do it. In part two of this article we are going to talk more about the phytochemicals and nutrients that can be found in fresh produce. Do not try to remember all of the names belonging to these different phytochemicals as it will only bog you down. What you should remember is that eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is the absolute best way to benefit from all of the healthy nutrients that fresh fruits and vegetables have to offer you, especially when they are at the peak of the season and freshness.

Photo Credits: sandy kemsley

Originally posted 2009-08-24 03:22:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Calorie Counting Back Online

macdaddy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:02 +0000

I‘ve had a great few days since you guys straightened me out. This evening, I told Pam that I knew I was back on track–especially in the counting calories department–because I actually tallied up all of the ingredients that I used to make dinner to figure out how many calories were in the meal that I made. Then I divided by my portion and added that number to my calorie total for the day. It took a lot of effort and it’s not something I would have done two weeks ago. But I did such a good job counting on Monday and Tuesday that I didn’t want to screw it up yesterday. It’s so true that success breeds success. After only three days of doing a good job, I’m now highly motivated to keep the streak going!

Not only am I counting calories again, but I’ve made an initial contact to meet up with a personal trainer. We’ve only chatted on the phone for a few minutes, and we’re having a few issues actually scheduling a meeting, but they will get worked out fairly quickly and I’ll be back at the gym before I know it.

You’ve probably noticed that since I’ve redesigned the site, I am now posting an image to go with each entry. This makes for a little bit more work each time I post something but I really like the look of the site now. Unfortunately, this new “feature” makes it a little difficult to post small updates and such. I think I’ve got a workaround however. I’m going to be re-using several images from time to time when I want to post a quick update. It won’t take long for those of you who want to read in-depth entries about things other than my psyche and belly bulge to just take a look at the post image and decide quickly to keep reading or to skip the post. Today’s image, “Thumbs up” is going to be used for quick updates when I’ve got something that I’m proud of to share with you all.

So let’s review:

I’m proud of the fact that I have been counting calories well lately.
I’m proud of the fact that I have made contact with my personal trainer again.
I’m proud of the fact that I have stayed up to date on my running plan this week.
I’m a happy camper right now. If only my dishes and laundry would do themselves things would be perfect!

Also, please note that I’ve started a group over at the daily burn for get fit slowly readers and fans. If you’re like me, looking to drop some weight and get in better shape, then click on over to the group and sign up. Together, we can get where we want to be. There’s a link in the sidebar on the left

No Excuses for Fruits and Vegetables pt 2

Weight Ladder — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:22:41 +0000

Third Excuse: Most fresh fruits and vegetables are exposed to pesticides and other harmful chemicals and treatments.

Bust the Excuse: There are debates continuing on the topic of whether or not there are real dangers associated with using pesticides when treating our fresh foods. The FDA is extremely strict when it comes to their regulation of pesticides. You could also consider buying organic fruits and vegetables which means that there are no pesticides that are being used at all on the food items that you are buying.

Most health authorities are currently reporting that the health benefits that are associated with eating fruits and vegetables are going to far outweigh any concerns that are associated with the use of pesticides. If you are still skeptical, there are a number of things that you can do to lessen the risk of exposure to the potentially harmful effects of pesticides.

For example, you can wash your produce using warm water and without using any soap. Use a clean dish brush and scrub your fruits and vegetables well. This is especially important if you plan on eating the outer skin of the fruit, which is the case with potatoes, apples, pears and cucumbers for example.

If you are dealing with leafy vegetables, which tend to be dirty on the outside, then discard the very outer leaves. Two examples of green leafy vegetables that can be dirty on the outside are cabbage and lettuce. You can also peel and cook the foods when appropriate to lessen the potential exposure. You may lose some of the fiber and the nutrients packed into the fruit or vegetable in the process but it may be worthwhile for some peace of mind.

Fourth Excuse: Vitamins are lost easily when the fruits and vegetables are cooked.

Bust the Excuse: It is definitely true that vitamins are capable of breaking down in the heat and in the air. The longer that you cook them for and the hotter that you cook them for, the more nutrients you are likely to lose in the process. There are simple and straight forward ways that you can avoid the major loss of vitamins when it comes to the preparation of fruits and vegetables. The most obvious method of course is going to be to eat the vegetables and fruits in their raw state as often as you can.

You should always cook only until they are tender and crisp. This is known as al dente. A crisper vegetable or crisper fruit is going to maintain significantly more nutrients then if the fruit or vegetable were made mushy. You should also use as little water as you possibly can, which is going to reduce the ability for the vitamins and minerals to dissolve. You should also try to use large pieces rather than small cut up ones, because minimizing the exposed surface will minimize how many vitamins and minerals are lost during the preparation phase.

Photo Credits: caribb

Originally posted 2009-08-28 03:47:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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What is a Fatty Liver?

Weight Ladder — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:11:51 +0000

Many of us go to a doctor for our annual exam only to be told that we have a fatty liver. For the vast majority this is a pretty confusing diagnosis and it’s hard to know what we can do to fix it. First, let’s find out what a fatty liver is and then find out how to change it.

Normally, a fat liver is associated with drinking. However, a lifetime of unhealthy eating can do almost the same amount of damage to your liver. Over time, fat deposits collect in your liver and it starts to affect the overall function of that organ. We all need our livers and it’s not really easy to get a transplant, so it’s important to make that change towards getting healthy as soon as you find out that you have this problem.

A fatty liver can lead to numerous other health problems and in many cases, it’s associated with adult-onset diabetes. There are plenty of other diseases that can result from having a fatty liver and the decreased function you’re experiencing will begin to affect your total body health. There is also a second form of fatty liver disease that is far more serious and can actually be fatal.

So, know that we know what causes a fatty liver and why we don’t want one, let’s focus on ways to get rid of those fat deposits and get healthy. While there is no diet that will spot target your liver, there are proven ways of losing weight that will help you reduce the amount of fat in your liver and get healthy again. The good news is that you can undo that damage, but you will have to make a commitment towards your future.

The first step you need to take is modifying your lifestyle and targeting the foods that you’re eating that are leading to the problem. For many people, cutting fast foods and high sugar foods out of their diet is the fastest way to get rid of fat deposits in the liver. But you’re also going to need to add some activity if you really want to burn fat. The more calories you burn, the faster you’ll get going on the road to health.

Cardio is by far the best way to burn fat from your body. You’ll be getting your heart rate into that target zone so that your body can begin burning calories. If you’re not reaching that target heart rate, all that effort is pretty much for naught. You’ll need to get there and keep going in order to get any real benefit from your exercises.

The proper diet, combined with cardio is the quickest and most effective way to combat a fatty liver. It may take a few months, but you will start to see results and you will be getting healthier. Just remember, once you reach that goal, you’ve got to keep going. Changing your life requires smart decisions, healthy eating choices and plenty of exercise.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-09-09 05:11:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The Bet

macdaddy — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:48 +0000

Last night, Pam and I finally got around to watching the season premier of The Biggest Loser. This season’s focus is again on couples. According to the trainers, the contestants are the unhealthiest that the show has ever seen. For example, one of the couples, a set of twin brothers, weighed in just shy of 1000 pounds.

The producers of the show try and create as much drama as possible. Usually, each contestant weighs in at the beginning of the season at The Biggest Loser Ranch. But to raise the drama level this year, each of this season’s contestants were forced to initially check their weight in public, in their home towns, in front of their friends, neighbors, bosses, and families.

As I watched that part of the show, I was so tense. My mind was flooded with memories from my former fat days. In high school, I hated changing my clothes for baseball practice. I hated swimming at friends’ houses. I even hated going to the beach. I wouldn’t walk around my own house with my shirt off. I was so ashamed of how I looked and of what people might think of me that I just didn’t let people see me half dressed.

Here’s an example of the lengths that I would go to avoid taking my shirt off in front of people:

Back when I was still teaching, a bunch of overweight teachers (myself included) made a pact to lose weight by Thanksgiving. Each of us chose how much weight we wanted to lose by the deadline AND a consequence for not meeting that goal. I chose 20 pounds. Failure to meet my goal would require me to eat a chili dog on the street in downtown Portland…WITH MY SHIRT OFF!

This contest was great motivation for me for several reasons. First of all, there was no way that I would be taking off my shirt in public. Also, when it comes to games and contests, sometimes I can be a pretty competitive guy. And finally, I had the support of people cheering me on that I didn’t want to let down. Can you guess the outcome of the contest? Let’s just say that I didn’t have to get naked in Pioneer Courthouse Square!

These days, I’m much more likely to take my shirt off. I don’t really enjoy it, but I don’t really worry about it either. Plus, I’d rather enjoy the activity that requires it than miss out on the action. I’ve reached this place in my life partly because I’m a more mature person now. I also have a much better handle on my body image and realize that the reasons people like/love/want to hang out with me have very little to do with my BMI. But also, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished. While I don’t necessarily want to show off my body (there’s still a lot of room for improvement) I’m not really ashamed of it either.

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Obese Guys Please Stop Doing HIIT and Save Your Knees!

Muata — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:30:29 +0000

Review of The Ultimate New York Body Plan

Weight Ladder — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:03:51 +0000

The author of this diet is already quite well known thanks to the ABC series, Extreme Makeover. David Hirsch has quite a reputation as being the go-to guy when you want to lose weight and celebrities swear by his plans. This online book/site received its fare share of hype and However, is it worth the cost to try it on on your own? Let’s find out.

Right off the bat, this is a diet that will help people see results in just about two weeks, and unlike many other diet plans, it focuses on lifestyle changes as well as losing weight. This is the first sign that you’re dealing with a diet that’s going to work, not just now, not just in two weeks, but for the rest of your life. For those of us that want to lose weight and keep it off, this resource is packed with incredible advice amidst all of the inspirational talk.

The main concern we had with this plan was that in order to take advantage of it, you’ve got to join an online program for $16 and you’ll also need to buy some shakes, which can be pretty expensive. For those dieters that do not have a lot of money, this really isn’t a plan that they could get much use out of. Unfortunately, the whole idea of having to pay a monthly membership fee for a diet is a little too much to take, and cheapens what is otherwise a very good plan.

However, you can still walk away with enough advice to make these changes on your own, and stick with a new diet plan, without having to shell out money for shakes or memberships. Possibly the best part of the plan is that it contains a fitness test to help you gauge your progress as you start the diet. This is a terrific addition that not many diet books or plans have and it compensated for the points that we didn’t like. You can easily use this test to make sure that you’re not only losing weight but getting healthier too.

Exercise plans are given that can help you get on the path to total wellness and that was greatly appreciated. The bad thing is that you do have to pay to access them. We would have liked to see a few more free resources available for those who simply cannot afford to take advantage of this program. There is so much good advice here that it needs a wider audience and while this may not be economically smart, it would have been nice.

Overall, we recommend the Ultimate New York Diet simply because it contains so much useful advice, plans and information. It is a recommendation with reservations however, given that there is a monthly fee and the shakes are pretty costly. With a few modifications, we could really get behind this one, and that’s not praise that is handed out lightly.

Originally posted 2008-07-25 05:21:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Low Carb Dieting For Dummies By Katherine Chauncey

Weight Ladder — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:48:09 +0000

Out of all of the low carb diet books out there, this has to be the most confusing. Normally, we steer clear of diets that are strictly low carb, since few are balanced, but since this was a book from the Dummies line, we thought it might be worthwhile. What a surprise to find that this was one convoluted mess that mixed some really great advice with some really bad advice.

The book is not entirely about low carb diets and in fact, the author seems to be developing her own special diet throughout the text. There is nothing wrong with that in theory, but since her diet doesn’t really mesh with the low carb theory it is a bit confusing at times. Our biggest issue was that she continually talked about how great a low carb diet can be and then brought up statistics that show it’s not the smartest thing for your body.

Several myths are dispelled and enforced, again we have a contradiction. That seems to be the main theme of this book on several levels. The author says that carbs in fruits don’t matter, when in fact, they contain some of the highest levels of bad carbs you can find. On the other hand, she recommends avoiding some of the best and most nutrition filled low carb foods out there, such as chicken wings. When she starts to contradict her own words though, it gets a little silly.

That said, this is still a good book. While the above wasn’t exactly ringing praise for the author, the recipes contained are worth the cost of the book. You’ll get plenty of good ideas for eating healthy, low card meals that are very well balanced. The key isn’t so much cutting carbs out of your life completely as it is finding the right balance with good carbs and protein.

She also discusses how to find healthy replacements for fast food and again, this redeems what would have otherwise been a truly awful book. This section is very useful for those that like to eat out but don’t know which kind of foods they need to be eating. This can make the menu selection a lot easier and you won’t feel so guilty.

The book also covers making lifestyle changes, the importance of supplementing with vitamins while you’re dieting as well as some great advice on how to avoid beating yourself up mentally if you do slip on your diet. For these sections, we recommend this book whole heartedly.

We recommend taking the advice on low carb eating with a grain of salt, but buy the book for the good advice on dieting as a whole and knowing what to avoid and what you can eat when you’re eating out.

Overall, it’s not the best book, but you can still get some good information out of it, especially if you go into it with the right mindset.

Originally posted 2008-08-08 05:25:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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T-minus 16 Weeks

macdaddy — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:00:41 +0000

Today is a big day for T and I. While it may seem like we’ve been doing nothing but running lately. All we’ve really been doing is maintaining our fitness base so that we can start training for the Eugene Marathon on May 2, 2010. The real running actually starts today with an easy 6-miler.

For the next 16 weeks, we’ll be running various distances and paces four times per week. Each week consists of 2 easy runs, 1 hard run, and 1 long run. Along the way, we’ll log a total of 500 miles (including the race).

A year ago, we followed a similar program for the Eugene 1/2 Marathon and had really good success. We’re hoping for similar success this year in the longer distance.

I’m really excited to have a training goal again. I know that I’m going to accomplish my goal of completing the marathon in under 4 hours.

Healthy, Happy, Wealthy, and Wise

Weight Ladder — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:31:45 +0000

I have been tagged by Fat Man Unleashed to write a 6 word memoir. His was Be About It!

My 5 word memoir is Healthy, Happy, Wealthy, and Wise.

At the end of the day, this is how I will remember my life.

Healthy — this one is pretty self explanatory, but it does require work to get there from here. I am currently perfectly healthy, however I know that without choosing to lose weight and exercise regularly NOW that will not always be the case. It will be the case and I am committed to losing the weight and maintaining the healthy lifestyle. I have had a wonderful first 30 some odd years and I intend to have another healthy 100 or so in front of me.
Happy — I have met the woman of my dreams, I have a wonderful child, I played basketball in college, I am good at and enjoy my job, enjoying every minute, doing what I enjoy, experiencing the best things in life, fulfilled.
Wealthy — In spirit and eventually monetarily. Content. Wanting for nothing.
Wise — At least in my own mind.

And now it is my turn to tag a few people to write their own 6 word memior

Originally posted 2008-05-19 12:41:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Updated “Notable Quotes” Section

Muata — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:08:32 +0000

Reward Systems Work – The Key to Successful Weight Loss

Weight Ladder — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:25:55 +0000

One of the hardest parts of dealing with a diet is the feeling that you are depriving yourself. Everyone needs a boost and for many people, food is the natural reward. Whether this started in childhood or became an acquired habit later in life, you’ll need to find new ways to reward yourself and a new system to follow that will help you stay on your diet and still feel satisfied.

First, make a list of all your “cheat” foods, or the things you normally turn to when you’re feeling down or when you want to celebrate. Post this list in an easy to spot location so you can keep it on your mind. Keeping it right there will help you retrain your brain so that you’ll be aware of your danger zones and steer clear of them.

Next, you’ll need to set up a rewards system based on your diet and exercise plan. Our goal here is to replace the usual food rewards with something that is a lot less damaging to your figure. Take that list once again and write down a column that contains all of the things you enjoy doing. Whether it’s a bubble bath, a trip to a museum or a shopping spree, you’ll need to list everything.

Start by setting your first goal. It’s a good idea to make sure that it is achievable in a small amount of time so that you stay motivated. Whether it’s losing that first few pounds or lowering your blood pressure by a few points, keep the goal easy to reach. Now, pick one of the things that you enjoy doing and set it up as a reward.

It’s a good idea to make sure that it’s not an event that you generally do. This will help you keep the rewards special and make it more fun to reach them. Once you have your first few goals and their corresponding rewards outlined, you’re ready to start making progress.

Whenever you feel as though you’re ready to give into a food craving, look at that list again and see what you’ll get to do if you can hold on and keep on your diet. This can really help you retrain your brain and get rid of problem behavior that leads to the failures of so many diets.

By sticking with your diet and making sure that you reward yourself for your successes, you’ll be able to stay motivated for your diet. In addition, since you are replacing food rewards with other activities, you’re building a strong foundation for a new and healthier life. This means that long after your diet is done you’ll be able to keep that weight off.

Losing weight is difficult, but it is doesn’t have to be impossible. We all need rewards and sometimes it just feels better to pat yourself on the back. When you’re not using food, you’re setting up a whole new future for yourself and guaranteeing your success.

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Originally posted 2008-06-10 05:41:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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