365 Fit

Tired And Happy

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:32:00 +0000

So there I was sitting on the couch. I was full of taco and feeling kind of sleepy. I knew today was part of my strength day, but was having a hard time making myself get off of the couch. That is what it seems to be like the last four days I have been trying to be active. I'll wake up in the morning feeling tired and thinking, today I don't really want to work out. Then I'll go to work and think, I just want to go home and relax. I get home and relax, and then the want to move my body slowly diminishes. Then for some reason after that I get these thoughts in my head. I want to be stronger. I want to be faster. I have these thoughts for a while and then something just motivates me to get up and get something done.

Tonight I did about 45 push ups, 45 squats, and 45 lunges. I feel good about what I did tonight, it wasn't a lot, but it got me sweating and off the couch.

My downfall has still been some of the snacking that I have been doing. I am probably relying a little too much on the advice of you can't do it all at once, but at least I am doing something at all. My weight has been fluxing for the last three days, and I know it's just been three days, but I still don't like it. I am hoping that here in the next few days I will even out and my eating habits will start to get better.

365 Fit for life.

You Are What You Eat

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:50:00 +0000

If this is true, then apparently I am a mashed potato cheeto drowning in Mt. Dew. I hope tomorrow when I wake up, I won't be covered in butter or anything like that. I added a menu as well as my current weight and body fat percentage. I do not know how accurate this body fat measure on my scale is, but since it is the only one I will be using it will at least serve as a reference on if I am going up or down. I am going to be posting my current weight for both the morning and night. I find it interesting my weight shift from morning to night and then again to the morning. It's usually in the 6 lbs. range. I doubt that is good for me. I think it might have something to do with what I eat or what I don't eat or what kind of liquids I drink. I am also adding what time I go to bed, well at least what time I lay down in bed, as it's hard to gauge exactly when I fall asleep, and when I wake up. I am not sure what significance this might have, but I think it will be useful in my quest for better fitness.

So there we are, I am listing a lot of vitals for myself to better track what is going on with my body. Stay tuned, I hope good things are to come.

365 Fit for life.

Pop Free's The Way To Be

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:37:00 +0000

Tonight I have drank, drunk, drank, the last of my pop/soda that I have in the house. Tonight is hopefully going to be the last night that I drink pop/soda for a long time. I like pop/soda a lot, probably more than I should, but I love it. Soda is just empty calories, I know it, you know it. I may like soda, but I think I'm going to like looking in the mirror and seeing a six pack of abs staring back at me, and not a six pack of Mt. Dew.

I remember not so long ago when I used to drink nothing but water. I didn't necessarily drink it because I like water, but I drank it because I couldn't afford to drink anything else but the water out of my tap. I don't buy pop very much any more, but I buy it more than I should. So, not only will I be saving money by not buying pop, I'll be saving my waist line as well. Wish me luck.

365 Fit for life.

Triathlete Bikeman

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:29:00 +0000

I have always toyed with the idea of participating in a triathlon. Since starting this whole parkour thing it has motivated me at least a little bit to be more active. I have made an unofficial promise to myself, not in writing, to do a triathlon.

I started my pseudo training tonight with a little bike riding. I learned three things while riding around my neighborhood. First, like I had said in a previous post, I am out of shape. Two, I do not like biking up hills. Three, hot cheetos and Mt. Dew are not good pre-workout foods.

This is day four of me being active every day, and that is a good thing. I feel tired and achey and tired, and sore, and did I mention achey. I hate that it is getting longer and longer for me to get back to the place where I left off when I workout for any length of time. I am hoping that in the next two weeks I will be back to a level where I won't feel completely worthless.

*Parkour update - During my bike ride I came across some picnic tables and decided to work on my kong vaults. I was able to dive just a little bit and plant my hands about half way across the table and jump up and onto the table without injuring myself. I just couldn't muster the courage to actually try and jump over it yet. Until then I will keep practicing and let it happen.

365 Fit for life.

Parkour #2

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:48:00 +0000

I don't know if you can really call this day number 2 or not, but I am going to anyways. Went down to the playground again where I live and just messed around a little more. Jumped off a few things, did some chin ups and push ups. I did some more front rolls, and my shoulders don't hurt or anything when I do them, though I seem to landing hard on my hip when I roll over, so I'll have to work on that. I am trying to work on my kong/monkey vaults, but I don't have anything that I can vault over. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to find something to vault over. I can try to vault over my fence, but it is a little bit too high for my first attempt. I have been watching videos on youtube trying to psych myself up for the jump. Parkour and the elements there of will be good for me, cause I am afraid I will hurt myself. This is the best way I can think of to get over this fear, to just do it. I'll let you know how it goes when it happens. Until then, 365 Fit, for life.

My It's Been A Long Time

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:41:00 +0000

I just went outside on this awesome November afternoon and started practicing my rolling. I couldn't have been out there for more than like five to ten minutes just kinda running around, jumping, and rolling. Wow, I am more out of shape than I had anticipated. There is something to be said about training like a kid. They just run and run and run and run and that is something we can all embrace.

I just came in for some water and a breather, and now it's back out to rolling around in the grass.

*Update - I just walked down to the playground area in the neighborhood I live in. It was fun to just run and jump on the equipment, do some chinups and swing across the bars. I also had an opportunity to jump over a few things and to jump from a height greater than six inches.

I learned a couple of things while I was doing this. One, if you land wrong it is very jarring and kind of hurts a little bit. Two you should always land on two feet unless you are going to roll, and even then, you might still want to land on two feet to help absorb the shock of landing. Finally, doing unconventional things to workout, such as playing at the playground, really helps to motivate you to keep going.

I hope tomorrow I will be able to find more things to jump over and practice on. I haven't been trying to do anything "parkourish" except for my rolling, but I think to just get out there and jump around and get my body used to impacts and things is going to help out a lot. Oh yeah, also toughening up my hands is going to help a lot cause apparently I have little girl hands that hurt after swinging on the monkey bars.

365 Fit for life!

Time To Stop Deteriorating

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:08:00 +0000

I started this blog for probably the wrong reasons. I started it for not myself first, but rather for others. I wanted fame and acknowledgement and tons of traffic. I wanted daily comments and people subscribing and following whatever it was I was talking about. That lasted for a while. I think I got up to around 40 or so posts.

I have made a decision to start again. This time around, I am doing it for myself. I am using my blog as a way to track my own progress and let me reflect on the things that I am doing. I will still write tips when I find them or think of them, and I will write my little blurbs about fitness, but will focus mostly on the things that I am doing. If it helps people along the way then great, I always want to help.

I have done a lot of research on my new fitness ideas, and plan on doing a lot more in the next forever. I am going to start doing parkour. Parkour is basically moving through your environment, any environment, in the quickest possible way. One of the most well known displays of this was during the opening chase scene in Casino Royale. It depicts a person, think its Sebastian Foucan, running through a construction site.

This will be my first venture into anything like this and I hope it goes well. Let me know if you have or want to do anything like parkour.

Tuesday June 3rd Quick Tip

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Get dressed.

It has been said that if you feel unmotivated or depressed or sad or whatever negative feeling that you are feeling at the moment can help to be alleviated by getting dressed. That does not mean just throw on the same pair of sweats that you have been schlumping on for the last week and a half. It means put on some clothes that make you feel good. Granted you might not have anything that will make you feel good, but give it your best effort. If you need to and can afford it, then go out and buy yourself something that you will feel good in. That might just be enough to jump start your healthy living.

365 Fit for life

*Disclaimer - I am not encouraging you to buy more clothes if you do not need them, or if you do not have the extra money to afford to be able to spend it. Pay your bills!

A New Look Might Be Just What You Need

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:19:00 +0000

I think for most guys a hair cut is just a haircut. I personally don't really like getting my haircut. I am also one of those people who doesn't really want to do anything because I'd rather be doing something else. Kind of confusing I know, but now is not the time or place for such talk. Anyways, I had put off my haircut for quite some time, probably close to two months. My hair grows really fast, so I was looking kind of shaggy. I go through phases with my hair. Sometimes it looks good, sometimes I just have to deal with it looking sort of bad. When I went to go get my haircut I assumed it was like any other haircut, I'd go in, get it done, and think nothing more of it. While I was getting it done, it started out the same and then about 3/4 of the way through it begin to change. I noticed that my face got a little thinner and taller, and that my overall sense of well being crept up a little bit. Now I do not think that any sort of magic was involved, although the jury is still out. I do however think that our appearance is a big part of our health, not just good nutrition and exercise.

My recommendation on a haircut is find someone you like and stick with them. It is annoying having multiple people cut your hair. Everyone does it a little differently and you never quite get what you want with new people. If you can get the same person every time then you will get what you want every time. It might take a little bit of trial and error in the beginning, but once you find a good barber/stylist, stay with them.

365 Fit for life

Is Sauna Sweat Just As Good As Running Sweat

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:48:00 +0000

I like saunas. They make you sweat and they make you feel good. Do we get any health benefit from sitting in a sauna. Well I suppose yes and no. Will you start losing tons of weight from sitting in a sauna, probably not, unless you are in there 24/7 and that wouldn't be healthy for anyone. So if you are not losing weight then what are you doing in a sauna. Like I said before, saunas make you feel good. It helps you to relax, loosens up your muscles, and makes you a little healthier. I read that the heat makes your body feel like it has a fever and boosts your immune system just a little bit. Now that's healthy.

People always want a way to lose weight without working. I guess you can say that sweating without moving will burn some calories. But like countless people have said, it is mostly just water. Sauna's do not replace good nutrition and healthy exercise. What it does do is compliment the plan that you are already on. So sit in your sauna after your workout. Let your mind and body relax, clear up your pores, and work whatever other magic you want to believe the sauna does for you. Just don't let that be your only workout for the week.

365 Fit for life

The Longer We Wait, The More We Deteriorate

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:32:00 +0000

I read somewhere that as we get older the longer we do not workout from the time that we did workout the more our muscles deteriorate. Now that sounds like common sense, as we get older our muscles need more push to get the same results. Yes that is probably common sense, but how many people have ever really thought about it? I am not old by any means, but I am still older than when I started my working out adventures. When I was younger it was way easier to recover from workouts and I could go a lot longer in between workout stints and not lose any strength. Now it seems like if I miss for a day or two I have lost any and all gains that I have made in the previous week. I can only assume that the majority of people reading this are in the older but not quite old category and here is my advice for you. Keep doing something. It is very simple but it holds very true. There will be days and weeks now and in the future when you will not want to do anything. You will be swamped with school or work, or in laws or vacation or whatever it is that you think is more important than your health. If you do not have time to go to the gym then do some prison style workouts. Google it if you want more in depth stuff. The simple version of it is do push ups, crunches, and body weighted squats, or any other body weighted squats. Take 10 minutes out of your day and get it done. It doesn't have to be anything major just something to keep your muscles engaged and doing something. Trust me, you will regret that week you let slip by because of something else.

My last thought for the day is that while you might think things are more important than going to the gym, remember that you only have one body. Treat it right.

365 Fit for life

Meat My Only Friend

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:25:00 +0000

I love meat. I like hamburgers, hotdogs, steak, chicken, pork, bacon, sausage, pepperoni, is that meat, basically all animals. The problem with this love is that it raises some concerns that I have been reading about.

The inhumane treatment of animals in slaughter houses is crazy. Rotting meat, feces, bugs, all of this crazy stuff is happening in these places and we still eat it. I read in one book that the manager told the workers to mix the obviously rotten meat in with the fresh meat. That is just sick.

I guess the way the process works is that as soon as the animal dies it starts to decompose. That means that you are putting a dead, rotten, carcass in your mouth and swallowing. Which then, since your body has a hard time digesting meat, sits in your stomach and basically rots some more until it passes out of your system. This scenario is kind of like the egg you are eating. An undeveloped baby chicken. Yep, you just ate a dead baby fetus. If you think about it in those terms then we shouldn't eat anything ever.

It is hard to know where the line is between using descriptions to gross you out and having actual information that will be beneficial to you. Is meat good for you, probably. Is meat bad for you, probably. Should we eat meat? Should we not eat meat? Who knows. I think that there is no real consensus on if we should eat meat or not. We can get the same protein and other minerals from plants and supplements. So that means we shouldn't eat meat then right? Again, who knows. If you choose to eat meat then that is what you should do. If you choose to not eat meat, then that is what you should do too. All that I ask is you to think about your food choices and decide which one is the best for you.

365 Fit for life.

Skinny Bitch

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:20:00 +0000

I have been doing a bit of reading here as of late and I came across a book that was in my collection and read most of it. The book I am referring to is Skinny Bitch. It's an interesting take on things that goes against the sugar coated norm of everyone needs to do things on their own time sort of approach. They basically yell at you, swear, and tell you that you are a horrible person. Well maybe not the horrible person, but they do call you names. This book or plan isn't for everyone, those that are sensitive need not read this book. For those of you though who want someone to step up and slap you in the face, this is the book for you. Geared mostly towards women, hence the title, the book still offers good advice that can be used by either gender.

The gist of the book is to be organic and vegan. No meat, no dairy, and did I mention no meat. They regaled me with tails of horror stories from meat packing plants and let me tell you, they didn't paint the prettiest picture when it comes to slaughter houses. I love meat, end of story. The stories in the book however made it a little harder to eat meat. I am on day two of my not quite vegan food choice. I have eaten an egg, and I've had some yogurt and cheese, so I am not quite vegan. I am happy to say though that I have not had any meat in over 36 hours. That my friend is quite an accomplishment.

My question for you is this. Vegan, vegetarian, what do you think of all of this. Can you go without meat? Should you go without meat? I'll talk about it more in my next post, but let me know what you think.

365 Fit for life.

The Big D Word

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:12:00 +0000

Diet. Everyone is talking about going on or being on a diet. I say down with diets. I am going to try my very best to never say the word diet ever again in these posts. Just the mere word diet sends negative thoughts running through my head. Diet means no good food, starving yourself, and being miserable. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very healthy. Instead I will talk about healthy nutrition choices, eating for life, good food, and anything that promotes eating in a good healthy way. It might be difficult but we all should do it. The less we talk about it the better you'll feel, I'm sure of it.

I'll leave you with this. I was reading an article from a long time ago and it went something like this. We should spell diet, edit. Instead of thinking we are on a diet, we should just edit our food choices. Something to think about, edit.

365 Fit for life

Justification Is Not The Only Way

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:56:00 +0000

We justify everything. We justify why we didn't go to the gym. We justify why we didn't eat healthy that day. We justify just about everything. And to who? And for what? Justify is just a nice way of saying excuse. I am going to not workout today, and I feel justified in saying that because I was so busy at work today. Translation...I am going to be lazy and I just want to make an excuse up in my head so that I don't feel bad about my actions. I think I stated a couple posts ago that if you want to do something just do it. You want that second piece of cake, then eat that second piece of cake. I think that is better that you feel healthy emotionally and mentally then if you feel better physically. Do we really need that second piece of cake, probably not, does it make us feel better, probably. The only caveat to watch for is to not indulge ourselves all the times. Moderation is the key and in this case it is no exception. Back to the topic.

We should feel bad for the choices we make. Not necessarily because of the choice, but because we try to reason with ourselves. That answers the question, who are we justifying this to. We are justifying it to ourselves. Sure you are talking to another person, but no matter who it is, your mom, your significant other, or whoever, we are really just justifying it to ourselves. But the person I am talking to, they want to know and they'll understand what I'm going through. Wrong. While the person you are talking to is going to listen more than likely, and yes they will offer you what you want to hear. "I had a really tough day at work, I am going to eat that whole pint of ice cream and that's OK" ..."Sure it is, you had a tough day that is totally reasonable" or something like that. Sound familiar? Well it should. Each day we justify to ourselves why we should be able to do things, and it's not just with food or fitness, it's with everything. Most people will tell you what you want to hear, and that is agreeing with your decision. Some will say it's cause they can really sympathize or empathize with you. Some will agree with you because you want them to agree with you later. We would be doing everyone a favor if we just told them, no fat ass you do not need to eat that entire block of cheese. OK, maybe you can be a little nicer, but I think you know what I mean. We think we are doing them a favor by letting them feel good about their decision and letting them get over their ordeal with food or another substitute. If you tell them they shouldn't eat that, they will probably be mad, and they will probably say not nice things, but it will help them, I promise. If they do not need to eat something as a friend they should respect that you are trying to help them. Give them some space afterwards cause they won't be too happy, but I'm sure the next day they will say thank you.

365 Fit for life

Tuesday May 27th Quick Tip

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:49:00 +0000

Here is another simple tip. I was walking around at work the other day and I took the elevator up for convenience. I think we all know where this one is going. Take the stairs.

I thought about it for a little bit after I took that elevator ride and I thought, well I was in a hurry, and this way was quicker. I suppose I was in a hurry, and taking the elevator was quicker. Then I asked myself did it really matter if I got there quicker. Was that 20 or so seconds of extra walking going to really matter to my time schedule? The answer to that is no. I could have and should have walked that extra bit and took the stairs.

I have heard that a good rule of thumb is, if it is less than four flights of stairs take them. I say let's do one better. Just take the stairs no matter what. This provides more than just a health benefit. Taking the stairs we know takes more time than the elevator. This means that you need to plan for it kind of like planning for the morning traffic. If you know that you need to plan that extra time to take the stairs, then you should in turn get a little more organized at work. Maybe you won't spend that extra couple minutes surfing the net, or finishing up your seventh game of solitaire. Productivity is a great things, and taking the stairs gives it to you two fold.

365 Fit for life

Flexible Like A Bendy Pretzel Bobcat Thing

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:41:00 +0000

If you have seen the movie, "Two Weeks Notice", the title of this post might seem familiar. Now I do not remember the exact quote of what she said, but the effect is there, bendy like a pretzel.

At one point we were all flexible. For most of us it was probably when we were like 5, but either way were flexible. I was flexible at 5 maybe even 6, but I wish I was still flexible like that. Like most I grew taller, and my flexibility sort of went with it. A lot of attention is given to cardio and to strength training but not a lot of attention is given to balance, or flexibility, or to stretching. I am guilty of that as I think I have one post that says anything about flexibility. So I am going to remedy that now.

Flexibility is a key idea to most anything. Oh my hamstring hurts, I can't run....I have said that a few times in my life. I have really tight hamstrings and sometimes they hurt more than they should when I run. Even though I know this, I usually tend to ignore it. Bad idea. I would say flexibility is one of those things that you need to spend time on along with your cardio and strength training. Yoga and pilates are the two most known ways of getting more flexible, but simple stretching is a good place to start.

You want to stretch after you workout, or at least after you are warmed up. I have read that static stretches, one where you are stationary and are trying to stretch an individual muscle, is actually bad for you before your workout. They say that you will actually lose power because of it. I do not remember the details, nor are they overly important. The point of it is just make sure you are warmed up. I would say start with the biggest muscles first, your hips, your quads, and your hamstrings. I like to start with a butterfly stretch and then work in some hip stretches. I then like to lay on my back and stretch out my hamstrings. I stand up, stretch my quads, my calves, and then move onto my shoulders and upper arms.

This is a quick quick version of how I like to stretch. When I get more time I will dive into some more indepth writing on stretching and everything else.

365 Fit for life

Skinny Bitch

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:34:00 +0000

I recently semi started to read a book entitled "Skinny Bitch". I have only read a couple chapters but it seems like a good book so far. The content is the same that I have read and have known before but there is one key difference in this book. The book yells at you. It tells you to get off your lazy fat ass and do something about it. Now for the most part I am all about taking a nicer approach to fitness. You need to do things on your own time, or at your own pace or when you are ready. This approach will definately work for some people and it will definately not work for others. For those others that's where Skinny Bitch comes in. Those are the people that need someone to kick them in the pants and really tell them whats up. Oh sugar isn't overly good for you, so maybe, you know, if you want, you should probably not eat that, you know if thats ok with you. Skinny Bitch tells you, quit your overindulging habits, throw away all that shit you are eating, and get healthy.

Some people need a little more blunt, and some need a little more subtle. The bottom line is to figure out what you need and get it. If one approach doesn't work then try the other. If you have tried the moderation and being nice to yourself cause you didn't want to burn out or over do it or whatever, then try to be mean. Yell at yourself, tell yourself that you are fat and disgusting and that you need to change. Do whatever you need to do to get the results you want.

365 Fit for life.

*Disclaimer - I am not promoting a book nor am I telling you to go buy this book.
*Disclaimer 2 - I am not telling you to make yourself have a lower self-esteem by yelling at yourself. Before you try that approach, know yourself enough to know if you can handle something that critical.

What Does It All Mean?

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Motivation, goals, plans. All of these things have good intentions. All of them mean nothing without action. It's easy to find motivation. It's easy to make goals. It's easy to make plans. Why is it so hard to take action? It seems like I always want to have the right answer to everything. Who doesn't? I have the right answers to a degree when it comes to this whole fitness thing. I understand the principles of lifting and nutrition. I understand what it takes to get results. Regardless of this knowledge, something inside of me fails to pull the trigger when I need to the most. I usually get to a certain point and I ask myself, what does it all mean? Why am I doing this? What motivation do I have to consistently keep going? As of late it seems like there is less and less motivation to keep me going. I always have these thoughts running through my head trying to figure out what keeps stopping me from achieving what I want from my fitness. I have yet to come up with anything solid that will stick with me for too long. I know there are things I could do, sign up for a marathon, join a sports league, or join a club of some sort that would force me to stay more active and eat better. I will figure it out.

Summer for me is only 6 days away. I keep telling myself that I will throw myself head on into my own version of a boot camp during the summer as I will have nothing better to do. I hope that works.

I am writing this post not to depress or bum anyone out, but more so as a reminder to myself and to everyone that I struggle with every day things like every person who might read this. My question for you is this, what do you use as motivation? What do you see in your future that keeps you working towards something? Leave me a comment, I would love to know.

365 Fit for life

All Is Not Lost

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:43:00 +0000

I have been covering the proverbial wagon for a few posts now and I can safely say that the wagon doesn't look as good as it used to. The story is going like this. I have been working out doing lifting and cardio pretty consistently. My food consumption has only been going moderately good. I eat a good breakfast, lunch, and two snacks during the day like I should. The problem that I am having is with dinner. We went out to eat a couple times, and I have just been eating more than I should. I feel a little bad about what I am doing, and the only thing that is keeping me afloat is the fact that I am still working out. Usually when I fall off the wagon I tend to go all out, I don't workout I eat junk 24/7 and generally it is a bad experience overall.

I think I wrote a few posts ago about if you have a bad day then that is fine or a bad two days, as long as you don't wait till the next week to start over again. You should just pick up right where you left off. It will save you time and a multitude of other things if you start up again right away. I am half doing that. I can still see my wagon and slowly but surely I will catch it again.

My closing thought is, what causes you to get off your wagon, and what helps you get back on?

365 Fit for life

Thursday May 22nd Quick Tip

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:55:00 +0000

Use a smaller plate. Yep, that's it. Use a smaller plate when you are at home eating your food and you will eat less. If you have a smaller plate it does double duty. One, it will force you to not put as much food on your plate as you would with a larger plate. Two, your plate is smaller thereby giving you that illusion that there is more food on your plate than there really is tricking your mind into thinking that you have enough.

I am not sure how well this one works for me, but it makes sense either way. If nothing else give it a try and if it works for you then keep at it. If it doesn't work, well then you can chalk it up to your list of "you have tried everything".

365 Fit for life.

Ready Made Is Portions Made Easy

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:32:00 +0000

I love macaroni and cheese. Particularly the off-brand spiral macaroni and cheese. I like to make two boxes because well I am a glutton for punishment I suppose. When it is all made up I stare down at the contents in the pot. I grab my bowl and keep scooping and scooping never ready to stop. After my bowl is heaped over the top I sit down to enjoy my feast of noodle and cheese. It is very satisfying for the moment but later I usually regret it. If this scenario sounds familiar to you then read on.

Having ready made portions is one of the reasons that lean cuisine or smart ones or healthy choice or whatever brand of "health" food you buy. Aside from it being already cooked, pre-packaged, and it's ability to be nuked in the microwave, having it already be the portion of food that you need it to be is very useful. On the diet that I like to be on, eating my six meals a day, I make everything the night before, except breakfast and dinner. I make my two snacks and my lunch and even my breakfast and dinner are made following a recipe that makes exactly what I need to eat. Instead of making a family size pot of spaghetti, I boil my one ounce or two ounces or whatever it calls for and not the whole box. This virtually eliminates any excuse I have to over eat. I know what and when I should eat, I make my food, and just eat what I have made. There isn't anything more to it.

This I think is a big help for some people. I am sure you have heard this before, and like I have stated previously I am not writing a new book, merely restating what is known in a forum that I hope to be productive. The moral of this story is make only the amount of food that you need to eat. If you have to make more than that, then go to your local store, throw down your 20 bucks or whatever it costs and buy some plastic containers. Measure out your servings and put them in your containers to store and just pull out one when you need to eat.

Information is half the battle, using that information is the other half. I will provide you with as much information as I can, and all I ask is you use it. My question I pose to you is, what do you do to help control your portions? Leave me a comment or an email.

365 Fit for life.

Portion Control Is The Best Control

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:49:00 +0000

Like many of you I have read countless articles on health, diet, and fitness. It seems like everyone says different things about how you should go about your exercise and nutrition. The one constant is portion control. I have never seen an expert tell you that you should go and eat a steak the size of your head. Or of course you should get extra heavy gravy on those butter filled potatoes. Moderation is the key to success. I am sure you already knew this, but it never hurts to hear it again.

It is hard sometimes to get the portions you need right. The following are some things that I have found to help you on your way to always getting your portions right.

Portion Distortion Quiz by DiscoveryHealth
This is a quick 5 question test about portion size. After you answer the question it tells you if you are right or wrong, and gives some helpful information about the correct answer.

The Portion Plate
I try to never endorse anything or sell anything or advertise anything on this site. Thankfully I am still not endorsing, selling, or advertising anything. Well maybe advertising if providing a link to something that you can buy is considered advertising, but it's small and I haven't bought the product, so you can call it what you want. Either way this is the portion plate. It looks cool anyways. It's just a simple plate that has the portions of food that you need split up on your plate so when you are dishing up you know what you need to be giving yourself and your family. I am not recommending this product, nor am I telling you that you need to buy it, I am just giving you more resources in your path to being fit.

Readers Digest Portion Size Guide by RD.com
This is a nice PDF file that lists the portions of foods you should be eating in cups and ounces, and also includes a nice every day visual such as a CD or a baseball to help you gauge your portions better.
Portion Size Guide by ChangeOne.com
This is virtually the same thing both provided by Readers Digest. This one is in html form just in case you can't or don't want to view a PDF file.

Size Does Matter - Master Portion Control by AARP.org
Another guide that lists portion sizes and also includes some helpful information about the right portion size for you. At the end there are some helpful tips to help you out.

Food Database by Calorie King
A little more comprehensive then just a portion control sheet it shows calories and serving size of different products.

Food Reflections by University of Nebraska - Lancaster
Shows some good information about how out of proportion or portions are.

Portion Size IQ by WebMD
This has a little quiz you can take, but what is really good is the information it gives to you following the quiz.

I hope these links and information help you to be more aware of the food and the amount of food you are eating. 365 Fit for life.

Why Do We Fall Off The Wagon

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Like I stated in my last post, and if you do not know what I am talking about then read my last post, falling off the wagon is easy. So then, what makes it so easy to fall off that wagon and what can we do to stay on it. I hate to inform you that there is no magical solution, a catch all for every individual that will give you the road map to your success. All I can say is that everyone has their own strengths and preferences and you just need to figure them out and play them up.

Being healthy for the first time is always going to be a challenge. For some it will be a challenge for the rest of their lives. For others it will be so easy that you wonder why you weren't always healthy or healthier earlier in your life. It is easy to be lazy and fat because your body seems to want it that way. My body tends to be comfortable at around 190 pounds. The problem is that I am not comfortable being around 190 pounds. I am not obese nor do I have any major health concerns, but my body likes that higher weight then the rest of me does. Everyone is different, but I am sure everyone can relate to that in some way or another. It's like your body gets to a certain level, and will do everything that it can do to stay there. It is very frustrating. Another reason on why it's so easy, is because food tastes good. Let's face it, food that is bad for you, usually tastes the best. Now I know that there are people out there that love all vegetables, eats only lean cuts of meat, and eats fish like it's becoming extinct. To those people, you are probably not reading blogs like these, so we will exclude you for the moment. I know that I love food. I love my hot dogs, cheeseburgers, tacos, pizza, and yada yada yada. This inturn coupled with that your body is usually trying to always be balanced, tends to lead to some problems in the eating department.

The solution to all of this is to simply ignore what your body is telling you, and focus on what you want to happen to your body. Your body is highly adaptable and very flexible if you make it that way. You don't really need 3,000 calories filled with sugar and chemicals. Your body will work just fine on 1,800 or 1,500 or whatever it is that your body needs. One of the greatest things you can do is work on that portion control. I will talk about that more in depth later, but that is where it all has to start. If you are just beginning your jouney to being fit, then that is a good place to start. It is hard to cut out the junk food that you are used to eating. For some it is easiest and best to just go cold turkey. Get a big garbage bag and just throw out all the junk that is in your house. For others that is not the most economical or reasonable way to start things out. With that in mind that is where portion control plays a big part in it. Instead of grabbing that big bag of chips, put a serving into a smaller bag, put up the big bag, and then go about whatever it was you are doing. Eat your serving, and then at the very least wait 20 minutes before getting another. Chances are that one, you will not want to work to get that second serving, or two, you just will not want it.

I hope this post helps a little bit, I think it might have just been ramble, but maybe you can glean some information from it.

365 Fit for life.

Falling Off The Wagon

noreply@blogger.com (365 Fit) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:22:00 +0000

It seems like the wagon or I should say the proverbial wagon is very tiny. Also the road is bumpy and full of stormy weather. Every day there are more and more pot holes in the road towards success, and every day it gets a little harder to stay on that path. So what happens when we fall off the wagon? Do we give up and wait for a new week to start over? Or do we take control of our life again in that very second and jump back on the wagon before we have to wait for a new one?

It is easy to fall off the wagon. It is easy to justify it. It's my birthday, I have friends in town, it's the weekend, I have to celebrate, etc. All of these are great reasons to indulge yourself. I also recommend that you do indulge yourself. If it is your birthday and you see that cake in front of you, eat that big piece of cake that you know you want. If your friends are in town go out and eat with them and have a good time. If it's the weekend, drag out your grill and go to town on it. If you need to celebrate then celebrate with the best of them. Now you might be thinking that all of this is counter intuitive, and to some it might be. It is not about what happens in life or what it takes for you to fall off that wagon, but like with everything else it's what you do to get back on that counts.

If you are faced with temptation then stare it right in the face and attack it. If you eat just a sliver of that birthday cake you are not only going to regret that you cheated on your diet, but you are also going to feel bad that since you cheated that you only had a little bit. That goes the same for the other scenarios. If you go out with your friends that came to visit you after a long time, you will feel bad that you did not go party with them. Most people would want to have that indulgence and say they had a good time, then feel miserable for not taking advantage of their social situation and that they cheated on their diet.

After you have your awesome day or even before you have your awesome day there are things that you can do to ease that pain that you will undoubtedly feel after the big night. I know I am behind on my posts, so I will break them down so I can feel good that I have a post for every day since I started this blog, even if some of them are posted on the same day.

365 Fit for life.