By Mike

Aha! You thought we weren’t actually doing the 100 Push-up Challenge, didn’t you? In fact, we just started week 3 last night. And boy was it hard!

As a review, the hundred push-up challenge is a 6-week-long training program that will get you to the point of doing 100 push-ups in a row.

Initial Test

In my initial test, I was able to do 25 straight push-ups.

Stacie, on the other hand, has never been one for push-ups. So in the initial test, Stacie eeked out 3 push-ups. I also “strongly urged” her to work on her form, but now, in Week 3, she has much better form. It’s all about practice and strengthening those support muscles.

Week 1

We decided to do our training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so that we can take the weekends off. It works out for us fairly well, except some days we’re doing push-ups at 11pm, just before bed (thanks to my graduate classes).

The training schedule for Week 1 didn’t seem too strenuous to me, nor for Stacie (although form was a problem initially, as mentioned). On the 5th sets, where I need to do at least 7, 10 or 15, depending on the day, I was able to push out 15, 17 and 15. On Day 3, I was exhausted from swimming all day with visiting family.

For Stacie, she decided to pace herself and just do the listed numbers. She didn’t quite catch on to why you need to push yourself on the last set until week 3, but I’ll talk about that soon.

Week 2

In Week 2, the numbers inched up a little, but they were still manageable. Again, I was able to push out a few more during the 5th set, but Stacie was just able to do the minimums. If you recall, her max during the initial test was just 3 push-ups, but if you look at the Week 2 Schedule, you’ll see the highest number for Level 1 as 6 push-ups on several days and several sets.

But she didn’t give up and didn’t fail to get through each set. Plus, her form was improving so that she was able to keep her head up higher (almost horizontal to the body). If you find your head down below your heart while doing a push-up, you have bad form. You can see proper form push-ups here, as well as alternative forms if you just can’t do the standard push-up.

On this past Saturday, I decided to test myself to see how many push-ups I could do on my off day. I was able to push out 32 straight push-ups, which is a 22% improvement. You can see the updated max number in the sidebar graph (currently over to the left of the screen).

Week 3

Oh boy, I guess I didn’t look ahead to see what we were in for in Week 3. I had to double-check the numbers to make sure they weren’t typos! Sure enough, though, I had to do sets of 25,17,17,15 and M25 (minimum 25). Ok, I think I can do that, and I did. I was even able to push out 27 on the last set (2 extra) to finish the night with 101 push-ups total.

But poor Stacie. I had no idea her training requirements would jump so much. She went into shock when I told her the numbers: sets of 15,12,12,10, and M15 (minimum 15). But she’s only done 6 at most! How can they more than double the minimum set?

But guess what…Stacie was able to do 15 in a row on her first set. That’s an 80% improvement over her initial number (3). And then she did 12, then 12 and then 10. But that last set killed her. She did 8, then quickly did 3, then 4. I guess it’ll count on this one, but now she knows what’s in store for her on Wednesday!

How about YOUR progress?

So how are you doing with the program? How about starting it today if you haven’t yet? If you can only do 1, then at least it’s a start. And if you can’t do any, try out the alternative push-up forms. I may sound belittling, but that’s just me being a guy. Perhaps you have wrist problems so you can only do knuckle push-ups, or wall push-ups. Anything counts as long as you’re consistent and you’re improving.

So give it a try and see if you can get to 100 push-ups in 6 weeks! And keep checking back for our own progress as well!

Tuesday (April 22nd) is the 29th annual Earth Day. Take some time today to try to make the world–or at least your life–a better, cleaner place.

What are some nutrition-related Earth Day points?

1. Do you usually buy bottled water? One step you can take for Earth Day is to stop using bottled water and drink good ol’ tap water. Think of how much energy and waste saved if you just drank tap water. After all, there’s the energy costs of making the plastic, recycling it, and then there’s those who throw away the bottle instead of recycling it, increasing waste. If you are concerned that your tap water is not safe, talk with your city water plant or check online at the Environmental Protection Agency (there’s a ton of good info on this site). Most (90%) of our tap water is safe to drink, and you will be notified by your water supplier if your water is not safe.
2. Reduce/reuse/recycle eating utensils/food storage containers. Use a regular plate and wash it instead of paper or plastic. Use a coffee mug; if you usually buy coffee “to go”, invest in a coffee mug and get refillable coffee. Use reusable containers for food instead of containers that you would just throw away.
3. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Then all you have to do is wash them (only when there’s a full load of laundry, of course). I know it’s easier said than done, but give it a try. On that note, think about using a cloth handkerchief instead of tissues too!
4. Recycle your food containers–recycle aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, etc.
5. Buy products that have less packaging (instead of being individually wrapped inside a bigger container). For instance, instead of buying 100 calorie packages, buy a larger bag and portion them into different reusable containers yourself.
6. Use the microwave to cook small meals, as it uses less energy than gas or electric ovens.
7. Walk or bike instead of taking your vehicle places that are close by. Use public transportation if available in your town. You’ll be amazed at how fewer trips you realize you really NEED to take if you force yourself to rely on pedal power or the bus!
8. Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator. Not only is this good for the environment, it’s good for you!

These are just a few steps you can take to make the world a better place. See the US Government’s Earth Day site for more information.

_{Photo by LollyKnit}

Tomorrow, April 21st, is the 112th Boston Marathon, run on Patriots’ Day. This race is the oldest annual city marathon in the world and is one of the most prestigious races in the world.

How this marathon differs from most marathons is that in order to run, you must qualify for it:

• You had to have run a prior marathon in under 3 hours 40 minutes (females, for the under 34 years old group) or 3 hours 10 minutes (males, under 34 years old group).
• The times increase by 5-15 minutes per age group; however, for the 80 year olds (and above) they need to have completed a marathon in under 5 hours (men) or 5 1/2 hours (women)–how tough!!

I think that this will be an amazing race and would be awesome to watch! Although the course appears to mostly be downhill, there are some major hills later in the race (see course map for details). At about 16-17 miles, there is a pretty steep hill, and it ends with a series of hills–not fun when the runners have already run 20 miles. About 20,000 runners have signed up to run the race.

So if you’re in Boston tomorrow, take some time today to cheer on some runners (even if just in spirit). If you’re not in Boston, or just can’t make it to the course area, go for a walk or run yourself. Go marathoners!!!

Today is the one year anniversary of Building Nutrition! THANK YOU for reading our site and learning from us! We appreciate each and every one of you and, as always, welcome your comments and feedback.

So, today, I’m going to take a different approach and post about a few of my favorite articles:

First article: Mental Challenges to Weight Loss. In this article, I described some motivational techniques to help you stick to your goals.

First series of articles: Marathon Training Tips for New Runners (written by my husband); it was series of 7 articles that describes several parts of new running: equipment, shoes, motivation, hydration, etc. Check it out if you are thinking of training for a marathon, or if you want some tips on running in general.

Some of my favorite posts:

Great physical activity websites for kids–I always enjoy finding fun activities online that encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

18 ways to eat healthy during the holidays–this post is timeless! There will always be family gatherings and holiday parties to attend, and I like to help all of you keep your weight and food intake under control!

Healthy cooking during the holidays–this post, too, is timeless, on how to reduce calories in foods without skimping on taste. Check it out!

Great nutrition and physical activity gifts for kids, part 1 and 2–I also enjoyed these posts because it’s so crucial for kids to learn about nutrition and enjoy being active. And then, I bought one of the games for my nieces and got to play it with them–and hear my niece say “this game makes me sweaty” was priceless!

I have also enjoyed several of my National Nutrition Month® posts, but more of those articles to come.

I have varied my posts a lot over the year, from reviewing books and foods I’ve tried, to running and exercise tips, motivational strategies (including treating yourself right), and small nutrition changes you can make to become healthier (and ways to get in those key nutrients). I have enjoyed the first year of my website and enjoy helping you, the reader, build your nutrition and fitness knowledge and build a healthier you!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific articles that you would like to see in the future. Once again, Thank You!

_{Photo by Sandra}

One of my friends approached me recently about his desire to lose weight. He was going to take diet pills to help shed some pounds. Instead of doing that, I suggested he talk to a nutrition expert, a registered dietitian (RD).

What is a registered dietitian and how are we different from other “nutrition experts”? Is that person at your gym a reliable resource? What about the person behind the counter at your local vitamin shop?

Who can claim to be a Registered Dietitian

A Registered Dietitian (RD) is someone who has completed all of the following:

1. Completed approved nutrition classes and has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition or a health related field
2. Completed a “supervised practice program” (i.e., internship) from a healthcare organization, community agency, foodservice corporation or accredited university (with a combined undergraduate or master’s program). These are usually 1/2-1 year in length. This is similar to an externship for nurses. These have to be accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Dietetics Education.
3. Passed a “board” exam, like lawyers, doctors, and nurses must do (among other fields). Once you have passed the exam, you earn the title “Registered Dietitian.”
4. Complete continuing education credits to maintain registration. We have to have 75 credits every 5 years. These may include classes, reading journals and books, and going to conferences, to name a few.

So, those are the basics that need to be completed to become an RD. Many dietitians may have specialties and/or obtain further education (like a PhD) to practice in the field of nutrition. Some examples of specialties include: Certified Specialist in Pediatrics, Renal Nutrition (kidney disease), Nutrition Support, and Diabetes.

For example, I have a Master’s Degree in Nutrition, am a Registered Dietitian, am Licensed to practice in the state of Maryland (some states also require licensure to practice in that state; Maryland is one of them), and am a Certified Nutrition Support Dietitian. Wow!

Not only that, but an RD has a code of ethics that we need to follow. For example, it isn’t right to persuade you to try a fad diet because I might be trying it, but I need to give you good, solid nutrition advice that is backed by research. Does that make sense?

So what IS the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

Any registered dietitian can also call themselves a nutritionist, but a nutritionist may not necessarily be a registered dietitian. It’s best to ask the person who gives you nutrition advice at the gym, at the vitamin shop, at the grocery store (anywhere really!) if they are a registered dietitian, because only RDs are the true nutrition and food experts.

A “Nutritional Consultant” is not the same as a registered dietitian and does not have the level of training that an RD has. I like to think of it this way: when you are having health problems/are sick, you wouldn’t ask your veterinarian for human medical advice, you’d go to your doctor, who is the expert in human medical matters and has the appropriate education and training. Therefore, when you are concerned about nutrition and food matters, go to the source, the expert, the RD! And when in doubt, ask for the person’s credentials and education!

If you are interested in meeting with a registered dietitian, feel free to contact me if you are in the Washington DC metro area, or see the American Dietetic Association’s website to locate an RD in your area. Thanks!!!