By Mike

I always think of myself as a pessimist. However, I often find myself telling my friends or coworkers the brighter side of the situation. For example, at work, my coworkers complain about our boss’ management style (as do I sometimes). But then I counter with some positive ways of looking at the situation. While our boss likes to take all the fun and exciting work for herself, it frees up our time to work on new initiatives on our contract.

While I was in one of my pessimistic moods recently, I realized something that questions why our world was set up the way it is. Before I begin, though, please be sure to read through the entire piece as you’ll miss my point if you only read the next section…

The World is Out to Get You!

If you step back and look at the big picture around you, you’ll begin to realize that there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do right. To clarify, it seems that regardless of what you do to live a long, healthy life, there’s a downside to your action that could actually harm you. Take the following examples:

• Eating eggs is good because of the protein they provide. But eating eggs is bad because of the cholesterol.
• Running is an excellent, low cost method of weight loss and fitness. But running deteriorates your joints and could compress your spine from so much pounding.
• Drinking milk provides essential calcium and other nutrients to help our bodies grow healthy and strong. But many claim that drinking milk from cows isn’t natural (well, it isn’t I guess) and the hormones are wreaking havoc with our bodies.
• Relaxing by watching TV or reading a book is great for refreshing your mind and body. But too much relaxing leads to muscle atrophy and bed sores (ok, that was a stretch).
• Taking vitamins is essential to replace the nutrients you aren’t getting in your regular diet. But taking the wrong vitamins could lead to a toxic reaction (e.g. too much iron).
• Basically when you try to avoid one thing, you find out the alternative is just as bad for you, or worse.

So it seems that we have to be super-cautious about working out, eating, and just keeping/getting healthy or else risk harming our bodies more than we’re helping. Why is life so difficult?!?

Should we all just give up?

Ok, so that’s a pretty depressing statement, but many people that try to get healthy end up thinking the same thing. They give up trying. But even as a self-proclaimed pessimist, I won’t accept the excuse that the world is out to get us and nothing we can do will improve our lives.

Having a wife who is a registered dietitian doesn’t mean that I have some special insight into how to be healthy. I’m still an overweight, out-of-shape husband who eats buffets and Ramen noodles and watches TV instead of going to the gym. That’s because:

• every person’s body is different, thus are the types of food that work best for it (or against it). Just being close to a dietitian or personal trainer doesn’t automatically suck the fat away (believe me, I’ve wished for it).
• it’s up to the individual to have the motivation to work out, eat better or eat appropriate portions. No one can force me to change; I have to do it myself.

If I don’t get up off my butt and exercise, and eat the right mix of foods (and right amounts) for my body, then I probably have a very slim chance at staying, much less getting, healthy. And how do I find out what and how much I should be eating? By seeing a registered dietition! How do I get into better physical shape? By going to the gym, walking, running, climbing stairs, etc.!

But we still can’t escape the problem that whatever we do has both positive and negative results. However, I can still try. I’ll avoid fad diets and “miracle cures”, knowing that nothing will be a fast-fix to my health problems. I’ll be careful not to over-exert myself when working out, and minimize the impact on my joints. That means using the elliptical trainer and walking until I lose enough weight where running is less detrimental than it is beneficial. It means eating proper portions (aka “portion control”) and not overindulging at buffets or over-snacking.

Not all is lost, even if you are a pessimist. At the beginning of this article I said there always seems to be a negative to the positive. Well, conversely there’s a positive to every negative. Yes, eggs might raise your cholesterol, but you can just eat egg whites. Yes, exercising can deteriorate our bones, but you can do low-impact workouts. There’s always a good with any bad.

So stop moping around, feeling sorry for yourself that you’ll never get healthy. And stop fussing over all the new diet fads or health alerts. Otherwise, you’ll get overwhelmed and just give up. Take it one step at a time. Introduce exercise into your daily regimen. Then cut down on the amount of food you eat (assuming you overeat) or see a registered dietitian to create a nutrition plan that works for you.

Take enough small steps and you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve gone!

_{Photo by Abdullah AL-Naser}

I didn’t know who Langston was before this video (courtesy of ESPN), but I really like his down-to-earth personality. He illustrates that the giants of the gridiron have a lot of insecurities about their size.

Oh, and watch him squeeze into a MINI Cooper. We have a friend who is 6’5″ and pushing 300lbs fit into our MINI once, but it was a very tight fit.

Note: If you’re reading through email or RSS, you may need to click through to watch.

After googling “Barbara Nash” (the nutritionist in the story below), I came across her website. Turns out she is a DNN/Nutrition Therapist. After doing some research on the UK’s standards of nutritionists and dietitians, it seems similar to the US standards for dietitians versus nutritionists (almost anyone can call themselves a “nutritionist”, but only those with a degree in dietetics and nutrition are registered dietitians; see this site for more details in the UK). So, before you take any nutrition advice, remember to ask for credentials!!!!

“Mother awarded £800,000 after ’6 pints of water a day detox diet’ left her brain damaged:

A dieter suffered permanent brain damage after being advised to drink 6 pints of water/day & cut salt intake to lose weight. Dawn Page, 52, has been awarded £810,000 in damages from her nutritionist, although the practitioner denies fault.

Mother of two Mrs Page, became ill within days of taking up the Amazing Hydration Diet. She had been told by the nutritionist to drink 4 extra pints of water/day & drastically reduce her salt intake. The first stage of the regime left her suffering from severe vomiting & stomach cramps, but she was told these were just part of the detoxification process.

However, the nutritionist ordered her patient to tack on another 2 pints (total of 6 pints) per day, and even less salt. This resulted in a massive epileptic fit and brain damage, thanks to sodium deficiency. And she’s left with even more physical and mental problems such as memory, concentration, speech and mood swing problems.

Speaking from the family home in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, he said: ‘She was not obese or even mildly obese, but like a lot of women, Dawn liked to look after her weight.

Since the fit, she has had to rely on written notes to remember basic instructions, & finds it hard to recall simple info.

Mr Page, who launched the 6 ½ year legal action, added: ‘It’s important that people understand how dangerous diets like these are, & not to enter into them without knowing all the dangers.’

The salt-rich plasma acts as a protective layer around the brain, but because Mrs Page’s contained such low levels of the mineral, water had entered the brain, causing permanent damage.

As a note, the article also adds more specific information about the dangers of “hydration diets“.

FLOW Interactive Exercise Program (by E Wave Corporation) may help with that. It’s a program that you install on your computer. Every hour (or two, depending on what you set it to do), a small video will pop up on your screen and take you through a series of exercises for 5 minutes. It will also give you motivational, inspirational, and nutritional messages throughout the day to keep you on track. The CD is relatively inexpensive (<$30), but from the looks of the sample video, you might look quite odd if you share an office with coworkers or if you have a cubicle in the midst of a large room. However, if you have your own office or work out of your home, it might be a great idea to help keep you motivated!

Now, I’m not saying that everyone should get this video: I’m not sure if managers/bosses would be OK with you working out for 5 minutes every hour of the day, every day, every week. But, if you fit the time that you would spend doing these exercises into your “allotted lunch time” or “break time”, then they might not complain.

If anyone has purchased this CD or does purchase it, I would be curious to hear what you think of it!

This was not a paid or sponsored endorsement.

If you plot these girls on the CDC growth curves (in which BMI for age <5th percentile is underweight and >95th percentile is at risk for overweight/obese), you will find that of the 6 Chinese girls, only 2 of the 6 girls on the All-Around Team were of normal BMI (body mass index, or weight for height).

Of Team USA, 5 of the 6 girls (83%) were of normal BMI for their age. Now, this IS dependent on the article I read stating the accurate weight, height, and age of each of the girls (and I assumed that they all just turned their noted age).

Of the individual medals awarded in the women’s gymnastics finals, 12 of the 15 went to USA or China. Of these medals, 75% of the medals (to China or USA) went to normal weight (defined by BMI/age) women . Coincidence? Maybe….

However, if you are watching the Olympics with your children, nieces/nephews, etc, make sure you stress that even though these girls are thin and are winning medals, being underweight isn’t always healthy. If you noticed, Team USA had more muscle mass (muscle weighs more than fat); hence why they weigh more. These girls looked healthy and fit (and I am sure they are!). Just remember, it’s not about that number on the scale–it’s about being fit, having muscle, and having the strength and endurance to become an Olympian!

By Mike

Just like 90% of all college students (and even pre-college), I thrived on ramen noodles (aka “oodles of noodles”) due to their cheap price (5-10 cents per pack) and tummy-filling goodness. These aren’t those high quality bowls of ramen that you’d find in a Japanese restaurant. No, these are sodium- and MSG-packed bricks of dehydrated noodles that spring to life with a bit of boiling water and a pack of pure, flavored salt.

While my wife is a dietitian, she also recognizes that many Americans don’t eat healthfully, nor will they ever give up their favorite snacks, just like I still enjoy a couple packs of Ramen noodles here and there. So in that vein, I’ve concocted my own ways to reduce your sodium (salt) intake when dining on that juicy brick of joy:

Fixing a “Healthy” Bowl from Ramen Packs

First, I’ll talk about those plastic-sheathed packs of Ramen that you generally make in a pot of boiling water at home. These aren’t the portable “Cup-O-Noodles”, which I’ll talk about next.

First, what is the nutritional value of a brick of Ramen? For the beef flavor (all flavors differ), a serving size is “half a block”. Well, I’m surprised as I usually eat two blocks in a sitting! Oops!

Moving on, assuming you’re eating a full block, or two servings, you’re taking in about 380 calories, 14 grams of fat (7g of saturated fat), and 10g of protein. But the worst thing about these noodles is the salt content: You’re taking in about 1600mg of sodium, or 66% of the daily value! I can only assume that this counts the seasoning pack that comes with every block of Ramen.

And that’s what I’m here to talk about: reducing the salt in your Ramen.

I’ve found it is easier to keep the sodium down in the blocks of Ramen than the cups, simply because you can control how much salt you add with the seasoning pack. But I don’t stop with the salt pack:

1. Boil a pot of water. Add the Ramen block. Let the noodles get almost done (still slightly firm).
2. Drain all of the water out of the pot and add in the appropriate amount of fresh water for which you normally eat your Ramen. Personally, I just like the noodles, so I drain out all the water. But if you like it as soup instead, add in more water. The reason I drain is to remove the sodium and other additives that have leaked out during boiling. Plus, the noodles get a fresher flavoring.
3. Reheat the noodles, but you probably don’t need to bring them back to the boiling point as they were almost done. Be careful not to overcook the noodles or they’ll be mushy (unless you like mushy noodles).
4. Add less than the full pack of seasoning. For me, since I don’t have much broth, I use half a pack of seasoning. Since there is so little water to dissipate the taste, I don’t need the full brunt of the beef flavoring. I could put in even less than a full pack, and I do sometimes, but half is a good starting point.
5. Enjoy

Honestly, comparing when I was a fatty in high school eating 3 packs of ramen at a time, with all 3 flavor packs added, I can’t tell the difference with my new method of preparation.

Fixing a “Healthy” Cup of Noodles

First, I need to say that a serving of a half block of Ramen is 42 grams, while a serving of the Cup of Noodles is 64 grams, so I can’t quite do an exact comparison of servings.

I will say, though, that the Cup of Noodles is less healthy than the block of noodles, based on the product label. The numbers in the previous section were based on 2 servings, or a whole block, of ramen, which is 84 grams. While that block has 14 grams of fat, a lesser amount (64g) of the cup also has 14g of fat. While the cup has about 90 fewer calories than the full block of ramen, it has over 1,400mg of sodium, or just shy of the block’s 1,600mg.

So, those 99 cent cups that you probably eat during your lunch hour at work are horrible for your figure. Utterly horrible. And how many of you just eat the cup for lunch? Do you also tack on a sandwich? A bag of chips? Shame, shame

So here are my tips for reducing the salt content in Cup of Noodles. As a note, the package says to heat water separately, then add to the container. My steps are just heating the water directly with the noodles. Both methods are bad for you since you get all the unsavory chemicals leeching out of the styrofoam from the hot water. You should probably just heat it in a microwave-safe ceramic bowl:

1. Open the paper lid halfway. Dump out the junk on top. While this means you’re probably tossing out what little vegetables and minuscule bits of meat came with the cup, you’re also tossing out the top coating of salt. But don’t stop there…
2. Fill the cup with water and dump it out a few times. Once the water become pretty clear, then fill the water up to the inside line (the “fill line”) and heat the noodles until almost done.
3. Dump out the water again (be careful not to lose the noodles!) and fill it up one more time. I fill mine up only halfway as I don’t like the broth (or I know it’s where most of the salt is).
4. Heat a little longer to get it up to your preferred temp.
5. Enjoy!

While I don’t know the new nutritional value after these two methods, I’m positive I’ve reduced the sodium content by half or lower. By using less of the “flavor pack” and dumping the scummy water and rinsing the noodles, you’ll have a healthier, and still cheap, meal. Granted, the Ramen still isn’t very healthy compared to freshly-made dishes with real veggies, etc., but if you’re on the run, or on a very, very tight budget, I guess Ramen is OK once in a while

You need to submit a 2 minute video to say why your family should be part of the challenge (you can show them how your family excels at hula hooping or running or any of those interesting yoga poses). Three families will be flown to Orlando to compete in the challenge, and may be crowned the fittest family!!! Not only do you win that honor, but you can win $10,000 and a family room makeover. What’s stopping you???? (Other than not owning a Wii or Wii Fit?)

_{This is not a paid or sponsored post}

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!

By Mike

How many push-ups can you do? Well, right now I can’t do 100, but I plan on trying! And I’ll keep you abreast of my progress through that nifty bar graph on the sidebar.

At HundredPushUps.com, you’ll find an initial test and a 6-week training program that will help you get to 100 push-ups. First, you need to run through their initial test by seeing how many push-ups you can do. And these can’t be the sissy, on-your-knees kind either. They want real, true-form pushups.

Warning: You need to get cleared by your doctor before beginning any strenuous workout program, especially if you haven’t worked out in some time and you’re not sure of your capabilities.

In my initial test, I was able to do 25 straight, true-form push-ups before my body gave up completely. It was odd because I felt like I could do more then my arms just gave up. Anyway, based on their chart, that puts me in level 3.

The Six Week Challenge

Now comes the fun part. For 3 days per week and for 6 straight weeks, you’ll stick to their training program in order to steadily increase the number of push-ups you can perform in a row.

For example, in Week 1, Day 1, based on my result of 25 straight push-ups, I need to go through 5 levels of varying numbers of push-ups. First I do 10, then take a 60-second break, then 10 more, then break, then 8, break, 6, break and finally finish up with doing as many as I can (at least 7). If you only did less than 5 in the initial test, you’ll do those 5 sets, but use the numbers from the first column.

For the 2nd and 3rd days of the same week, you’ll just scroll down the page a little to see the new numbers for that day. Overall, the program intends to increase your muscular capabilities through slow, steady progress. After week 6, you should be able to do 100 push-ups in a row!

My Progress

You’ll be be able to follow my own progress through this program through once-per-week posts (at least) and by monitoring changes to the bar on the left sidebar. Right now it’s sitting at 25 pushups, but I hope to eventually max it all out with orange!

Feel free to comment and let me know if you’re doing this program as well. And also comment on my progress posts with your own progress! I want to know how you’re doing!

Now get pushing!

By Mike

I decided to play a new fitness game today. I happen to work on the 8th floor of a 12-story building. I get on the elevator in the basement (no “up” stair access on that level) every morning, then sit at my desk for the next 8 hours. I only get up for the restroom and the occasional meeting, so I find myself needing more exercise. Much more.

Well, in an effort to introduce a little bit of fun and fitness into my bland, routine workday, I devised my own little game. It involves something we’ve already written about: Taking the Stairs.

“Pick a Floor” Stair Climbing

The object of this game is simple: get more movement each day. The secondary goal is to enable you to climb more flights of stairs than you normally could, or would, by reducing the flight of stairs to a reasonable number until you’re ready to try more.

How to Play: First, it helps if you work in a building with an elevator. Next it helps if you work on a higher floor number; perhaps the 6th floor or higher, but you can alter the game to fit your situation (see below).

1. When you get onto the elevator with other people, don’t pick a floor. Let them select their floors
2. Assuming you have stairwell access on other floors, get off on the lowest-selected floor
3. Take the stairs up to your own floor

I understand this might mean some of you only ever take one floor up, while others might have to take 30, but you have the full control of your own game rules.

Solo Riding

If you tend to always ride alone, pick a floor at least 4 levels lower than your own. Make it feel random so you’re not just making it easy on yourself on days you’re feeling sluggish.

Riding with Coworkers

Let your coworkers in on your game. It could spark their interest in joining you or doing it on their own, or at least it will clue them in on why you’re getting off on other floors (especially if you work in a secure government facility!).

Smaller Buildings

If your building is 4 flights or less, I advise just taking the stairs every day. The elevator game is meant to assist you in getting up more flights than you normally could or would. Once you’re capable of climbing all the levels in your building, then do so and avoid riding the elevator altogether.

Stairwell Safety

Keep in mind some common-sense rules of safety when using your stairwells. If you have high blood pressure or other heart problems, or joint/balance problems, make sure there’s someone else with you in case something happens. Always consult with your doctor when beginning or escalating a fitness plan.

Not all stairwells are monitored well by security. Usually the stairwells are meant for emergency use and are not well-lit or guarded against intruders (although they should be at least minimally protected). If you’re unsure of the safety or security of your stairwells, ask the on-site security team about utilizing the stairwells for a fitness regimen and whether they feel it is safe. It’s always good to have the security team on your side AND aware of your plans in case something happens.

_{Photo by pkirsch}