Topic
General
53 posts, 2011–2020
Zooming with confidence
It's a way of life these days. I'm on Zoom. A lot. I take meetings. I attend classes. I perform improvisational theatre. It's all via Zoom. I learned early on, by observing how my zoommates sounded and looked,…
The wonders of a simple bidet
Who'd have guessed back in March that one of the best things to come out of this covidcrisis would be my discovery of the wonders of a bidet? Remember how there was a wild run on toilet paper…
Remember when we had to remember things?
I woke this morning, and, as always, I looked at the clock. It displayed the correct time. That is not so astonishing, because the primary purpose of a clock is to display the correct time. But, wait, daylight…
Decluttering my life
Maybe once I clear the physical clutter, I can move on to other areas of my life. What things am I doing or paying for right now that I don't need?
My fitness goals are off track. Now what?
I'm off track. Not completely off track, but I am: Not exercising the way I want to Gaining fat beyond my acceptable limit I'm still maintaining a vegan-plus-eggs diet, but I injured my shoulder about a year ago,…
Dandelion root tea instead of coffee?
Traditional Medicinals. It's a brand name, but it's also a cool phrase to describe drinking health-inducing tea, because, yes, our diet should be the first place we look when we suffer from a chronic illness. Let's face it.…
Are you on the later-when-I-have-more-time fitness plan?
Nobody has any extra time these days. We go from one job to the next, we work with volunteer organizations, we take college courses, we attend luncheons and birthday parties. Oh, and if we have children -- I…
You Can't Change Yesterday
It seems as if so many of us spend a lot of time thinking about the past. We dwell regretfully on missed opportunities. We reminisce and wonder how things "might have been". We sometimes bask in the glow…
Fitness? Ain't nobody got time for that!
You may have seen the viral video from a while back that featured the phrase "Ain't nobody got time for that!" If not, it's below. It's true. There are things that we don't have time for, and when…
Shakeology Promo Video starring Tony Horton
Well, this is pretty funny -- what can I say, Tony cracks me up -- so I thought I'd post it here.
What's your fitness motivator?
Everyone needs motivation, especially when it comes to working out and staying fit. I'm not talking about a personal trainer -- although that's nice if you can afford it -- but something more internal. Real motivation is an…
Why eat right?
I can't help but get just a bit upset when I see posts and articles about the latest diet craze or this week's go-to superfood. There are no silver bullets. The authors of such articles are right about…
Fitness goals for 2013
I have compiled a list of fitness and dietary goals for myself for 2013. Some are firmer than others, but I thought you might be interested in what will be driving my fitness life in the year ahead.…
Is your diet too acidifying?
While I'd heard about it for years, I became very closely acquainted with the concept of an acidifying diet this past summer while I was going through detox process. As I researched and read about it, I found…
You've lost so much weight....
Today I was out walking the dog. I waved at one of my down-the-street-a-ways neighbors -- someone I have never spoken with before, and certainly could not have picked out of a lineup as "one of my neighbors"…
Life's too short....
It happened again yesterday. I saw someone using the "life's too short" argument to justify a hazardous lifestyle. What is up with that kind of attitude? I mean, I agree, life is too short, and that is why…
To reach your goals, you have to prioritize them
I had an email conversation the other day with a very good friend of mine. He owns his own business, which is struggling right now, but he's getting it back off the ground. He's found a little traction,…
Being fat is not inevitable
Fitness is a lifelong struggle. It takes work. I tell young people all the time, "Develop a fitness habit now, because when you get older, it's that much harder to get into the swing of things." How often…
Is being overweight some kind of joke?
I was on Facebook the other day -- as I often am -- and one of my friends, a person I know and like, not just some random Facebook "friend", posted the following: "Double-chocolate fudge brownie for breakfast!…
Is there really that much difference between "excuses" and "reasons"?
If you look at the successful people around you, you may notice that they are men and women of various colors and walks of life, but there is one thing they all have in common: They get things…
3 Slices of Toast
If you are eating a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet -- as I try to do -- you really don't need to count calories. You literally cannot eat too much food on that kind of diet. That's my hypothesis,…
You can't out-exercise a bad diet
I saw this statement again recently, and, while I have touched on it before in other posts, I thought I should finally write a full article about it, because this is a very important principle to understand. YOU…
The Ultimate Reset - Day 10
Yes, I'm still doing The Ultimate Reset, but even I found the day-by-day posts boring. If you managed to slog through them, I think you get the idea. I'm in Day 10, which is the middle of Phase…
Is my doctor an idiot?
I was having a conversation the other day with a good friend of mine. We were discussing exercise, and she said that her doctor had told her to do or not do something -- honestly, I forget right…
Muscle Spasms and Ibuprofen
Back in early November, more than 3 months ago, I started having a sharp pain in my right center rectus abdominis (that's the 6-pack abs). It only hurt when I moved a certain way, and to call it…
Slow and Steady Wins the Body Reshaping Race
The reason many of us fail at having the bodies we want is that it's hard work. There is no magic pill or patch. We have to put in the work and control what we ingest. Why are…
Getting to your Fitness Tipping Point
It's the middle of February, which means you should be about 6 weeks into your 2012 fitness plan. You are still on your fitness plan, right? Hey, I'm not here to nag you and I'm not here to…
People get way too hung up on age
Don't let your age get in the way of getting into better shape.
What is your fitness plan for 2012? Here's mine.
Okay, so this is all about me, but it's my blog, right? I can't very well write about you. But here's the thing: I'm no uber-muscular gym rat; I'm no triathlete. I'm just a regular guy who wants…
New Year's fitness resolution?
The new year is almost upon us, and many of us will make resolutions to lose weight, get into better shape. And ... many of us will never follow through on them. Oh, sure, we'll get some new…
How to avoid the yo-yo
The yo-yo is the bane of dieters everywhere. If you've tried to lose weight before, you know about it. You start a diet, stay on it for a while ... maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe longer.…
What I've learned about fitness and nutrition over the past few years
I've been on my fitness quest for about four years now. I went in with with an open mind, wanting to find out as much as I could, experiment on myself, see what works and what doesn't. Here…
What you need to know before you start P90X – Part 4
This is Part 4. You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. RULE #12: ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS ARE GREAT. When I was preparing to start P90X, I didn't even know about adjustable dumbbells, nor…
What you need to know before you start P90X - Part 3
This is Part 3. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. RULE #11: DON'T SKIP YOGA! I'm going to devote this whole post to this one rule, because I believe it's that important. I had…
What you need to know before you start P90X - Part 2
This is Part 2. You can read Part 1 here. RULE #6: GET THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. When I started P90X, I started with basic necessary equipment: yoga mat and blocks, pullup bar, heart rate monitor, and adjustable dumbbells.…
What you need to know before you start P90X -- Part 1
I am just a regular guy. I am not a gym rat. I have no desire to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger (or, rather, what he used to look like). If you are just a regular guy who is…
Setting your own rules (and then following them)
I've never had a problem with rules. That's not to say that I like rules when other people impose arbitrary ones on me -- I don't -- but I understand why that happens. After growing up in a…
Excuses, excuses
One of my favorite mantras is "there's always a good reason not to do something." There is. I can always come up with some really good reasons why I should not do something that I need to do.…
The importance of chewing
I am a fast eater. Always have been, at least since my college days, perhaps prior to that as well. Not sure why I am that way, but I do know that when dining with friends, I am…
Do you drink too much?
Let me preface this article by clarifying that I am not an anti-alcohol crusader. In fact, I just recently posted my recipe for the world's best limoncello and also wrote an article about why you can still drink…
Fitness versus Health - there is a difference
I remember when Jim Fixx died. You may not, so here's a little about him. (You can read a short article about Fixx at Wikipedia.) Jim Fixx is widely credited as being one of the pioneers of fitness.…
RECIPE: World's best limoncello, direct from Italy
I had never heard of limoncello before the summer of 2007. It was then that my then-wife and I embarked on a Mediterranean cruise, which included a visit to Sorrento, Italy, the birthplace of limoncello, and the place…
Be accountable to yourself!
A fitness friend of mine recently retweeted something along the lines of "Write down your fitness goals, then share them with someone. That way the person can hold you accountable." WHAT? I am familiar with this concept, and…
Kill your television!
I remember seeing a bumper sticker back in the 90s that said "Kill your television!" I also remember thinking that was a rather harsh solution to a somewhat benign problem. I was wrong. Many of our lives seem…
Too much cardio?
I've been protecting my knees, particularly my arthritic left knee, so about two months ago I stopped doing cardio. Sure, I could do some low-impact cardio, but I'm not convinced that cardio is all that important. Don't get…
Screw what the "experts" say. How do you feel when you eat carbs?
There is so much conflicting data out there about carbs. I've read so many books and absorbed so much information about paleo diets, nutrient timing, general nutrition, and my conclusion is that you really need to gauge your…
So much health and fitness information. What should we believe?
Wow, there is so much health and fitness information out there. Can I really get fit and strong in only 30 minutes a week? Should I avoid carbs? Are fats bad for me? How about cholesterol? Aerobics --…
An illogical way to manage your health
The other day my friend was sick with the flu. She asked me which medicine I'd recommend. I didn't have a recommendation, because I have not had the flu in quite a few years, so I queried my…
Sugar is poison
Dr. Robert Lustig describes why sugar is poison.
What's your motivation for working out and eating right?
My brother posted on one of those social networks today something about how he needs to get into shape for a reunion this summer. I have a friend who started a diet in January, because she's getting married…
Sometimes the truth is rude
I saw a friend of mine last night. Hadn't seen him for about ten years. Long story short ... he got huge. We were walking around an open air mall, and it was a bit chilly. He had…
Does your significant other sidetrack your fitness goals?
I often have been sidetracked from my fitness goals by my significant other. It's not her fault. Honestly, I don't expect my wife to make every dietary turn with me in my quest for fitness. That's not fair…
FitnessFor.Us - What it's about
I've decided to start this website to let people know about the experiences of me, as a regular guy, with fitness and nutrition. I'm not a gym rat. I'm not a bodybuilder. I'm not a low-fat fanatic or…