Topic
Nutrition
82 posts, 2011–2021
Noom is still great after two years!
It's October, 2021, so that means it's been about two years since I signed up with Noom, and I still feel great about the program! That's not to say that I don't fail more now than when I…
Gaining weight during the pandemic?
I see so many people and memes commenting on social media about how they are not exercising and eating poorly during the COVID-19 pandemic. I understand. It's tough. The gyms are either closed or we think they're too…
My life during quarantine and still losing weight with Noom ... sort of
Like many other people, I am living life in virtual quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been going on for about 1.5 months officially. I am in San Antonio, and we are pretty much opening back…
Living life 20 pounds lighter
I am not yet 20 pounds lighter from when I began the Noom Health and Wellness program. I'm only 15 pounds lighter since then. However, I was hovering around 200 pounds just 6 months ago, and now I…
Sickness v. Fitness
I rarely get sick any more, but I've had a cold for a few days now. At least, I think it's just a cold, I hope so. Illness is bad enough, but when I'm sick and hanging at…
Losing weight with Noom
I've been trying to lose fat for the past few years, and I've failed, but after 6 weeks on Noom I'm down 12 pounds, and I have a feeling of accomplishment.
10 pounds in 4 weeks on Noom
I just finished my 4th week on the Noom program, and I'm down 10 pounds. That's pretty phenomenal. And it's not the result of starving myself. I was talking to my friend Lex the other day, and I…
How I am changing myself through Noom
I've noticed some changes in myself since starting the Noom program 3.5 weeks ago: my weight is down, my skin is softer, and I'm not afraid of any foods.
Weighing in with Noom
The Noom program wants me to weigh in daily, but that's not good for me. Fortunately, Noom allows me to tailor the program to my needs.
My relationship with ice cream
I love ice cream. I don't think that puts me in the minority of humans. What's not to love about ice cream? It's creamy. It's sweet. It's delicious! I'm including gelato under the "ice cream" label, even though…
The Noom app and logging meals
The Noom app is pretty great. I like the way it gives me information and tests retention of that information. I'm going to try logging meals.
Tracking my food intake and my steps
Here are some tips to products I am using in journey through the Noom program. These weren't available to me when I first got fit 15 years 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.…
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.
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…
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…
The Easy Way to Get Healthy
I was recently disturbed by something I saw on Facebook. (I know I shouldn't take things so seriously, but, honestly, some things are just disturbing.) One of the people in my timeline had posted a status update about…
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!…
Breaking your food addictions
In order to get fit and healthy, we really need to break our food addictions. Here are a few tips to help you do that.
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,…
Conscious Eating
"Conscious eating" -- it's a term that is picking up steam, and it encapsulates a very simple concept: thinking -- actually thinking -- about what we are putting into our mouths. Do you think about it, or do…
Is soy dangerous?
I have still not looked that deeply into soy, but public opinion seems to be split on it, so I keep my intake rather low to hedge my bets until I can figure it out. Being the cynic…
Are you addicted to food?
I hear excuses from people all the time about how they would like to eat cleaner, but they just don't feel they can do it. I have one word for those people: ADDICTION. They are addicted to foods.…
I don't trust nutrition research
I read a lot about nutrition, and one thing is very clear to me: No matter what you want to believe about nutrition, there is research available to prove you are right. What does that mean? Are the…
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 1
Today I started The Ultimate Reset. I have already published a post about what The Ultimate Reset generally is, but now I'm going to get into the nitty-gritty, what it's really like to go through it. Ultimate Reset…
What is a Carbohydrate?
It occurs to me from time to time as I discuss nutrition and diets with people that, while they may have a pretty decent understanding of which foods are protein rich -- lean meats -- and which are…
Resetting Your Body with The Ultimate Reset
I received an email from Beachbody last week about their "Ultimate Reset". Admittedly, I am a sucker for Beachbody products, but that's only because I've used them and trust them. I'd rather pay a little more and know…
Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels
"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I guess that phrase has been around for a while, but I heard it the other day for the first time -- read it in my friend Amanda's status update --…
We Have to Get Off the Sugar!
Here's the thing about sugar. We are raised on it. We are trained as kids to love it. We use it to celebrate and to finish off a good meal. And it's killing us. Up until the 1950s,…
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…
My high fat diet PLUS yoga PLUS allergies
I am in day 20 of my high fat diet, which aims for 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. My body seems to have adapted to the lack of carbs, so I am not feeling as run…
I'm giving high-fat eating a shot
I started a high fat diet on Tuesday. High fat, of course, implies low-carb, and I've always been intrigued by the low carb lifestyle. It's a lifestyle, not a diet, because once you go low carb, you gotta…
Fitness 2012 -- how's it going?
Many people -- perhaps you, too -- set fitness goals for 2012. If you are like most people, your dieting and workout regimen started out great! You were enthusiastic, eager to shed those pounds and unveil a new,…
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.…
Do we really need to overeat on Thanksgiving?
Why, when we know we shouldn't do it, do we overeat on Thanksgiving? Let's exercise a little self-control at this annual feast.
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…
How to survive the holiday food fest
The holidays are upon us, with Halloween just past, and Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner. I don't know how it is in other parts of the world, but here in the United States, mid-November through New…
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…
Insanity: The Asylum - DAY 15 - "Speed & Agility"
Yesterday, Day 14, was "Relief", so no post necessary, but today marks the halfway point of The Asylum and I'm stoked about that. I'm not gonna lie, it's been tough going, and I know it won't get any…
Are carbs evil?
Hmmmm.... Are carbs really as evil as many people think they are? When I first started my quest for fitness, I went on a calorie-restricted diet. I didn't pay much attention to what the calories were -- fat,…
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…
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…
Is breakfast really that important?
I ate breakfast this morning. I did it because I was hungry, and when I'm hungry, I eat. Conversely, when I'm not hungry, I do not eat. And, generally, I am not hungry around breakfast time. But, but…
Fear of falling back into old habits
I wouldn't call it exactly a "fear", but, wow, I am really not interested in falling back into my old habits, which include: overeating overdrinking oversittingonmyass all of which lead, of course, to being overweight I may tend…
How about eating right half the time? Will that work for you?
Look at yourself. Take a good, hard look. Do you like what you see? Maybe you do. Congratulations! But maybe you're disappointed you're not in better shape. Maybe you've been trying to break the fast-food habit, but aren't…
P90X: A Lifetime Commitment?
A friend of mine told me the other day that she was interested in Tony Horton's P90X, but didn't want to be stuck doing it for the rest of her life. I laughed, because those are almost the…
Alcohol and Fitness
When I am talking with people about getting fit with Tony Horton's P90X and Insanity, I always tell them that, while working out is very important to building your body, the most important thing to get straight is…
Are you poisoning your kids?
It really annoys me when I tell people I'm not going to eat a piece of their birthday cake -- because I avoid consuming things created specifically to soothe a sweet tooth -- and they say, "I don't…
The power of a good recovery drink
Never underestimate the power of a good recovery drink. What? You only drink water or some kinda sports drink after your workout? Hmmmmm.... A recovery drink has some important attributes. First of all, your body needs protein. If…
Not achieving your fitness goals? Try something different!
Back in 2007 I realized I was fat and out of shape. I'd been that way for a long time, but in 2007, I finally realized it. But I've covered this story in my last post. Having then…
How do you know if you are fat?
How do you know if you are fat? This seems like a silly question, right? Look at the scale. Look in a mirror. Pretty simple. You might think so, but so many of us are blind to our…
The most important meal of the day
My brother posted a question on Facebook the other day. He often posts questions to spark discussion, and they often do just that. The question he posted the other day was "Trick Question: What is the most important…
Lap band? Really?
A friend of mine is considering a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band -- more commonly called a lap band -- because he just can't lose the weight any other way. Really? My friend and I have had discussions on…
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…
Get started with good nutrition when you are young
So many things we learn as we get older. It takes a while to get out of shape, but it all starts when you are young. For me it was around when I turned 25 or so. That's…
Lost another half-inch on the waist
If you've been following along, you know I've been stymied by this gut fat I just can't seem to lose. It's not that I look bad -- I look so much better than I used to -- but…
Eat less, move more
Eat less, move more. It's a fitness mantra that's been around for a long time. And it works. But people, like the lady in the MadTV skit, want an easy way out. The madness of it is that…
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 --…
How is the diet going?
It's been three weeks since I posted this update -- and my waistline has not budged since. To summarize, after many months of my waistline not shrinking beyond the fantastic losses I had experienced early on in my…
"Just Do It" or Transition Dieting - Which is right for you?
I am a "just do it" kinda guy. I have a hard time doing anything in moderation, but I have trained myself to be moderate by completely eliminating the behavior I want to change for a period of…
You're going to walk off that McRib? Really?
I think we often fool ourselves about our rate of calorie burn. There are many times I hear friends talk about eating something like a McRib with fries and finishing with "I guess I'll have to get in…
Do you get enough fruit?
If you're like me, you're not really a fruit eater. I like a good apple, but it's hard to find a good apple. I love a good pear ... but it's hard to find a good pear. And…
I eat a lot of fish
I have probably eaten more fish since I started Tony Horton's P90X about a year ago than I ate my entire life before that. Early on in life, I just didn't really like fish. I don't think I'd…
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…
Losing inches off the waist
It's been more than two weeks since I went off primal eating -- where I ate very few carbs and did not count calories -- and back to 50/30/20 -- where I eat 50% protein, 30% carbs, and…
My experience with the Primal Diet
When I first started Tony Horton's P90X, I followed the included diet plan religiously. The plan called for a diet of 50% protein, 30% carbs, and 20% fat. I created a spreadsheet and entered everything I consumed, ensuring…
Sugar is poison
Dr. Robert Lustig describes why sugar is poison.
I'm okay with caffeine ... really ....
Caffeine is one of those drugs that sparks a lot of controversy. Is it beneficial? Harmful? What's up with caffeine? The reviews are mixed, so I experimented with my body. I went off caffeine for about 18 months…
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…
How do I really feel about carbs?
Carbs. Much maligned, often praised. Some claim you don't need them at all (I'm looking at you, Mark Sisson) and many low-fat proponents have hailed them as the natural alternative to fat. I've done a lot of reading…
Blood sugar and me
My grandmother was a type 1 diabetic. My father is type 2. Last time I had bloodwork done my fasting blood sugar was at 110, which is on the cusp of too high. So, I struggle with high…
Listen to your body
In my search for the truth about health and nutrition I've happened across a lot of different viewpoints. I am quite sure that the vast majority of those viewpoints are driven by money and politics. For the politics,…
About white carbs
White carbs. You may have heard them mentioned as public enemy #1. I dunno about that, but I'm pretty sure they're not good for you, if your #1 goal is to lose fat. White carbs, by my definition…
P90X tips
Here are some tips based on my experiences while doing P90X. Be in tune with your body. How do you feel today? Can you really push it? Should you take it easy? Listen to what your body is…
My goal for this year is to lose this waist fat
If you've read "about the author" you know that my weight peaked at 235 -- pretty huge for a 5'10" guy. I lost 50 pounds by restricting calories and walking and I thought I was stuck there, but…
Does your significant other sidetrack your fitness goals? (Part 2)
Read part 1. Okay, so you've had that moment, you've decided to eat healthy, but your significant other is not on board. That's fine. Difficult, but fine. You simply need to eat separate meals. Sorry, but you gotta…
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…