Author Archives: fitnowadmin

Portion Control

Posted on May 1, 2012 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

Portion control is key for losing weight.  Too often we pile so much food on our plates, it can seem like a contest to see who can get the most food on a plate.  Restaurants do not help the portion control situation at all.  With a basket full of rolls, a salad drenched in dressing, and a main course fit for a king – is it any wonder we gain weight so easily?  There are all kinds of recommendations out there from choosing a fist sized serving of protein and carbs at each meal.  I’ve seen some refer to using the size of a deck of cards.  I think it comes down to something easier than that.  You should have a good idea of what is too much food.  If not, then by all means use one of the portion control tips. If you want some potato chips, have some, but don’t sit down with the whole bag.  Take a portion out, put it on a plate, and limit yourself to that one serving.

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Posted in Dieting

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8 Week Challenge

Posted on January 18, 2012 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

On Monday I started an 8 week weight loss challenge with my fellow coworkers.

Originally, I wasn’t going to sign up for it.  But I realized with my first half marathon coming up, that I really needed to focus on my health and fitness.  And what better way to do it than with a few bucks on the line.

We get points for frequent exercise, drinking more water, eating better, and etc. I thought this would be a great time for me to get healthier and more fit.  The race is about 3 months away from today, and I really would like to drop some fat and have more miles under my belt when the starting pistol fires.

My problem is sweets and snacks.  And the caloric density of the sweets and snacks.  Little Debbie, Hostess, Cupcakes, and ice cream.  All my weakness.

For the past few days I’ve stayed away from sweets, have eaten more fruits than I usually do, and have drank way too much water.  Supplement wise, I am keeping it simple and staying with the staples.  I’ve been drinking a daily protein shake and taking CLA along with green tea.  Hopefully with the extra exercise, improved diet, and a few supplements I’ll come in at a much lower weight when the race starts.

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Posted in Dieting

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Using FitBit to Track My Fitness

Posted on January 10, 2012 by fitnowadmin| 1 Comment

I recently started using Fitbit to track my health.

And even though I have only been using it for about two weeks, I can easily say I am completely thrilled with the product.

The one thing I have gained from Fitbit is seeing just how much (or how little) activity I do in a day.  It gives me a better idea of how many calories I am burning in a day versus how many calories I am taking in.

One of the more insightful features that I loved about the product is the tracking of sleep.  You wear Fitbit on a wristband at night and it will let you know the next morning how long it took you to fall asleep, how long you slept, periods where you were awake, and a sleep efficiency score.

Basically, the Fitbit is on my body just about all the time.  It’s not water proof so, I do have to take it off to get in the shower.  I’ve been amazed at the insight it’s given me in to how active I truly am.  And with that insight, it’s inspired me to be more active and to keep moving.

The companion website for the Fitbit device is great.  It allows me to track my food and keep a record of all my metrics.  They do offer a premium membership that gives you much more in-depth reports.  If you do get a Fitbit, I highly recommend adding on the premium membership.

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Posted in Dieting, Product Reviews

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My First Half Marathon

Posted on January 9, 2012 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

If there is one thing you should know about me, it is this.  I get bored easily.  Very easily.

My running routines need to constantly be mixed up.

Last summer I ran several 5k races.  They were fun and just enough of a challenge to keep me going.  Finding myself getting stale I decided to sign up for a half marathon.

I’ve never ran over 5 miles in the past 10 years.  This could be interesting.  My training is in full swing right now as I try to increase my mileage.

I’ll keep you updates, it will be a tough journey for me.  More mental I think.  My wall lately has been at 5 miles.  I need to break through that plateau and keep on going.

For Christmas I picked up a new toy  - the Fitbit.  A review and more coming on it soon as well.

 

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Posted in Running

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Winter Blahs

Posted on December 13, 2011 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

Call it what you want.  Seasonal depression disorder.  Winter blahs.  Don’t give a shit.  You name it.  I don’t care what you call it.

I’ve got it.  And bad.  Don’t know if it’s the constant cold temperature.  Or the getting dark by five.  Or not getting to be outside much.  Lack of vitamin d.  Don’t know.

Seriously lacking in the motivational department . . . which brings me to this post.

I was excited to see one of my favorite companies release a product called AndroDrive recently.  Nothing like a hormone boost to get things going again.  Starting today I am going to take 4 pills of AndroDrive every morning and see if that makes an improvement.

I’ll let you know how this works for me.

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Posted in Supplements

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Cold Weather Running

Posted on October 24, 2011 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

Running in the cold hasn’t been too bad so far.  Mostly in part due to the temperature not dropping bellow 28 degrees. Yet.

Struma River in Winter

I recently purchased a new pair of shoes. For several reasons. My old Nike Free Run shoes were showing some age.  The free, also isn’t exactly a cold weather shoe.  It’s awesome in the summer thanks to the breath ability.  But come cold weather – it’s one cold shoe.  I ended up upgrading to a Saucony.  My Asics hat and gloves are working well at these temperatures.  For upper body, I usually layer a tech shirt and then something long sleeve over it.  And for my legs, either shorts or warm up pants depending on the temperature.

What do you do to prepare for cold weather running?

 

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Posted in Running

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The Art of Prohormones

Posted on October 10, 2011 by fitnowadmin| 1 Comment

If you’ve lifted weights for long or delved in to bodybuilding you’re aware of the world of prohormones.  If you’re not sure what a prohormone is – it is a chemical that is a precusor of a legitimate hormone.  In bodybuilding mostly – testosterone.  The prohormones in bodybuilding are precussors to anabolic steroids.  That’s as far in as I am going.  If you want to read the science behind them, there is plenty out there.

At my age (mid-thirties) I felt like I was responsible enough to use them and decided to give them a try.  I went with 1-T and AndroHard, both from Primordial Performance.  At that time the  1-T was a topical and AndroHard was a liquid.  This being my first cycle, I had amazing results.  I was going for a re-composition, and recomp I did.  I dropped bodyfat and gained muscle.  I had muscle definition where I had never seen it, and vascularity where I had never seen it.  I followed it up with a great recovery – and to this day (about 18 months later) I’ve held on to the gains.

Would I do it again?  Yes

I’ve been patiently waiting.  1-T is no longer made, and there have been some others to come around and take its place.  But nothing that looks as good as 1-T did.

How about you?  Ever try a prohormone?

 

 

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Posted in bodybuilding

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Best Winter Running Gear

Posted on October 5, 2011 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

This will sound sick, but I love running in the summer.  The 105 degree temperatures and 70% humidity doesn’t bother me.  As soon as the temperature drops in to the 40 degree range, I start complaining.  Running in cold weather is not enjoyable to me.

Jogging on a bright November morning

If the temperature drops too much, I stay indoors.  As long as it is above 30 degrees I’ll run outside.  There are a few products that I think help me out when running in cold weather.

Here are my top 5 products for the best winter running gear:

Bodyglide Original Anti-Chafe Balm

ASICS De-Luxe Fleece Running Beanie Cap

Mizuno Breath Thermo Run Glove

Under Armour Cold Gear Longsleeve Mock

Nike DRI FIT 3 Pack Cushioned Low Cut Sock

Several of those products I use in the summer as well, the Nike socks and Bodyglide are staples for my runs.  I’ve found that once I get past about the half-mile mark I warm up quite a bit.

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Posted in Running

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Clydesdale Running

Posted on October 5, 2011 by fitnowadmin| 3 Comments

Although I have lost a lot of weight, I am still over 200 lbs.  At six feet four inches, I am not sure I will ever be under 200 lbs.  Most races I enter, I am put in to a class called “clydesdale”.  Nice huh?  Actually I don’t mind.  At 200 lbs, I don’t stand a chance against the same guy my age that weights 145 lbs.

So are there special things you need to do as a clydesdale runner?  A few things I try to do is to make sure I have a good pair of shoes with plenty of support, I always make sure to drink more and eat a few more calories.  As a bigger runner my body most likely has to work harder than someone much thinner than myself.

When it comes to training I strive for longer miles and try to add in some hill work.  And like everyone else I pay attention to my body.  200 lbs jarring down on my knees and feet has to take a toll.

Are you a clydesdale jogger?  Do you have any tips you can share?

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Posted in Running

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I am a runner?

Posted on October 4, 2011 by fitnowadmin| Leave a comment

An odd thing is happening to me.  More and more I feel like a runner.  I can go three miles now with little to no effort.  My runs feel great.  I finish feeling refreshed.

The one thing, that I think has changed for me is that the runs now seem to be more for mental fitness than physical fitness.  If there is one thing I’d like to change, it’d be more frequent runs.  Right now all I can get in is 3-4 runs a week.  I would like to be able to get in a consistent 4-5 runs a week and start building my mileage up.

 

 

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Posted in Running

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