smart fit park

I caught a glimpse of this on TV (yes, I get the irony) …it’s an interactive video learning/activity game for kids, kinda like a Wii Fit but geared for a pre-school audience.  The kid, with a movement pad on which they stand, marches, runs, skips and jumps their way through various activities displayed on screen.  It’s like a virtual park.  They even get to customize their own avatar!

Alright, the exclamation mark after avatar really isn’t needed, but I was only trying to stress the silliness of it all.  It is silly isn’t it?  I mean, having your child simulate playing in a park instead of actually playing in one?  Or is it me?  I can see the use for older, shut-in types of people, but for kids?  Certainly, I see the connection to ‘real life’ by designing a game that ties the thrill of video/computers into the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of today’s youth in an attempt to get them active once again …but isn’t this a little over the top?  Shouldn’t someone have stepped back and looked at the obvious; ‘We’re designing a toy that simulates a playground so that the child doesn’t have to actually go to one’ …or something like that?

I have a better game idea …it’s called “Unplug the TV!”  You and your child get in front of your TV set and while it’s showing a favorite show, go behind it and pull the plug.  Neat hey!?  You get to stand there for a few minutes in the erie silence that now fills the room, until one of you finally offers up a suggestion for doing something real.  Maybe go outside?  Bike?  Walk?  Throw leaves at each other?  Invent a game?  Something!?  I’m sure that one of you will figure out something and in no time you’ll both be happier for not only doing something together, but for doing something real as well.  Heck, if you went to a real park you might even be able to make some new friends …imagine that.  Of course …the TV game will probably allow you to make your own friends as well.  So maybe that’s not a great idea.

Maybe I’m picking nits or something.  Maybe.  And of course the makers of the product would never endorse their game as a substitute for real activity.  The thing is though, providing an indoor simulation of an outdoor activity to a naturally active child is not doing the family any favours.  Kids are not bumps on logs …but parents, who may otherwise be busy, might reasonably expect this product to occasionally provide their kid with playparky goodness in lieu of the real thing.  It’s sad but true …so why even present the opportunity?

Smart?  Not really.
Fit?  Nope.
Park?  Definitely not.

Image from the FIsher-Price store.

Nutrition Deathmatch #2: Special K Protein Shake v.s. Chocolate Milk

I think it’s time for me to find another health club.

Yesterday, while chatting with the “towel lady”, I noticed that they were carrying a new protein shake…..by Kellogg’s…  the makers of Eggo waffles, Froot Loops and Pop Tarts.

and now they’re making protein shakes.

I asked to take a look at a bottle of the NEW!!! Special K Protein Shake.

Arrrggghhhhh!!!

Here’s what the label looked like:

Looks pretty good, right?

I mean, except for the sucralose, corn syrup solids, acesulfame potassium, nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners.

On the plus side, it has 190 calories, some carbs to re-fuel after your workout and a relatively small dose of protein.

Just like chocolate milk.

In fact, the macronutrient profile looks almost identical to the carton of chocolate milk that I picked up at the 7-11 across the street from the gym.

Calories about the same, protein about the same, carbs about the same. The milk had a lower fat content as I prefer the low-fat version post-workout.

So, why in the world would I spend $3.99 for a bottle of Special K Protein Shake with extra HFCS and nonnutritive sweeteners when I can get a carton of chocolate milk for $1.25?

I mean, besides the fact that Kelloggs is marketing their entire Special K product line as an effective way to get healthy….

and look like an airbrushed supermodel in short shorts.

But, maybe you’re not the kind of person who would fall for such obvious commercial manipulation.

Maybe you rely on the opinions of real people…like these bloggers:

• Skinny Habits Review
• This Mama Cooks Review
• Yum Yucky Review

Either way, Kelloggs is working hard and spending a lot of money trying to convince you to buy the protein shakes and their healthy cereals and snack bars.

So, as a counterpoint to the advertising, I would like to offer my review of the Special K Protein Shake:

Don’t waste your money.

Chocolate milk is healthier and cheaper.

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Fitness Hall of Shame, Part 1

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. At FusionSouth, we write about this subject often – there are no quick fixes in the fitness industry. There are no shortcuts when it comes to properly losing weight – and keeping it off – and because of this, it is imperative you do not fall prey to the plethora of fitness gimmicks on television and the Internet. In this post, we introduce you to Part 1 of the Fitness Hall of Shame. How many of these gimmicks have you, your family or friends fallen for? Stay tuned for more parts, coming soon to the Official FusionSouth Blog!

Avoid these dangerous, ineffective and useless machines, programs, and devices – the only way to succeed in losing fat and building lean muscle is through hard work. Hard work can be overwhelming and intimidating, but it is the only option available for you if you wish to lose weight and truly live a healthier lifestyle.
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HydroxyCut | Absolutely Dangerous

Let’s start with the most dangerous one. There are countless things to say about HydroxyCut, and the claims that it makes as far as weight loss is concerned. All you really need to know (if you didn’t already) is this: on May 1, 2009, HydroxyCut was recalled by the Food And Drug Administration because it caused, among other things, liver damage, cardiovascular trauma and death.

Stay away from all weight loss pills – HydroxyCut, Hoodia, anything containing ephedra, and most other dietary supplements. If you must take one, please, please, please consult your trainer, nutritionist, and physician before beginning – most of them are dangerous, useless, and ultimately ineffective, anyways.

Electric Abdominal Belts |  The Laziest ‘Exercise’ You Can Do

This is one of the most ridiculous devices we have seen. Supposedly, wrapping a belt around your waist which sends electrical shocks to your core muscles will magically give you a six-pack and toned hips. The companies which promoted these products made claims including: 10 minutes with this device is the same as doing 600 sit-ups, and This device is 30 percent more effective than traditional exercise – both of which are ridiculous in and of themselves. First of all, electric stimulation (which many athletes use to help rehabilitate injuries) send such tiny charges to your muscles that it does not effectively build them at all.

But, the best litmus test for any fitness gimmick (which this one fails miserably) is the following: Can you simultaneously eat a pint of ice cream while “exercising” with the device? Yes? Then maybe, just maybe, this is a gimmick…It is also noteworthy and bizarre that some of these companies claim to be “FDA Approved,” even though their product is neither a food nor a drug.

Sauna Belts | Sweating Your Way To Stupidity

Instead of actually moving or contracting muscles to burn fat, the Sauna Belt claims to melt it right off like a form of some kind of thermal liposuction. What really irks us about the Sauna Belt, and sends it solidly into the Hall of Shame, is its complete and utter worthlessness. There are plenty of other fitness gimmicks that at least involve some sort of muscle contraction. The sauna belt offers a heated rubber belt which makes your stomach sweat – seriously, that’s all it does. Sweating is a good way to lose calories, but only if you are actually exerting effort when you sweat. The Sauna Belt simply sweats away excess water weight, and sheds no excess fat stores.

Based on our previous litmus test, above, the Sauna Belt also fails – simultaneously eating ice cream while “melting away fat” is not the way to true weight loss. Please don’t fall for this one!

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Friends, there are no shortcuts in the weight loss game. There are no gimmicks that will keep the weight off and help you learn the proper nutritional and fitness habits. You must take the time to teach your body how to eat, move, function, and live properly. Weight loss does not come in a pill, or a device you can strap around your waist. Do things the right way, and your body will thank you for years down the road. Be well!

Losing or Learning?

One of the phrases (and there were many!) that really stuck in my brain from WW training was, “You either have a losing week, or a learning week.” I LOVED this, because it takes away the notion of failure. If we don’t lose weight, what can we learn from that, from our behavior, that we can change if we want to have a losing (or maintaining) week the next time? I must repeat that refrain in my head a dozen times a day.

I am having a big-time learning week. First, I learned that it really IS hard to lose or maintain when I eat out in a restaurant like 5 meals in a row, even if I am trying to make healthy choices. Part of it is the food is just TOO GOOD, and I lose sight of necessary portion control.  Also, we really do not know for sure what is IN the food we eat at restaurants. Then, especially for me, there’s the social aspect, which is sooo distracting. All that adds up to, even with the best intentions, an inevitable weight gain.

As if that weren’t enough, I came home to even more of a delusional bubble. Some part of my brain seems to believe that as a WW staff person I have donned some invisible cloak of immunity, ie, I can do anything and not gain weight. NOT! OMG!  But there’s a little devil on my shoulder this week, poking me and saying, “This won’t count!” and other lies.

Here was my lesson for this morning.  I am particularly vulnerable in the fall, because of colder weather, upcoming holidays, and special things like PUMPKIN TREATS. I am such a sucker for pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin EVERYthing. I especially love pumpkin muffins. But I have resisted them… until today. I just freaking wanted one. So I got one. And I ate it.

And this is what I learned:

1. It tasted really good.
2. But not THAT GOOD.
3. I felt a little bit sick after I ate it, because I am not used to eating sweet carbs for breakfast anymore.
4. It did not sustain me. I was hungry pretty quickly, like 90 minutes after I ate it.
5. I really don’t know how many points it was, but it was anywhere between 6 (best case scenario, which I doubt) and 11. (ACKKKKKK!) Which is like half of my points for the ENTIRE DAY.
6. It probably was very very bad for my blood sugar but I did not test it right away so I don’t know.
7. Bottom line? Yeah, it tasted good, but ultimately….. NWI. (NOT WORTH IT)

So yeah, I learned! I could’ve just craved and desired that pumpkin muffin all day- all week or month- but I am actually glad I ate it because now I know. I know it was fine, but y’know? I don’t need to do that again. Instead I am going to search out some low-point pumpkiny treats, and make those instead for the next time the pumpkin urge hits me.

I’m learning! I’m learning!

(pumpkin muffin photo – and recipe -courtesy of my friends over at Muffin Top!)

lots of debauchery over the weekend

Yep – that’s right.  Drinking and eating and camping with the kids.  Lots and lots of fun, but very little exercise.  It took me a day to dry out.  Actually that was kind of nice.  When was the last time you could truly just let you hair down and relax 100%.  It was very nice.

Was looking forward to hitting teamcrossfit today, but work demanded that I spend time there instead.  So until I get back to TCF, I need to pay close attention to my eating habits.

Until next time

Never, ever give up!

www.teamcrossfit.com

 

Are we coming or going? -Part 3

What are we trying to fit in?  Eating right, exercise/activity, and stress management are all going to make it into your life.  This is the part where I ask you to get out of your own way.  Try not to succumb to that little voice that says “you’ve got to be kidding me.”  Thinking the way you’ve been thinking all these years has not gotten you on the path of living well thus far.  Change is good so embrace it!

Go and find that paper that you used to map out your week.   Take a good hard look at it and see what days are your “light” days.  Let’s face it.  Some days are better than others.  Take those better days and look at them as opportunities.  You don’t need to find huge chunks of time.  Remember, three 10 minute chunks of moderate activity, is as effective as 30 consecutive minutes. First try and see if you can find at least one 30 minute chunk.  If you can, use it!  Find an activity that you enjoy and fits your current fitness level.  If it’s fun you’ll be more likely to do it… see!

www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/video-volkswagen-wants-you-to-have-fun-taking-the-stairs/#continued

If you can’t find something you really love, just find something you don’t hate. Something I try to tell myself is “you only have to do it for 10 minutes”.  This is usually enough to get me started and of course I end up working out for more than that.  One thing that is inevitable is feeling better when your activity of choice is all said and done.  Keep a variety of choices for activity in your bag of tricks.  This will keep you from getting bored or injured.  Walk everywhere you can. Take the stairs whenever you can (even if it’s not a piano). Move quickly throughout your day. Carry things instead of pushing if you can.  Whatever it is that you are doing fitness-wise, make an effort to do a bit more every week.  Changes in your body and overall health depend on making progress.  Just a wee bit more time or effort can reward you many times over in the future.

Every day you should try and take a few moments to close your eyes and breathe.  Take a 7 second inhale, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 7 seconds.  It works like magic and you should try it now. This blog isn’t going anywhere, I’ll wait.  Also try and listen to music that moves you. It doesn’t need to be a song you want to dance to, but it could be. It could also be music that calms you or brings back a favorite memory of yours. Compile a “happy track” on your ipod/mp3 thing.  It will be your savior on a particularly stressful day.  Try some silence.  Instead of flipping on the TV or the radio every morning when you come into your kitchen, try nothing.  If you start out every morning in silence, try your “happy track”.  Change it up and see what feels good to you.  Simply changing what you hear can have an effect on your mindset for the day. This will also probably catch your family off guard and everyone knows how much fun that can be.  Often times we don’t know we are in a rut until we make a change. Make a change!

Until next time….Live Well! – Toni Kuhel

Three Important Fitness Questions - Finally Answered (Part 1 of 3)

Fitness should never be a complex string of timed workouts, counting reps, and worrying if what you’re doing is working. Women of all ages should use weights to help sculpt and tone their muscles as well as to help build and maintain bone mass. Cardiovascular activity should also be a part of everyone’s fitness regimen in order to burn fat and strengthen the heart muscle…and it shouldn’t ever be confusing!

Here’s what the experts say about exercise routines and fundamentals:

SHOULD YOU DO WEIGHTS OR CARDIO FIRST?
According to researchers at the University of Victoria in BC, subjects who strength trained within 24 hours of a rigorous cardio session were able to do more reps than their counterparts who waited for less time (about 408 hours). Further, a study done by Bringham Young University in 2005 showed that starting with cardio will get you better results when you pump iron. Lead study researcher, Pat Vehrs, Ph.D., found that subjects burned more calories after their workout when doing cardio, then weights (in that order). The other thing to consider is that when your muscles are fatigued after a weight lifting session, your cardio performance will lack. Get the cardio done first and then tackle the weights for maximum results!
IS IT BEST TO WORKOUT IN THE MORNING OR IN THE EVENING?
The Mollen Clinic out of Phoenix, AZ found in 2005 that 75% of morning workout buffs stuck with it after 12 months versus only 25% of evening and 50% of afternoon exercisers. Chief Exercise Physiologist, Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., found that study participants who stopped working out in the afternoons and evenings did so because life got in the way. Everyone can relate, I’m sure: errands, late hours at the office, homework with the kids, etc. gets in the way at the end of the day. Fitness Magazine reported in their October 2005 issue that studies done by Dr. Michael Smolensky have consistently shown that between the hours of 4 pm and 6 pm, our bodies’ core is at its warmest temperature. They go on to say that our muscle strength, reaction time, flexibility, and heart and lung functions are at their optimum. The verdict: if you can exercise in the afternoon/early evening, you’ll perform better. However, for a more consistent result, time your workouts for the mornings.

SHOULD YOU INVEST IN A GYM MEMBERSHIP OR A HOME GYM SYSTEM?
The University of Florida at Gainesville has found that women who exercise at home actually lose more pounds than those who go to the gym. It’s not that your home gym is a better-quality piece of machinery; it’s more likely that slashing the inconvenience factor of driving out to the gym has a more positive impact on whether or not we actually follow through with our workouts. Michael Perri, Ph.D., the study author, goes on to explain that having to be at the gym for a class at a certain time can simply become an obstacle to being there. On the other hand, if you are the type of person who likes to socialize at the gym, needs different types of machines to stay out of a “boredom rut”, or would like to have more classes, machines, and options…a gym membership is probably best. The other plus to going to the gym, says Dr. Cedric Bryant, is that there are less family-related distractions at the gym and therefore, there is less of a chance of walking away in the middle of the workout to do something else. Bottom line: workout at home if you need the convenience, but join the gym if you are likely to get burned out or distracted by a home workout.

These three tips will help get you on the path to better fitness and health. As women, we have lots of different people and “things” pulling at us from all sides. When we take some quality time out to focus on ourselves, our fitness and health, we receive stress relief, health benefits, and our loved ones will have us around for much longer! To better health and fitness…you go girls!

Parts 2 and 3 will be published this week…