Saturday, November 17, 2012
So long Hostess.....
A thought or four about the decline of Hostess Bakery.
1) Sorry to see the loss of jobs, not only the union ones we hear about, but all those independent contractors who have hostess routes, restock shelves, etc.
2) The big decline in their sales started at the same time as the rise of Atkins and South Beach low carb diets. Although those two extremes faded (mostly because people claimed to be doing low carb but really weren't and then quit and blamed the diet) most of the nutrition medical field has accepted the principles of Dr. Atkins' teaching: It isn't the fats that make you fat, but the starches, particularly the refined wheats and sugar...the staple ingredients for Hostess.
3) Right now it is nostolgia of childhood eating that is sweeping the country: white bread sandwiches and the twinkie or suzyQ treat in the lunchbox. But these products were not good for us then, and are not now. We are better off without it.
4) Hostess products cost more on the shelves than Dolly Madison or other type products and when someone is junk snacking that pays a part. Those other companies will continue. The reality of capitalism as far as junk food goes is that the cheapest wins (hello McDonald's dollar menu).
Monday, November 5, 2012
Yes...still alive, still getting fit...
I am still here. Still working out, and doing much better with eating. Just haven't been blogging. But I promise to get back to it soon!
Keep sweating!
Keep sweating!
Monday, July 2, 2012
What is old is new again....
On Friday I did something I love, but haven't really done in 25 years. I rowed. In 2009 I went out for a very short paddle, but on Friday I got into a Quad (4 rowers, 2 oars each) with 3 other good rowers and we rowed...hard! Did power 10's, raced some 8's (they were novices, but still) and really were pretty smooth.
My three sons are taking a learn to row camp at the Detroit Boat Club Crew, and the coach, knowing I am a former High School, College, and Club rower invited me to dress appropriately and join them for a row on my 'day off' on Friday. Thursday night I could hardly sleep with fear and anticipation. But once we got in the boat and paddled away from the dock it all came back (like riding a bike).
Two of my sons (the 16 and 14 year olds) are talking about joining the team in the Fall (we homeschool, but since it is a club team with kids from multiple schools they can join in). And yes, if they do I will consider joining the Masters team and start rowing regularly again. It is a good goal to work towards for fitness, and to continue the fitness while doing it!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Struggling, but recently back at it.....
I had a rough March and April (actually, January through April).
May 3rd I hit the reset button.
Diet going great again, and have started lifting with my son Sam at the local gym.
Beachbody products on hold...for now.
Will start working INSANITY in between my 3x per day lifting schedule for now.
I will keep you updated.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Some mornings are just like that!
Yesterday morning I got up early as I have been doing all week. I have been adding a little walk/jog before my P90X workout. But I woke up tired. The walk/jog felt disjointed. My shoulder still hurt from Wednesday's Shoulders & Arms workout followed by X2 Yoga on Thursday. And my P90X Legs and Back workout was at best uninspiring, especially with my favorite pull up (wide) was excruciatingly painful.
Afterwards, I thought to myself perhaps I would have been better served to get an extra 90 minutes of sleep. Some mornings are just like that.
But the walk/jog and KenpoX was much better this morning.
In hindsight I am glad I did Friday's workout, and todays.
Onward and upward.
Afterwards, I thought to myself perhaps I would have been better served to get an extra 90 minutes of sleep. Some mornings are just like that.
But the walk/jog and KenpoX was much better this morning.
In hindsight I am glad I did Friday's workout, and todays.
Onward and upward.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Failure as learning opportunity
I've failed at P90X2. The first phase started off, but I had a hard time doing the majority of the moves. I know Tony Horton says, "Don't say I can't, but I currently struggle with". So I was currently struggling with most of the moves. Balancing on med balls, etc. Ugh.
Then after a 10 day vacation with my family where I did yoga x2 and tons of walking (Disney) I came back and tried to start phase 2. Even worse. And this frustration led to my not getting a good workout in, and anticipating the frustration not even wanting to workout and skipping a few.
So I took a step back and honestly evaluated it all. As much as my ego didn't want to admit it, I wasn't ready for P90X2.
So I had to swallow my pride and regroup.
I've restrarted P90X as of yesterday and it was the right thing to do. The moves were familiar (Chest and Back yesterday, Plyo today) so I actually got a good workout in. Personal best for push ups, an amazing sweat for Plyo.
So stepping back I am actually moving forward. Several friends on Facebook and Twitter said I didn't "fail" because it is such a negative word. But I did. I failed at P90X2. Failed for now. But come 90 days from now..... Lesson learned.
Then after a 10 day vacation with my family where I did yoga x2 and tons of walking (Disney) I came back and tried to start phase 2. Even worse. And this frustration led to my not getting a good workout in, and anticipating the frustration not even wanting to workout and skipping a few.
So I took a step back and honestly evaluated it all. As much as my ego didn't want to admit it, I wasn't ready for P90X2.
So I had to swallow my pride and regroup.
I've restrarted P90X as of yesterday and it was the right thing to do. The moves were familiar (Chest and Back yesterday, Plyo today) so I actually got a good workout in. Personal best for push ups, an amazing sweat for Plyo.
So stepping back I am actually moving forward. Several friends on Facebook and Twitter said I didn't "fail" because it is such a negative word. But I did. I failed at P90X2. Failed for now. But come 90 days from now..... Lesson learned.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Supplements, etc.
Right now there is a big discussion in my household about supplements.
Generally, most people think of supplements as the vitamins people take once a day. A multivitamin is a good place to start, since no matter how conscientiously we may vary our diets and eat plenty of fresh healthy fruits and vegetables, we are probably not getting our recommended daily allowance of everything. Add to that the depletion of the nutrients in soil lessening the vitamin and mineral content in our food and one can certainly argue that at the minimum a multivitamin is a good place to start.
Others swear by using things like Fish Oils to aid in digestion and vitamin/mineral absorption, or higher doses of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system. An extra dose of zinc is believed to help relieve the severity of a cold, and there are a variety of recommended other supplements for joint health, prostate health, eye health, etc. And of course, one cannot evaluate all of this without the standard disclaimer that these statements are not approved by the FDA.
One shameless plug is for the wonderful whole food multivitamin effect of the Beachbody Product, Shakeology (see the icon on the page to click for more information). 70 ingredients in the making, this can be used as a very healthy snack or combined with juice or milk as a meal replacement. This would take the place of a multivitamin, and then some!
But in our household my 15 year old son is trying not to lose weight and get into shape (he is quite thin and VERY fit), but wants to gain muscle mass. To do this one much add larger amounts of protein to the diet. This is accomplished in several ways, including extra food protein sources at meals and snacks such as tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and meat. The other option is to supplement with a protein powder, generally a whey protein.
Be careful when shopping for this product. Many of them are full of artificial flavorings and sweeteners - something you don't want or need to put into your body. You are best to look for one that is 100% protein powder. You can drink it with water or mix it with milk, juice, or even added to recipes (I am told...I have never seen it done).
Right now the big discussion in our house is on the use of Creatine.
Bodybuilding.com says of Creatine
"Creatine works by saturating your muscles with a high-energy compound called creatine phosphate, and it can be used by the body as an immediate energy supply when you need to push out those last few reps in the gym.* Creatine also hydrates muscle cells with water, promoting muscle fiber growth." http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/creatine.html
It is a naturally occuring amino acid in your body, and the supplement form comes from sources such as beef.
Our concern is whether there are side effects that can be a hazard to our son's health.
Men's Health Magazine reports,
"Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there," Kerksick says. "And there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe."
Greenhaff has been studying creatine for about two decades, and says he never encounters the cramping that is sometimes reported. "I'm not saying people don't experience cramps, but I don't believe it can be very common," he says. "If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now."
But there have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration, and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. The key word here: anecdotal.
http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/creatine-side-effects-what-it-what-it-does
So the Creatine has entered the Kelly household, but with a family vacation starting in a few weeks we have decided our son should hold off a few weeks just in case he does have some stomach cramping. We don't want that on the trip!
There are certainly plenty of other supplements out on the market. DO YOUR RESEARCH before putting anything into your body. And don't just take the word of your buddy at the gym.
You are getting fit and healthy, one doesn't want a pharmacopia interfering with that goal!
Generally, most people think of supplements as the vitamins people take once a day. A multivitamin is a good place to start, since no matter how conscientiously we may vary our diets and eat plenty of fresh healthy fruits and vegetables, we are probably not getting our recommended daily allowance of everything. Add to that the depletion of the nutrients in soil lessening the vitamin and mineral content in our food and one can certainly argue that at the minimum a multivitamin is a good place to start.
Others swear by using things like Fish Oils to aid in digestion and vitamin/mineral absorption, or higher doses of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system. An extra dose of zinc is believed to help relieve the severity of a cold, and there are a variety of recommended other supplements for joint health, prostate health, eye health, etc. And of course, one cannot evaluate all of this without the standard disclaimer that these statements are not approved by the FDA.
One shameless plug is for the wonderful whole food multivitamin effect of the Beachbody Product, Shakeology (see the icon on the page to click for more information). 70 ingredients in the making, this can be used as a very healthy snack or combined with juice or milk as a meal replacement. This would take the place of a multivitamin, and then some!
But in our household my 15 year old son is trying not to lose weight and get into shape (he is quite thin and VERY fit), but wants to gain muscle mass. To do this one much add larger amounts of protein to the diet. This is accomplished in several ways, including extra food protein sources at meals and snacks such as tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and meat. The other option is to supplement with a protein powder, generally a whey protein.
Be careful when shopping for this product. Many of them are full of artificial flavorings and sweeteners - something you don't want or need to put into your body. You are best to look for one that is 100% protein powder. You can drink it with water or mix it with milk, juice, or even added to recipes (I am told...I have never seen it done).
Right now the big discussion in our house is on the use of Creatine.
Bodybuilding.com says of Creatine
"Creatine works by saturating your muscles with a high-energy compound called creatine phosphate, and it can be used by the body as an immediate energy supply when you need to push out those last few reps in the gym.* Creatine also hydrates muscle cells with water, promoting muscle fiber growth." http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/creatine.html
It is a naturally occuring amino acid in your body, and the supplement form comes from sources such as beef.
Our concern is whether there are side effects that can be a hazard to our son's health.
Men's Health Magazine reports,
"Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there," Kerksick says. "And there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe."
Greenhaff has been studying creatine for about two decades, and says he never encounters the cramping that is sometimes reported. "I'm not saying people don't experience cramps, but I don't believe it can be very common," he says. "If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now."
But there have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration, and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. The key word here: anecdotal.
http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/creatine-side-effects-what-it-what-it-does
So the Creatine has entered the Kelly household, but with a family vacation starting in a few weeks we have decided our son should hold off a few weeks just in case he does have some stomach cramping. We don't want that on the trip!
There are certainly plenty of other supplements out on the market. DO YOUR RESEARCH before putting anything into your body. And don't just take the word of your buddy at the gym.
You are getting fit and healthy, one doesn't want a pharmacopia interfering with that goal!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Happy New Years!
Of course new year brings with it resolutions.
My resolutions rarely change - get fit, eat better, drink more water, become a saint. The usual things.
Started P90X2 and so far it is a butt-kicker!
P90X2 Phase 1 is different from Phase I of P90X. Where as there are days of upper body and days of plyo or lower body (with that annoying YogaX in there on Thursdays), so far the workouts Monday and Thursday have been more mid- and total body. Monday was a core workout with push ups, etc.. Today was Total Body, which included balance/core work and some lifting too. Both workouts had some legs in it too. Seeing more Shaun T. of Insanity type moves. Lots of combinations like balancing in a Warrior 3 position while doing curls.
Tuesday is still Plyo day, this one called Plyocide. Honestly, I didn't think it was as hard as PlyoX, but different. I really appreciated the LONG stretch at the end of it.
Now on Fridays is Yoga day - I will let you know how that goes. It is supposedly only 60 minutes long instead of the insane 92 minute workout in P90X.
Wednesday was scheduled as a mid-week day off, or a recovery and balance workout. My wife and son did the workout and said it was a lot of great stretching. I will do it on my rest day Sunday.
Haven't done the Ab workout yet. First one was scheduled for today after total body, but ran out of time in the AM, so I did an great ab workout at the gym at lunchtime.
The other interesting thing about P90X2 compared to P90X is the equipment. There is the foam roller for stretching (not sure if I like this yet) and large stability ball and smaller medicine balls. I don't have a great core yet, and the stability ball is a particular challenge. I modify, and before long I will be doing it better, (God willing).
So, there it is for now. I am sore right now as I type this, as I would expect to be in the first week of a new program. CONTACT ME stjohnspriest@gmail.com if you want information or have questions on either workout (or any other workout by Beachbody).
My resolutions rarely change - get fit, eat better, drink more water, become a saint. The usual things.
Started P90X2 and so far it is a butt-kicker!
P90X2 Phase 1 is different from Phase I of P90X. Where as there are days of upper body and days of plyo or lower body (with that annoying YogaX in there on Thursdays), so far the workouts Monday and Thursday have been more mid- and total body. Monday was a core workout with push ups, etc.. Today was Total Body, which included balance/core work and some lifting too. Both workouts had some legs in it too. Seeing more Shaun T. of Insanity type moves. Lots of combinations like balancing in a Warrior 3 position while doing curls.
Tuesday is still Plyo day, this one called Plyocide. Honestly, I didn't think it was as hard as PlyoX, but different. I really appreciated the LONG stretch at the end of it.
Now on Fridays is Yoga day - I will let you know how that goes. It is supposedly only 60 minutes long instead of the insane 92 minute workout in P90X.
Wednesday was scheduled as a mid-week day off, or a recovery and balance workout. My wife and son did the workout and said it was a lot of great stretching. I will do it on my rest day Sunday.
Haven't done the Ab workout yet. First one was scheduled for today after total body, but ran out of time in the AM, so I did an great ab workout at the gym at lunchtime.
The other interesting thing about P90X2 compared to P90X is the equipment. There is the foam roller for stretching (not sure if I like this yet) and large stability ball and smaller medicine balls. I don't have a great core yet, and the stability ball is a particular challenge. I modify, and before long I will be doing it better, (God willing).
So, there it is for now. I am sore right now as I type this, as I would expect to be in the first week of a new program. CONTACT ME stjohnspriest@gmail.com if you want information or have questions on either workout (or any other workout by Beachbody).
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