<p>My office gym has the same people that work out regularly. The times may change a little but there are a lot of us older folks that work out on a routine. Most of the people that start seem to stick with it. The folks that use the place are the same people that I’ve worked out with for almost 20 years.</p>
<p>The Y is a different story. There were lots of kids on school break and there are still lots of college students using the place between semesters. They definitely put more demand on the tennis courts but they’ll be gone in a few weeks. They also add people on the basketball courts. They also add quality - some of these college players are pretty good. The machines seem to be about as busy as usual. I think that people are too busy shopping this month.</p>
<p>Hello all! Stopping in for a visit. Hope everyone’s been well. Yes, I’m still running, just not boring y’all with the details, lol. </p>
<p>Lergnom, why not go with half full? Any journey begins with a single step. What is one person’s vision of fit is not necessarily the same as another’s. What might seem insignificant progress to you might be huge to someone else. And even if the goal or direction changes, likely something is learned or can be gained from putting in effort toward improvement. </p>
<p>Something I’ve noticed many, many times over the years is that unfortunately there is the tendency for people to try to put themselves on the inside by putting someone else on the outside. Not sure why that is. Creating scarcity where it need not be. Or pecking orders. Perhaps it is fear of getting hurt? Yes, anytime we open ourselves up there is that chance, but if we seal ourselves up too tight, there’s no growth.</p>
<p>Anyhow, maybe just try to enjoy those in your midst while they’re there. It’s a temporary dwelling. We’ve all only got so many years, so I guess it’s up to us to make the most of them.</p>
<p>I have wonderful neighbors who walk/run six mornings per week and who were very inclusive with me when we moved here 18 months ago. I cannot even begin to express what a wonderful help this has been to me in terms of fitness, fun, socialization.</p>
<p>My swimming and ballet lessons are also a lot of fun. I like the people there, I like the teachers. Other stuff I’ve tried I just didn’t feel the fit and that’s okay, too. </p>
<p>You need to challenge yourself, certainly, but not force yourself to go to a place or hang out with people you are uncomfortable with. There are so many ways to pursue fitness.</p>
<p>idad, I think I agree in large part with your diet philosophy except that as a mom and wife and daughter I do a lot of cooking and meal planning for others besides myself and so I have reached the conclusion that we don’t all run on the same motor. For example, my DD and I are both thin and fairly fit and we do well on a largely carb-based diet. Too much protein (good, bad, ugly) makes us tired and cranky and constipated! When we are on our own together we’ll eat scrambled eggs with mashed potatoes and a bit of cake for dinner and feel great and not gain. When my DH and DS are with us we can’t get away with that or they’d be massively obese. They do best on lean proteins, low-glycemin carbs and very limited goodies in the form of cake or cookies. </p>
<p>I’ve come to respect the differences among us on what food works or doesn’t.</p>
<p>Stretching and abs this morning. I haven’t done those two in quite a while - well outside my daily running stretches but those are different. I had a cramp in my stomach shortly afterwards so I need to do abs more regularly. The tennis and running have pushed out some stretching and core work.</p>
<p>The irony is that Lustig is not a “low carb” advocate. I’m listening to another podcast with him where he goes down the list of all the diets that can work: low carb, Ornish, vegan, etc. I think he’s very smart to focus on the common elements: cut the sugar and refined carbs, eat a lot of whole foods and fiber. Basically, eat real food instead of processed food.</p>
<p>I think the reason that the nutritionist set him off was that her question/statement epitomized the bad recommendations from the public health community that have contributed to the problem. Believing that a calorie is just a calorie is incompatible with the belief that some calories (sugar, for example) have uniquely problematic effect on our metabolism.</p>
<p>He presents a case for two completely independent energy systems in the body: burning fat/protein and burning carbohydrate. Completely separate biochemical pathways, both ending up with the same enzymes and same fuels at the cell level. Both with a pop-off mechanism to dump excess energy when we eat more than we burn. The fat/protein system dumps LDL cholesterol into the blood when the liver is overloaded. The carbohydrate system dumps triglycerides (fat molecules) when the liver is overloaded. He argues that we genetically evolved with two systems because we needed to live off either plants or animals at various times of the year. The pop-off mechanism, in both cases, results in process that dumps excess into the bloodstream ultimately to be stored as body fat to survive times of famine. Lustig hypothesizes that we were OK when we were eating one or the other, even overloading one or the other, but that things fell apart when we started chronically overloading both simultaneously. He thinks that chronic overload of the liver function is the primary cause of insulin resistance and that fructose is a particular culprit since nearly 100% of it goes straight to the liver and if the carbohydrate pathway is already fully stocked, 100% of it goes through this pop-off mechanism generating triglyceride fat that is stored in the liver or sent elsewhere. The new fat in the liver, in turn, reduces the function of the liver, compounding the problem.</p>
<p>It goes back to the Michael Pollan message, “eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.” Lustig did say that all these diets will work, but that for long term health–specifically weight loss-- the key is to cut sugar way down and pump up fiber. </p>
<p>I don’t think there’s a name for the eating patterns we’ve been adopting for the past few years in this house. My kids occasionally have not such pleasant things to say While I shy way away from white sugar and processed foods, we haven’t intentionally cut carbs. I have made an effort to swap refined grains for whole grains to get the fiber and added nutrients: barley, brown rice, 100 % whole wheat, quinoa, beans, etc. We’ve cut saturated fat way back, but have not eliminated it. Still like meat, but since it’s hard to find and expensive to buy organic grass-feed red meat, we’ve moved to a lot of poultry and fish. Heaven help us if olive oil becomes a bad guy. So many other changes, as well, but in reality, I’m guessing that what’s most important, is that since I, the appointed house chef, have to make all of this food–even whole grain cakes sweetened with a bit of honey–those things that provide the most temptation simply become less available; result, therefore, we’re not overloading on anything. </p>
<p>That said, my H bought me a box of fine chocolates which I have now finished. It was good, perhaps a tad to sweet for my evolved palate, but such a treat. Best not to have these things within reach!</p>
<p>BC, I’m definitely not idad, but I love the hoody. Another TJMaxx find, I assume? :)</p>
<p>Please stay healthy, everyone! I’m back from a nasty cold-flu-whatever-it-was. Ran 4 miles, which went surprisingly well, given the fact that I have not ran for a week. Now I have to catch up with what everyone else has been doing! Yay, Deborah, good to see you here again! Please share your running details, there are a few of us who looooove that kid of stuff. :)</p>
<p>BC: That’s an interesting hoodie. It’s Polartec Power Dry which is the material they use for their long underwear wicking base layers. That’s like a heavy weight expedition weight base layer in a hoodie. Not wind resistant though, so it would breath well as a top layer for sweaty running or work under a windbreaker jacket for serious warmth. I find the lightest weight of that stuff to be pretty warm as a base layer.</p>
<p>I would choke on $160 price tag! I just bought one of the EMS Power Stretch Fleece hoodies on sale for $63. Looks ninja-stupid with the balaclava hoodie, but the hood makes it kind of versatile. And, I really like this Power Stretch fleece material.</p>
<p>I hear ya. I avoided candy over the holidays, but my neighbors gave me a tin of sugar cookies, that I proceeded to wolf down like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. Aaargh.</p>
<p>Now that the holidays are over, I’m trying to get back on track.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Lustig did say that all these diets will work, but that for long term health–specifically weight loss-- the key is to cut sugar way down and pump up fiber.[/quote[</p>
<p>Lustig is very strongly in the camp that thinks insulin is a major problem, both insulin resistance and chronically elevated insulin from eating refined carbs (without the fiber). His contribution to the research was a series of small trials he did at St. Judes with a drug that blocks insulin production.</p>
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<p>BB:</p>
<p>Hope your cold/flu is gone for good. My daughter visited with a cold and I’m really hoping I don’t come down with it.</p>
<p>I was just looking around for stuff. I have a budget for clothes and electronics and I may not use the electronics budget this year as everything is working well. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen Patagonia at TJMaxx of Marshalls. There’s a place that sells the hoody for $100 but the color is awful.</p>
<p>My son sent me an article talking about the huge problems that the flu is causing for hospitals. Particularly in Chicago. Hospitals are seeing about three times the usual volume for the flu.</p>
<p>My EMS hoodie arrived. Nice product. Full Zip. Long sleeves with thumb holes. The hoodie is form fitting, although it doesn’t look quite as stupid as the photos! Can be zipped up as a tall turtleneck with the hood down or as a balaclava hood either under the chin or under the nose. This hoodie will be really nice curled up on the sofa watching Patriots playoff games!</p>
<p>Nice material. Good solid construction. Discrete logos on the sleeves. Just one small pocket on the chest. Not the most stylish thing, but I can see this getting some use as a top layer spring and fall or warm mid layer in the winter.</p>
<p>Good value; I would say that EMS is a good source for Power Stretch fleece tops and bottoms at decent prices. Seems to fit just a tad bigger than the Marmot, but that may be just the difference between full zip and 1/2 zip pullover.</p>
<p>The only downside to power stretch fleece is that the outside smooth surface “pillls” like crazy. But, so does regular fleece. On the flip side, the smooth outer surface doesn’t seem to be as much of a lint and pet hair magnet as regular fleece.</p>
<p>The only problem is that Patagonia’s prices make Marmot and The North Face look like cheapo brands… Especially because there are occasional Marshall’s deals on Marmot and North Face. The Patagonia stuff supposed to be super nice, so I’m sure anything you get from them will be very high quality. I don’t know how their sizing is. I see a lot of references to “slim fit”. </p>
<p>I think all these brands have their own “house” fit to some degree. I know that a Marmot medium will be athletic, but not crazy tight on me. They also make several of their most popular pants in short, regular, and long lengths. An, LL Bean medium will be a bit looser. I only have one North Face fleece, so not sure I can tell.</p>
<p>I don’t think that the R1 stuff goes on sale much. The hoody appears to be a cult-item. There are a ton of comments on the product at the Patagonia site. The Capilene 4 stuff definitely goes on sale though.</p>
<p>We have a local EMS store and maybe I’ll stop in there to see what they have. I bought my original Capilene 3 stuff from EMS about 30 years ago. They might be cleaned out and prepping for the spring season.</p>
<p>Watched this woman speak on how every one has different foods that react to their specific body. Talks about how black beans, for example, are good for some and terrible for others. Found the reasoning very interesting! She talks about removing foods through a detox program and then adding back in and watching for signs of inflammation. Will be interesting to watch Dr. Oz’s test patients.</p>
<p>Their online system claimed that the Nashua store had these Power Stretch hoodies in stock. I just ordered it online with free shipping. It shipped from Chelmsford, so it was next day. I figured I could return it to the store if I didn’t like it.</p>
<p>At least going to the store, you can actually see what these various fabrics are like. Makes it a lot easier to bargain hunt on line.</p>
<p>I agree, it does look like that Patagonia hoodie is a cult item as one of the best cold-weather base layers.</p>
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<p>If you are bargain hunting, the AVIA half zip pullovers at Marshalls/TJMAXX right now are pretty nice for $14.95. Standard running half zip, just a little fuzzy fleece inside so they should be a bit warmer than a tech t, but not as thick as even a light fleece. Reflective bits on the shoulders and sleeves. They’ve got them in a lot of different colors. I like these for layering over t shirts or long sleeve t-shirts. Wear them for warm-up in the basement, then take it off for the actual workout and back on afterwards. That’s a good combination for running or hiking, too, if it’s not super cold.</p>
<p>Wow… Mr B and I really lucked out with our hike. Turns out, the day after we returned form the hike, a transient who has been seen occasionally in the valley tossed a Japanese tourist off a cliff. Luckily, she survived, but had to be airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The criminal is still on the loose despite the massive manhunt. The trail was closed from Dec 17 until yesterday :eek: We might have seen the victim on her way into the valley, because I recal seeing a number of Japanese hikers heading that way as we were hiking out. So sad that there is danger lurking even in paradise…</p>
<p>Sad, really sad. Apparently, he caused some trouble in Eugene, OR prior to this incident in HI, according to the readers’ comments on another news site.</p>
<p>That is just so awful, BB. Very glad you weren’t the victim!</p>
<p>We like to hike out in Arizona when we can get out there and have realized that occasionally we have narrowly skirted some drug deals going down in some of the areas we passed through. Occasionally, hikers have stumbled on to stuff and it has been pretty bad.</p>
<p>I carry my bear spray but not sure it would help.</p>
Yes, I’m still running, just not boring y’all with the details, lol. </p>
