Man on Top book update – master of your domain

Dear friends,

How are you? I am fine.

As many of you know, Galya and I have been working furiously on our book for quite some time. We are extremely proud, excited, and nervous to be on the verge of publishing it; nervous to the point that my hand was shaking as I forced myself to finally click "send" to get it off to our pre-readers. Talk about scary!

Thankfully, our pre-readers have been generous with their praise, [seemingly] honest in their critiques, but loving enough to actually call us out on the bloopers, typos, grammar mistakes, and outright blunders in the book. I couldn't ask for a better group of critics and editors, but I'll be honest and tell you that I said a little prayer before opening each email back or before answering their phone calls. I said this was scary, right?

Well, now that all the comments, corrections, and critiques have been gathered up and processed, it's just come down to some design and formatting work, the reshooting of a few exercise photos, and then my hand will be finally shaking as my finger hovers over the "publish" button. Now that's really going to be scary!

The publishing date is not yet decided, but we're getting close. Like close close. In fact, if you want to be one of the first to hear the news, just fill out the little form up in the right margin or down at the bottom of this very post!

Um, Man on Top?

Meanwhile, we've gotten a few comments about the title; "Man on Top." What's up with the title? What's this book about? 

Here's a bit from the introduction, and I think it will clear up the the title for those of you with your mind in the gutter. Jeez, it's not like we picked a suggestive title just to be suggestive... ;)

Introduction

What’s my inspiration to write this book? The 30,000 foot answer is that I feel like I can help you. If you’re reading this, it’s very likely that you’re overweight and out of shape. Well, that was me for most of my life. I’ve been there, lived there, and finally got out of there, just a few years ago. I’d never been a man on top of anything.

My journey out of “there” began in earnest about 10 years ago, and while I have done a lot of looking back, for the most part it was to take note of how I did it and to wonder why I hadn’t done it earlier. For the first time in my life, I feel “on top.” Why did I wait so long?

Man on top

Yeah, don’t think I’m something I’m not, or worse, don’t think that I think I’m something I’m not. I’m not really the alpha male type, so I’m not "on top" like that. I’m not a business leader, infomercial salesman, or cult leader, either. I’m not even the type of husband to proclaim “I’m in charge!” (although I am when she lets me). No, my version of being on top is being on top of things; taking charge of my own life and health as high level goals, down to the specifics on exercise and diet to support those goals.

This book is to inspire you, the reader, to get lean, slim, ripped, jacked, buff, tight, huge, or even (if it’s your thing) healthy. It’s to teach you a thing or two about yourself, while keeping you sane, happy, and healthy – all the while, keeping your family and friends sane and happy. That way, they’ll be happy for you and all will be right with the world.

This book was written to build or rebuild confidence, as only a man confident in his abilities to change will enact lasting change. This book is to put you on top, whether it’s on top again, or on top for the first time.

So, that's the gist on the name.

By the way, I meant what I said in paragraph two, up there; the goal is to keep the reader sane, happy, and healthy, but it's also to get or keep family and friends on the reader's side, as one of the biggest obstacles to lasting weight loss is lack of social support. It's not that they don't love you, but when it's hard on them, it becomes hard on you, and that's all it takes to ditch it all and go back to old ways.

How do we keep the reader and family simultaneously sane? By only changing what's really necessary, and only when it's time. Diets that ask the dieter to change their world are also asking the dieter to change their family's world; if the wife and kids are already slim and trim, they don't need to change, now do they?

Master of your domain

Be the master of your domain, control what you can control, and manage the rest – these three simple phrases give a man the power to make his own lifestyle changes without taking the family unit down in flames.

Be master of your domain - Every man has some lone wolf inside of him, even when surrounded by cubs and his b... er, mate. You're the alpha male of your own little pack, after all. Most of you find your own food for breakfast, then it's off to work. At work, there's lunch, and that's all you, brutha; your domain! Man on Top will teach you to master these moments, and mastering your domain is critical to your success, and it's really not hard.

Control what you can control - There will always be situations where choice is taken from you ("Happy Father's Day, Daddy! Here's breakfast in bed."). You will learn how to enjoy them, get back on track, and not let them kill your weight loss momentum. It's not hard, when you know the little tricks.

Manage the rest - It's not worth micromanaging your whole day. You've mastered breakfast and lunch and learned to control most of what pops up unexpectedly and get right back on track. No guilt and no second guessing yourself, because that's just not manly.

News updates

I'm gathering names and email addresses for those who want a heads up on the book. If you haven't already signed up, just fill out the form below. I promise not to sell your names, but I will be sending you updates on the book now and again!

Sign up for upcoming news on the new book!

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

Thanks for reading!

Roland

P.S. Remember, that to be a man on top, you really need the support of your spouse, girlfriend, family, and friends. 

I just wanted to post this pic of gal and me that I found when I was looking around

I got mine!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day 2012 – Stone Soup Party

This past weekend, Galya and I hosted a Real Food "day in the park" on Saturday, and a Stone Soup Party on Sunday, all to celebrate Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day, and the beauty of real food.

On Sunday, we invited friends to bring some simple, fresh, whole food ingredients, while we provided the metaphorical soup pot and the stone.

It was a resounding success, as we not only made a large variety of dishes, but we showed that good food can be simple and easy, particularly when the ingredients are fresh a healthy, and surrounded by a fun and positive attitude.

I can't remember all the dishes we made, because many weren't "dishes" at all; simple foods like seared steak don't need a name. Steamed green beans with ginger are simply steamed green beans with ginger, and no fancy recipe name is required.

As people arrived, Galya, our friend Rupina, and I started chopping, cleaning, and cooking, and in the end, course after simple, delicious course was laid out in front of our friends. Of the top of my head, I remember the simple steak, a chicken and mixed veggie stir fry, mango, citrus, pomegranate, and jicama salad, green beans and ginger, a chopped veggie salad, sauteed "flying saucer" summer squash, citrus glazed chicken with rosemary, and a variety of cut up fruits and veggies.

Good food was had by all, and I promise that there are great food pictures and recipes coming soon (I'm just waiting for the "film" to be "developed.").

In the end, all of this "Food Revolution" stuff is about the kids, right? Imagine how Galya and I felt when we got this message from our friend Jenna.

"Okay so Kaitlyn was really impacted by this weekend. She has incorporated what she learned into her play time. She was making healthy treats. When she delivered my order she said it was a donut with strawberry sprinkles. Confused, I asked her how that was healthy. She responded, "I used all natural organic ingredients and the "donut" is actually an apple, and the sprinkles are from fresh strawberries." It is so cute!! Thank you and Roland for your positive influence."

You gotta love that! It's definitely the kind of inspiration we need to keep pushing the Food Revolution message to more kids and families. Thanks, Jenna, for passing this along!


The Stone Soup Story

I don't remember when I didn't know the story of "Stone Soup," but over the past few weeks I've come to realize that not everyone has heard it yet. So, here it is!

Stone Soup

Once a great famine swept the land. The starving people jealously hoarded whatever food they could, hiding it even from friends and neighbors. One day a wandering minstrel happened to pass through a village; he asked if he could stay for the night.

“You had better keep going,” he was told. “There’s no food here.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I have all that I need. I’ll be making stone soup tonight, and I have more than enough to share, should you be hungry.”

The minstrel walked off and pitched camp near the town square, made a large fire, and placed a pot full of water over it. When the water started to simmer, he drew a smooth stone from inside a soft bag, polished it carefully, and slipped it into the water. The villagers had never heard of stone soup, but they were now very intrigued. They watched from a distance, as the minstrel tended the pot, stirring occasionally with a long spoon, and licking his lips with anticipation. Soon, growls of hunger began to come from the stomachs of the villagers.

“I do love stone soup,” the minstrel said, loud enough for the eavesdropping villagers to hear. “Stone soup with onions is good when you can get it too, of course,” he added. He continued to stir, humming as he liked to do.

Soon one of the villagers slowly approached, offering out a few small onions. He gestured toward the pot. “Onions!” cheered the minstrel, adding them happily to the pot. “This reminds me of the salt beef and onion stone soup that I had last year. Now that was a soup to remember.”

After a few minutes, the village butcher stepped forward, smiling as he offered the minstrel some salt beef for the soup. ...and so it went, adding carrots, potatoes, cabbages, mushrooms, sausage, herbs, and spices, until the soup pot was brimming with a delicious soup; enough for all to share.

The villagers gathered around the soup pot, and the fire, staying long into the evening, eating, telling stories, singing, and dancing, while the minstrel played for them, but in the morning, they found that the minstrel had gone. Years later, long after the famine had ended, they still hummed his tunes, shared stories around the fire, and told their children about the finest stone soup that they’d ever had.

 

Are you surviving or thriving?

We appreciate you, too

Yours truly,

Wolen

The Gallery of Unusual Fruit #9 -- Farm Food Freedom Coalition Edition

I found these on the facebook page of The Farm Food Freedom Coalition, which was "formed by consumers in response to government interference regarding food choices and access. Our mission is to inspire, empower and facilitate consumers into action until everyone can procure the foods of their choice from the producers of their choice."

I'm not really an activist, but when I read the stories of independent small farmers and food producers being shut down, arrested, put out of business, and bankrupted, often via mere technicalities, it breaks my heart. There's a ton of politics in this stuff, and the big money to "encourage" the government to do this comes from the big agriculture organizations, seed producers, and chemical companies. Is it really your best interest that these groups have at hear? I wonder.

Support your local farmer, farmers market, and pretty much any avenue of food production that's not the conventional channel, whenever possible.

One last note... my Gallery of Unusual Fruits only exists because of the farmer's market, backyard farmer, and the 99 Cent Store, all of which are more than willing the sell the fruit and vegetables that don't conform to the standards of beauty demanded by the mass market supermarket chains.

Do you sometimes find unusual fruit or vegetables? Take a picture of it and send it my way. I'd love to put it out there with your name on it!

Roland

Review of The New Rules of Lifting for Life

Lou and Alwyn have done it again, with yet another great book that goes beyond a simple lifting program! The ultimate fitness duo's followup to The New Rules of Lifting for Abs is more than just another volume in a series; The New Rules of Lifting for Life ditches the concept of a "generic training program" and puts the actual exercise selection into the hands of the reader! And, they do it in a way that's clear, easy to follow, fun, and downright satisfying.

I will confess that I got the book ahead of time, as my wife wrote the recipes, so we got the book a couple of weeks ago. :) Still, I love the book enough to give it as a gift, and have already purchased two more to give to two friends who can really use Life.

By the way, here's my Amazon review of The New Rules of Lifting for Life:

One of the best parts of this book is that you get to pick your own exercises. No, you don't have to be your own trainer, but you get to participate in your own program design. Other programs might tell you to do an exercise that you just can't do because of an injury or lack of equipment OR because it's simply too hard or too easy. Not a problem with NROL4L because there are a ton of alternate exercise from which to choose.

Also, because it's a template, you don't have to stop after you're done with the program; simply choose new, different, or tougher exercises and get back at it! The book delivers more exercises than any previous volume of NROL, and in a way that makes it easy to follow and learn.

New Rules of Lifting for Life is one of those books that every fitness enthusiast needs to read. The advice is golden, straight shooting, and as funny as Lou Schuler can be. The book has sound advice for all of us, man or woman, including how to get lean, get strong, get or stay healthy, and look good. I don't know about you, but I want to look good for years to come. ;)

Alwyn's programs are deceptively challenging, and as I found out during my workout just last night, I guess I really needed to step things up.

The New Rules of Lifting for Life is my new go to recommendation! ...at least until my own book is ready to go!

Sugar – I don't think it means what you think it means

"You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means." – Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride

Way back when, I posted about Bodyweight Training, and the mystique of purity that surrounds it. I hope that you bodyweighters went ahead and added some weights or external load if appropriate and felt no guilt about it.

This time, let's talk about sugar, which is crazy controversial. People are against sugar, against added sugar, against high fructose corn syrup, against white sugar, against fructose, against fruit, against sugars that aren't high in fructose, and more. Truly, you can find someone who's for or against sugar or "a sugar" for all the right and all the wrong reasons. ...and sometimes they just say gibberish and shout "sugar!" while pounding their little fists on their keyboards.

Sugar, added sugar, naturally occurring sugar, and WTF, a whole plate of "sugar" with sugar on top!

Take a look at this video. I'm sure she means well...



Again, she means well, I'm sure. While I watched the whole video, I'm only focusing on the sugar, tomato sauce, and pasta drama for today. Let's start with the obvious nonsense:

• Teaspoons and tablespoons aren't the same thing. Three teaspoons make one tablespoon. I hope she made a mistake, rather than trying to be dramatic as she spooned all that sugar, dramatically, over the pasta. She actually spooned 15 teaspoons over the pasta.
• Oh my God that's a lot of pasta! She even says the sauce has 5 tsp of "sugar per serving" and starts doling 5 TABLESPOONS of white sugar onto the plate of pasta, implying that the pasta isn't an issue at all AND that this must be one serving. Yet somehow,  it's the added sugar of the pasta sauce that the issue.

About sugar

Tomato sauce may often have some added sugar, but tomatoes are full of naturally occurring sugar. The sauce is usually the least of one's worries. When you make it yourself, using no added sugar, it's still full of sugar. As an example, 1 cup of raw tomato, which will cook down to about a half cup of sauce, contains about 7g of carbohydrate (5g of that is sugar). Safeway Select Tomato Basil (pictured on the video) contains only 4g of sugar in a half cup serving. You can quibble over the slight differences if you like, but a gram here or a gram there is nothing worth warning about.

About pasta and starch

Pasta is one step away from being sugar. Pasta is comprised of starch, primarily. As soon as it hits your mouth, enzymes start to "turn starch into sugar." It's virtually the same thing after about five minutes. That plate is a huge plate of virtually empty calories, most of which will soon be sugar in the body.

I'm not a low carb guy, but I think that foods that are easily eaten, have high caloric density, low nutrition, and are prone to be delicious and/or addictive are a problem for us. Too much of these highly palatable foods can lead to overeating. Processed carbs and sugars are "carriers," similar to Typhoid Mary. Mary wasn't the problem, the typhoid she carried was. Along with most delicious processed carbs, come fats (hence extra calories), more carbs (yet more calories), and salt, sodium, and other taste enhancers (spurring one to eat yet more calories).

Is sugar the problem? Not if eaten in moderation, but as a society, we don't seem to have much luck moderating much of anything, which is why the USDA's current motto (via myplate.org) is so laughable.

“Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less” – the government

The different 'sugars'

Since the dawn of cane sugar, there has been a stream of sugar alternatives, starting with beet sugar (now interchangeable with cane sugar). I won't dwell on them, as I've droned on and on before on the insignificant differences between them. For a flashback, check out "Tea, but with what?"

For a peak at a recent sugar that claims to be healthy, but is still sugar, see this article over at "The Sweet Beet" on coconut sugar. The article stands for itself, but I'll remind you that if you are worried about how many micronutrients you are getting from your sugar, you are eating too sugar and too little of the foods that actually have a decent level of micronutrients.

The ongoing sugar debate/controversy

While it's true that we eat too much 'sugar,' it's really more true that we eat too much food. Any societal rise in sugar intake also shows even bigger rises in dietary fat, processed foods, flours, breads, and other high calorie, low nutrition foods.

Sugar (along with sodium, salt, flavor enhancers, processed carbs, and fats) are carriers. What they carry, is more of the same, which equals calories, and lots of them. Arguing that it's the sugar is pointless, because people also overeat chips because of the salty, crispy, fatty, carbiness.
 
This is somewhat of a chicken and egg issue, but if we were eating more chicken and eggs (and other whole, homemade foods), and less sugar and processed food, we wouldn't be having these issues now would we?

What can you do?

To start, for just one meal a day, replace the starchy carbs with an extra vegetable dish. The easy way is to just not have potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta, at dinner. Have your pot roast and carrots, but add some broccoli, green beans, or a salad to the meal. Have bacon, eggs, and fruit for breakfast instead of cereal of pancakes. Have a salad at lunch, instead of a sandwich.

Next, cook and eat more fresh, whole foods. Ditch the boxed foods. Consider high calorie, low nutrition, highly palatable foods to be optional components to the meal.

This is not the be all, end all of diet plans, but it's a start.

Gayla. LOL

Close, but no cigar!

calories: bomb vs bomb

Calorie bomb, noun

1 – any food that contains a ridiculous amount of calories

2 – a meal that’s large and bad enough to ruin all dieting progress for the past week

3 – one of those huge burritos that are only made in America

Bomb calorimeter, noun

1 – a device used to measure the caloric energy of a given food

2 – the device used to measure the average calorie content of macronutrients

3 – what the human body isn't, which somehow nullifies all the weight loss that happened before paleo and low carb diets were invented

* sarcasm

** I'm pro paleo diet, actually, but you can lose weight by counting calories, as long as you realize that every formula is an estimate and every calorie count is an average.

 

whole vs refined, plain vs peanut

The other day at lunch, I chose white rice over brown, and my friend mocked me for the lack of nutrients in my bowl. Of course, my bowl was chicken (without teriyaki sauce) and veggies over white rice, while his was teriyaki chicken, extra "magic sauce," no veggies, over brown rice.

If you are looking to your grains for your micro-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc. it means you're eating too many grains. You should eat enough fruits and vegetables to get what you need, and if there's room in your diet, and you choose to eat rice, so be it.

At best, grains are a way to get quick energy and provide some fuel for your body. The nutritional profile of grains per calorie is very poor compared to most fruits and vegetables. At worst, grains cause problems for many people. Brown rice makes my stomach hurt within minutes, and has since I was first subjected to it back in the 90s. For a day or two after pizza night, I feel slow, like I'm hung over. This is just me, though. If you're quiet enough and hold the internet up to your ear, you can almost hear the cries of "but I'm doing fine!" out there.

Trying to get the nutrition you need from whole grains vs refined grains is like arguing over whether Plain or Peanut M&Ms are better for you. It's clearly the peanut M&Ms, but you still shouldn't be using them for your nutrition.

Chili colorado

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, but only because the pictures usually are either forgotten or simply look like crap. Many of the things I cook are brown, and brown isn't pretty in a bowl unless it's gelato.

I'm not going to look up the history of chili colorado, but I'll hazard a guess that it's the original bowl of red that's the ancestor of the Texas bowl of red (aka chili con carne). Texas Red is more complicated, while this is simple. Texas Red has other stuff in chunks and pieces, while this is just beef and chili sauce. Simple.

As with a Texas Red, if you put things like beans, corn, and chunked vegetables in chili colorado, it's not longer the real deal; chili colorado should be beef (not pork) and a fairly smooth sauce, with any spices finely ground, and vegetables? On the side.

  
Chili colorado

This is a simple recipe, and can be as mild or as hot as you like. Many people don't realize that paprika is a chili, and as long as you don't get some fancy paprika from the Hungarian section, it tends to be sweet and mild and readily available. I buy mine in a large pack at the local Persian market, where you get fresh and sweet paprika at the price of $4 for about a pound!

Alternately, look for ground California (mild, but not as mild as paprika), Anaheim or New Mexico (tends to hot), or Ancho (tends to hot).

Just make sure not to buy chili powder, which is usually a spice mixture, not just ground chilis!

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1.5 lbs beef (like chuck roast)
1 tsp fat (I used pork fat)
1 medium onion
1 oz dried and ground chili, such as paprika, California, New Mexico, ancho, etc.
1 tbsp cumin, ground
1 tsp salt
2-3 cups water

Directions

Cube the beef chuck or roast. Brown the meat in a heavy skillet, then place it in the slow cooker.

Add fat to the skillet and brown the onions. Add the onions to the slow cooker.

Spinkle the powdered chili, cumin, and salt over the meat and stir to coat.

Deglaze the skillet with water. Taste to make sure it's not bitter, and if not, add it to the slow cooker along with the rest of the water. Stir, and cook for the day on the low setting, or several hours on the high setting.

If you don't have a slow cooker, just simmer for a couple of hours in a heavy, covered pot over low heat until the meat is tender.

Salt to taste, and serve with grilled or roasted vegetables, such as zucchini, squash, peppers, and onions. If you're not a paleo, do what you will with this; I will not be responsible...

We ate our salads before I remembered the camera, so you get no pics of them, but I'll post the recipes. No extra charge.

Free Bonus Recipes

Avocado Lime Salad

Makes 4 servings

2 red bell peppers, seeded, quartered, then cut into slivers
3/4 large ripe avocado, cubed
1 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp cumin, ground
salt to taste

Mix everything together and let it sit out for 30 minutes to an hour. Eat.


Mexican Chopped Salad

Makes 4 servings

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped into bite size pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 Persian cucumbers, chopped into bite size pieces
salt to taste
1/4 large ripe avocado, mashed
1-2 tsp lime juice

Add all veggies to a large bowl. Salt to taste, and stir. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes until it's good and juicy. Stir the mashed avocado and lime juice together. Stir well, incorporating the avocado and vegetable juices into a dressing. Eat.


Pan Grilled Zucchini

Makes 4 servings

6 medium zucchini, cut into circles
2 tsp expeller pressed coconut oil
1 tsp paprika
salt to taste

Heat oil in one or two large skillets, Add zucchini, cooking until browned on one side. Flip and brown the other side. Sprinkle with paprika and salt. Eat. Everything.

Red meat linked to spontaneous human combustion

 
I eat a decent amount of meat, and most of it is red. I've been asked by several people if this study will change my eating habits, and the answer is no, because I like to live on the edge...

The Los Angeles Times print headline reads “Eating beef, pork, or lamb in any amount increases the risk of premature death, according to the new Harvard study." Based on this and what I read in the study, I conclude that the premature death is because of the flames of spontaneous human combustion, or SHC.

From a theory purported on wikipedia: "The victim [of SHC] is an alcoholic and has been smoking while drinking or shortly after drinking a strong spirit. There are claims that this raises the blood alcohol level to a point where it ignites."

That sounds like a bad way to go, even after getting to eat all that red meat.

Lest you think I'm serious (you'd be surprised), the abstract of the study itself it paints a different picture than any one thing causing premature death. Take a look, and note that the italics are mine.

Background  Red meat consumption has been associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases. However, its relationship with mortality remains uncertain.

This part is even better...

Results

Men and women with higher intake of red meat were less likely to be physically active and were more likely to be current smokers, to drink alcohol, and to have a higher body mass index. In addition, a higher red meat intake was associated with a higher intake of total energy but lower intakes of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Unprocessed and processed red meat consumption was moderately correlated. However, red meat consumption was less correlated with intakes of poultry and fish.

The study abstract "results" pretty much sums it all up, right there, so you don’t even have to think, and it does appear that most reporters did not think. However, that makes me wonder how they could have come up with these headlines and conclusions. Not only did they not think, but they also did not read. Are they lazy or is there an agenda? Both?

I'm not going to leave those people doing the study off the hook, either. In spite of the all the other correlations shown (and pointed out in their own words), they still pointed to red meat as the issue (rather than lifestyles that were sedentary and filled with smoking and drinking). Then, when speculating (yes, speculating) over the possible mechanisms, they started pointing to all sorts of out of date theories regarding dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. Are they also lazy or is there an agenda? Both?

My own take on red meat and health is that the typical person who eats a high level of meat also tends to do any number of things that lead to poor health, and the typical person who eats a high level of processed meats does even more things that lead to poor health, as the “study result” shows. As we see from the study, these people ate fewer fruits and vegetables, smoked more, and drank more. What else did they do? What did they eat in place of those missing fruits and veggies?

Earlier today I saw a funny cartoon depicting the problems with this type of study, but these type of studies are really meant to point to what to study next, not to draw real and actionable conclusions. The real problem with these studies is the people who report on them.

Here's the cartoon, which I found on the Obesity Prevention, Policy, and Management Facebook page.

So, I was asked if this would change my eating habits, and the answer is no – this study shows virtually nothing important, despite what the misleading headlines are telling you.

I now ask you, "will this change your news reading, listening, and viewing habits?"

When you lose fat...

From my friend Dewey Nielsen's facebook page.

Fat loss also seems to have fewer negative side effects in placebo controlled studies. ;)

Later!

Roland

Need some grab & go grub? Mealsurvivor is here to help!

We all need quick and easy ideas for healthy foods, every once in a while.

• You have nothing to cook, so you need a quick stop on the way home to avoid fast food
• You are hungry at the store, so you need to buy something healthy to eat when you get home
• You seriously don't want to cook
• Leftovers? Again?
• You want to have something on hand for those times when you just want quick and easy.

Enter Meal Survivor!

It's a work in progress, but Galya, Lisa, and I are doing the dirty work to write about the foods that you can rely on to be tasty, healthy, and diet conscious.

Here are some of the categories already up!

Big Lots,World Market,Target, Trader Joe's,fresh and easy, supermarket

breakfast, dessert, dinner, drinks, lunch, sides, snacks

gluten free, grab-and-go, low carb, office friendly, paleo, simple recipes, vegetarian

If you have suggestions or requests, comments or questions, please let us know (and like us) on our Facebook page! It's Facebook.com/MealSurvivor!


Later!

Roland

Review: the fitbit

I've been using my fitbit for over a year now, and I think it's a tremendous little tool.

so that's what that pocket is for...

Pros

It's got a lot of pros, since it's $99 or less, convenient, etc. 

• small
• inexpensive for what it does
• girly colors (pink and this girly blue), which is great for girls
• wireless sync to base unit
• the best diet and food logging interface on the web!
• great battery life
• uses an accelerometer vs that little ball that rolls back and forth inside most pedometers, so it's more accurate
• via the web site, allows you to challenge your friends via the "Leader Board"
• can ride in your pocket, invisibly
• the soft and comfortable armband lets you track sleep time and quality
• clips securely on fabric, like socks, pant legs, etc. I found that when clipped to my pant leg or sock, it registers movement for Kettlebell Sport movements better.
• lets you "bookmark" activities from your fitbit, then tell it what you did (a run, hike, housecleaning), later. It's fun to see how much these things burn when you assign it a specific activity.
• reminds you to move
• great customer service (mine broke after longtime use, and they still replaced it)
• a pedometer on steroids

Cons

Most of the cons are merely because of the small size, so it's hard to say I'd want more features if it made the fitbit bigger or bulkier.

• easy to lose or wash in the laundry
• colors are girly, so it's a good thing it can ride in a pocket
• holster doesn't inspire confidence (feels like it could fall out)
• no hole for a keyring, chain, or lanyard
• could use a smaller base for laptop use
• if you're too smooth and awesome at Kettlebell Sport, it barely registers your snatch movement. Nothing's perfect!

I can dream, can't I?

I wish fitbit.com could somehow track your activity, and when it finds you ass-sitting for too long, send you a text message or email to get you off your butt. It would need to sync via a phone app and bluetooth instead of the base unit, but wouldn't that be a great future feature?




So...

The biggest thing for me, is the realization of just how little I move each day. The fitbit encourages me to get up off my butt, and since it's small and unobtrusive, and has so many great features, it's hard to not recommend it! The Fitbit is under $99 and available at Amazon with free Super Saver shipping.

Recommended!

Just horsing around

Thanks to Patrick for sending the picture!