Here is a teenager, Taylor LeBaron, who took that idea to new levels. Like any game, he identified his enemies, his allies and his points system. He calls his caloric intake his “money” and he pointed out who his true enemies are: Inactivity, food choices, large portions, liquid calories, and stress.
For the next few weeks every Monday, I’ll share a playlist of songs that I have in my Workout Playlist on my iPhone. I’ll include clips to listen to, where you can buy them and why I have them in my list. Just so you know, I do get a portion of the sales of these songs from Amazon, so if you buy them, you’re helping me out.
Shake It by Metro Station: I got this song for free from iTunes. I know the verses have nothing to do with working out, but the chorus sings, “Sha-sha-sha-sha-shake it!” over and over! How could that song NOT be on my workout playlist?!
Hard Currency by Information Society: A couple of years ago, the New York Times had an article about how being overweight can cost you not only in insurance premiums and medical bills, but in lower wages: Extra Weight, Higher Costs – New York Times. For my BMI at the time, it estimated that I would save five thousand dollars a year if I just got to my goal weight. That’s why this song is on my workout playlist, to remind me that I will be $5000 richer when I get to my goal.
Your Body Is A Temple by Argonaut: This song was one of Mike’s and it came up on a shuffle play once. I immediately added it to my workout playlist. With a preacher yelling, “And the bible says that your body is the temple!” it was a shoe-in!
Skinny Jeans by SkinnySongs: This week’s song from the Skinny Songs album is about getting back to a thin weight. It doesn’t really talk to me because I’ve never been at goal in my adult life. I like the song, though!
Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson: This song is on the list because it has the phrase “Walk Away” in it. It’s a high energy song that gets me moving and I like to walk at 4.0 mph while hearing her telling me to keep walking.
Work 01 by Front 242: This song is mostly an instrumental song. Long before The Matrix made music like this popular, Front 242 was making me run. You’ll have to ignore the “another mutilated body” voice overs and just concentrate on the “Is this the kind of work you’d like to do” voiceovers instead.
Don’t Give Up by Chicane: All a good workout song needs is a fast beat and one good lyric. This song has “Don’t Give Up” and a beat that will get your feet moving!
A Little Less Conversation by Elvis vs JXL: I absolutely love this song. With lyrics like, “A little less conversation. A little more action,” it reminds me that I can’t just talk about exercising. I need to DO it!
Running by No Doubt: This is a great cool down song, but I also like listening to it when I’m running. The chorus says, “Running, running, as fast as I can. Do you think we’ll make it? We’re running, keep holding my hand, so we don’t get separated.”
Listen to the clips for these songs. If you find just one song this week that motivates you to exercise, then buy it and make it your powersong when you’re working out this week. I bet you’ll find that you’re more willing to get your butt to the gym and your workouts are easier.
I don’t know if you remember Michael Verdi, but he is one of my video blogging friends from way back. In April of 2006, he decided to run again and did a little video after his first run. A run around the block set off a fit of coughing and he had forgotten how hard it was. You can see that video after his first run here:
Well, it’s almost four years later and he is now training for a triathlon. You can really tell the difference in his health just by looking at the shape of his face. He has toned up and slimmed down and now he’s willing to take it to the next level.
You can help Michael Verdi by donating to his run for the Team in Training here:
I sent him twenty five bucks just because he’s such a great example of how regular exercise really changes our bodies for the better. Good luck, Michael! We’re cheering for you from afar!
Kevin Rose interviewed Dr. Weil the other day and asked him a bunch of questions regarding health issues for computer geeks.
Geek Question: How bad is soda?
Dr. Weil: I don’t think there is anything wrong with carbonation, but the problem with most sodas is that they are high is sugar. The vast consumption of sugary drinks is one of the main things that’s driving the obesity epidemic in young people in this country. I like sparkling water with a little fruit juice in it.
High fructose corn syrup is bad and a marker of low quality foods, but whether a soft drink is sweetened with HFCS or “real sugar” is not a big difference nutritionally.
Geek Question: What about energy drinks?
Dr. Weil: You want to read labels. They throw everything but the kitchen sink in and there’s no real reason behind the ingredients. Be careful about sugar content. There may be many different caffeine sources in something. The price might not be justified with what’s in it. Plus, there are many tried and true energy drinks like coffee and tea.
Geek Question: What do you recommend to pull an all-nighter?
Dr. Weil: Coffee is great for that, but if you use it regularly, it’s not going to have much effect. There are forms of tea that are quite powerful. Matcha, a powdered green tea, was developed in Japan to keep Zen Monks awake.
There are other natural stimulants like bitter orange, which is an ingredient in some of these energy drinks. That has replaced ephedra in a lot of the things out there.
Geek Question: A lot of people are saying that dairy is bad for you. Is that true?
Dr. Weil: I think that’s an over-simplification. I think cow’s milk and all of its derivatives is a problem for a lot of people. Butter fat is not great for our hearts and arteries. The sugar in cow’s milk, lactose, is indigestible for a lot of people. But the big problem is the protein in cow’s milk, casein, has a particular ability to irritate the immune system and be associated with allergy.
The antibiotics that the cows are treated with is a whole other issue. One aspect that I never hear discussed is that in North America, we have cows lactating or pregnant almost all of the time. Because of that there is a high level of sex hormones in the milk and those hormones are cancer promoting. These are natural hormones that are the consequences of keeping cows lactating, but they can cause breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
Geek Question: What about soy milk?
Dr. Weil: In Japan, where soy milk is consumed regularly, there is generally better health, better longevity and much lower rates of hormonally driven cancers. I think it’s very beneficial to consume whole soy foods moderately and regularly. That’s WHOLE soy foods (edamame, soy nuts, soy milk, tofu, tempeh), not fake food made with soy isolate, soy supplements, or soy isoflavones. We have no information on the safety of these products.
Geek Question: What vitamins should we be taking?
Dr. Weil: I think the quality of vitamins matters, but the quality doesn’t necessarily correlate with the price. I don’t think vitamins are substitutes for the foods that contain them, because at best they are partial representations of what nature provides. They are useful for insurance against gaps in the diet.
Geek Question: What vitamin D? A lot of geeks don’t get a lot of sunshine.
Dr. Weil: This is standard. Vitamin D deficiency is the rule in this country. Dermatologists have made everyone so paranoid about the sun that they use sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D. It’s worth getting your levels checked, but I recommend that everybody take 2000 i.u. of vitamin D a day. Take it with your largest meal, because it needs fat to be absorbed. The BEST way to get it from sun exposure.
Geek Question: What about Omega-3 oils?
Dr. Weil: This is the greatest deficiency in our nation. I recommend you take 2-3 grams of fish oil every day. Omega-3 rich fish to eat: sardines and sock-eye salmon. Krill is a good idea, but I’m concerned about sustainability. Chia and flax seed are good for your diet, but they aren’t substitutes for the nutrients you get from fish. Plant derived omega-3’s are a different molecule that the body needs to convert to what it needs and that conversion is not very efficient.
Geek Question: What about cell phone radiation?
Dr. Weil: That’s a very controversial issue. The bottom line is that you should err on the side of caution. I try to personally limit cell phone use. Distancing yourself from the source of the radiation is useful.
Geek Question: What about eye problems from looking at the computer screen every day?
Dr. Weil: That is a real issue. I guess the best advice is to get into the habit of looking at something distance once every two minutes. Protect your eyes from UV radiation when you’re out in the sun. Take the right doses of antioxidant vitamins.
Geek Question: What about pomegranate juice?
Dr. Weil: We should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables. The practical advice is that you want to eat across the color spectrum (every color of fruit and vegetable that you can). I don’t think you need to spend outrageous amounts of money on exotic super fruits. There are plenty of things on hand to eat that are much cheaper and more available. You don’t need these exotic things in your diet and we have plenty of home grown things that are great.
Geek Question: What is it about chocolate that has such addictive properties to it and is that really good for me?
Dr. Weil: Chocolate has a stimulant drug in it called theobromine. It also has a high fat content. It also has a chemical in it called phenethylamine that some people think is associated with elevated mood and a sense of emotional well-being.
Geek Question: What about the Atkin’s Diet?
Dr. Weil: I think the better incarnation of that is probably South Beach Diet. For men, particularly, it’s a relatively easy way of dropping weight. I recommend the anti-inflammatory diet. Try to avoid products made with flour and sugar.
Geek Question: You were against trans-fats and now they are labeled on packaging. Is there anything else that you’d like to get awareness about?
Dr. Weil: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is an indicator of low quality food. Avoid the food if there are too many ingredients on the label or ingredients that you don’t recognize.
Geek Question: At what point should you seek medical advice for depression? Are there supplements for it?
Dr. Weil: You should see a doctor about severe depression when it is interfering with daily living: can’t work, can’t get out of bed, disordered eating. Most cases of mild to moderate depression can be managed with regular aerobic exercise, getting adequate exposure to bright light, getting good sleep, moderate intake of caffeine and alcohol and supplements (vitamin D, fish oil, Sam-e, and St. John’s Wort).
Geek Question: What about exercise?
Dr. Weil: I think it’s important to get some sort of exercise every day. For people dealing with depression, I’d say a minimum of thirty minutes of some kind of vigorous aerobic activity at least five or six days of the week.
Geek Question: Are juice cleanses good for us?
Dr. Weil: The best way to detox a body is to stop putting toxic things in. The body has marvelous ways of clearing things up like urination, sweating, breathing and elimination. Drink more water, use a sauna and exercise to increase sweating and make sure you go to the restroom regularly. I tend to rely on those much more natural methods of detoxification. I don’t think you have to invest in these fancy detox kits and products that are sold in health food stores.
Geek Question: You’re a big drinker of tea. What do you recommend?
Dr. Weil: I personally like good quality green tea, oolong tea, occasionally Darjeeling tea, and pu-erh tea. Most of the medical research has been done on green tea. Go to a tea shop and Asian grocery stores to get good tea.
If you are feeling a little down about yourself, watch this video. See if you can spot the famously “flawed” people.
My friend, Hugh Elliott, recommended the video with the following sentence:
you should watch this. and get a tissue. (not that I needed one but you might.)
He was right. I started blubbering at:
My scar saved my life.
Our flaws ARE the things that make us unique. Without them, we would all be the same and the world would be such a boring place. The next time you find yourself cursing any part of your body, remember this video. We can love ourselves and work to make ourselves better.
Hands down, the best exercise equipment store is the thrift store. In Utah, the best thrift store (or second-hand store) is Deseret Industries, or The DI for short. If you are looking for some exercise equipment, whether it’s a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical trainer or even an Ab-Doer, you will eventually find a GOOD one at the thrift store if you go there every week and really look.
Just last week, here is what I saw at the 4500 South DI:
So many Ab-Doers and Cardio Glides that I had my pick of the litter. Of course, I wasn’t looking for either of those, but if I had, it would have been perfect. Fortunately, I found exactly what I was looking for at the Redwood Road DI. I had wanted a recumbent exercise bike with magnetic resistance so that it would be quiet and I found it for only twenty five bucks.
I had seen a brand new version of this exact bike at Sears for over 250 dollars, so I saved over two hundred bucks just by biding my time and looking at every thrift store in town once a week for about a month. Sure, that’s a pain in the butt to wait and meticulously look, but it was worth the money.
If you want some exercise equipment, here is how to get it on the cheap:
Go to the “real” sports stores and department stores to find out what you want. Use the demo units so you can know how they are supposed to feel when they are new. Determine the features that you are looking for. Also, check the prices to make sure that you aren’t paying full price for a used item.
Make a list of the features you NEED, the features you’d LIKE and what you’re willing to live with. For example, on the bike I bought, the seat and back were falling apart and had been taped together with black tape. I didn’t care that the seat was damaged because what I wanted was magnetic resistance on a recumbent bike.
Make a list of all the thrift shops and second hand stores in your area. With my list, I was able to hit a bunch of them on my way home from downtown each week, so it wasn’t difficult for me to look in so many stores.
Visit the shops about once a week, preferably on the day that they receive new merchandise. Some stores get deliveries of second hand items on a regular basis from a central donation center. Others put new items out each day. Find out the rhythms of each store.
In each store, go to the exercise equipment section and make a quick search. Don’t get distracted by the other goodies you might see there. This is supposed to be a quick search.
Try out the equipment at the thrift store. If it’s a treadmill, insist that they allow you to plug it in and see if it works. Try it at every intensity level that you plan on using it. Some equipment works fine at lower levels, but when you crank up the speed or incline, they conk out. Make sure you test it thoroughly before buying it, so wear your jogging bra and running shoes on your outings.
Make sure you can get it home. It’s not a deal if you have to rent a truck to haul the thing home. Make sure it will fit in your car or that you have a friend with a pickup to help you get the equipment home.
Believe me, there were plenty of exercise bikes at the thrift stores, but I wanted a very specific kind, so it took me a while to get what I wanted. You’ll have to do the same when you are looking for exercise equipment at thrift stores, but it will be worth it when you finally find it.
For the next few weeks every Monday, I’ll share a playlist of songs that I have in my Workout Playlist on my iPhone. I’ll include clips to listen to, where you can buy them and why I have them in my list. Just so you know, I do get a portion of the sales of these songs from Amazon, so if you buy them, you’re helping me out.
Your Attention by Blue Man Group: This song is fast moving, so it’s great to run to. It also reminds me that I need to be present in the moment. “Your attention, please. Please yell if you are paying attention!” It just makes me want to yell!
Strong Enough by Cher: I know this song is about surviving a cheating no-good husband like Sony Bono, but she keeps saying that she’s strong enough. It’s like an anthem for all those people who want to stop working out as soon as they start. I like to think of the old me who didn’t want to exercise is the person who’s “gotta to go.”
Move Your Body by Eiffel 65: Before auto-tune became a pop music staple, Eiffel 65 released an entire album with it. I love this one because it makes me want to move, even if I’m sitting still. It works wonders when I’m feeling like quitting.
Jump In The Pool by Friendly Fires: I have no idea where I heard about this song. I love the sound of the music. Just hearing them saying, “Jump in the… jump in the…” over and over makes me want to take big jumps on my treadmill.
Fergalicious by Fergie: I have this song in my workout playlist for ONE line in the song, “My body stay vicious, I be up in the gym, just workin’ on my fitness.” Just hearing that Fergie needs to workout to stay beautiful reminds me that I have to as well.
Move Your Feet by Junior Senior: This song can be a little repetitive, but it sure keeps my feet movin’! “Don’t stop the beat! Can’t control the feet! People in the street, come on everybody and move your feet!”
I’m A Hottie Now by SkinnySongs: This week’s selection from Skinny Songs is a great way to imagine how life will be when I get thin.
Dare To Be Stupid by Weird Al Yankovic: My love for Weird Al Yankovic is well known and one of the reasons is this song. Whenever I feel like exercise makes me look dumb (especially when I’m not doing well), this song reminds me that it’s okay to dare to be stupid.
Listen to the clips for these songs. If you find just one song this week that motivates you to exercise, then buy it and make it your powersong when you’re working out this week. I bet you’ll find that you’re more willing to get your butt to the gym and your workouts are easier.
Back in February, we had one final snow storm that covered the city in a blanket of beautiful white. I wasn’t really in the mood to go for a walk, but I couldn’t let the gorgeous snow get away. I grabbed Mike’s camera and headed to Sugarhouse Park to film a walking video. It’s strange to see the shivering whiteness now that summer has overtaken Utah. If the heat is slowing you down, pop this DVD into your player and pretend it’s cold and snowy.
Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:
The cold air made it harder for me to breathe, so you can hear me panting up the hills on this one. By the end of the filming, the lens was covered with snowflakes. Is it distracting or realistic? You decide!
When you went to bed, it felt like spring, but you woke up to a blanket of snow and still more coming down. It is sticking to every branch and the whole world looks like it has been spray painted white. It is a perfect morning for a walk in the park. The snow crunches under your boots. Be careful not to slip.
The geese and ducks have congregated to the middle of the pond, but you can still hear them honking in protest at the sudden storm. A family is tobogganing down the hill. You want to play with them, but you don’t have a sled, so you keep walking. Photographers are wandering the park taking photos of the snow-laden branches. Say hi to the other walkers intent on their daily routine despite the snow. By the time you’re finished, your glasses are covered with snowflakes, but your cheeks are red and you feel like you could walk across the world.
Buy Walking Videos
I’ve talked about making weight loss a game in the past:
