Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

I was looking for something to track my calories and exercise, but I found something entirely different: traineo.

• traineo | Weight Loss Community

This website is different than most. Sure, it allows you to write what you’ve done each day as far as calories consumed and exercise completed, but it doesn’t get into the nitty gritty. You literally just write the total calories you’ve eaten. There is no way to track what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I guess they assume you track that elsewhere. The exercise section is a little more detailed, but not much. Personally, if I have to keep track elsewhere, why would I even bother with traineo. The only reason I would put my information there would so my motivators know how I’m doing.

The power with traineo is the Motivators. You choose people who are either part of traineo or not to motivate you. I don’t really know anyone personally who wants to concentrate on exercise and healthy eating, so the fact that I can ask a stranger who has similar goals as me to be my workout buddy is really cool.

When I searched for a motivator in my area, however, there was no one within 20 miles. Of course, this is the Internet. I don’t need someone in SLC, Utah to motivate me. They can be from anywhere. What I would have really liked is to find someone with my same age, weight and goal that I could be buddies with, but I can’t search by those fields. I can only organize my search by people who are online now, or ladies only or by name. I don’t care what their name is. I’m looking for another woman who is 5’2″ and weighs 187 like I do. I’m looking for someone who is going through exactly what I’m going through. I would also like to search by exercise regime. Maybe someone who runs the same mileage I do or someone who likes to play DDR.

Speaking of DDR, video games, like DDR, Yourself! Fitness and Eye Toy, are not on the exercise list, but sexual activity is. If anyone is doing enough sexual activity to count the calories burned, they don’t need traineo. They need a therapist.

All in all, traineo looks like it has potential to be a good way to find an exercise buddy, but it’s not quite ready for prime time yet. It needs more people and more functions to help me find a good motivator. If you already have motivators in your life, then using traineo will be easy for you, but then again, if you already have good motivators, then you don’t really need traineo.

Via: Seth’s Blog: Landing page of the week

Hewlett Packard has added a feature to its cameras that allows you to make a centered subject appear thinner.

• Slimming photos with HP digital cameras – HP Digital Photography Center

This isn’t new. It’s something that Photoshop experts have been doing for a long time. I thought I would try it out myself and see if I could create a slimmer version of my Before Pictures.

Using Photoshop, I created the “after” photo by changing the image size without constraining the proportions. You can tell because the fish above my head is much “thinner” than it was before. The photo makes my before photo look a little thinner, but it does nothing for my lumpy parts. I think that’s why HP used models that didn’t really need slimming in their example pages. Sure, it can make you look a little less wide, but it can’t shave off the soft and bumpy bits.

In the end, there is no software that can make you look better. You have to do the work to look better. I have never had a better photo taken of me than the quick clicks of friends when I am healthy and strong. This picture was taken by Betsy the Devine at SXSW last March and it’s the best I’ve looked EVER. Don’t waste your money on cameras that say they will make you look thinner. Getting thin is free, all you have to do is put in the effort.

It’s sexy, no? Maybe you can barely see it? Is all you’re seeing is the shoe? Look on the shoelaces, there is a tiny black square. That is what I’m talking about. The almost invisible Marware Sensor+. It holds your Nike+ iPod sensor on your shoes in its tiny and compact pocket. Plus, it’s only 13 bucks.

I have to admit that this is mighty tempting, even though I already have something that works with my Nike+. I have had a couple of people ask about “that thing on my shoe,” but this sensor pocket is so small that I don’t think anyone would even notice it.

Still can’t see it? Here is a bigger picture:

It feels like I’ve been talking about the Nike+ alot lately, and I have. It has been the only thing keeping me exercising lately. I don’t know why it has been so motivating to me, but I have been really happy with it.

It looks like some people have had some troubles with the new Nano and the Nike+. Here are some responses from the Apple Support Board:

• Apple – Support – Discussions – Does anyone know if the Nike+iPod kit …

“I just got mine today….. the nano keeps freezing up with the nike sports kit….. according to all literature, you need a 1.2 nano update, but the 2Gen nanos come with 1.0.1 I’m not sure if that is why….but like I said, mine keeps freezing right before I start a workout and have to reset(using hold, menu + center) to get out the screen. There are no further updates available for the 2gen. Either I got a bad nano, or their are glitches.”

“My sport kit worked fine with my old Nano. I received my second gen Nano yesterday, and the Nano cannot connect with the sensor. My Nano doesn’t freeze; it just won’t connect with the sensor. I am also using firmware 1.0.1, which, according to Itune 7.0, is the latest for the new Nano. Any ideas? A new firmware, perhaps?”

It looks like some people have no troubles, though.

“I have nike+ipod, and new nano, nike+ shoes as well. they all work. don’t worry. only difference is if you connect adapter with new nano, nike+ipod menu appears. but if you remove it, it will be disappeared unlikely old nano which is stayed on.”

It looks like the problems are hit and miss right now, which is enough to make me wait to see what Apple does about them. Apple has a strange way of getting rid of affiliated companies that they don’t like (Motorola iPod Phone, anyone?). It may be that the Nike thing isn’t working out the best it could and Apple is subtly phasing them out of the picture.

I guess I’ll keep exercising with my borrowed Nano for now…

It has been a long time since I’ve seen a website about DDR that was interesting at all. This website, DDRFitness.com, peaks my interest because they have a “What’s New in DDR” section with the latest in exergaming.

• DDRFitness.com | Dance Dance Revolution – Fun in Physical Fitness

They have written this website in order to sell games and dance pads. When I looked at the prices, they seem reasonably well-priced, so they’re not trying to rip you off. Of course, I haven’t ordered anything from them, so I don’t know how reliable they are, but the news links are interesting.

They’re DDR buying guide is minimalist, but contains exactly enough information to get you started. It won’t help you learn how to play the game well, but it will tell you enough to be able to choose the correct game and pad.

• DDRfitness.com | DDR Buyer’s Guide

One thing I would add is that the metal pads aren’t necessarily the best in comfort. It really depends how you play. I learned to play barefoot and have a hard time playing the game with running shoes. If I play barefoot on the arcade game (very similar to the metal pads), I get blisters very quickly. I could wear shoes, but then I would have to learn how to play all over again. For me, the high density pads are the best. They are also very reasonably priced through DDRFitness.

Go ahead and take a look at DDRFitness and see what you think.

If you have been thinking of buying an iPod Nano to exercise with, you’re in luck. Apple just remastered the Nano in rainbow colors!

• Apple – iPod nano

I have been testing the Nike+iPod with a borrowed Nano for a couple of months now. I’ve been so happy with it, I have been considering buying one of my own. I’m so glad I waited because now I can get one in my favorite color.

The reason the iPod Nano is better for exercising than the Video iPod is because it is made with flash memory instead of a hard drive. The jarring action of running won’t damage the Nano like it would the Video iPod (or other hard drive MP3 players). Additionally, no matter how hard you run, it won’t skip. That’s why Apple created the Nike+ for the Nano only. They didn’t want to promote running with the other iPods.

Unlike the old Apple commercials, the new one doesn’t feature the white earbuds as prominently. It features the bright colors of the new Nanos. You can see it here:

Hey, I wonder if the ear buds come in Lime Green also…

Here are some articles explaining the Nike+iPod:

• Starling Fitness » Tune Your Run With Nike and iPod

• Starling Fitness » More Info On the Nike+iPod

• Starling Fitness » Nike: Tune Your Run

• Starling Fitness » How to Use Nike+ on ANY Type of Shoe

• Starling Fitness » First Glance: Nike+iPod

• Starling Fitness » Nike+ Workout with The Crystal Method

• Starling Fitness » Nike+ After Two Weeks

Stay tuned for another review of the Nike+iPod now that I’ve owned it for a couple of months.

Laura,

I hate to be a bother, but since I have your attention – do you have any advice on what to look for when buying a treadmill? Hey, what a great idea for a blog entry!

(Of course, I’ll do a search in your archives.)

Ernie

Ernie,

I haven’t written that entry because it’s so complicated. It depends on a lot of things, like your space requirements. We live in an 890 square foot house, so the only spot we had to put a treadmill was a tiny area in Mike’s office. It was essential that we had a fold-up design, so we compromised on horsepower and stability because of space.

We use ours so much that I wish we had gotten an industrial grade treadmill (like the kind they use in gyms). One that works with a Polar heart rate monitor would have been nice also. I thought the iFit thing would be important, but I rarely use it anymore. I used to use it a lot with a program called i2Workout, where I could program workouts that controlled the treadmill, but I haven’t used it lately.

• Pick Me! » i2Workout

The most important thing is to wear workout clothes and running shoes to test them out. If the store doesn’t let you test them, then don’t buy them. And REALLY test them out. Try running on them at top speed and see how they vibrate. Ours makes a lot of noise and it has been a bother because I will wake up Mike when I’m running, even though the treadmill is in another room.

I just remembered that Wendy Bumgardner wrote a few entries back in March about the latest treadmills. Maybe they will help:

• Best Budget Treadmills

• Top Picks for Mid-Range Treadmills

• Top Picks Quality Treadmills

I guess I WILL turn this email into an entry on Starling Fitness, if you don’t mind.

Happy Shopping, Laura

It has been a while since I’ve seen an exercise product that makes me laugh. The interactive commercial from Brookstone states that horse-riding is the one of the best forms of exercise.

Sure, it might build a little abdominal strength, but there are hundreds of better exercises to do for your abs that don’t require a silly machine or a horse.

This Asian advertisement for the product says what they’re really trying to sell:

I suspect that in five years, anyone who buys this product is going to shake their head at this commercial and wonder why they have an iGallop in their basement.

Via: iGallop: Great Abs While Sitting Down?

I’ve talked a lot about the Nike+iPod, but it isn’t the only fitness oriented MP3 player out there. Sony is working on an MP3 player called the Sony NW-S200 Walkman. Is it really good for running? Read my thoughts on the Gadgets Page:

• The Gadgets Page » Sony’s Answer To The Nike+iPod

As much as I would like to be able to recommend a couple of different products, it just seems like the Sony Walkman was designed by someone who doesn’t run.

“Sadly, it seems that this MP3 player for athletes was designed by someone who has never gone on a run in their life. The reason the Nike+iPod is so cool is that it’s so easy to use. In my entire review of the product, I didn’t touch once on how to use it because it was so intuitive. It makes me feel sorry for Sony because they just don’t understand it.”

Until Sony learns what we need, I’ll just keep running with the Nike+iPod. It has kept me running on a regular basis and entertained me along the way.

V is a freelance architect who wanted to have a healthier life. She saw the treadputer ideas and decided to try it on her own. Documenting her journey (and the cost) she has started her own weblog about the process.

She found a used treadmill on Craigslist for $200 and her bulky CRT monitor didn’t work on the shelving, so she has purchased a LCD monitor for only $119. That and a little shelving and she is ready to walk and work.

She has used a monitor splitter so she can work at a desk (work top) if she needs to or work on the treadmill.

V talks about some of the logistics of walking while working:

“The other thing I’ve noticed is, when I get focused on something, I tend to forget to walk. It’s a good thing this machine has one of those thingies that hooks to your clothes and will pull out and turn off the machine if you get too far away from the console.”

I’m interested to see if she is able to draft while walking. Drafting takes a certain precision when using the mouse, so learning to do that while keeping active will be a challenge. If you are considering setting up a treadputer workstation, keep reading her weblog to see how she is able to handle the logistics of working while walking.

Update 08-18-06 12:12 am: Sadly, it looks like V has deleted her weblog.