September 2008

Kettlebell Experiment Conclusions

September 29, 2008

I actually went to a NKOTB concert. I was 11. I went with my dad. Poor man. Some things just don’t make sense. Like The New Kids On The Block much-hyped comeback song “Summertime.” I mean the girl in the song is walking the beach in “flip flops, half shirt, short shorts, mini skirt.” Who wears short shorts AND a mini skirt? Was it a skort? If so, why didn’t one of the Joeys just sing “skort”? Granted, skorts are generally for preschoolers who can’t be trusted to keep their panties covered (Hush, Madonna, I said preschoolers) but do singers [...]

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Orthorexic Mind Games, Book Edition

September 29, 2008

If we’re going to be friends, there is something you should know: you must never, under any circumstances, give me a diet/nutrition book. Even if I ask you for it. First of all, I’ve probably read it. I’ve read them all. Or if I haven’t read it, I’ve read something very similar to it because truly there are only so many ways to adulterate your food. Second, I’ll do bad things with it. Case in point: This weekend. Over the space of two days I burned through Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck, The Eat Clean [...]

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Stretch Marks: Fashion Accesory or Faux Pax?

September 26, 2008

Here’s something you don’t see very often in our Photoshopped, airburshed and Dermablended world: stretch marks. And not just a couple discreetly tucked away on a hip or breast. Oh no, these are full-on I’ve birthed a baby and no amount of Mederma will ever fix them stretch marks. A woman named Deelishis from, unsurprisingly, some reality show showcased her baby mama marks with pride at a private bowling party in Miami. (Side note: what in tarnation is a “private bowling party”? I thought it had to be celebrity code from something less Community Night at Larry’s Lanes and more [...]

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Failed Experiment: The Every Other Day Diet

September 25, 2008

Doing what I do here at The Great Fitness Experiment, one of the questions I get asked the most is “So which diet/exercise program is the best?” closely followed by the inevitable “And which one is the worst?” My answer is generally not what people are looking for: “Um, all of them.” See, the thing is, the vast majority of diet and exercise programs work. You’ve heard of clean eating and exercise, right? But then eventually, because of the body’s amazing ability to adapt, they all stop working. Which is why change is so important. But there are genuinely bad [...]

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Learning To Walk Again

September 23, 2008

“Those are, um, quite the shoes,” my friend B said diplomatically, staring at my feet. “Wow, you sure are, uh, taller today!” commented P, staring at my feet. “I bet those are real…comfortable,” the night manager at the grocery store chirped, staring at my feet. “Your mom has ROCKER shoes,” exclaimed my son’s friend C, staring at my feet. For the past week my feet have been getting a lot of attention. Let’s put it this way, if this were the Emmys my feet would be Phoebe Price: And all because of these hot little numbers: The Lamis, in red [...]

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Old Navy Special of the Week: Rib Removal, Only $10 !

September 23, 2008

9 am on a Random Monday Morning. Gym Buddy Allison Calls. A: I have an idea. Let’s skip class today and go to the mall! me: Oooh, will you make me a mix tape too? And then maybe we can hold hands? A: Funny. I’m serious. Let’s play hooky from the gym. me: Um, mall + 4 teeny kids = every retail clerk’s nightmare A: I’m kid free! me: How did that happen?!? A: I dunno but it never does so I gotta get out of here before my husband changes his mind. Besides, you only have 1 toddler this [...]

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Vulnerable: On Being Naked in the Gym

September 22, 2008

The Uncomfortable Telling, Part I“C…c…can I come in? I need to talk.” Crying the ugly cry before Oprah ever coined the term, I stood shivering in the sunlight on his doorstep. There was snow but I wore only a thin green t-shirt and jeans. I couldn’t remember where I’d left my coat and sweater. He nodded, running his hand through his hair and squinting against the sun. It was obvious I’d woken him and I wondered what time it was. Surely I didn’t need to apologize though. We were old friends, the type that always promise each other, “If you [...]

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How To Make Your Own Great Fitness Experiment

September 19, 2008

Step One: Find an elephant… Because you need instruction in this, right?? The multi-talented Jen Sinkler (Senior Editor of Experience Life magazine and competitive rugby player) gave me the opportunity to introduce The Great Fitness Experiment and my Gym Buddy crew over at her blog, Survival of the Fittest. So definitely check out my guest post on how to run your own Great Fitness Experiment and check out her other fab posts. My particular favorite must-read post of hers is My Body, Reframed. In fact, I love it so much that even if you don’t want to read my post, [...]

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Williams Sisters Sell Oreos to Children, Meth Next

September 18, 2008

You are the current U.S. Open Champion and her equally-as-talented sister. People the world over adore you. You’ve made unprecedented strides in both of your athletic careers and at the same time managed to keep your personal lives on an even keel. Kudos all around. So what do you do? If you are Venus & Serena Williams, you become the official spokespeople for Oreos, the cookie that made transfat famous. I know, I know, before I start with the obligatory pearl clutching and histrionic “think of the children!”s , it is just a cookie. I get that. Nobody ever died [...]

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Mini-Experiment: Eat Candy to Reduce Sugar Cravings?

September 16, 2008

Photo Credit: XKCD Last week, a guest poster over at MizFit’s had an interesting diet tip. As I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of weird diet tips, this one fascinated me simply for it’s sheer incongruity. Sue, a bodybuilder who promotes clean eating, suggested: 15 minutes before lunch and dinner suck on a sucking sweet (not a lollipop) with sugar.The small amount of sugar in a sucking sweet will contribute to your sense of fullness – allowing you to eat moderately and still feel satisfied. This little trick also helps not to eat while preparing the meal. I have [...]

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