Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Tour De Pants


We all know Jared as the pitch man who lost 245 lbs eating six inch subs. He is an inspiration to overweight people all over the globe. Because of Jared, the six inch turkey sub without cheese and mayo is to dieters what Communion is to Catholics...a daily staple for the devout.

Every time his face appears on an ad sales spike. Since Subway first contracted Jared, sales have doubled to $8.2 billion dollars a year. For the Jared Lovers in the El Cubano Gordo contest I present the Pants Game.

Tom is Rope-a-Doping, Is Steve the Dope?




Re: I'm mad at you

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:29 From:

Annie, take it easy, haven't you heard of the rope-a-dope strategy? I'm confident I speak for al and chris when saying that we've taken steve's best punches, now he's tired and we're going to work. You don't win a marathon in the first 13 miles. Now that it's ash wed, I say its time to begin the serious physical deprivation, 40 days in a desert. With no dessert. Then we'll get our just deserts.

From: Annie Muzaurieta To: Al Muzaurieta ; Christopher O Bell ; Hughes, Thomas J (NYC) Sent: Tue Feb 24 12:02:06 2009Subject: I'm mad at you

Seriously--all three of you should be ashamed. Steve has 5 kids and has lost 17 pounds. ANgelique started at 119 (!!!!!) and has lost 4 pounds. HELLO, people?!

If the President can find the time...


Steve has five kids and has lost 17 pounds, Mary is the mother of that brood and has dropped 6, and Angelique has four children and is near the top of the weight-loss list. Not having time to work out can no longer be an excuse for the rest of us.

Seriously, guys. I don't want to name any names (self, Al), especially since I know some of you are crazy busy at work (Chris), but our President, the leader of the free world, who is dealing with issues like the economic crisis and Rush Limbaugh, finds the time to work out every morning. Let's make like the Pres and get fit (but don't smoke).

How about 20 minutes? You don't have 20 minutes in a given day? If you cut out a coffee break or one beer after work, you'd save some calories and fit in a workout.

The New York Sports Club has machines set up so that you can squeeze in a full-body workout that takes 22 minutes to complete.

I should've just addressed this to myself.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

10 Reasons to work your body



10 reasons to work your body

The numbers are shocking. Just three out 10 American adults are active enough to stay healthy and fit. Nearly four out of 10 admit they aren’t active at all, despite reams of research proving that exercise is a powerful preventive, and sometimes an antidote, for disability and illness. Which side of this divide are you standing on—and why?

Regular physical activity makes an enormous difference to the quality and length of your life, a fact underscored by hundreds of solid studies. In a nutshell, exercise does the following:

Lessens the likelihood of getting heart disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans. How? Exercising regularly may bump up the number of blood vessels feeding the heart, help prevent plaque buildup by striking a healthier balance of blood lipids (HDL, LDL, and triglycerides), and help arteries retain resilience despite the effects of aging. Even if you already have heart disease, exercise lowers your chances of dying from it.
Lowers blood pressure, a boon for many body systems. Long-term hypertension (high blood pressure) doubles or triples the odds of developing heart failure and helps pave the path to other kinds of heart disease, stroke, aortic aneurysm, and kidney disease or failure.

Helps prevent diabetes by paring off excess weight, modestly lowering blood sugar levels, and boosting sensitivity to insulin so that your body needs less of it. If you have diabetes, exercise helps control blood sugar.

Reduces risk for developing cancers of the colon, breast, endometrium (uterine lining), and prostate. By helping you attain a healthy weight, exercise also lessens your risk for other cancers in which obesity is a factor.

Helps shore up bones, which reach peak density and strength during the first three decades of life. Over time, bones become lacier and weaker as density slips away. When combined with calcium, vitamin D, and bone-saving medications if necessary, weight-bearing exercise like walking, running, and strength training helps ward off bone loss. And balance-enhancing activities, including tai chi and yoga, help prevent falls that may end in fractures.

Helps protect joints by easing swelling, pain, and fatigue and by keeping cartilage healthy. Strong muscles support joints and lighten the load upon them. Activities that boost flexibility, such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi, extend range of motion.

May limit and even reverse knee problems by helping to control weight—a big deal, since for every step taken, each additional pound of body weight translates to four additional pounds of load on the knee, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

Lifts spirits by releasing mood-elevating hormones, relieving stress, and promoting a sense of well-being. In some studies, exercising regularly has helped ease mild to moderate depression as effectively as medications; combining exercise with medications, therapy, and social engagement is even better.

May boost your ability to fend off infection, as shown in three randomized trials of women who walked briskly 35 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week for 12 to 15 weeks, and experienced half the cold symptoms of a sedentary group. Additional research shows exercise prompts a modest, short-term upswing in natural killer cells and white blood cells, which help squelch infection.

Adds years to your life. In the long-running Framingham Heart Study, moderate activity tacked on 1.3 years of life for men and 1.5 years of life for women versus low activity. Raising the bar to high activity added 3.7 years for men and 3.5 years for women. Even current couch potatoes can’t wiggle out of this. A separate long-term study of 10,000 men ages 20 to 82, who were examined and given two fitness tests at five-year intervals, found those who made the effort to shift status from unfit to fit cut their likelihood of dying by 44% compared with those who stayed sedentary.

Reprinted from Workout Workbook: 9 complete workouts to help you get fit and healthy, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, Copyright © 2009 by Harvard University. All rights reserved.

Fat Is Wack Tracker - Week 7


Two Fitness Websites

Two Helpful Fitness Websites for Fat Is Wackers to Check Out

1. American Council on Exercise
www.acefitness.org

Health and fitness section offers illustrated exercise directions, answers to common fitness questions and healthy recipes

2. Fitness Online
www.fitnessonline.com
Allows you to calculate your BMI, ideal weight, caloried burned and more at this fitness site.

Friday, February 20, 2009

New App for iphone enabled FIWers


The Loseit iphone App allows you to set goals and establish a daily calorie budget that enables you to meet them. Stay on track each day by recording your food and exercise and staying within your budget.

Enter food and exercise easily using a searchable database. Quickly re-enter foods and meals you've had in the past.

Lose It! is the most complete and streamlined weight loss application available for the iPhone.

Now available at the app store...

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

5 Week Weight Loss Update




















Steve and Mary continue to occupy the top spots but their lead shrinkes each week as they slow down. Competitors like Angelique and Chris Brand made strong moves this week losing 3 pounds each. Hopefully, with the Super Bowl behind us and some Spring weather approaching we can kick our weight loss efforts into gear for the last 2 months.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

A-FRAUD

Didn't Alex Rodriguez go to Columbus for a year?  How can we be sure that all ECG participants are on the up and up?  I propose random drug testing (for diet aids and steroids only...).  

Thursday, February 5, 2009

El Cubano Gordo: Trend Setter?


There is an article in today's New York Times titled, "Dieting? Put Your Money Where Your Fat Is." It chronicles the trend in weight-loss contests among friends or coworkers where money is involved as a motivator for participants.

After reading about Samwoo Ee's diet betting and sites such as Stickk.com, I was sure I'd see the URL ElCubanoGordo.com. Alas, the leader of the pack wasn't mentioned.

One tactic we've yet to include is getting enemies involved in the contest. StickK.com, which helps people commit to their goals (and which Chris Bell wrote about here), lets you designate winnings to a foe or anti-charity, the article says. The Web site states, “Wouldn’t it just kill you to hand over your hard-earned money to someone you can’t stand?”

I'm still motivated. It hurts to hand over that cash to a friend too.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

January Round Up

January Champions
Congratulations to everyone for completing the first leg of the El Cubano Gordo Challenge. The Lee family walks away with the January championship after losing a combined 26.7 pounds. That is a tremendous accomplishment considering they are the proud new parents of eight month old twins. Chris Brand and father daughter combo Bobby and Niza round out the the top five.

70 days remain, so if you are off to a slow start there is still plenty of time to create a plan and shed the extra 10 or 15 pounds you added to the gut in 2008.