FitSmart

It’s nearly that time of the year, so we take a moment to talk about the upcoming GWC meetup.

This week we dispel the myths around food logging, and take a look at how valuable (and easy) it can actually be.

In this episode, we take a look at how one’s food tastes may change over time.

We continue our discussion of all the various results available from diet and exercise plans and how to match your desired goals to a plan just right for you.

What exactly does someone mean when they say “my diet and exercise plan gets results?” We dive into all of the various “results” available (both good and bad) and examine what it means to match up various sets of results to best meet your true desires and goals.

We all make “excuses” for not doing what’s necessary to achieve our fitness goals. Maybe it makes more sense to think of them like artificial barriers; we face many “real” barriers, ranging from current fitness to time constraints, all of which come together to form the “envelope” in which we can achieve. Why add additional [...]

We discuss our experiences with the Withings WiFi-enabled scale and body fat device. We identify the difference between lifting for strength, lifting for size, and lifting for endurance/power. And we run down the top things you might want to know if you’re headed to the gym for the first time (or returning after a long [...]

We suggest maybe converting those new year resolutions to goals — and even shorter sub-goals that you can attain (and celebrate!) in the short run.

We take a look at compound exercises and how they fit into the workout routine as well as discuss some of our recent data collection experiences.

In this episode of FitSmart, we implore you to give yourself a much-needed break this holiday season. Keep that “screw you” spirit strong and make your own decisions about exercise and diet during the holidays, but once you’ve made a decision, accept it and enjoy yourself. Also, we take a listener calls.

We discuss the myths and realities of “body types.” And we update you on our most recent experiences with fitness data collection devices, including the new Bodymedia Core activity tracker and Runkeeper.

We discuss how to collect and interpret data when working on long-term fitness goals. We dispel the myth that women who don’t wish to “bulk up” shouldn’t lift. And we take some great listener calls including a tale of Thanksgiving dinner and an insightful question about how to manage meals in a household packed with [...]

It can be truly difficult to tell the difference between useful diet and exercise advice that can help you achieve your goals and the potentially dangerous stuff. We identify some red flags — specifics that indicate that you may need to examine the advice you’re hearing or reading more carefully before accepting it. These include [...]

Many fitness goals take a while to reach, so this week we dive into the many differences between motivating yourself for short term action (like making it to the gym today) and motivating yourself for long term success. Key discussions: accepting variation in your eating and workout plans, avoiding burnout, and interpreting slow-to-change data.

We introduce what’ll be a new segment to the podcast: fitness myths. And we start with the myth of targeted fat loss — the erroneous idea that working out a specific part of the body will spur loss of fat in that area. Not so much, it seems, though there are ways to speed the [...]

FitSmart Episode #32, recorded October 28, 2012.

FitSmart #31, recorded October 14, 2012

FitSmart #30, recorded October 5th, 2012.

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, add muscle, or learn a new sport, your goal is the same: adjust your body’s environment and experience to trick it into adapting in order to survive, you know, Darwin-style. We discuss how viewing your diet and exercise efforts in this light can explain a number of common difficulties [...]

In this episode, we deal with how to handle eating overages, learning to forgive ourselves for the occasional slipup or deviation. Chuck drools over peanut butter, and Mitch drools over fries. We also discuss how this same method of controlling habits can similarly apply to workouts.

We talk about the fitness equation – there’s no magic formula, and depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, there are a few things to consider.

Fashion is thrown aside as we run through what to wear to the gym, what not to wear, and when not to care. Also, we talk about pushing yourself, and how to avoid injuries.

You want good food, fast, and having the right setup and tools can make all the difference — in this episode, we discuss getting organized in the kitchen.

We discuss how to use fitness information to your advantage – where you get it, how you use it, and dealing with the inevitable inaccuracies. Also, we take a moment to consider the need to dismantle some self-imposed boundaries.

We find inspiration in the positive spirit of the 2012 summer olympics, and we talk about group exercise and Chuck’s recent foray into trying out group bike rides — a surprisingly positive experience.

At first, any change feels like a huge investment. Then at some point, it starts to feel like you can do anything — today! Experience tells us that both of those aren’t the case, so how much change is good? And how quickly should we try to make changes? Also: We share some experiences (good [...]

We take a great listener call asking about the possible benefits of scheduling workouts early in the morning. (Short version: You might increase your overall daily burn, but remember that getting the workout in is more important than scheduling it for optimum burn!) And we take a look at a common article from a popular [...]

If one can learn to control one’s eating, workouts, and even sleep schedule, is it possible to get stress under control as well? We explore the possibility. Chuck offers a final update on his efforts to fix his sleep schedule — and eats some crow about his previously-expressed dislike of running. Finally, we ponder the [...]

We discuss some of the awesome entertainment options available to make those long cardio (and heavy lifting) sessions a little easier to live with, including video (action movies, sitcoms, Top Gear, and documentaries), music (different types for different needs), and podcasts (of course).

Know how a homemade chocolate chip cookie warm out of the oven kicks the crap out of dry, crusty bag cookies? It turns out figuring out your own workouts and diet kicks the crap out of cookie cutter options, too. Also: Chuck updates us on the changes he’s seen from adjusting his sleep schedule and [...]

You’re working hard, both at the gym and at eating right. But are you resting hard, too? We discuss the challenges of building sleep time into a hectic schedule and talk about some of our difficulties in accepting that rest time can prove every bit as important to fitness as active time.

We discuss the art of matching one’s activities to one’s eating and fitness activities to maximize enjoyment and preserve the social interactions that help make us who we are. Also: Chuck shares his recent discovery of almond milk and Mitch suggests a kick-ass easy almond milk and frozen fruit dessert.

We identify one of the biggest keys to ongoing fitness success: celebrating the small victories as well as the large.

We discuss various data points and how to interpret them in meaningful ways. Also: Chuck shares his reasons for eating vegetables.

We discuss the difference between simply sacrificing food you like to meet your goal-oriented diet needs and accepting the limitations while still making the most out of the available choices. Our take: A little creativity along with some introspective thought about what (and a deep, core level) drives your desires for a specific dish combine [...]

We dive deep into what motivates us to go back to the gym each week and ponder how self-image can both motivate and de-motivate. We also take a great listener question about food tracking apps and on-the-road food options.

There’s more to “working your core” than abdominal crunches. We explore the deeper meaning, seeking to find the core of our workout routines — what we need to achieve our goals. We discuss the lesser-known core muscle groups, including the obliques and glutes. We talk about avoiding absolutes to see best results. And we think [...]

Being a geek is awesome, and we look at some of the ways your geekdom can help you along the path to fitness. We delve deeper into methods for re-wiring habits. We look at social networks and their effect on fitness decision-making. And we put some thought into becoming ok with making your own decisions [...]

We discuss the many effects of diet beyond simple weight and appearance. We share our experiences with diet change and what it does to us in terms of energy, hydration, feel, attitude, and sleep. We also take on some listener questions, including whether or not it’s’ ok to eat badly on heavy workout days, the [...]

We dig into the tricks of finding time in your schedule for a workout and keeping a positive attitude when life happens. We talk about BMI, what it means (and what it doesn’t) and how you can use it and other measurement metrics to work toward your own personal goals. And we take a listener [...]

We discuss the power of Habit (including some information from the new book by Charles Duhigg available this week) and how it fits into the fitness journey. Chuck shares some of his similar experiences, and we apply the concepts of new habit development to everything from visiting the gym regularly to choosing the right foods. We [...]

We discuss the cost/benefit method of evaluating health and fitness choices to pick the path that offers the most returns for your investment of time, effort, and sacrifice when it comes to eating, exercising, and choosing your support system.

We discuss the difficulties (and tricks to) working out and maintaining diet while traveling for work and pleasure. And we take a ton of listener calls, addressing topics including how to know when it’s ok to *not* work out, how to get back on the fitness track after an injury, how shoes can affect your [...]

We discuss how trainers work: what they do, how to choose one, and how to make use of one. A good trainer can help you create a customized workout plan, help with nutrition, introduce you to equipment and exercises, and generally help you feel at home at the gym, but finding the right trainer for [...]

Exercise is only part of the fitness equation. In this episode we discuss nutrition and how to develop both long-term and short term food plans to reach your goals. We walk through the basics of estimating your calorie burn (with or without electronic aid), converting your weight loss/gain/recomposition goals into calorie goals, and choosing food [...]

We tackle the myths and realities of the gym, including concerns like whether or not gyms are just for fit people (or heavy lifters, or any specific type of person), the advantages and disadvantages of building a home gym, and whether or not one needs to “fit in” with others at the gym. We also [...]

In this first FitSmart episode we talk about the process of starting a new fitness journey. We discuss what’s involved, how it feels, and what to expect — as well as some key concepts such as looking at fitness as a lifetime goal, choosing goals that match your real desires, and (most importantly) working to [...]