http://blogs.fitconnect.com FitConnect.com -- It's OK To Brag! Copyright 2007-2008 FitConnect LLC ryan on 7/9/2008 (5 comments)

Some sources say that certain low calorie fruits and vegetables actually contain negative calories.

What is a Negative Calorie?
Food has calories in it which the body uses to perform regular human functions. Negative Calories (supposedly) occur when the calories contained in the food are less than the calories needed to lift, chew, and digest the food.

It seems to make sense. Some fruits and vegetables with high water content contain such a low number of calorie...]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:13:13 GMT ryan on 7/3/2008 (6 comments)

Hilary Duff, who's often videotaped by paparazzi when hitting the gym, boasts a healthy diet plan and great workout ethic.

Her every move is captured in a camera lens, which can be stressful if you're having a chubby day. Due to the fame, Hillary became obsessed with getting her body in perfect shape.

Hilary Lost Weight - That's Good Right?
Nope, she got criticized for that too. "Everybody speculates that you're not eating or are doing drugs. You're damned if you...]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:26:10 GMT ryan on 7/1/2008 (7 comments)

If you occasionally get headaches after a long day of work, it probably disrupts your gym experience - maybe even cancels it out. Here's some advice for sticking to your fitness goals, regardless of your occasional headaches.

I deal with this problem more often than most. My regular gym schedule is right after work (like most people) and I often develop a headache on my way home at the end of the day. This usually KILLS my gym experience. The headache usually keeps me from performin...]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:16:51 GMT ryan on 6/24/2008 (9 comments)

This story dates back to March, but did anyone else hear about Harvard segregating its gym in order to comply with famale Muslim demands?

Apparently, several months ago, the Harvard Athletic Department reacted to requests from Muslim female students to create a female-only environment so that they may workout while still abiding by their religious rules. They feel uncomfortable wearing workout clothes around men, and therefore, they claim, have missed out on hitting the gym.
...]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:16:49 GMT ryan on 6/19/2008 (20 comments)

Since I'm swamped with "stuff" to do this week, I haven't had much time to workout, and sadly I haven't had much time to get on here either.

So I'm cheating with this blog and instead of offering advice, I'm asking for it...

What do you do to still fit in the workouts when you're busy as hell?]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:01:09 GMT ryan on 6/17/2008 (2 comments)

Today I actually read a few blog entries that were unrelated to fitness, half because a FitConnect member recommended it to me and half because I need a break from reading about the 50 billion different ways to get 6 pack abs and burn fat. So I read up on some of Steve Pavlina's Personal Development for Smart People.

Now I'm not a fan of reading long articles (Stevie likes to ramble) but I somehow got hooked and read one or two of his posts to completion. If you decide to read one ...]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:44:47 GMT ryan on 6/12/2008 (11 comments)

Health and Fitness advertisements are swamping the left column of my facebook page/browser/whatever you want to call it. What if I feel like seeing a non-fitness advertisement every once and a while?

Facebook's Advertising system allows advertisers to target you based on age, sex, region, and the biggy - keywords. Since I am obsessed with fitness, and I'm always fitness networking, my left column is always some picture of a ripped stomach and telling me that I can get 6-pack abs in ...]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:32:59 GMT ryan on 6/11/2008 (6 comments)

Alli is one of the most popular over-the-counter weight loss supplements of the year. Developed by GlaxoSmithKline, it is well known that the weight loss supplement is FDA approved. Some of you may have read my recent post about the negative side effects of alli, here I discuss the marketing aspect.

Alli consists mostly of orlistat, which in high doses, is only available by prescription. Orlistat stops the absorption of fats, which can aid in weight loss.

If it’s FDA ap...]]> Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:52:36 GMT ryan on 6/9/2008 (14 comments)

Summer is a stressful time for people who are self conscious about their body. Hopefully, you’ve already prepared for this near naked season by sticking to your fitness goals.

If you’re like most people, however, you probably haven’t.

Don't worry, you can still enjoy the summer weather - you just have to improvise.

Here are some Tips if you’ve let your Beach Body slip:

1. Get Started Now – Yes, Summer has arrived and you’re way behind on gett...]]> Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:04:12 GMT ryan on 6/5/2008 (10 comments)

Could you be charged extra to fly based on your weight?

With the rising price of fuel, airlines are making all sorts of moves to cut costs and snatch extra money from their customers. Simple math and common sense shows that a heavy person costs more to transport than an Olson Twin, which has airlines discussing a fat surcharge.

Airlines are now discussing the incorporation of surcharges based on weight. While luggage has always had weight limits, people have not – but ...]]> Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:46:29 GMT ryan on 6/3/2008 (9 comments)

One of the hardest things about losing weight is that it involves sacrifice. If you want to lose weight, you're going to have to give up something.

Whether it's sweets, red meats, TV time, or soft drinks - you're going to say goodbye (or most likely, see ya later) to something you enjoy. What you decide to give up is what usually shapes your entire weight loss gameplan. Most people have several unhealthy habits that could be gotten rid of. In order to lose weight, we usually don't h...]]> Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:50:04 GMT ryan on 6/2/2008 (25 comments)

During the winter months, it was all treadmill for most of us, but now that it's getting warmer, do we move our running outside?

It's important to break down the advantages and disadvantages of both running on a treadmill and getting outdoors and running or jogging outside.

Advantages of Running on a Treadmill over Running Outside:
1. Running on a treadmill is easier on the joints and less likely to cause shin splints.
2. The gym atmosphere will almost alwa...]]> Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:33:44 GMT ryan on 5/31/2008 (4 comments)

For those who are struggling to keep up with their beach body, don't think you're the only one with the problem. Even celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, who have no responsibilities other than doing a movie every few years, have trouble sticking to their beach body.

Matthew McConaughey, who is well known for running around on the beach with his shirt off and thinking he's cool, was recently photographed not looking all that great. He seems to have lost his six pack (side note, hi...]]> Sat, 31 May 2008 15:04:42 GMT ryan on 5/28/2008 (8 comments)

Finally got ahold of a Nintendo Wii and I’m anxious to see how they can assist you in your fitness and weight loss goals. I bought the Wii Fit as well – which gives your fitness a boost – but I haven’t had time to get that set up yet.

For now, I just checked out the basic Wii System

I played the Wii Sports game that accompanied the console, and “simple, but fun” is the best way to describe it. The graphics are poor but the idea behind the gameplay is very fun – and very...]]> Wed, 28 May 2008 22:24:33 GMT ryan on 5/27/2008 (6 comments)

A new study shows that taking pain killers with resistance training can help you build muscle.

The study was performed over 12 weeks with all elderly subjects, so it may not have much effect on younger people (but they have not ruled that out). Each person was either given a ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or a placebo and worked out 3 times a week.

"We used 1200 milligrams a day for ibuprofen and 4000 milligrams per day of acetaminophen, which is the maximum over-the-counte...]]> Tue, 27 May 2008 03:40:21 GMT ryan on 5/23/2008 (2 comments)

Memorial Day Weekend is finally here and we can all enjoy a three day weekend. Most of us are looking forward to some boozing and hanging out with friends - and traveling if you're not phased by the screwy gas prices.

You could use this extra day off to jump-start your fitness goals!

If you don't have much planned this weekend, definitely spend time planning out your health and fitness goals (if it's important to you... I imagine it is because you're on this site). This...]]> Fri, 23 May 2008 05:18:30 GMT ryan on 5/22/2008 (7 comments)

Most people use the Front deltoid Raise in their shoulder workouts - but I've noticed that some people alternate arms while others raise both arms at once.

By the way, I'm talking about when using dumbbells (obviously you can't alternate arms when using a barbell).

I've always alternated arms when doing front deltoid raises with dumbbells, but I do see a lot of people doing it differently at the gym.

Obviously it's not a huge deal which way you chose, but...]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 03:26:02 GMT ryan on 5/21/2008 (7 comments)

I was looking a little into the Alli dietary supplement, which I'm sure does not work, and noticed that it has some very unpleasant side effects.

The label states that "you may experience bowel changes when taking Alli. Ads and marketing materials refer to these changes as "treatment effects." These side effects can include:

- Gas with an oily anal discharge
- Loose stools or diarrhea
- More frequent bowel movements
- Hard-to-control bowel movements Wed, 21 May 2008 11:15:53 GMT ryan on 5/19/2008 (2 comments)

Some people are willing to sell anything and this is why some bad ideas are actually launched on the market, much to the dismay of unsuspecting customers who are duped by the hype and advertising. One such bad idea is the Coconut Diet, which is yet another of those diets that add some kind of miracle ingredient to a strict eating program and hope that everything turns out great. The magic ingredient in this case is the coconut oil and its metabolism boosting capacity. It seems that coconut oil c...]]> Mon, 19 May 2008 11:16:27 GMT ryan on 5/16/2008 (8 comments)

Smartphones like the iPhone have been revolutionizing the Internet and have the potential to do the same for the health and fitness industry. While some suggest that tracking workouts at the gym is useful with the iPhone, I'm hesitant to get into that because think my workouts would take double the time if I had to type after each set. For those interested - fitconnect will soon have this feature.

But I'll try fitness iPhone blogging
I recently bought an iPhone an the web brow...]]> Fri, 16 May 2008 13:20:55 GMT ryan on 5/14/2008 (7 comments)

Diet Soda can be your best friend or your hidden worst enemy. The zero calorie beverage that imitates it's high calorie twin is very popular for those watching their weight. But can drinking diet soda actually be a secret obstacle in achieving your weight loss goals?

I've analyzed the situation and I've realized that there's a right and wrong way of drinking diet soda. Sorry, I can't cite any grandiose double blind study - but they're usually fabricated anyway.

The Righ...]]> Wed, 14 May 2008 23:49:38 GMT ryan on 5/13/2008 (9 comments)

Unless you hit powerball or are really ridiculously good looking, you probably have a job - which is tiring. This leads many people to skip their workouts because they think they're too tired or that they'll be too tired later in the day.

Wrong... When you exercise, endorphins enter your bloodstream which has a lasting energizing affect on your body. Meaning a morning workout will actually give you an energy boost throughout your day.

Still think you're feeling tired af...]]> Tue, 13 May 2008 03:29:22 GMT ryan on 5/12/2008 (5 comments)

If you're reading this, you probably have an interest in working out - and most likely, you do some boozing in your free time as well. Unless you were born yesterday, you understand that it's not smart to mix the two (exercising and getting drunk). We're all aware that drinking messes with your motor skills and will decrease performance and possibly lead to injury.

What if I just have one drink and then wait a few hours?
While it's obviously stupid to exercise while drunk, som...]]> Mon, 12 May 2008 04:25:09 GMT ryan on 5/9/2008 (3 comments)

Walking, a very simple exercise, has many health benefits. In fact, it is proven to increase your life span - more legitimately proven than that exercise gizmo you ordered off of late night tv.

A study conducted over 8 years, with 13,000 people, showed significant decrease in premature death with subjects who walked 30 minutes a day when compared to those who were mostly inactive. It's pretty crazy to think that every step your take your somewhat buying yourself another millisecond ...]]> Fri, 09 May 2008 01:21:27 GMT ryan on 5/7/2008 (4 comments)

Many people report suffering from heartburn when being physically active. In fact, it causes some people to suspect they're having a heart attack.

Strenuous Exercise + Burning in Chest = Wait, am I having a heart attack?

Well, hopefully not. And if it's just heart burn, here's some tips to sooth and avoid the burning.

Tips to Avoid Heart Burn During Exercise

1. Avoid spicy and hot foods, and highly caffeinated beverages before your workout. Thi...]]> Wed, 07 May 2008 11:52:17 GMT