My Appy Place

I live in a techno-family (hubby is quite the gadget geek, always anxious for the latest and greatest) ...  yet I myself have a hard time with change. When the Ipod Touch first came out, I didn't need it. I was perfectly happy with my traditional ipod. Little did I know the impact apps would have. While I resisted an iphone for quite a while (just wasn't sure it was worth the monthly service cost) it is something I wouldn't want to be without now. In addition to staying connected (phone, email, texts), my gadget lets me read books, play Scramble (it's my turn, I know, you don't need to nudge me again), follow blogs and very importantly - aid in my journey toward losing weight. 

Last week, I saw an article from Time Magazine with the title "Weight Loss Apps - Don't Waste Your Money". Not long after, browsing Facebook I saw a fellow blogger had linked up to a similar read (Evaluating Mobile Weight Loss Apps) for discussion.  Then I noticed another article along the same lines on the Women's Health Magazine site  (Why Your Weight Loss Apps Aren't Working). 

All three articles were based on a new study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. There was much talk of "a list of 20 intervention techniques that have been proven effective as weight-loss methods" used to judge said apps, yet none of the articles included what these techniques were (WH did mention three: calorie balance, stress reduction, and portion control) or a link to the original document. One statement (in the Time article) said "these digitally-based approaches to weight loss may not be as successful as old-school diet and exercise." 

Hmmm ... an app doesn't magically make us lose weight just by pressing buttons? Well dang it!

In my opinion and experience, these apps help me WITH my old-school diet and exercise. They motivate me to move, allow me to more accurately track calories and make educated food choices. They give me graphs and feedback. The app itself isn't making me lose weight. It's motivating me to eat better and exercise more. THAT is what is helping me lose weight. Yes, I could do the same things without the apps (keep a paper food journal, track my exercises manually) but it's so nice for me to have MFP on my phone where I can look up calorie counts and add them no matter where I am. I love syncing my Fitbit app to see my latest steps and activity graph on the go. My Streaks calendar motivates me to work just a little harder so I can put an X on another day and provides me with a quick visual of how I've done this month compared to last month. 

The APP isn't actually doing the work.  It isn't a magic bullet that will make fat disappear. If I don't utilize the app with my actions, nothing is going to happen.  It's up to me, not an app, or a website, or a magic pill.  I am the only one who can do anything about my health and fitness. But if an app can  motivate me, enable me, educate me ... help me, then I say it's a great thing to have!

Of course there are apps out there that I have tried and they didn't click. Different things work for different people. The study asked "do you get what you pay for?" When people shell out money does that motivate more than a free version (the answer was no ... which doesn't surprise me, as even if you pay for an app it's about $3. People shell out MUCH more for gym memberships, DVDs, etc. and are often not using them either). I think I've only paid for a couple of health apps, but  my main apps are available for free.

I'm sure there are many apps out there that do cost a little more upfront, or try to entice you with in-app purchases (I looked at the new Jillian Michaels app that has a monthly fee and passed on that myself. I know I'd do better with a basic video from her for a lot less).  Just like any other health product, you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide you think it is worth the money. Even though this Yahoo article has the title Why Weight Loss Apps Are a Waste of Money the author seems to be siding with me on this one. This article What Weight Loss Apps are Missing was a little more insightful than the first three I stumbled upon.

So the point of my post. The top three articles just bugged me a bit. I didn't like the generalization that "apps won't help you lose weight." They have been SO helpful to me. I'd hate to have someone who WOULD be motivated by apps not use them after reading one of these articles. I would also not generalize and say "weight loss apps work wonders" because it does depend on the individual. I say you need to give things a try (oh, if my husband reads that sentence he will fall off his chair laughing, as I mentioned at the start, I'm NOT one for trying new things myself), and latch onto the things that work for you!

Thou Shalt Not ...

Happy Sunday. Growing up, a fond Sunday memory was grabbing the comics section of the newspaper. I loved Calvin and Hobbes ... I just ordered the complete collection and hope to introduce it to my boys. Laughter is such an important part of life. Even though our health is something to take seriously, I think we can take some time to laugh a little too.  I thought I'd start posting some Sunday Food and Fitness Funnies each week. I had already started collecting some, and I'll actively be keeping my eyes open for items that make me smile. 

I think the low-carb craze has passed ... I never jumped on that bandwagon anyway!

Oreo Addiction & Other Articles ( SS#3)

Another week ... another list of links, interesting articles and tiny tidbits I thought worth sharing. If you have a post spotlighting some reading you would recommend, feel free to link up below. I appreciate hearing about what I might have missed around the web this week. Posts like ...

Goal Of Losing - Sitting is the New Smoking

Success Along The Way - Free Workout Resources

Coffecake and Cardio - Reflecting on the Past

I've been making it through my magazines ... I had a big stack of ones I had read and I wasn't sure what to do with them at that point. In the past, I'd pass them on to a fellow fitness buddy, but she had moved. Not too far, but enough that I couldn't just stop by her house with the stack. I happened to run into her at the grocery store, and she stopped by the house on the way home to pick them up. I prefer to pass them on to an interested party than just tossing them in the recycling.

So I'm a year behind ... currently just finished the Women's Health November 2012 issue. There were a couple of articles that were of interest to me. Not the cover stories. Sometimes I look back at the cover and think "did I even read that?" ... it just didn't grab my attention. The articles of interest to me were (links included, as I was able to find them online) ...

• Food Fraud:  I remember being at the grocery store and seeing some extra virgin olive oil on sale for MUCH cheaper than I'd ever seen it. I love a good deal, but I was a little skeptical too. I did buy one, and I'm not an olive oil expert, but something does seem off about it. This article was about how there is food fraud ... purposely mislabeled foods (like it's really soybean oil, not olive oil), contaminants, and other issues. Just one more thing to be aware of while attempting to eat right. I also noticed this blurb in the newspaper today (Top Food Fraud). I guess Dr.Oz did a whole series on this too. Have you ever noticed once something comes to your attention, you see it everywhere?
• Reading Results: This article explained in detail all the things the doctor may be looking for in a blood test. I did just have my annual physical a few months ago and I must admit to not being very knowledgeable about all the numbers ... luckily all my numbers were pretty good. My doctor's office had given me a printout of the lab results and I did pull them out for a closer look after reading this article. 

I snapped the picture above (I didn't even have to set it up, it just happened, it's not an unusual occurrence in our home) after reading about Oreo Addiction in Time Magazine ... I personally can resist them (but not my homemade oreos).

One of the blogs I follow, Affection for Fitness, also keeps a Facebook page where she shares many interesting articles. One that caught my interest this past week was Balance and Sports Injury Prevention. A little over a year ago, #2 broke his foot, a Jones Fracture, which is VERY slow healing. After four long months he finally resumed playing basketball ... and broke his foot (the other one this time). Jones Fracture again. It was just a fluke, bad luck ... but as he finally healed up, the doctor emphasized the importance of good balance, especially in preventing injuries in sports. He indicated someone with good balance could shift and correct, where an unbalanced individual would continue on a movement that could result in a break. Even super simple things like standing on one foot (while doing certain exercises ... or even during everyday activities like brushing teeth) can help improve your balance. 

I get a lot of healthy living links directly to my inbox as well ... I followed this link to an Everyday Health page. A little video started up showing "Five Secret Weight Loss Tips"  ... it was quite corny, but it did have some good information. Putting a blue light bulb in your refrigerator? Hmmm. The other tips were ones I had heard before (not exactly "secret") but still good refreshers. The video is embedded below ...

What have you been reading?
Any recommendations?

Weigh-In #14

After my UP Monday morning (not surprising after my weekend), I really wasn't sure if I'd be able to correct enough to register a loss this week. I did see a steady downward trend once I got back into my weekday routine. I was happy Thursday morning to see my weight dip lower than I'd seen it in a long while. I was really good yesterday (so a bit disappointed its up a bit  from yesterday) but still a loss for the week.

153.9. Down .9 ... just shy of one pound. My MFP ticker is back on 26 as it was for Weigh-In #12 two weeks ago (it was actually on 27 yesterday, but 26 is much better than the ol' 23 it slipped back to on Monday morning. My poor moving MFP ticker!)

My average weight for the week is 155.5 ... which is up from last week's 154.9.  I crunched my numbers and came up with a total deficit for the week of 2950. Just shy of the 3500 needed for a one pound loss, so the numbers DO actually line up pretty perfectly this week.  If you happen to be interested in the details of my days, check out my Day to Day Doings where I give all my numbers. 

Here's a glance at my TrendWeight chart from the last three months.

A little less consistent lately - more ups and downs.

But still dropping overall.

But one thing to really smile about ...

It isn't easy being green.
I've been working toward this for a while now.

Technically ... I'm "normal"

Happy Friday

Linking in with How'd I Do Friday at Coffecake and Cardio

LinkUp with other Fitness Blogs too!

JillConyers at Fitness, Health and Happiness

Katie at Talk Less Say More

Michelle at Mind, Body and Goal

I had indicated (in my Monday post) that this weekend would be a challenge ... a mini vacation. Well, just kidding. Hubby and the two older boys left moments ago, but I'm still home with the three little ones, who decided to sit this one out. Water fun and a munchkin with a broken wrist and a non-waterproof cast just didn't add up. So ... NO excuses!, In fact I should be able to do much better than usual this weekend (no tempting date night with hubby, no sports on Saturday as it's Fall Break). Let's see if I can move more comfortably into the "normal" range! 150 is my secondary goal and I really, really, really want to reach it soon! I know it's just a number on a scale ... but  I want to see that number!

Soccer... Past and Present

Throwback Thursday! During my middle school years, I played soccer. Center Fullback was my favorite position. I liked being on defense. I didn't score many (any?) goals, but I prevented the other team from scoring a lot. We had a pretty competitive team. At one point, I remember a few of us were tapped for an "All Star" team. Most of us were on the school track team too (I'm NOT a Runner) and I think the two sports complimented each other. As we all moved to high school, the team dissolved. There wasn't a girls soccer team at my high school (then) ... but that didn't stop ONE of the girls from continuing to play! I myself turned to music and theater. You really could only participate in one after school activity as they all seemed to practice at the same time.

When I first lost the weight back in 2006, I got back into soccer for a time. There was a MeetUp group that would get together and play pick up games. It was so much fun. Then the kids sports kicked into full gear  again and took up most of my time. 

All my boys have played soccer at one time or another. #2 played on a competitive team for a year, and I'd join in on some of the workouts with the team. I could see the preference for basketball kicking in with the older boys (Basketball Mom). #4 broke his arm during a game, and it was so traumatic, he said he wasn't ever going to play soccer again. But my munchkin, #5 ... he's a little soccer star. I was even the coach for a few seasons (it's not very hard to do at the pre-school age). I do wonder if I would have been as willing when I was heavier though.

Spring 2011 

(I can't remember the team name)

The Blue Sharks - Fall 2011

Red Rockets - Spring 2012

You can see my Omron pedometer in my pictures. I had pockets! Ah, the Irony of my Omron "Pocket" pedometer! I was always surprised at how many steps I got as coach during games and practices. At this age, the coach is on the field and quite involved chasing/directing kids.

While I enjoyed coaching ... I also really like to be on the sidelines with the video camera so I can capture the action. My little guy played soccer this fall, but between scheduling conflicts and then his broken wrist, I only got three games on video. That WAS enough to really show him in action though! He's #10. His final game was last Saturday ... and he played, even in his cast (he had a long sleeve shirt on, you could hardly see it!)

I LOVE watching him play!

Have you ever played soccer?

Numbers

I have a little notepad sitting on the treadmill downstairs in my gym (J&G'sGym).  At the top, I always put the day of the week, and the date. Then, as I complete a workout, I write down my stats. Time spent, distance, calories burned (I do write down the machine "calorie burned" readout even though I think the machine readouts are too high, see my Exercise Estimates post).  You can see so far today, I've done 20 minutes (2miles) on the elliptical ... 

At the end of the day I make one final trek downstairs to grab the top sheet. I then sit down at my desk and pull off my Omron pedometer and write down my total steps, aerobic steps and aerobic minutes. I write down my sleep stats (time I went to sleep, time I woke up, and number of hours asleep ... according to Fitbit) and my daily weigh-in. 

The next morning I grab my calories in and calories out (Fitbit adjustment) from MFP and write those down, along with my Fitbit numbers (total steps, total burn, very active minutes).  These are changing up until midnight, so that's why I wait on them until the morning. 

Sometimes I forget to throw away my old "numbers" in a timely manner. 

I get a BIT of a pile up on my desk. 

I keep everything in an excel file (although I've actually switched to Google Docs after a recent computer update invalidated my excel license). I also write down all this info here in my Day to Day Doings. I copy that info to Walker Tracker and update my Daily Miles. 

Redundant? Obsessive? Crazy?
A Little OCD?

I admit it. It's true.

Linking up with

• Workout Wednesday (instead of tracking food numbers, some try a photo journal of food). I'd like to try this ... well in addition to tracking my food numbers on MFP. 
• Weigh In Wednesday  (my weight today is higher than last Friday, but down from the last couple of days ... I have a few more days before my "official" weigh-in to try and at least get back to where I was last week).

...well enough time on the computer this morning. Time to get back down to the gym and add more entries on my little numbers sheet ... I plan to get in five 20min sessions on the elliptical, some Jillian (Ripped in 30 Level 1) and ... maybe some bike or treadmill. It's early out for the elementary today. A basketball game in the evening (a late one ... doesn't start until 9:00).

What numbers do you track? 

How do you organize your numbers?

Streaming vs DVDs

I don't SIT and watch TV anymore (ok, there is some snuggle time with hubby some evenings, we watched "The Walking Dead" last night). But if it's just me ... I only allow myself to watch while working out. There is a television in my home gym. It's not actually connected to cable, I can't watch live programming on it. I am hooked up to a DVD player and a Roku (so Netflix and Amazon). Another great product is PlayOn/PlayLater (also accessible though my Roku box), which allows me to watch anything available on the computer (YouTube, what the networks put online, which is actually almost everything if you are willing to wait a day) on my television in my gym. This has allowed me to keep current on some shows that in the past, I had to wait on (until they hit Netflix or DVD). Wanting to watch my shows is not only a nice distraction while working out, but it's also a big motivator ... I want to see what happens next!  I keep track of What I'm Watching, and I did a Let's Talk About TV link up post featuring some favorites. What are YOU watching?

I must admit ... we are a techno family and I've been converted to the convenience of streaming. It is SO nice to be able to easily switch between shows, not having to find, load and go through the pages of copyright warnings and slow start menu. If I'm in the middle of a movie, and I want to do me some Jillian ... I can quickly and easily move between the two in moments. When making a purchase ... streaming offers instant gratification (no waiting!) and often has lower prices.

Now ... DVD can have it's advantages as well. Originally one of these advantages was captions. I must have captions if I'm on the treadmill, as it's quite noisy. The elliptical isn't loud, but I still prefer having the subtitles as otherwise it is so hard for me to catch everything (I think my hearing is fine, there's just a lot of "low" talking on television!). Netflix and Amazon are doing much better now at offering captions on many of their streamed offerings. While new products are generally a bit more expensive, you can often find used DVDs at low prices. DVDs are also lendable.  But DVDs can get damaged and/or lost.

The other advantage to DVDs is they do NOT depend on your wireless signal. I did have struggles a couple weeks ago, TRYING to get in a 30DS workout, and my internet was on the fritz, which was beyond frustrating!

So when I wanted to invest in Jillian's Ripped in 30 program ... I was torn. DVD? Streaming? It was slightly less expensive as an instant download from Amazon ... BUT the four different workouts didn't have separate chapter headings (as 30DS does). For something like this, where you are watching a portion over and over, that was unacceptable.  I actually asked for a refund (and good ol' Amazon did give it to me).  So I've got this on DVD now, which is ok, but not as convenient as streaming if I'm able to access the workouts individually. 

Linking up with Tips and Tricks Tuesday

with Kristen and Kristen

Do you watch during your workouts?

Are you aware of all the streaming options available?

Do you think streaming will ever replace DVDs?

Which do you prefer?

Motivational Monday

I NEED to get motivated this Monday. My poor MFP ticker. Now I'm sure most people aren't updating their weight at MFP every single day. But my Aria scale connects wirelessly, so my daily weigh-in results in daily changes. I rejoiced when I was finally able to shift the scale (Weigh-In #12) and my MFP ticker.  My MFP ticker is back to 23 pounds lost ... that's where I was stuck for all of September.

It was a bad weekend. Friday was actually a great day, but Saturday was very busy. I went to three of the kids games (one soccer, two basketball) and even though I did end up having some time in the evening, I didn't get much exercise in. Yesterday ... nada. I can't remember the last time I actually took a complete "rest" day. I almost always get in at least a 20 min session on the elliptical, just to get my Fitbit activity graph into perspective.  Yesterday was filled with family and food ... and a nap! I was so sleepy. I laid down and was out cold for two hours! My total burn from Fitbit usually tops 3000 ... yesterday, I didn't even hit 1800. The 3000 DID show up, in my calorie intake. Oops!

So hopefully this bump up can be quickly corrected ... but do you ever get discouraged looking forward? It's just a three day "normal" week coming up. The kids are out Thurs/Fri for Fall Break and we're probably going on a little family vacation. Vacations are not good for the eating/exercise. I don't know that I'd even be able to weigh in (I don't think I'd take my scale with me) which would be a first in months. 

I'm not quite out of the "overweight" category, but I have been feeling better about myself with the amount I've lost thus far. I actually wanted to get a new family picture yesterday, because I felt pretty (it was a little too crazy though, we didn't get a picture in). I can't let myself stop though ... must keep going! I had my rest day yesterday, so it's time to get back at it.  Even if I have a challenging week ahead. Gotta keep plugging away!

Does knowing you have challenges coming up make you more motivated to do good while you can? Or does it discourage you and make you want to give up?

Linking up with Motivational Monday  ... check it out to find other bloggers and their motivation. Share yours!

Wendy @ Daily Dose of Del Signore

Veronica @ V Watts' Thoughts Morgan @ Fat to Fit Confessions Tiff @ The Fit Train Katie @ The Carb Monster Alisha @ Coily Locks

Saturday Spotlight (#2)

Throughout the week, I'm reading fitness blogs, magazines, articles and I come across a lot of interesting information. Things I'd like to keep a reference of, things I'd like to point out to others, maybe start a discussion. So I keep a collection of the most interesting items and at the end of the week, I share them here in my Saturday Spotlight. I'd love to know what YOU have been reading. Come join the link up!

• Breakfast: We all hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Dr. Briffa discusses this in a recent post. Personally, while I LOVE breakfast foods (pancakes, waffles, bacon, hashbrowns) I rarely eat breakfast. I'm just not that hungry right off the bat, and I find if I put off eating, I save calories.  I do eat "breakfast" ... I just eat it around 11:00 or so. 
• Keeping It Cold: I came across this article about Weird Weight Loss Saboteurs ... most of them were pretty much common sense and things I had heard before ... but AIR CONDITIONING, hmmm, that surprised me. Although I have heard you do tend to eat more when you are cool (which is why movie theaters and restaurants tend to stay somewhat chilly). My home gym is usually cold (64° this morning) and I feel that encourages me to work out and warm up. 
• Cutting Cardio: Both the article above and this one (The Case Against Cardio)  mention the possibility of overdoing it ... which I read with interest as I do a lot of cardio (100 minutes on the elliptical each day plus some treadmill and bike as I can fit it in). But IF I'm understanding the basics of both these opinions, I'm actually doing ok (breaking it into 20 min segments; not going all out all the time, but keeping it pretty low level; trying to get in some interval sprints in at times).  
• Forbidden Foods: This article from Fitness Magazine (10 Foods to Never Eat) comes out and says never eat certain foods. While I could give up half of those mentioned without issue ... the other five are pretty much staples in my house. But ... bacon?
• Social Media and the Thigh Gap: I was flipping through my local paper (although I have converted to digital for photography and books, I still like my magazine and newspapers in physical format) when I noticed an article about the sought after "thigh gap" ... it was an associated press article, so there were several places it was listed online (Washington Post). It was interesting. 
• Exercising & Pregnancy: I have my computer homepage set to local news, and saw a story about a woman being criticized for working out too hard during her pregnancy. You can read the story here (Pregnant Woman Under Fire). Another blog I follow (Strength and Sunshine,, who does a post similar to this,  featuring favorite blog posts from the week), included a very similar story. And then there is SkinnyMeg (who hosts the Workout Wednesday LinkUp) who just ran a half-marathon while pregnant.  The exercise bug didn't bite me until after I was done having kids ... but I'm so addicted now, I can't help but think if I did have another baby, I would continue to work out throughout the pregnancy (maybe not CrossFit ... of course I don't do crossfit now!)

In addition to my online reading, I did get through several issues in my backlog of magazines (Mucho Magazines). There wasn't a whole lot I bookmarked. I did end up doing a separate blog post about one article (Top Tips for Workouts and Weightloss).   I did find a couple others worth mentioning, both in the September 2012 issue of Fitness ... one on Workout Motivation and an interesting one on Weight Loss Destiny - are you fated to be fat?

Did you read anything interesting this week? Link Up below!

Weigh-In #13

Well ... the scale doesn't reflect a loss (up .3) and my MFP ticker is at 25 pounds lost (it was 26 last Friday), BUT if you average all my daily weigh-ins for the week, my average is 154.87 ... last week my average was 156.11 and that had been the lowest average to date. I know I was pretty happy during the week to see that while the weight was fluctuating, it didn't really have any big bump ups.

This past week was just ok. TOM was here, but I'm not nearly as affected by that as I know some are (although I still hate it). I had a very bad eating day last Saturday, and I wasn't very motivated yesterday. I had a sick child home and it rained ALL DAY. I ate too much and didn't get to goal, although I was close. You can catch up on my Day to Day Doings if you want a complete run down of the week.

Other than Saturday (donuts/movie popcorn), I didn't really have any out-of-the-ordinary food challenges this week (no chocolate mint brownies, candy corn or moose tracks ice cream around to tempt me). . I made a roast and baked a turkey breast to have some easy protein on hand. I've been wanting to make some fun Halloween treats (Tricky Treats) but I don't want yummy stuff around to temp me.

Crunching the numbers, I only had a 1283 deficit this week. Too many calories. I've stayed active, but haven't really pushed it. No big deficit days.  My weekly weigh-in post fits the theme of Coffeecake and Cardio's How'd I Do Friday link up. I'll keep plugging away ... while my ultimate goal is 135, my intermediate goal, 150 is SO close. How did you do this past week?

Friday has a number of "Fitness" linkups too.
I think it's the alliteration. 

JillConyers at Fitness, Health and Happiness
Katie at Talk Less Say More
Michelle at Mind, Body and Goal

If you haven't participated in a link up, they are a great way to interact with the blogging community (I Like Linkups).  Be sure to come back tomorrow for an all new Saturday Spotlight Linkup too! Share what you've been reading ... any articles, blog posts, magazines, books that impacted you this week.