Useful Stuff - Health and Fitness Resources
Eat Less, Move More? Poppycock, I say! For me, the key to getting healthy is getting more informed. Here are some of the websites and resources that have helped me shape my lard-busting methods over the years. I'll keep adding to the list as I remember more!
- Healthy Eating
- Cooking
- Food & Fitness Trackers
- Number Crunchers
- Exercise Essentials
- Workout MP3 & DVD's
- Home Gym Equipment
If you're confused about what the hell constitutes a healthy food, these are the two sites I always recommend.
- World's Healthiest Foods - a goldmine of nutritional info, healthy cooking techniques and recipe ideas. I regularly take the Food Advisor quiz, which analyses the foods you eat and helps you see if you need some nutritional tweaking
- Limes & Lycopene - Australian nutritionist Kathryn Elliot writes about food and nutrition with an engaging, straightforward and informative tone. Among the gems in her archives: her What I Eat series, What is actually five serves and The foods that save me when I'm super-busy.
- BBC Good Food - my trusty what-the-hell-shall-I-make-for-dinner website with a great search function, virtual recipe binder and recipes from the BBC's various food magazines.
- Abel and Cole - these dudes are known for their organic produce deliveries but I like the recipe section, listed by ingredient. Perfect when you're confounded by some weird vegetable.
- Love Food, Hate Waste - thrifty tips to reduce food waste
- SparkPeople - Brilliant FREE site that incorporates calorie counter, fitness plans, recipes, blogs and community. I'd use it myself if not for the lack of UK branded foods in the diet diary.
- Weight Loss Resources - UK-based calorie counting site that I've used since 2004. Not the sexiest looking but great tracker, tools and message boards.
- Dietgirl's Amazing Weight Loss Spreadsheet - as lovingly described in the book, this is how I kept track of my weight loss and converted the weights from kilos to pounds for my foreign readers. Originally created by the lovely Kimba of Sydney, it now also calculates into stones for UK folk.
- Target Heart Rate Calculator - figure out how hard your heart should pump during exercise
- Calories Per Hour - calculate your calorie burn during exercise
- BMR calculator - calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate, the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day. You can then use the Harris Benedict Equation number to figure out how many calories you need to lose, gain or maintain your weight.
- Happy Weight Calculator - Self.com's HWC is more realistic than the stinking Body Mass Index. My happy weight is way higher than this though. Make of it what you will!
NB: While I do have a penchant for number crunching, it is important to keep these numbers in perspective. Try to use them as a guide only. Don't let your self-esteem be shattered by a dodgy number on the scale!
- Stumptuous - the most brilliantly smart and useful website about women and weight training. I got into weight training in 2001 after reading Krista's article No Fat Chicks. A must-read.
- ExRx Exercise & Muscle Directory - straightforward descriptions of weight training exercises, featuring animated gifs circa 1999.
- MapMyWalk - track your training and use the built-in Google maps to plan your routes.
- Couch to 5k - perfect for absolute beginners, this ever-popular training schedule from Cool Running does exactly what it says on the tin. You alternate walking and running intervals and gradually build up to running the whole five kilometres.
- Race For Life - Why not run your first 5k race for Cancer Research?
- High Intensity Interval Training - this Muscle Media article explains the benefits of this type of cardio with sample workouts
- Collage Video - Extensive resource with reviews of every workout DVD in the bloody universe.
- Cathe Friedrich - a legend in the workout DVD market. Cathe is famous for her fancy step choreography but I'm a huge fan of her intense weight training DVDs. My favourites include Pyramid Upper & Lower Body and Muscle Endurance. A basic understanding of weight training moves is essential - take a class like Body Pump or check out Stumptous so you're familiar with all the jargon. I also like her Kick Punch & Crunch kickboxing workout.
- Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred - 20 minute circuit training that require minimal space and equipment. You need a decent level of fitness for this DVD as it's an intense 20 minutes!
- Om Yoga - Cyndi Lee is eternally cheerful but has a great way explaining moves with a sense of humour. I have the Beginner/Intermediate DVD.
- Cardio Coach - This is a downloadable MP3 workout where a dude called Sean O'Malley with a rather sexy voice tells you exactly what to do; suitable for any piece of cardio equipment. When to go fast, when to go slow, when to stretch; it really does make the time go faster!
My entry When It's Cold Outside talks more about my home gym setup, where "home gym" equals "tiny slab of bedroom floor". Here are some places I've sourced my equipment:
- PhysioLine - resistance bands and resistance tubes - perfect if you're short on space!
- Argos.co.uk - dumbbells, barbell and plates, skipping rope, stability ball
- The Yoga Shop - yoga mat
- Wiggle.co.uk - heart rate monitor. Usually my first stop for sporty equipment.
Hi There,
I am from Louisiana & I have been reading your archives for a while now & just finished reading them all. I have really enjoyed them. I myself have battled the bulge my whole life. I joined WW in 2001 starting out @ 197. It took me a year to get down to 145 & I kept it off for 3 yrs. But when I moved to a new location, I gained 20-25 lbs. I went back a few times to WW, but my heart & head were not in it. Lately I have been doing SparkPeople.com for the last month & I feel rejuvenated, like I did when I first started WW. I have also ordered P90X ... what a workout! I think you would love that.
You have such an awesome sense of humor & are a wonderful writer. I am looking forward to reading your book.
Here is a recipe for a "Bible Sandwich" which I love:
Whole wheat pita, cut in half. Toast it. Spread a little guacamoule into each of the pita halves, put in some cheese (any kind you like), tomatoes & sprouts. ENJOY! Hope you like it.
1 · Posted by Jenny · May 9, 2008 6:49:11 PM
You know, I've been saying to myself all along, "I keep saying I'd look good at 160[lbs]!" but the Happy Weight thing says 153.5lbs would probably be better."
Odd.
Anyway, just to let you know that I think this is a great resource post, and I love your blog (AND YOUR BOOK.) and keep it up! :D
2 · Posted by Tracy · May 12, 2008 7:52:15 AM
OMG!!! Gorgeous Lovely DG, do you know what? I just asked my husband to help with an excel spreadsheet and while he was number crunching and I was feeling very ill at the thought, I decided to catch up. And lo and behold, this!!!!
It's too good to keep to myself (this resources section) so I hope you don't mind but more pimping will be occuring over at the LA.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Big kiss
Mrs L (down a big fat hole right now) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
3 · Posted by The Lard Arms · May 12, 2008 10:44:50 PM