Bruno's Halloween Photos

Sheriff Bardelli Is A BAD Man!

Quickie Update

Bruno and I at the Nevada Day Parade before the crowd gathered.















Just a quick update. My weight this morning was 114.5 pounds, my body fat is 18.7 percent, and my total body fat is 21.5 pounds. Yeah!

Jerry filming the Nevada Day Parade

















My son's home today with allergies (I think, it might be a cold), a 1 degree fever and a cough. He did the exact same thing last year, was home sick the day before Halloween then managed to go to school for the Halloween carnival. I'm hoping he'll be well enough this year too.

Nevada Day Parade
















Bruno's making Halloween decorations and I'm getting all our store bought decorations out of storage and dusted off. We'll be decorating tomorrow. We started Sunday but it's been raining a lot so we had to put the outdoor stuff on hold. I'll be videotaping Halloween night and hopefully we'll have some fun footage to post.

Now excuse me, I have birthday Belgium chocolates to eat. (I'm doling out three a day to myself at 190 calories a serving). These are the good kind that make your eyes roll back in your head. Oh! Yes!

Blooper Reel

Here's our Bardelli Blooper Reel




We spent most of Saturday at The Nevada Day Parade. It was a hoot. I have a lot of video footage to review and edit before I can upload it. I may be absent a lot this week because it's my birthday week and I have lots to do before our Halloween celebration.

300th Post - How Many Exercise Videos Can You Stack?

This is the 300th post for the Kudos For Low Carb blog. I've been at it now since July of 2006. I'm not sure I ever planned to get this far...who knew I had it in me to write so much about fitness, diet, and well, anything?

Today's video shows our rather extensive collection of exercise videos and DVD's we've collected over the years. And we've made this video interactive.

We Want Your Vote!

Vote for the exercise video you want to see us demonstrate or mangle slash perform badly. Hey, it's still good exercise as long as your moving!

We introduce the six candidate videos in part two. (I haven't been able to upload videos at Blogger lately and YouTube allows videos only up to 10 minutes and Bruno and I don't know when to shut up).

Your choices are:

Power 90X Kenpo Karate

Jillian Michael's The Biggest Winner Full Frontal

Jillian Michael's The Biggest Winner Back In Action

Karate For Kids

Turbo Jam Fat Blaster


Fluidity Fitness Evolved

You can vote by way of the poll at the top of our sidebar or by leaving a comment. In case of a tie or *GASP* no votes Bruno and I will pick a video and tape a segment of us doing part of it and show it here later.

Check out the video below for a look at our collection and feel free to tell us we're lunatic shopaholics.

Part One



Part Two


_______________________________________________________________________________
The Bardelli Family Exercise Video / DVD Collection started in the late 1980's after I bought my first VCR. Richard Simmons started selling a few exercise videos and I snapped them up.

The bulk of our collection was purchased between 1995 and today. And yes, we overdid it. We estimate the collection at about 275 videos and 150 DVDs. Many of the VHS tapes we bought used along with a handful of the DVDs at garage sales, thrift shops, eBay, and Amazon.

Kicking Off Kudos For Low Carb Video Week

We're kicking off Kudos For Low Carb Video Week.

All of our videos will premiere here and then be posted at our new site Kudos Videos where all of our videos will be archived and available to view.

The video below is our review of two products, the OSIM iGallop and the OSIM uSurf, both available at Brookstone.com.

Next Up - we'll show you our extensive exercise video / DVD collection and invite you to vote for one out of six videos you'd like to see us demonstrate slash mangle.

For The Love Of Reggie

Thirty years ago I was in high school and I was a huge sports fan. I was just about to turn 18. My passion was sports. Baseball, football, equestrian events, horse racing, boxing, I loved it all.

But baseball was special. My mom, my favorite aunt, and several of my teachers had taught me to love the sport. While I leaned toward horse racing and all other events equestrian back then (and still do), they taught me to love baseball for its unique qualities. It’s slower pace requiring patience, building suspense, allowing leisurely spectator participation. And baseball lacked football’s violence, horse racing's thrilling speed, equestrian eventing’s dramatic galloping and jumping. I love horse eventing. So why does baseball, with it’s sometimes snail’s pace attract anyone let alone me, a speed junky?

Perhaps because of it’s slow pace it attracts us. Baseball lends its leisurely pleasures to us and we crave the very opportunity to slow down, savor the moment, relax.

Tonight my passion is in sports once again. It's not an everyday thing anymore though I follow NFL football closer than my husband does. He'll do outdoor chores while I watch Sunday morning football on TWO televisions at once.

And for awhile I fell out of love with baseball. The people who brought it to me vividly (my Mom and my Aunt) died. Baseball fell off my radar because, for awhile, it hurt too much to watch without them.

In 2004 Boston's victory over NY thrilled us, the lovers of the underdog were overjoyed. And baseball was back on my radar along with the precious memories that came with it.

Then yesterday (Thursday) I was listening to a morning show while reading my email and heard a familiar voice. I looked up and saw an older man and listened again. I cocked my head in glimmering recognition. Then yelled out, "Reggie!"

Back in 1977, when I was a baseball fanatic and a fan of the NY Yankees via my Mom's love of them, and also a San Francisco Giants fan and an Oakland A's follower by proximity (I had lived in the San Francisco East Bay since I was 2) I became a firm fan of Reggie Jackson.

While I formed a fascination in late 2004 with Boston precisely because they were underdogs and delivered a fulfilling season and post season, oddly enough, or maybe not, my love of underdog Boston curls around on my love of the one-time underdog Reggie. Back in 1977, when I was a senior in high school, Reggie was having a rough time.

That Fall, while the NY Yankees performed well and went on to win the playoffs and World Series, Reggie suffered a hitless streak not to be forgotten. It pained his fans – me included – to watch.

I bet my favorite English teacher, Chuck Foster, that Reggie would hit a home run that night. It was completely based on my love of Reggie and my faith he had to eventually make a comeback and boy, did he ever. Reggie Jackson hit THREE home runs that night. And for me those were the shots heard round the world.


Jackson's crowning achievement came with his three-home-run performance in Game 6, each on the first pitch, off three different Dodger pitchers.

I was gleeful that night and the next day when I collected my dime bet. Yes, as in ten cents. It wasn’t about the money, it was about love of the game and belief in one of my all time favorite players. All for the love of Reggie.

In an era where sports heroes are less than heroic - OJ Simpson, Marion Jones, Barry Bonds - Reggie Jackson still looks like a hero to me.

Weekend Photos

Here's a few snaps from last weekend. The cat photos are dryer nappers. I left the dryer open and a couple of our cats, Arlie and Wolfgang, crawled in. The photos of the big house are of the house my husband's been remodeling for almost two years. He just installed the wood floors in the last few weeks.

We're working on new videos this weekend and one is interactive. We're going to show some of our exercise DVD and video collection and ask you, dear reader, to vote for which one you'd like to see us demonstrate (or butcher as the case my be) on a video clip.

In The News

The following report begs the question are weight loss surgery candidates and patients getting adequate counseling and follow up care? Overeating, and obesity itself when not related to overeating per se, are connected with emotional and psychological issues. If someone uses food as a coping mechanism and this is taken away what are they to do? If proper after care doesn't address this issue are we not putting people at risk?


October 17, 2007, 11:01 am
A Tragic Risk of Weight-Loss Surgery

A review of thousands of patient records has turned up a previously unknown risk associated with a popular weight loss operation — suicide.

In bariatric surgery, the stomach is made smaller so as to speed weight loss. The risk of dying from bariatric surgery is about 1 ipercent, most studies show, and complications strike up to 40 percent of patients. In addition to being overweight, these patients often have health problems like diabetes and heart disease, so it’s no surprise they also have higher death rates from natural causes.

But a review of nearly 17,000 weight-loss surgeries performed in Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2004 has yielded a surprising finding. Of the 440 deaths in the group, 16 were due to suicide or drug overdose, according to the University of Pittsburgh researchers who reviewed the data. Based on the suicide rate in the general population, no more than three suicides should have occurred in the group, the study authors say. More troubling is the fact that another 14 of the drug overdoses that were reported likely include some suicides, suggesting that the real suicide rate was even higher. “There is a substantial excess of suicide deaths, even excluding those listed only as drug overdose,'’ the researchers noted.

In August, The New England Journal of Medicine reported a review of nearly 10,000 bariatric surgery patients by Utah researchers, who compared them to a control group of obese people who had applied for a state driver’s license. Although the surgery patients had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from disease compared to obese people who hadn’t undergone surgery, their risk of dying in an accident or suicide was 11.1 per 10,000 people — that’s 58 percent higher than the 6.4 per 10,000 rate in the obese group. The study suggested the suicide risk was twice as high for surgery patients than for those who had not had surgery, but the finding wasn’t statistically meaningful.

Nobody knows why bariatric surgery patients appear to be at higher risk for killing themselves. Some research shows a link between obesity and depression, so the typical surgery patient may already be at higher risk for depression and suicide before the operation. It’s possible that depressive symptoms may worsen in patients who have unrealistic expectations about the results of surgery or who struggle not to regain weight after the procedure.

The study authors say the 7 percent death rate from suicide and drug overdose in the Pennsylvania case review signals the need for better mental health follow-up for patients who have undergone weight-loss surgery. While most weight-loss surgery programs require some psychological evaluation before the procedure, many programs and doctors are lax about follow-up after the surgery, and patients themselves often opt to skip follow-up counseling.

Just An Update

This is just an update. I'm mostly over the flu and back on track. I did Power 90X Legs and Back yesterday and planning on Power 90X Kenpo Karate today. I'm also reading Gary Taubes' 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' and making notes for a review.

And I finally managed to cook and freeze all the tomatoes from the garden. I have no less than 20 gallons of marinara, 5 gallons of salsa, 5 gallons of chili sauce, and 10 gallons of pickles vegetables in my freezers. I've been cooking at least three days a week since June and I'm glad to be done.

Other than that I'm behind in everything else, writing, blogging, making videos for here and YouTube, chores, planning for Halloween, posting at the Low Carb Discussion forum. I'll get back up to speed eventually. Until then, here's some gratuitous family photos from our weekend. (Okay, I tried to post photos and that function isn't working. I'll try later).

In The News

Most people who struggle with weight and dieting know it's not as simple as "eat less, move more." Unseen forces drive us to eat. Some are emotional, some social, and some are physical. The below research proves just that:

Genes May Make Some People More Motivated To Eat, Perhaps Overeat

Science Daily — Science has found one likely contributor to the way that some folks eat to live and others live to eat. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, have found that people with genetically lower dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps make behaviors and substances more rewarding, find food to be more reinforcing than people without that genotype. In short, they are more motivated to eat and they eat more.

The findings appear in Behavioral Neuroscience. Insights into genes and eating could inspire custom-tailored treatment programs for obesity, perhaps including genetically targeted drugs.

Led by Leonard Epstein, PhD, a distinguished professor of pediatrics and social and preventive medicine at the university's medical school, the team brought 29 obese adults and 45 adults who were not obese into the lab for a controlled study of the relationships among genotype, motivation to eat and caloric consumption.

Epstein's team was particularly interested in the influence of the Taq1 A1 allele, a genetic variation linked to a lower number of dopamine D2 receptors and carried by about half the population (most of which carries one A1 and one A2; carriers of two A1 alleles are rare). The other half of the population carries two copies of A2, which by fostering more dopamine D2 receptors may make it easier to experience reward. People with fewer receptors need to consume more of a rewarding substance (such as drugs or food) to get that same effect.

Epstein differentiates reinforcing value, defined by how hard someone will work for food, from the "feel good" pleasure people get from food, saying, "They often go together, but are not the same thing."

Researchers measured participants' body mass, swabbed DNA samples from inside their cheeks, and had them fill out eating questionnaires. There were two behavioral tasks.

In the first task, participants rated various foods -- from chips to candy bars -- for taste and personal preference. This apparent preference test disguised a task that measured how much participants ate when food was freely available.

In the second task, participants could swivel between two computer stations. Pressing specified keys on one earned points to eat their favorite food; pressing keys on the other earned points to read a newspaper.

The resulting behavioral measures included calories consumed as energy in kilocalories, reflecting both amount and caloric density, and time spent earning food instead of the opportunity to read the news.

Both obesity and the genotype associated with fewer dopamine D2 receptors predicted a significantly stronger response to food's reinforcing power. Perhaps not surprisingly, participants with that high level of food reinforcement consumed more calories.

The results also revealed a three-rung ladder of consumption, with people who don't find food that reinforcing, regardless of genotype, on the lowest rung. On the middle rung are people high in food reinforcement without the A1 allele. Atop the ladder are people high in food reinforcement with the allele, a potent combination that may put them at higher risk for obesity.

The reinforcing value of food, which may be influenced by dopamine genotypes, appeared to be a significantly stronger predictor of consumption than self-reported liking of the favorite food. What's more, obese participants clearly found food to be more reinforcing than non-obese participants. The authors conclude that, "Food is a powerful reinforcer that can be as reinforcing as drugs of abuse."

Researchers still view reinforcement as one of several factors that motivate eating behavior, but the present study highlights the genetic contribution and role of reinforcement. In theory, people producing less dopamine may, as a result, require more food to reach a certain state of reward or reinforcement that might be reached quicker, after less consumption, by those with a different genotype.

Findings such as these can help obesity experts to pinpoint people at greater risk for obesity and to develop treatments tailored to specific risk factors. "Behavior and biology interact and influence each other," says Epstein. "The genotype does not cause obesity; it is one of many factors that may contribute to it. I think the factors that make up eating behavior are in part genetic and in part learning history."

He and his colleagues speculate that, as with other public-health campaigns, it may be better to focus behavior change efforts on those at high risk. "A strategy for someone who is high in food reinforcement would be very different from the strategy for someone who is low in food reinforcement but higher in activity reinforcement," they wrote. Using overweight men, the group has already found that chemically manipulating dopamine levels alters eating behavior, a finding highly suggestive for pharmaceutical intervention.

Note: Dr. Leonard Epstein is also a consultant to Kraft Foods.

Article: "Food Reinforcement, the Dopamine D2 Receptor Genotype, and Energy Intake in Obese and Nonobese Humans"; Leonard H. Epstein, PhD, Jennifer L. Temple, PhD, Brad. J. Neaderhiser, PhD, Robbert J. Salis, MD, Richard W. Erbe, MD, and John J. Leddy, MD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 121, No. 5.

Note: This story has been adapted from material provided by American Psychological Association.

Cut. Cut! CUT!

Bruno's Lego Show 2 Gets Out Of Hand...

Bruno's The LEGO Show

You've heard of the Livin' La Vida Low-Carb show. Now there's the Livin' La Vida LEGO Show! (My apologies to Jimmy Moore for the comparison, ha, ha. Though Bruno's turning into quite the showman).

Here's my son, Bruno's debut as host of his own LEGO show. Though it's certainly not his first video. If you're a LEGO lover or Bruno's fan you will enjoy.

Part Two entitled "CUT! CUT! CUT!" ended up being way funnier as I got bored and started playing tricks on him. I'll post it soon as it's ready.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom. Crash.

I’m still running a 2 degree fever and achy from this flu. I’m not feeling too bad but my brain is fuzzy so I'm not confident I could write cohesively. I go zooming along feeling okay enough to do a few chores then BAM. I crash and feel like a wet noodle.

I guess it all happened at the right time. We lost our internet connection yesterday – Hughes.net is upgrading and we hadn’t swapped out our new wireless modem for the old until last night. What a pain in the arse. My husband was on the phone with tech support just short of three hours.

But alas, my flu riddled body and brain spent most of yesterday and last evening watching my new DVD set of House M.D. Season Three. I couldn’t have cared less about being offline, I was on a Hugh Laurie high. If you're a fan this DVD set is a must. It's a totally different experience to watch big chunks of the season at one sitting commercial free and on a high definition screen. I'm enthralled.

This morning I’m online and our satellite connection is faster than ever. I’ve got two laptops going at once and they’re going ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM. I found these links to share:

Is It Okay To Workout If You Have The Flu or a Cold?

Becky at Winning Weight Loss has some amazing insiders information on Kimmer’s imaginary Red Dress photo shoot and Kimmer’s business practices.

Regina Wilshire has an insightful review of Gary Taubes book ‘Good Calories, Bad`Calories’.

Check out Jimmy Moore’s latest Livin’ La Vida Low Carb podcast Heidi Diaz: Don’t Let The Door Hit Ya! (Episode 94)

Read “As a bodybuilder, I find that low-carb dieting spares more muscle and burns more fat than low-fat dieting” The author of Truly Huge answers questions about Low Carb.

A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia

In summary, over 24 weeks, healthy hyperlipidemic persons who followed a low-carbohydrate diet lost more body weight and body fat than did those who followed a low-fat diet.

Hodge Podge of Links

I’m still under the weather in more ways than one. My flu symptoms are lessening but the wind is blowing like a son of a hurricane with gusts to 55 miles an hour. I've seen birds have trouble flying when it gets like this. I got up at 4:30 am and turned on television so I didn’t have to listen to the roar. It's raining in Reno and Carson City right now and clouds are threatening here. I'm glad I can snuggle up and stay cozy. I plan to go back to bed after I get my son off to school and the winds subside. So all you get out of me today are some links.

Jimmy Moore takes on Glenn Gasser (who I'd love to strangle - figuratively) in
UVA Professor Gasser Claims Sugar Consumption Is 'Linked To Lower Bodyweights'

Excerpt:
The damning evidence against a high-carb, low-fat diet keeps getting worse and worse all the time as studies continually show that particular nutritional approach is a uniquely unhealthy way to eat to live. British health expert Dr. John Briffa told me in a recent interview I conducted with him that a high-carb diet leads to a variety of negative health conditions. Read More.

9 Nutrition Myths Exposed By Joe Wilkes

Excerpt: Every fall, the publishing industry begins a new cycle of hitting bookstore shelves with diet books, just in time to help assuage winter holiday guilt and prepare for New Year's resolutions. At the same time, TV stations are in the throes of sweeps periods and launching a new season.

You know this is in full swing when you start hearing the local news and talk show pitches: "You can lose 10 pounds in one week and eat whatever you want!" or "A common ingredient in your kitchen that will burn off fat without exercise! Tune in at 11 to see what it is!" Then, in the next media cycle, there will be new books and news stories telling us how the miracle cures were all a load of hooey, but that there are brand-new miracle cures that really work! Here are some common myths that have gone in and out of fashion over the years and the real truth behind the hype. Read More.


Why Speeding Up your Metabolism is so Important for Bodybuilders

Excerpt: There is no doubt that your metabolism affects your weight as well as your efforts in bodybuilding. Being able to speed up your metabolism is important in losing weight and strengthening your body. One of the best ways of speeding up your metabolic rate is through increasing your levels of protein. Numerous studies have proven this out. Here are some facts and tips in understanding how eating more protein can be so beneficial to increased muscles. Read more.

“Low-Carbohydrate" Food Facts and Fallacies

Excerpt: Ten years ago, weight-conscious Americans jumped on the fat-free bandwagon. Supermarket shelves were replete with products touting "reduced-fat" and "fat-free" labels, which implied that these products were healthier and lower-calorie alternatives to standard "high-fat" fare. Yet, in the same 10-year time interval, Americans have continued to struggle with ever-expanding waistlines, gaining an average of 1 lb/year.1 The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen simultaneously.2

Thirty-eight percent of our population is currently attempting to lose weight.3 The latest trend in the highly lucrative, yet often fickle, diet industry is a resurgence of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diets. Findings of a February 2004 survey by A.C. Nielsen, a leading market information company, revealed that 17.2% of households included someone on a low-carbohydrate diet. Slightly more, 19.2%, included someone who had tried a low-carb diet but had quit.4 This current diet trend directly counters the decade-old focus on low-fat diets and implicates carbohydrates as the culprit in America's obesity problem. Read more.


Not All Carbs Are Created Equal

Excerpt: Making the right choice at the right time

Carbohydrates consumed before, during and after workouts are utilized differently. Carbs consumed before activity can top off energy stores and delay fatigue; during activity they help to maintain blood sugar to fuel muscles; and post-workout they aid in recovery and glycogen replenishment.

Simple carbohydrates, or monosaccharides (sugars), are derived naturally from many foods, including glucose, fructose (typically found in fruits and vegetables), galactose (a milk sugar), sucrose (table sugar), lactose (another milk sugar) and maltose (grain sugar). Simple carbs provide a quick boost of glucose to the blood stream. These are often used by endurance athletes to sustain glucose levels for greater periods of time -- they're readily available and digestible. Read More.

60 Benefits of Exercise

Learn Just Some of the Many Benefits of a Fitness and Nutritional Plan

There are literally zillions of exercise benefits to be gained through a regular fitness and nutritional plan. When you read this list, you'll wonder why everyone isn't taking advantage of what fitness has to offer.
Let me count the ways... Read More.

7 Myths of Women's Weight Training and Female Bodybuilding

The myths about women's weight training and female bodybuilding do not ever seem to go away. With this article, I'd like to share the facts regarding weight training and female bodybuilding.

Women's Weight Training Myth #1 -Weight training makes you bulky and masculine.
Due to the fact that women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely touching some weights. Unfortunately, the image that may come to your mind is that of professional female bodybuilders. Most of these women, unfortunately, use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve that high degree of muscularity. Read More.

My Power 90X Express Stopped Dead In Its Tracks

I Miss You Tony! I'll BE BACK!

You know the old saying “Best laid plans of mice and men.” Well it bit me in the butt this week. I was all jazzed up to kick my Power 90X program into hyper-drive, got in one smokin’ workout Thursday and got sick on Sunday. Jerry, my husband, started getting sick Friday so I should’ve seen it coming. Read More at The Incredible Shrinking Ladies.

Kimkins Exposed Fake Success Story Photos

Meet Lesya, a 27 year old Russian Bride.



















If you haven't already go check out Kimkins Exposed Fake Success Story Photos. Apparently The Woman In The Red Dress has been identified and she sure as heck ain't Heidi Kimberly Diaz aka Kimmer. There are many more of Kimkins "success stories" identified as Russian Brides seeking Foreign Men. The photos are fakes folks!

Resistance Training Dos and Don’ts Part Three – Supplements

So you’ve finally bit the bullet and started a resistance training program. You’ve signed up at the gym and recruited a personal trainer to walk you through a weightlifting program or you’ve bought a set of dumbbells or resistance bands and you’re working out to a resistance training video. You’re eating plenty of protein (at least 0.8 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight) and you’ve discovered the meaning of DOMS. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

You’re ready to take your training to the next level and want to add supplements to your program. But you don’t know where to start. And you certainly don’t want to waste your money on a load of supplements just because you saw them advertised in Muscle and Fitness, Muscular Development or MuscleMag. After all, that stuff is for the big guys, the pros who want to get HUGE. You just want to build enough muscle to burn some fat and look better in a swimsuit.

Wrong. Those supplements are for anyone who is serious about building muscle. And chances are you’ll never get big like the pros for several reasons; they’re genetically gifted, they workout several hours a day, and nearly all of them are taking illegal anabolic steroids and/or testosterone shots. Those supplements you’re about to eschew are your only legal edge in the muscle game.

As always with any health, nutrition, or fitness advice, ALWAYS ask your physician first before implementing any advice.

So let’s start with the basics, these five supplements that are considered “must haves”.

1. Protein Powder

Choosing a protein powder is like choosing the right dog at the local animal control. You can’t tell from looking who's all bark and no bite until it’s too late. Quality is always an issue and so is digestive upsets. I've bought brands that almost made me gag. You’ll have to factor into your decision cost, taste, digestive issues and more. Personally, I alternate between a whey and a soy protein. Here’s a few good links that explain the ins and outs of choosing the right protein powder. What? Did you think I was going to waste my time rehashing it here?

Protein Pros and Cons

Choosing A Protein Powder

2. Creatine – Creatine Monohydrate is a natural compound made by our bodies. It’s also found in some foods like beef but in smaller quantities than is of maximal value to muscle building. Creatine is a metabolite used to replenish muscles and raises ATP (adenosine triphosphate) our muscles ultimate fuel source. So supplementing is necessary to optimize its value to our muscles.

Creatine comes in many forms but powdered is very popular and mixes well with protein powder.

For more on Creatine go here.


3. BCAA’s - Branch Chain Amino Acids are mong the most beneficial and effective supplements in any sports nutrition program. These are the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They come in a powdered form easily added to protein powder. Basically you're leveraging your protein intake to maximize these aminos and support muscle recovery and growth.

More on BCAAs.

4. Multiple Vitamin – This is a no-brainer. Everyone should be taking a multivitamin because foods today are depleted. They’re grown in over farmed soil and are often processed or denatured. Taking a multivitamin is a minimum requirement for anyone doing resistance training. Think minimal nutritional support.

Why Take Vitamins?

5. CLA – Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a fatty acid known commonly as CLA and has been shown to support body fat metabolism. CLA is a naturally occurring free fatty acid found mainly in meat and dairy products in small amounts. But getting enough CLA from your diet would require considerable intake of these types of foods. And this would have a negative impact on your weight due to the high caloric amounts. Supplementing with CLA – usually taken it capsule form – is an easy way to maximize your nutrition for fat loss. In one study, women on this supplement lost nine percent of their body fat.

Recommended dose is 3-5 grams a day.

CLA FAQ

That’s certainly not a comprehensive list of muscle building supplements but it’s a good place to start if you’re a beginner. If you get serious and stay serious about resistance training you will want to further explore the world of supplements. Below are a few links to start with:

T-Nation Supplement Articles

Bodybuilding For You Supplement Guide

Supplements 101

Wiki on Bodybuilding Supplements

Water – The Free Supplement

"Our bodies are over 70% water and it needs a large amount of this liquid to maintain its daily functions. Water helps to flush our systems and remove harmful toxins. When you don't drink enough water, your body actually holds onto the water. This in turn will leave you bloated.

Water is also a great no-calorie source to fill up your stomach which helps keep you feeling fuller. If you actually drink ice cold water you will burn more calories. This is because your body has to heat up the ice cold water and it uses energy (calories) to do so. This is otherwise known as the "thermogenic effect". You can burn an additional 100 calories a day by drinking one gallon of ice cold water!"

Pumpkins

Victoria aka Size 8 Jeans posted this at her Confessions of a Carbohydrate Addict blog and said anyone could share. It''s certainly too good not to:

From one pumpkin to another. A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it's your turn to pass it to other pumpkins.

Visit Victoria's blog, she's a Great Pumpkins in a cute little package.

Power 90X Chest, Shoulders Triceps Review, Muscle Links Round Up, and More.

I’ve had several days off from working out due to a bunch of factors including menstrual cramps, a loaded schedule, and just flat out needing a break. But it’s time to get back on the Power 90X horse and bust some booty. I’ve got less than 4 weeks until my 48th birthday on the 31st and I’d love to see my goal weight of 110 pounds on the scale OR see a drop in body fat percentage by Halloween!

Also, until the 31st – which I intend to take off and celebrate Nevada Day and my birthday with the rest of my state – I plan on implementing a strenuous course of Power 90X with a diet clean up and I will share my adventures and results here. And I’ll call this mini-series of blog entries – wait for it – Riding The Power 90 X Express.

And boy am I off to a roaring fast start. Yesterday I did Power 90X Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps and I feel every muscle between the bottom of my shoulder blades up to the top of the base of my neck. It literally hurts to put a pen to paper, snap shut my address book, or hold my cell phone. It hurts to move period.

I’ve reached the penultimate level of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) because the ultimate level would probably kill me. I’ve never been this sore before. I smoked it and now I’m toast. (Actually I was hurting before I finished the workout!) At least three quarters of the 24 sets I did were to failure. (Definition: Failure - Doing a set until you can't do any more reps on your own. It's always good to have a spotter around and it's good in practice to work out to failure as often as you can. - From Demetri's Bodybuilding Terms).

The Power 90X Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout is roughly an hour long and is as follows:

Light cardio warm-up and stretch including running in place, followed by 24 resistance exercises described below.

I use Body Rev Perfect Push Up Bars for most push ups because they increase the intensity(not for One Arm Push Ups or Clap Plyo Push Ups). These are the exercises in the order they're performed with my reps listed as done yesterday:

Slow-motion 3-In-1 Push Up (36 reps)

In and Out Shoulder Fly (15 pounds, everyone is instructed to do 16 reps )

Chair Dips (27 reps)

Plange Push Up (33 reps)

Pike Press (12 pounds, 13 reps)

Side Tri-Rise (14 on left side, 16 on right)

Floor Fly Push Up (25 reps)

Scarecrow (10 pounds, 14 reps)

Overhead Triceps Extension (10 pounds, 11 reps)

Two Twitch Speed Push Up (4 fast, 3 slow x 36 total)

Y Press (8 pounds, 15 reps)

Lying Triceps Extension (10 pounds per hand, 13 reps)

Side To Side Push Up (36 reps)

Pour Fly (8 pounds, 12 reps)

Side Leaning Triceps Extension (8 pounds, 12 reps left, 15 reps right)

One Arm Push Up (24 reps)

Weighted Circle (8 pounds, everyone does 40 reps)

Throw The Bomb (10 pounds, 12 reps per side)

Clap Plyo Push Up (18 reps)

Slow Mo Throw (10 pounds, 13 reps per side)

Front To Back Triceps Extension (10 pounds, 12 reps per x 2)

One Arm Balance Push Up (14 per side)

Fly Row Press (8 pound per side, 12 reps)

Dumbbell Cross Body Blows (switched to bands – 15 pounds per side, 20 reps)

Cool down

“Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch.” Crawls away for a protein shake.

THIS IS THE MOST INTENSE WORKOUT! Go ahead, try it.

Sometimes I don't know whether to love or hate Tony Horton.
___________________________________________________________________

To motivate myself I’ve been reading lots of bodybuilding and muscle articles. This always makes me WANT to work out. So I thought I'd share some of them:

Man on a Mission-An interview with Udo Erasmus, the Father of Fats by Nelson Montana

"If dietary fat had a different name than bodyfat, maybe fewer people would be fat "phobic." To the general public, the very word "fat" carries a negative connotation. It's associated with heart disease, cancer, hardening of the arteries, and ugly body flab. Yet, despite the similarity in sound, the two are as different as violins and violence.

Most bodybuilders are aware of this — they know that fats are essential. Fats provide energy. They help the body to burn stored fat. They're also necessary for hormone production (including our favorite, testosterone). But there's more to the slippery stuff than you may realize. That's what Udo Erasmus is out to prove.

Udo is one of the original pioneers in the study of fats. Long before the Atkins diet, the Anabolic diet, and their subsequent descendants, the Zone and the ketogenic diets, Udo was advocating the proper use of fats for optimum health, immunity, and athletic performance."

Dude, Where's Your Calories? by Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, CPT


Excerpt: "I just don't get it. People refuse to accept the fact that in order to build a lean and strong looking physique, you need to eat! Heck, I would go as far to say that even if someone's goal is to shed some unwanted bodyfat, the majority of people still tend to UNDER-eat."

3 Ways to Grow More Muscle -A Stimulating Article by Christian Thibaudeau

Carbohydrate Tolerance: Frontline Fat Loss by Dave Barr

How Much Muscle Can You Really Gain in a Year? (Hmm, sounds vaguely familiar? Like my How Much Body Fat Can You Really Lose In One Week?)

Can I stop typing now? It HURTS!

Kimkins Surveillance Video - Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz In The Flesh

Footage of Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz filmed by a private investigator hired by Slamboard. Kimmer is obviously not a slim 118 pounds.

Kimkins Watch - Gonna Wait Til The Midnight Hour

Click on Photo To View Large Version.



















A friend of mine recently said to me that Kimmer and Kimkins was getting too much attention. I respectfully disagreed.

Kimkins needs to be stopped before someone dies.

Kimkins is a dangerous diet in all its five forms. And it would be irresponsible not to speak out and speak out often on how potentially dangerous this diet can be.

I’ve been busy beefing up my Kimkins Watch links list on my sidebar. And I’ve decided to move the list as far up my sidebar as feasible. Today it’s at the top so check it out. The links appear in no particular order. If I missed listing any links it is purely oversight on my part and you can post any links you think I should add. I’ve tried to cover everyone’s experience or views. (Including Kimmer herself through other people's posts of conversations, PM's and emails, though frankly I wouldn’t trust anything she said at this point).

In my heart I feel this is the right thing to do. It’s a must to spread the word and warn people Kimkins and possibly it’s mysterious founder is a danger. I’m moved to do this, whether by God or conscience, or my gut emotions, I cannot look the other way. I can’t ignore this or play it down or pretend no one will get hurt. People have already gotten hurt.

As far as we know no one has died yet, but many Kimkins dieters have suffered harm both physical and emotional and mental - Kimmer messes with people's minds. People placed their trust in this woman and her diet plan(s) and believed that the diet was safe. It’s human nature to trust blindly when we want something badly. When it comes to weight loss we sometimes lose all reason in our desire to lose it fast. Our fast food drive thru-have it now-get ‘er done lifestyle has taught us to expect fast results.

And how seductive is this diet? For a brief time after Jimmy Moore started the K/E plan it crossed my mind to try Kimkins to lose the last few pounds. I was about 12 pounds from goal, getting impatient, and thought if Jimmy endorses it, it must be a good program. Lucky for me I was just getting into Power 90X and didn’t want to change plans let alone cough up $60 bucks. I decided to stay on plan and consider Kimkins after I finished Power 90X if I didn’t reach my goal. This was before the plan behind the plan leaked out and shocked those of us who knew a very low calorie diet could be dangerous.

Later Jimmy apologized for endorsing Kimkins and he caught a lot of flack from all sides.

Personally I do not feel Jimmy Moore has anything to apologize for. Sure Jimmy is a low carb lifestyle icon and a leader in the diet community but he’s also human like the rest of us. And Jimmy has a good heart. He only wanted to lose those last few pounds AND help others succeed as well. Jimmy’s intentions were good.

The hype and hoopla that ensued after Kimkins made the cover of Woman’s World magazine drove this dangerous way of losing weight because of dieters’ pain at being overweight, desperation to find a program that worked, and the desire for fast results YESTERDAY.

Be honest, we’ve all been there. There’s nothing mysterious about any one of us falling for a fast fix. Sure it’s against our better judgment, intelligence, high school biology, wisdom and experience.

Our culture is schizophrenic. One counter culture exists of thinness at any price with moral connotations that being fat means you’re less valuable. We are driven beyond reason to be thin.

This is juxtaposed by an environment of ample and cheap food driven by big agriculture, big food (like McDonalds, Applebys, Coca Cola, Frito Lay), rampant advertising everywhere you look urging you to eat, eat, eat, and while you're at it make it Super Size. This is supported by our time crunched, stressed out, hurry up and get it over with lives. Have no time to cook? Grab a fast and cheap Biggie Meal.

We send emails and instant messages, check our bank balances and pay our bills online without leaving our seats, enjoy one-hour dry cleaning and photo processing, TIVO our favorite shows to watch at our leisure, microwave our food in minutes, and patience is no longer seen as a virtue. In fact patience is rarely seen at all.

Kimkins found its niche in the midst of our cultural insanity. It fit into our schizophrenia to want to become thin without any effort or inconvenience and have it yesterday. No patience needed! Better than gastric bypass! No food restrictions, no exercise, no way!

Here was the low carb diet of our dreams. Lose a pound a day! Never mind that pound isn’t a pound of fat. VLCD’s are known to strip the body of muscle, water, and excess intestinal matter along with some body fat. You cannot easily lose a pound of body fat a day. You would have to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories EVERY DAY.

Never mind the diet only works as promised if you starve yourself, restrict fluid intake, rely on laxatives, and are will to be slightly nauseous all the time (SNATT).

Kimkins perpetuated myths about weight loss than are not based on fact or science. Unfortunately average Americans don’t hold Ph.D.’s in science and medicine so Kimmer had no problem convincing her followers of whatever myths suited her agenda.

Kimkins Myth: If you have body fat you do not need to eat fat or even enough calories to sustain you beyond your RMR.

WRONG! Body fat does not supply complete nutrition, it is simply a form of fuel that can be burned for energy. It does not supply you with essential nutrients like omega-3s, 6s, 9s, vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals, antioxidants, and certainly not protein. Without adequate protein intake your body begins to break down muscle and other tissues (including heart muscle) to meet protein needs.

Kimkins Myth: It’s normal during weight loss to have SNATT, heart palpitations, weakness, dizziness, menstrual irregularities, and hair loss. WRONG!

Healthy weight loss – in other words slow weight loss – does not lead to symptoms of ill health. Only unhealthy rapid weight loss leads to symptoms like these.

(Many have questioned whether Kimmer ever lost weight because people close to her claimed she didn’t. I can’t help but wonder if her hair loss is not aleopecia but actually caused by chronic extreme dieting followed by rapid weight regain).

Kimkins Myth: Exercise is not necessary to weight loss. Although technically true in the long run this is bad advice to follow.

Our bodies lose more weight when exercise is a part of our lifestyle. We keep off more weight during maintenance by exercising regularly. And last but definitely not least exercise has benefits beyond weight loss and weight maintenance including cardiovascular conditioning, preserving and building muscle mass, mood improvement, better control of blood sugar levels, an improved sex life, better sleep, and more.

Kimkins Myth: Gastric Bypass patients eat less than 500 calories a day so it's safe for everyone. WRONG. Gastric Bypass patients only eat 500 calories or less for a brief time while their digestive tract heals from surgery. About 8 weeks after surgery the resume eating 3-6 meals a day of about 1/2 cup of food including food from all food groups. Limiting carbohydrates is encouraged.

In the end, Kimkins is not a low carbohydrate diet and the ‘diet behind the diet’ bears no resemblance to Atkins or Stillmans. Kimkins is a very low calorie diet. VLCD’s require close medical supervision even in obese patients in order to be done safely. And VLCD’s have a notorious past with dubious results For comprehensive coverage of VLCD’s check out A Pinch of Health’s VLCD Research.

If you are on Kimkins don’t ignore the warning signs and stop the diet immediately whether you suffer warning signs or not. See your physician and get checked out. Kimkins followers have complained of one or more of the following:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Muscle fatigue or weakness
• Heartbeat palpitations
• Moderate to severe hair loss
• Bone and joint pain
• Mental changes - irritability, forgetfulness, confusion
• Bowel complications/symptoms of laxative abuse

The founder of Kimkins, known as “Kimmer” aka Heidi Kimberly Diaz

• is not certified or licensed in any way to dispense nutritional and medical advice
• claims to have lost 198 lbs. but has never provided solid evidence of such loss, having refused to be interviewed in person
• has advised the daily use of laxatives extended beyond products’ warnings
• has pushed diet followers to stay as low in calories as possible, even as low as 0-300 calories a day
• has used questionable marketing techniques to generate membership revenues by:

-- displaying false “before/after” testimonials
-- using viral marketing techniques such as the willful misplanting that young celebrities have followed the plan in order to target a younger demographic, including pre-teens
-- has allowed affiliates to spam many valid forums with misleading information
-- advertising the acquisition of an e-book as included in the membership fee, which she never produced

For what you can do to stop Kimkins go here and scroll down for a list of links including:

the Better Business Bureau
the Consumerist website
the Federal Trade Commission
Fraud.Com
The California Attorney General’s Office
Sign the Petition To Investigate Kimkins

As for the morality or character of this woman known as Kimmer aka Heidi Kimberly Miller Diaz aka Kim Drake, I’m not willing to judge the particulars of her character on a personal level. Not because I think her diets are not dangerous or she is not perpetrating fraud, but because I don’t know her personally and I've never dealt with her online or in any capacity. Not to mention judgment is not mine to mete out. In the end, it is perhaps our job to be our brother or sisters keeper and to look out for each other, but judgment belongs in the hands of the Lord. Only He knows our hearts and minds.

BUT I'm not going to stop telling whoever will listen about the dangers of the Kimkins diet or any other dangerous diet that comes along until everyone gets the message because it feels like the right thing to do.

Update: As of this afternoon The Truth Starts Here posted 'Ask Kimmer Locked Down' - perhaps the midnight hour looms near.

BMI Has Nothing To Do With Beauty

Here’s a gallery of photos at Flickr of beautiful women (and a few men) and their BMIs. What’s interesting is two women at very similar weights have very different BMI’s because of height differences. Check it out.

Confessions of a Chronic Dieter

I posted my first entry at The Incredible Shrinking Ladies entitled 'Confessions of a Chronic Dieter.' Go check it out.

I Need Time!

Although I’ve got several blog articles in the works I’m not going to have time to finish any today as I’m booked up. Think getting the kid off to school, emptying litter boxes and scrubbing down the entire bathroom for starters. What did you think, I was all booked up entertaining celebrities? Okay, Tom Selleck keeps calling but he can’t afford my fees yet.

Rather than post nothing at all I’d rather blast you with a little existential me. And I'll offer some helpful links that might make you think, get you excited, even educate. Hey, just call me the Links Queen (beats being the Litter Box Queen).

It’s October 1st. GASP. I’ll be 48 in 30 Days! Time marches on...

What is time anyway?

Excerpt:

“There are two distinct views on the meaning of the word time.
One view is that time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence, and time itself is something that can be measured. This is the realist's view, to which Sir Isaac Newton subscribed, and hence is sometimes referred to as Newtonian time.

A contrasting view is that time is part of humanity's fundamental intellectual structure (together with space and number). Within this structure, humans sequence events, quantify the duration of events and the intervals between them, and compare the motions of objects. In this second view, time does not refer to any kind of entity that "flows", that objects "move through", or that is a "container" for events. This view is in the tradition of Gottfried Leibniz and Immanuel Kant, in which time, rather than being an objective thing to be measured, is part of the measuring system used by humans.” Read more.


And what do we let time do to us? Many things including aging, but one that comes to mind is we let time, or our perceived lack thereof, stress us out. Of course this is a self fulfilling prophesy as most of us overbook our lives with meetings, errands, chores. Hmm, see above, I do it too.

Stress.org has many plenty to say on the subject. But my interest has been in the how and why stress affects hormones and triggers cortisol that tells our bodies to store what we eat as fat rather than burn it as fuel. Weight Loss MD has a user friendly article on this phenomenon, Can Stress Cause Weight Gain?

One great stress reliever most of us try to avoid is exercise. Here’s a few links on stress and exercise:

Learn how to work yourself out of the blues

Exercise for Relieving Stress

Exercises for relieving stress may be in the form physical, mental, or spiritual exercise

Time management would serve us well in all areas and we’d have more time to exercise!

Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity

11 Time Management Tip

Times up! Bringing us full circle, which is weird as time is viewed as linear. Time is our friend or our enemy depending on how we treat our time. We’ve only got so much time in life. We might as well enjoy ourselves.

More Links:

Einstein was right: space and time bend

Bending Time with Reiki

Traveling Through Time

Exercise, Meditation and Depression

It is now well known that physical exercise can alter hormone levels within the body and have a positive effect on our moods, however new research has demonstrated that meditation offers similar benefits.


Halloween Magic Persists