MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Cranky Fitness' source. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:43:04 +0100 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/burning-calories-or-boosting-spirits.html Photo by: Sergio SilvaThis guest post is written by Drew Harvey, who blogs over at Diet Tired. Drew is an exercise and nutrition physiologist, entrepreneur, and advocate of diet free weight loss.Few would disagree that regular physical activity is important for weight loss. But how it leads to weight loss and more importantly, keeping weight off is commonly misunderstood.Let’s start with what constitutes the best form of exercise for weight loss? Here is a shocker: anything that gets you moving on a regular, preferably daily, basis.Many have a hard time understanding this concept, including sleeveless personal trainers.I suspect this is because weight loss ultimately comes down to calories in versus calories out. Therefore, maximizing calories burned and feeling the ‘burn’ should be ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960982 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1960982 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/diets-cults-is-there-difference.html I'm a bum.I was going to post a long, incredibly well-written and irrefutably researched review of Barry Sears' book, Toxic Fat. But I'm going to put that off until next week so I can put this up today.(Okay, also because I still want to tweak it a bit more. It's not quite right yet.)I absolutely loved one thing I read in Sears's book. To quote:"Three things in life are visceral because they are based on belief systems: Religion, politics, and nutrition."Yep.Emotions are closely tied in with foodYou know how some people get a 'gut feeling'? The gut has such a high concentration of nerve cells that it has been called a second brain. The highest concentration is of course the brain.No, I don't care what you've heard about some men, it really is in the head brain.If there's a second brain in ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960983 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1960983 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/danger-holidays-fast-approaching.html This guest post is by Terrie Farley Moran, who blogs over at Women of Mystery. She is also a contributor to the new anthology Dying in a Winter Wonderland, which she'll tell you more about soon!Take a look around. The Halloween decorations are gone. A cardboard turkey with a pop out tummy is overwhelmed by the Christmas decorations in shop windows. Red and green mini lights and white icicle lights are beginning to show up on front porches, ready to be plugged in as soon as the last piece of pumpkin pie is gobbled on Thanksgiving night.Last year around this time, Merry, who has her own entertaining blog, Sheesh, posted a holiday survival quiz here at Cranky Fitness.I warn you, the test is not for the faint of will power. The accompanying picture of a plate of brownies was enough to get me d... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960984 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1960984 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/update-on-raw-food-diet.html Do you have it in a different color? Transparent is so last year...Did you ever wonder about Cinderella? I mean, did she really think she could live happily ever after with a guy who's got some weird frangible shoe fetish?Health is not a fairy taleIt's like those shows that celebrate someone losing 200 pounds... but there's never any follow up on these shows to find out what happens next.Here at Cranky Fitness, we are determined to shun such prevarications. So it seemed like a good time to provide an update on how my body felt after the 30 days of 90% all raw vegetables.- Because I was on such an extremely low-fat diet, my skin broke out. (I know -- it's supposed to break out when it's greasy. I'm weird. The only time my skin has problems is when I'm behaving like as a teenager, i.e. going... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947364 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1947364 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/hello-from-crab.html Nov. 10, 2008, Charlotte, North Carolina (or thereabouts).Hello, and... Whooops!So I must apologize to anyone who has sent email, or commented recently, or written brilliant posts at their own blogs which I haven't stopped by yet to read. I may have mentioned that I was setting out on a cross-country trip, but I didn't anticipate that the first four nights we'd end up with no internet coverage at all in any of the campgrounds we stayed in . That's almost five whole days without going online!As you might imagine, five days offline is an eternity to a web-addicted, neurotic, nutcase blogger.One the positive side: the obsessive voice in my head that evaluates every daily experience or observation, no matter how trivial, for potential blogworthiness? It's a bit quieter! That's probably a good ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947365 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1947365 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/treadmill-rage.html This Guest Post was written by Charlotte Anderson over at The Great Fitness Experiment, which as many of you have discovered is one of the best fitness blogs on the planet. Charlotte also blogs at Huffington Post and she's been on TV and seems generally to be headed for a Bright Shiny Future. I can't help but find myself insanely jealous filled with admiration! And today she has a fun Quiz for us. Enjoy!--CrabbyGuest Post by Charlotte AndersonYou've heard of "road rage." But have you, or anyone you love, been a victim of Treadmill Rage? Have you ever felt a murderous impulse rise as you watch the two giggling teens monopolize your favorite machines for an hour without even having the decency to break a sweat? Take this test to find out!1. Have you ever fantasized about chucking a dumbbel... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945371 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1945371 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/pizza-diet-size-issues-and-making.html It has come to our attention that supplies of cynicism are at an all-time low in many states around the country, and countries around the world. So this seems like a good time to run these studies past you. Besides, the really Deep & Serious post I was working on has gotten too deep and too serious. Thursdays require some levity.The Red Wine & Pizza DietI'd hate for this to be the only blog that doesn't mention this new study.A team of scientists at the University of Louis Pasteur claim to have discovered a drug SIRT1 that counteracts "some effects of a high-calorie diet." Chemically related to components found in red wine, this drug shifts the metabolism to "fat-burning mode" without side effects.In mice, at any rate, it can prevent weight gain and improve blood sugar tolerance as... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943466 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1943466 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/advice-for-grumpy-home-workers.html This is a guest post by Ali from The Office Diet. She also blogs at Diet Blog and has an ebook on dieting basics you might want to check out! She's helped us out here before and we always appreciate her contributions very much.A few months back, I wrote an article for Grumpy Office Workers, explaining how even the grouchiest of us can stay (just about) healthy and sane in the office. Since then, I’ve escaped the office world (hurrah!) to live my dream of being a freelance writer & website creator (hurrah!) and graduate student (hurrah!) Yes, I get bored fast. Unfortunately, working from home has a whole new set of ways to make me grumpy (boo!)The main problem with working from home is the 24/7 availability of food. And the thoughts that run “Grr, stress, clients, writing, procrasti... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939307 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1939307 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/plus-size-workout-wear-giveaway-winner.html Talk about an unfair election.No.No, no, no. Not that. I was talking about the Random Number Generator!I mean, I never win things, ever. It's a rule engraved in stone somewhere in some dusty vault: Merry Shalt Not Win. Especially when she's helping run the blog that's hosting the giveaway.So I go and I run the RNG, and whose entry does it land on?Exactly.That is just so unfair. Okay, enough whining. The (legitimate) winner is...Linda! Of Fat Don't Wrinkle fame.Linda, please email us with your name, email address and mailing address to claim the prize. (Email: crabby mcslacker @ gmail dot com) by Friday, November 7th.Congratulations!And thank you, everyone who left a comment. I think you've caught the attention of the people who make active wear: people who wear larger sizes also want to wo... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933389 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1933389 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/elections-are-all-rage-these-days.html Photos from Michi1308 and uhuru1701So.The way I look at it, by the end of the day there are going to be a lot of angry Americans out there whoever wins the election. (Maybe also a lot of angry Canadians, Brazilians, Lichtensteiners, and such.)CNN warns that being angry can be bad for your health ... cardiovascular problems, lung issues, nasty stuff. They recommend breathing exercises to help you calm down. That's great if it works, but sometimes it's like taking deep breaths when you're trying to get to sleep -- it becomes actively irritating.Psychology Today had an interesting article on anger: "If Anger Helps You Feel in Control, No Wonder You Can't Control Your Anger!"I liked that article, and it got me thinking. The Old Merry used to use food or drink as ways to deal with frustration. ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933390 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1933390 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/11/gay-marriage-still-too-scary.html So Crabby and her long-time partner the Lobster got married this past weekend, in Provincetown Massachusetts. It's one of the few places in the U.S. where same sex marriage is legal.Flickr PhotoForgive us for not inviting you all, but it was a small private ceremony. I can at least, however, share some of the shocking, lurid details.Oh wait, sorry--there weren't any shocking, lurid details.We've been together almost 18 years, and we've now had three "weddings" and two domestic partner registrations in an attempt to make our relationship count under the law. (We were actually even legally married for a few days in San Francisco back in 2004, thanks to Mayor Gavin Newsom. That was fun! But that got shot down fast, and we left the state before the California Supreme Court decided to give gay ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933391 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1933391 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/trick-or-treat-plus-size-workout-wear.html A Not-Very-Scary GiveawayI suppose this post really should have more of a Halloween theme. True, I threw the words "trick or treat" in the title, 'cause we're giving something away like you do when trick-or-treaters come to the door. But that's kind of a lame comparison, isn't it? If you were to dress up in a costume tonight and go door-to-door shouting "trick-or-treat," what are the chances someone would hand you a $100 gift certificate for Plus Sized workout wear?Not bloody likely.But true Halloween-themed giveaways are hard to come by, unless they're candy. And as you may have discovered, if someone offers me candy, I tend to Eat It Myself.Maybe next year we'll try harder to stick with the holiday theme.Wicking Washable Witch Workout Wear?Okay, maybe not.Women Come in All SizesSo workou... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926593 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1926593 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/starbucks-smoothies-and-perfection.html Image: bbaunachI really envy people with the ability to 'just do it,' as the Nike phrase goes. When I try it, I find myself placing obstacles in my path.- I can't go exercise until I find my shoes is a simple one, but there's also- Wait a minute, I need to hit the bathroom first or- I really should pay that bill before they cut off the electricity instead of after or ... the list goes on and on.Sometimes, my subconscious gets sneaky about the obstacles.For example, when Starbucks said "hey, take this smoothie coupon and review this product," I thought it was a good idea. There's a big S on the route to the light rail. I saw this as a step forward in the quest to walk more, drive the car less. Didn't see it as an obstacle, but it was.Since I had firmly tied the Starbucks trip with walking t... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924606 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1924606 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/bollywood-dvd-winner.html The Random Number Generator has named Clickmom the winner of the Bollywood Dance Workout DVD!Clickmom, to claim your prize, please email us at Crabby McSlacker @ gmail dot com with your name and mailing address by Friday night.Thanks for playing, folks! (Source: Cranky Fitness) Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1921118 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1921118 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/gender-lifestyle-money-and-weird-web.html Lies, damned lies, and statisticsI found a new statistical resource recently--and longtime readers know I've always been easily distracted by shiny statistical toys. This new thingy not only purports to measure the number of visitors to a website, but also tries to tell you who those visitors are. (Plus it's public, allowing readers to snoop around and see most of the stats without passwords or permissions or anything).It's called Quantcast and it gives you demographic information for many popular websites. Last I looked, it said, for example that: nfl.com skews male (surprise!) and that npr.org skews well-educated (what a shock!). But it also says that bargain-hunting sites like Nextag.com and Overstock.com attract an affluent readership (really)? And according to their numbers, Huffingto... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1921117 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1921117 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/crisis-what-crisis-its-oppor-oh-screw.html You can look on the current economical climate as a terrible crisis or a wonderful opportunity. Or both simultaneously. Financial experts such as Warren Buffet or Motley Fool are saying this is a great time to buy stocks. That's probably true, though it doesn't help much if you've just lost your job because some idiot higher up the food chain has decided to panic and shut down your whole division.Photo: decade_nullSimilarly, with all this cold weather, shorter days, longer nights, the northern hemisphere is getting into Summer-recession mode. It's more challenging to run around outside and exercise in the evening after work. There must be ways around this.I've thought up a couple of ways to make sure I don't lose my exercise momentum.What, I can't use a teaser like that? I'm trying to be m... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918101 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1918101 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/lucid-dreaming-for-slackers.html Have any of you ever played around in the amazing, free, kick-ass fantasy world that is Lucid Dreaming?With a bit of practice it's something many people can learn. Even I did. Then of course I got lazy and got out of the habit. Now I'm just starting to get back into it, and I have to say: totally worth the trouble! I'd forgotten how much fun it is.What the Heck is Lucid Dreaming?It's just a fancy name for realizing in the middle of a dream that you're... well, dreaming. It dawns on you that your current "reality" is not actually "real," and this awareness can then lead to the ability to control your dreams. And boy howdy, that's where the fun starts.The cool thing: it's a learnable skill. There's a set of steps to follow, and if you do them, there's a good chance you'll eventually start ha... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1914828 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1914828 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/marshmallows-pink-patches-and-dvd.html You may be curious: how are Marshmallows, Pink Weight Loss Patches, and "Bollywood Booty" Dance Workout DVD's related?Answer: they're not!Blame Blogger for breaking down in the middle of what was going to be a scholarly post about impulse control and neuroscience. (It was going to be incisive and informative and amusing, you betcha!)Alas, I got distracted when our Blog Host went down for no reason, and then an email about a DVD giveaway came in distracting me further, and one thing led to another... By the time the blogger post editor was working again, whatever profound thoughts I'd had about the role of the anterior prefrontal cortext in impulse control went "poof!" And my brain had been replaced by a giant marshmallow.So stay tuned for 3 unrelated items, one of which is a giveaway of a ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907748 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1907748 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/coping-with-halloween-tricks-for-treats.html Photo: DaveyninIt's a conspiracy, I tell youAmong the vast conspiracies & cabals that dominate our world (Who decides whether hemlines should be up or down? Who decided capri pants were fashionable? Who on earth thought up the idea of going to work on a Monday, anyway?), there's a small group concerned with deciding how many small scary costumed rugrats will show up at my door demanding candy.I mean, some years I'm swamped, run out of chocolate early, and have to spend the rest of the night with the lights turned off, pretending that I'm not at home. Other years, I'll end up with 3 or 4 unopened packages of candy -- calling to me, tempting me, luring me to fall into evil ways. And somehow, I can never simply Throw Chocolate Away -- it's wasteful! Yes, I know eating the stuff is waist-f... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906044 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906044 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/dealing-with-workout-ups-downs.html Photo: left-handWhen the Numbers Don't Add UpSometimes the "Ups and Downs" of working out are purely about motivation. And other times the might be about injuries, or busy schedules, or whatever.But there's also a form of "Up and Down" that I find really mysterious: when out of the blue your level of performance changes.Sound familiar?Perhaps you go to the gym or the running trail with no particular ambitions, or even a vague sense of dread. Yet you have an awesome workout where you are bursting with energy! You run faster, lift heavier things, bend further, balance longer, bounce higher, smile more enthusiastically--even your hair is shinier! You kick ass the entire time and revel in what an awesome physical specimen you are.Other days? You don your workout wear innocently enough, get you... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901760 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1901760 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/raw-food-deal.html Raw food is all the rage, according to Psychology Today.(Note the use of the word 'rage' in that statement. Its significance will shortly become apparent.)I know that this diet has the advantage of having been around for a long time. Since before humans discovered fire, if I'm not mistaken. And it does have the advantage of being the fastest fast food possible. Grab and chew is as good as it gets. But why is it such a big deal now?I was curious, so I thought I would look into it.I've been following the standard PGD, or Pretty Good Diet. You know the sort of thing -- making sure I've eating 5 daily servings of fruit and veggies -- well, 3 or 4 servings is still pretty good, and hey I'll eat more fruit on the weekends to make up. It's kind of like the Pretty Good exercise plan. Doesn't reall... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901761 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1901761 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/healthy-living-on-budget.html At least they're better for you than Twinkies!Photo: FlikrLast week I wrote a post speculating on how a tough economy might affect health and fitness choices. And then I asked readers for help with suggestions on how to eat healthy and exercise on a budget.Thankfully, many of you sent me handy tips and links!But before we get to the specifics, perhaps I'll make just a few general observations and caveats:1. Many of these tips may be things you may already know--but don't do. I know I found it helpful to be reminded of ways to save money that I was familiar with but had gotten too freakin' lazy to bother with out of the habit of doing.2. People who make suggestions are coming from various levels of income and frugality. Some of you have already cut back expenses to the bare bones and have b... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895211 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1895211 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/call-for-guest-posts.html So the Crab and Lobster spent a lovely spring and summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts.And now it is fall and that's wonderful too.(Wish I had better pictures. For awesome fall photography Hilary's your gal).However from what we understand, winter is not quite as wonderful on the Cape. Plus we have family back in California, and we miss them. So we plan to return soon to free-load off of them spend valuable time with them during the holidays and the colder winter months.This means that come early November, the Crab will be on the road for two or three weeks, making a somewhat indirect journey across the country. (Yep, for those who have read the "Crabby McSlacker" info page, the Lobster and the Moo will accompany the Crab in Fran the Van).Fear not, Cranky Fitness isn't going anywhere! Mer... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892078 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1892078 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/100-calorie-packs-cut-snacking-reeallly.html So it wasn't long ago I wrote a post about reduced calorie, portion controlled snacks. And here I am talking about it again. What gives?Well, it's partly because I just came across some actual research on the subject!Study Says Portion Controlled Snacks Cut Calorie ConsumptionYep, a recent study of 100-calorie snack packages found that people consume about 120 fewer calories a day when they're eating from the little 100 cal guys than when they're given the same snacks in normal-sized packages.Hooray for research! So now those of you who like to buy and eat 100-calorie packs of your favorite junk foods can feel somewhat vindicated. You may well be eating less than if you were buying the regular versions.Yet oddly enough, some folks are reluctant to have these little snack packs in the house... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888339 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1888339 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/advice-for-out-of-shape-hiker.html This weekend, I went hiking in the Columbia gorge. Even fairly fit people find some of these hikes to be a bit strenuous -- at least, I noticed even athletic people were breathing heavily. Also, the faces of the people going up the hill (okay, cliff) were invariably serious and fairly quiet. People coming down again were smiling and chattering.Taking lots of small breaks gives you a lot of time to think about things. In particular, I found myself thinking of ways to deal with the issues of being an out-of-shape hiker going up a hill with fit companions.Some ideas:1. Nag your friends to keep up. If you do this right, with a finely tuned combination of seriousness and sarcasm, they won't feel guilty about forging ahead while you catch your breath. It's awful to be the one holding the group u... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886476 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1886476 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/workout-wear-winner.html Wow, we got a LOT of entries for our Fit Couture workout wear contest, and a lot of hilarious and sometimes even sad comments. It makes me really, really wish we could give something to everyone.The weirdest thing? Given the hundreds of possible Random Numbers that could have been generated by the Random Number Generator, it spat out a freakishly low one. So our winner is our second commenter, CrazyLady.Crazylady, please email us by Friday night to claim your gift certificate![Note: for those who notice such things, this post was NOT written at 3:30 in the morning; I was sound asleep then. I just adjusted the time so that Merry's Crock Pot post would appear on top of the home page today. Unless you are CrazyLady it is more fun to read about healthy easy ways to cook than it is about someon... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883435 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1883435 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/lazy-chefs-guide-to-crock-pot-cooking.html From BuyCostumes.comI am the laziest cook on the planet. (Or at least a serious contender.) I love the idea of cooking with a crock pot because you can throw stuff in, go away, come back later and eat stuff. Simple.Back in the 70s, there was a craze for crock pot cooking. (Presumably because it gave people more time to do macrame?)Photo credit: HennaAnyway, my mother got one, and for awhile we had stew for dinner quite frequently. Then, for some reason, the crock pot gradually made its way to the pantry, to a shelf easily within reach. Then to a shelf a bit higher up and harder to get at. The last I saw it was on the top shelf beyond the grasp of all but the tallest of brothers. Maybe it kept going up through the ceiling and ended up in deep storage in the back of a closet.All I know is, t... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883434 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1883434 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/ready-steady-neti.html They sell 'em here. Do You Really Want to Read A Post About Nasal Hygiene?Of course you don't, but you're here already, right? You thought it was going to be an amusing post by Merry 'cause she's usually Tuesday, but it's not. Fooled you! Fear not, though, Merry will be back tomorrow.Anyway, I may have mentioned in passing before that I have mild but chronic allergies. My nose runs pretty much all the time, and as a result, I get occasional nosebleeds. Also I have to sleep practically sitting up. If I don't? Then my post-nasal drip eventually hits a sensitive spot or something and my asleep self decides to fix the problem by not breathing at all.Thanks so much, asleep self. Way to problem-solve! I so love waking up in the up in the middle of the night gasping for air and fearing I'm dying.... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1880024 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1880024 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/staying-healthy-when-economy-sucks.html I Waited all Day in This Bread Line andThey Don't Even Have Whole Wheat?(Note: This is Part One of a two part post. In Part II we're going to get much more nuts-and-bolts practical, and I'm hoping some of you Smart Readers can help me out!)Getting a Little Worried about the Economy?Who knows, maybe the market is going to zoom up a few thousand points this week and Gloom and Doom scenarios will not come to pass. Companies will meet payrolls and there will be no layoffs or recessions or government cutbacks or bankruptcies. Perhaps some day in the future we'll all be laughing about those few funny weeks back in October of 2008 when everything seemed to be going to hell in a handbasket. But guess what, nothing bad actually happened! Ha ha ha ha!Let's hope so, anyway.But as a proud member of t... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876265 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1876265 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/workout-wear-giveaway.html Time to Update Your Gym Outfit?Has a fair amount of time passed since you've bought new exercise clothes? It happens to the best of us.Photo credit: No idea. Hollywood, please don't sue us!Where are the Weird Workout Wear War Stories?Many of you have written amusing blog posts about the less-than-optimal state of your own workout togs. Or you've talked about "creative" outfits you've worn under duress, or hideous things you've seen other folks sporting at the gym or on the trail. And I fully intended to send readers to some of these hilarious posts! But unfortunately, despite my amazing memory, I've mostly forgotten who posted what and when.I did at least remember that Charlotte had a great post on what not to wear at the gym. However, the always amusing Nitmos at Feet Meet Street is going... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870955 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1870955 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/pets-can-cause-high-blood-pressure.html John Singleton Copley, Young Lady with a bird and a dogIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good home must be in want of a pet.The universe is rife with studies about how owning a pet can improve your health, broaden your social life, and cure your warts. (Would you believe two out of three?)Don't trust everything you read. I mean, you get a dog and at first it's all fun and excitement. The dog wants to go everywhere with you: frolicking, playing, enjoying life because you're in the same room.This behavior is insidious, if that's the word I want. You get sucked into the easy path of being a pet owner.And then the pet gets older, still loves your company but she's moving a bit slower. And the vet says the tumor "might not be benign, so we need to ope... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1868606 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1868606 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/ditching-your-diet.html The Decline of Dieting?A couple of weeks ago, a survey came out suggesting that fewer folks than ever are on diets. A market research group asked 5,000 people about their eating habits, and found 26% of US women and 16% were dieting--the lowest it's been in more than two decades. By contrast, in 1990 39% of women and 29% of men were dieting.As a nation, we're certainly no slimmer now than in 1990. So is this decrease in dieting a good thing, or a bad thing?Reading two articles about this, one in the New York Times and one in the Boston Globe, I found myself with, as usual, mixed feelings."Positive" EatingThe New York Times (which may require registration) takes an upbeat approach. Their article focuses on the movement towards "positive eating." What's positive eating? It's "shunning depr... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865579 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1865579 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/cranky-fitness-explains-medical.html Photo credit: Marion DossHere at Cranky Fitness we spend most of our time devoting ourselves with sleepless dedication to a tireless quest for the latest in cupcake research scientific research. Our staff of mad cranky Guys in White Coats spend hours searching out things such as where to put the element of surprise in the idiotic table and how to get the best parking space around.Photo credit: pheezyAll this hard work... seems to me that we've been getting a bit serious around here, what with pesticides causing toxic fat and cell phones causing cancer in semi-hypothetical situations and all that kind of stuff.Not all science has to be completely serious. For instance, we're proud to report that the 2008 Ig Nobel prizes were handed out on Friday. These are frivolous prizes awarded for resea... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862941 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1862941 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/is-cancer-calling-on-your-cell-phone.html (flikr image by pinprick)It's baaaaack...Yep, scientists are renewing the debate over whether cell phones might cause cancer.As I recall, at first they thought maybe yes they might be dangerous, and then bigger studies said nah, don't worry about it... Now there's a new study saying, yeah, well, you actually might want to start worrying about it again.The CNN article cites a study by Dr. Lennart Hardell out of Örebro University in Sweden:"The results indicated that people who use cell phones have double the chance of developing malignant brain tumors and acoustic neuromas, which are tumors on the hearing nerve. The study also said people under age 20 were more than five times as likely to develop brain cancer."Of course there were other scientists who said: "Meh, small study, not yet peer... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859661 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1859661 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/bright-shiny-distraction-post.html So alert readers may notice that the word "Giveaway" does not appear in the title of this post. WTF? It's Friday, isn't there supposed to be one?Grrr....Uh oh!Yikes, sorry!We do have some nifty giveaways in the pipeline, we think, but alas, not this week. This week: we got bupkus. (And for you literalists out there: no we are not giving away goat droppings).However, stay calm--other blogs are giving away stuff, so we'll tell you at the end of the post where you can go to Win Cool Things.And in the meantime we just have to hope that you forgive us for not having...Photo: CelebMuscle...products of our own to give give away. Because we really don't want you to get out of the habit of...Photo:davidinmanhattanvisiting us on Fridays with the hope that there might be something...Photo: CelebMuscl... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852690 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1852690 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/time-to-access-my-inner-babysitter.html Want to know what's really annoying about fitness? Okay, besides the really perky people who smirk while you're panting and sweating your way through an exercise class.From 1000barbies.comFitness: three annoying truthsThree things about Fitness annoy me*1. Buying a DVD doesn't make me thinner -- I have to actually follow the workout. I don't know how many exercise DVDs I have on my bookshelf, but it's an alarming number. Most of the time, the only exercise I get from them is the calories lost when I dust them off.2. Working out doesn't mean it's okay for me to pig out. This goes back to Crabby's classic post on entitlement. For some reason I have firmly implanted in my head the idea that I earned that tiramisu by 20 minutes of aerobic exercise. Nyet. (Tiramisu calories = 420 calories. 20 m... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851101 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1851101 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/10/cardio-poll-and-giveaway-winner.html So I was going to put up another depressing/alarming post this morning about how something you probably use every day might one day up and kill you. (Maybe). The post is all written up and everything.But how about I hold off on that one until later? Maybe this evening. Maybe this weekend. You won't kill yourself any extra in the meantime, I promise.I'm just not in the mood to be the bearer of more bad news. Especially when you're all still absorbing the fact that you didn't win the Perfect Pull Up, and your fat is full of toxins.Oh but wait, one of you did win the Perfect PullUp!That would be kamewh! Congratulations! Please email us by Friday night with your mailing address so we can have your Perfect PullUp sent to you. (Mr. Meaty not included).So instead of bad news, let's have a poll!Oo... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1848036 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1848036 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/toxic-fat-reality-or-money-milking-myth.html A popular fishing spot in Oregon,next to a (now destroyed) nuclear power plantPhoto credit: wikipedia commonsI have been reading a lot of nutrition/diet books lately, and I keep reading about toxic this and toxic that... the poor adjective has been used a whole lot. Oh yeah, that buzzword again, yawn.... hmmn... who's been kicked off Dancing with the Stars this week... But the fact that the word has become a popular marketing buzz-toy doesn't mean that there aren't toxins out there.Isn't 'toxic' simply the latest buzzword?A lot of the buzz is based on biology. There are some facts hidden amidst the fuss.It is a fact that there are toxins out there, and it is a fact that your body deals with them, or tries to. And the body uses fat cells in the process.Fat is usefulFat, also known as adipos... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844923 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1844923 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/ooops-calorie-restriction-protein-and.html People are not rodents?I coulda told you that!Ever feel vaguely guilty because you're not one of those Calorie Restriction People who is supposedly going to live to be 120? Well, feel better: new research suggests the picture may have gotten a bit more complicated. Turns out, Calorie Restriction may not extend human lives the same way it does for rodents.And if you're on a high protein diet? Er, you may want to give this study a bit of a look-see as well.Bony Cronies?There's an impressive amount of evidence out there that lab animals on very, very low calorie diets can live extremely long lives. And there is a group of Calorie Restriction People out there who apparently take this animal research very seriously.From what I can tell, these poor guys (most of them are men, apparently), eat p... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841156 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1841156 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/gratuitous-beefcake-and-perfect-pull-up.html Feeling' a little restless and need to burn off some energy? Wouldn't it be nice to have this waiting for you in your basement? Or, heh-heh-heh, your spare bedroom?Yeah, okay, we don't actually mean Mr. Meaty here. We mean the Perfect Pull-Up, which actually looks pretty cool.(Oops, did we just scare off all the straight guys? Sorry! But Cranky Fitness feels a responsibility to fight against the inexcusably tiny Beefcake-to-Cheesecake ratio in modern advertising. We're going to try to tip the scales back to 50-50! Do check back in a few thousand years, will you, and see how that's going?)And Giveaway Skimmers, yes, it's that time.You know what to do. Details about the nifty fitness product and the entry instructions are below if you're feeling impatient with my disjointed thoughts about p... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834785 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1834785 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/on-menu-answers-updates-and-breast-milk.html Please don't let the title of this post scare you--we're not giving away breast milk this week. Our Friday Giveaway is just below. This is just an Odd's & End's post, because we're Odd, and it's the End of the week!Return of The "What the Heck" Random Post ButtonMerry and I thought perhaps we broke it, since we were using it a LOT. (And we were the only ones, as far as I can tell, but what can I say--it amuses us). It randomly calls up old Cranky Fitness Posts from the archives. It's on the right, under "Typical Crankiness."This clever random post widget had apparently been working just fine for almost a year and a half, but a couple days after we installed it? It broke. (For everyone, not just us).So if you find yourself at work, and not wanting to get back to something productive yet... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834784 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1834784 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/test-your-crankiness.html Image: interllectualI was going to put together this well-reasoned, deeply intellectual and incredibly scintillating post about ... oh, something or other. Exercising, I think. But Crabby's post of day gone by got me thinking about the history of the blog.In my most assuredly non-professional opinion, the occasional mood of 'feeling down' is not a bad thing at all. It's like a flag thrown up by the subconscious trying to get some important message through my oft clueless awake self. I don't enjoy feeling depressed, but it sometimes feels like a necessary adjustment period.I would also like to mention that I think there's a great community of people who comment on this blog. Sometimes it's tempting to take out the post and just leave the comments. They're good.And speaking of good... are yo... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833331 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1833331 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/mbt-shoe-winner.html So congratulations, Azusmom, you are the winner in the MBT shoe giveaway!Please contact us before Friday night, Sept 26th (midnight EST) by emailing crabbymcslacker @ gmail dot com. If you happen to have your shoe choice, shoe size, and mailing info that would be nifty. (If it turns out your favorite isn't available, then we'll figure out something!)And thanks to all who commented with so many dang good reasons to walk! (Source: Cranky Fitness) Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829271 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1829271 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/ill-advised-post.html So there's a shiny new template up at Cranky Fitness, and more visitors than ever. I've got a great co-blogger whom I love working with, and ambitious plans to turn Cranky Fitness into a book... things are looking great!Gosh, what a lovely time for an emotional meltdown!So yes, that was indeed Crabby McSlacker over in the comments at Mizfit recently, inappropriately blurting out my doubts about blogging. I was in a bad mood, and I found myself pondering, out loud, whether I should think about quitting the whole Cranky Fitness deal. I even found myself in tears several times during the day; anyone who's met me knows this is not normal crab behavior.What's UP with that?I don't know why it hit full force yesterday. But it's been simmering for a long time: What am I doing? Where is this lead... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829270 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1829270 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/sex-22-comfort-food-ask-cranky-fitness.html Thanks to Crabby and to John-the-Designer for putting together the new template! (They both put a lot of work into it.) And I totally love the "Random" link on the sidebar. Click it and you're instantly transported back in time to a previous Cranky Fitness episode.[Intrusive Note from the Crab.... ironically, we are having technical difficulties this morning with the random post function so I had to remove it. It's been working fine up until last night! Since I don't know how it works--I just swiped the code from a blogger help site--I have no idea why it stopped working. I really liked it too! Sorry, will check into it and try to bring it back...]Maybe to other people this has all the fascination of looking at someone's old photos, i.e. very little, but I think it's great fun. Also, I lov... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825972 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1825972 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/simplest-smoothie-recipe-ever.html Why a Smoothie Recipe?This post is not just a cynical attempt to discover if "Smoothie Recipe" is something people might google someday and suddenly find themselves at Cranky Fitness.Well, OK, partly it is. As Merry mentioned in a previous post about squash, we find ourselves forever indebted to our reader Susan for her stuffed bell pepper recipe. It brings us almost as much traffic as some of our most popular search terms: "big fat ass," "flat belly diet," and "big bouncy breasts!" We don't know if it's something particular about stuffed peppers, or if it's just having "recipe" in the title. Whatever it is, we'd certainly like to encourage it.But really, that's not the main reason for suddenly posting about smoothies.It's just that lately I've rediscovered drinking smoothies for breakfast... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825973 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1825973 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/caution-construction-zone.html Readers who have been around for a while may recall the day, many months ago, when Cranky Fitness embarked on a template redesign.It was going to look mostly like the old design, but New And Improved! Complete with three whole columns!After some sort of announcement or other, the redesigned site was launched. And...It didn't go very well.All the columns piled up on top of each other on many people's computers, so that the entire blog became one long skinny column that was only a few words wide.Nice!But on other computers (like mine) it looked just fine. So it was impossible for me to figure out how to fix it.The whole experience was quite frustrating--McSlackers are not known for their persistence in the face of obstacles. When Slacker meets Obstacle? Obstacle wins.This time, we're getting... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815484 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1815484 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/30-reasons-to-walk-mbt-giveaway.html [By Crabby]We are big fans of walking here at Cranky Fitness. What's not to like about walking? It's cheap, relatively easy, entertaining, and very healthy.In fact, even though I'm generally a cranky ol' crab, I seem to get unusually cheerful when blogging about walking--whether it's my favorite place to walk in the whole world, or my strange summer night-time ramblings. (OK, so maybe not so cheerful when discussing how to pee outdoors when taking a walk in the woods. I can always find something to whine about.) But generally: we're huge fans of walking here.So when I heard MBT was doing a campaign celebrating 30 Reasons to Walk, naturally my first thought was: "Give us some free shoes!" "What a great idea!"But rather than go on again about why I like to walk, I thought I'd let you folks ... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811410 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1811410 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/youre-worried-but-youre-cheerful-about.html [By a disgruntled Merry]image: chrklYes, this is another post that questions research. Or, to be more accurate, it questions the way researchers question.[Warning: this post contains dangerously high levels of statistics and percentages and such-like nasty math things. Proceed at your own risk.]The Reuters/Zogby Index, which "measures the mood of the country," went up 4.4%. Apparently, "Americans remain worried about the U.S. economy and their personal finances, but their outlook brightened for the second consecutive month..."So people are worried, but they're also feeling more cheerful about it. Huh?It sounds like something Harry Potter would read in his tea leaves.The pollster says the following statistics are cheering:- The number of Americans who believe the country is on the right tra... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809874 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1809874 http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/09/aetrex-shoe-winner-and-call-for-help.html [By Crabby]First off, here's the call for help part. (I'll make it quick, 'cause I know what you really want to know is WHO WON THE SHOES??)Is there a reader out there who uses Windows Vista who would be willing to help us test out the new template we're working on?It could be either a really quick thing ("Yep, looks fine!") or a bit more of a pain if it turns out it's not Vista friendly and we need to make changes and retest.I imagine we'll test a trial version first, and then after we go live, double check that the real version works too. Not sure exactly when this will all happen, but sometime in the next few days, so if we got more than one volunteer that would be cool so we had some scheduling flexibility.If you're interested, please either email us at crabbymcslacker @ gmail. com (no... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806397 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1806397