Balsaboy Member

Get rid of the simple carbs and you'll notice a huge difference without necessarily having to make drastic diet changes. Two books that have recently influence the diet I've been eating are Wheat Belly by William Davis and especially Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes. I've read arguments against both…

My wife went gluten free about a year and half ago -- and since I do most of the cooking -- by proxy I was also eating gluten free (for the most part). It wasn't long before I noticed a huge difference in how I was feeling with the reduction of breads and grains, and over time I've taken it further and reduced all…

haha, nice.

I don't know if your computer is in a good spot for your workouts, but if so you may want to check out w w w liveexercise (dot) com for resistance band workouts. I use it on a nearly daily basis for cardio workouts with resistance bands as well as muscle building workouts, but they have daily/weekly live exercises for…

I don't know if this is still something you're looking for, but have you taken a look at the Bodylastics brand of workout bands? They have a variety of sets available, including some with some very heavy resistance. I've used mine now for about 2 years or so, and they are still in great shape. They're affordable too and…

I use resistance bands regularly in my workouts and love them. I'm not overly familiar with all the different makers of them, but would recommend you invest in a set of well made bands that come in a variety of "weights," so as you progress you don't find yourself lacking in stronger bands to use. I love the bodylastics…

you should be able to buy it at most grocery stores, but you'll find your best bet will be if you're town has an Asian Market or specialty food store (that's where I go and find that it's half the price then the health food store right up the street for the exact same product). If you have a Zhers or other large grocery…

You can't go wrong with the Bodylastic resistance bands. I've had mine for almost two years, use them several times a week, and it's like they're brand new. They are very well made so no worries there -- the handles and ankle straps are better then other bands I've used, and don't really compare. Also love their door…

I love my Ulti-Mitts winter running gloves from Saucony -- they feel thin to the touch but have kept me warm over the last two Canadian winters (as low a -35C some mornings). They have an attached water/wind proof "mitten" component that tucks into a pocket on the top but easily pulls out to cover the fingers on extremely…

You may also want to check out this page by Marianne -- she's a qualified Fitness and Extreme Kettlebell Instructor in Northern Ireland, as well as a Staff Nurse in a busy Cardiac Surgery ward. Her videos are great -- lots for beginners and more experienced kettlebell users, and I find her videos are very well done.…

I'm participating in the Tough Mudder in Toronto Ontario this August, and can't wait. I did a 5k Warrior Dash last year and loved it, so I'm really looking forward to the challenge. As far as what to expect, check out the blog at http://mustachemantraining.blogspot.com/ The link will take you to The Mustache Man's report…

I'm doing the same for the upcoming Tough Mudder Toronto in August 2012. Right now I'm in the process of putting together a team of friends to do it with. Now that I know I'm doing it, it's pretty much all I'm thinking about! I do an outdoor kettlebell bootcamp that will start up again in April once it warms up in the…

I love using resistance bands and would recommend investing in a set of good ones. I've been extremely happy with the set I got from Bodylastics, they're durable, come with handles and straps and have an innovative way of attaching them safely to a door so you can do a whole range of workouts similar to having a machine.…

I'm nearly finished reading Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories and I find my whole perspective on the low carb high fat/protein diet has changed (in favour of it). I'd recommend the book to anyone who wants to know more about the science of and bias against low carb eating. His chapter on why our current…

Just saw your post and thought I might mention a book I'm reading by Gary Taubes called Good Calroies, Bad Calories, Fats Carbs and the Controversial Science of Diet and Heath. I'm relatively new to the whole low carb thing -- I've been a vegan for nearly 20 years and eat what I would call a well balanced diet, but I've…

I keep bees. I currently have 6 hives, two in my backyard and several more scattered throughout the city I live in. I think the issue of sugars in our diets is an important one, we do need to cut down on sweets in general, but if you are able to be selective about the type of sweeter you use, I'd strongly suggest you…

That's brilliant. It wasn't that long ago I completed my first 5k race, and before I knew it I was doing a 10k and then a half marathon, but 5k remains my favorite distance to run. Enjoy!

I'd also like to recommend to you a magazine called "Living Without" -- for people with dietary concerns. The focus is gluten free, but also dairy and egg free, it has some incredible recipes each month. I've been vegan for over 20 years now, and my wife has recently developed a gluten intolerance, so the magazine has…

I almost exclusively use resistance bands for my workouts, but a word of warning -- you want to get a quality product that won't snap or have a handle come apart at the wrong time! So far, hands down Bodylastics wins for me. There are tonnes of online reviews of the products they make, but I can tell you from personal…

I'd like to second this -- I think Bodylastics makes an amazing product -- I've been using the resistance bands for just under a year and everything came together when I started following their daily fitness shows on liveexercise[dot]com -- in the short period of time of use I've dropped weight (combined with regular…

I'm impressed! Not just with the changes in the photographs, but in the clear, concise way you told us your story. You have every right to be proud of yourself, awesome work!

I recently joined a Russian Kettlebell Club in my town, and every workout has been fun and challenging, but by far this is the hardest workout I've done. We do our workout in a park and this particlular afternoon it was blazing hot, so that added to the overall effect. I do have to say I was proud of myself when I…

I'm also a fan of Runkeeper, and another app I use on an almost daily basis is CardioTrainer (I have an android, don't know if it's available for apple devices). I love them for the range of activities they list with calorie burns, and now CardioTrainer works with the Polar heart monitor with bluetooth which is awesome!…

Cheers guys! Thanks for all the great words of encouragement. On a more daunting note, in two weeks time I'll be running my first Half Marathon (21Km/13.1 miles) ...not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for that! Anyway, I think it will be an interesting experience. I don't have any kind of time goal in mind, but…

It looks like Barefoot and Minimalist shoes are really taking off -- in the last month or so I've seen an article or two in pretty much every fitness or running magazine I've picked up that looks at barefoot running and the science behind it. I've yet to see anything negative other than new comers to the shoes need to be…

I picked up my pair of Vibram KSOs roughly 4 months ago and love them. I wear them at the gym in various fitness classes I participate in, and also run 3 times weekly (averaging between 7-10k each run). They are awesome and I can't recommend them enough. I live in Ontario and winter is fully upon is, but I still run 2 or 3…