Final Fittest Loser weigh-in numbers!

Posted on May 13, 2011 | Comments Off

From Eileen:  For those of you who can’t wait for Monday’s paper to read the final results of this year’s Fittest Loser contest, here you go. Congratulations to all the participants!

Bob Pearson, 38, of Hampshire

Trainer: Josh Steckler

Starting weight: 296

Final weight: 218

Pounds lost: 78

Percent lost: 26.4

 

John Novak, 46, of Mount Prospect

Trainer: Wade Merrill

Starting weight: 324

Final weight: 247

Pounds lost: 77

Percent lost: 23.8

 

Jayne Nothnagel, 52, of Bloomingdale

Trainer: Mark Trapp

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Can multi-tasking at work wreck your diet?

Posted on May 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

From Joe:  Shortly after the turn of the century, we all were being sold a bill of goods about the coolness factor of multitasking: New gadgets, a new generation of workers, instant communication, all this was presented to as really slick. Article after article represented anybody who did not joyfully and skillfully multitask as being an old fogey — most probably a male old fogey. (For example, a USAToday story with its subtext.)

 A lot of research has been done on multitasking since that time. The gist of this research is that we pay a steep price for constantly switching our attention when we are doing something important.

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And the winner is …

Posted on May 12, 2011 | 2 Comments

Bob lost 78 pounds or 26.4 percent of his body weight. Way to go, Bob! We are all so proud of you.

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Do you need to get off your…um…butt?

Posted on May 10, 2011 | Comments Off

From Joe:  Retain your fitness gains by changing your sitting habits:

 All along we’ve known that sitting all day isn’t great for you but emerging research indicates that it’s not just a poor alternative to spending your day hiking the Appalachian Trail, it actually alters our bodies and decreases our health and lifespan.

Courtesy of HowToGeek

Maybe a standing desk would help?  Or an Ikea hack for office or home?

 

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2011 Contest coming to an end. Now what?

Posted on May 9, 2011 | Comments Off

From Eileen:  Well, the Fittest Loser contest is officially over for the year … although the winner won’t be announced until Wednesday. (The party is at 6:30 p.m. at John Barleycorn in Schaumburg).

 The big question, however, is will they be able to keep up the momentum when the spotlight ends? All of their trainers believe they will continue on their fitness journey, as you can read in the Daily Herald’s Health and Fitness section today.

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Get going with your fitness pre-mortem!

Posted on May 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

From Joe:  In a prior post about candy jars in the office, I urged you to think seriously about the states of mind that characterized people who voiced opinions about whether or not candy jars were acceptable artifacts in an office setting. If you have already done that, you probably noticed that most commentators – no matter whether they approved or disapproved of such jars – framed the issue in moralistic terms: Candy jars are not a problem in themselves, they said.  Instead, the problem was in the people who lacked self-discipline, suffered from feelings of inferiority, had issues hanging on from their childhood or, as one commenter put it, need therapy. As far as I can see, this kind of moralistic discourse does nothing to address the practical concerns of people who are trying to devise lasting changes in life habits.

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When is a Candy Jar Just a Jar?

Posted on May 5, 2011 | 1 Comment

From Joe:  Now that Mad Men has recreated the office life of the 1950s, even youngsters know that there was a time when smoking in the work environment was accepted as normal behavior. To signal hospitality, some workers kept jars of cigarettes or boxes of cigars on their desks to accommodate visitors to their office. The same thing was done at home to accommodate guests at parties. When smokers met on the street, they might offer each other a cigarette as a sign of friendship and acceptance. Then they would share the experience of taking the tobacco smoke into their bodies as they relaxed together in conversation. In short, smoking was more than normal behavior. It was actually a widely practiced social ritual.

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Who will be the Fittest Loser?

Posted on May 4, 2011 | Comments Off

From Eileen:  Find out who has won the 12-week weigh loss competition 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 at John Barleycorn, 1100 American Lane in Schaumburg. You’re all invited!

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The last Boot Camp

Posted on May 3, 2011 | Comments Off

Four out of five contestants, plus Our Fittest Loser, Gerry, at the last Fittest Loser Boot Camp.

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Good and bad parts

Posted on April 28, 2011 | 1 Comment

From Gerry: I really appreciated Joe’s recent post and his suggestion about the “part of me” approach to facing the weight-loss challenge. The “bad” part has been with me so long, its voice is very familiar. And I’ve recognized over these last few months, just how powerful it is and how long I’ve been listening to it. The “good” part of me is more like a new acquaintance … bringing  interesting ideas and a fresh perspective. I’m very tentative about the good part … not sure if it’s telling the truth.

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