Unleashing The Beast :: FitBob

Long Duration/Low Intensity, aerobic base-building

Weight: 209
11:57 am

Spin bike: 2:11
Steam/Hottub: 5 min

Total calories: -1121

Took a complete rest day yesterday to give the bod some time to adapt to recent training loads without any stressors. I also haven’t been getting enough sleep the last few weeks; despite going to bed early, my twitchy back and mental chatter have kept me up more than I’d like. I was ecstatic to get 4.5 hours last night, and hopefully today’s longer ride will put an end to that and get me back on a relatively normal sleep cycle.

Some friends are visiting from down the hill (near sea level) and wanted to learn to snowboard, so yesterday I took them to Eldora to give them a taste of snow surfing awesomeness. A few inches of new snow and riding on a weekday made for near-perfect conditions.

After getting them set up with equipment, we trekked off to the bunny slopes where I showed them the basics of strapping in, weight placement, turning, etc. We then hiked up the hill a bit, strapped in, and started riding.

Turns out we should have just taken the bunny lift and started on the steeper parts. The hikes up, maybe 100 yards, plum tuckered ‘em out. My older bud was struggling to breathe and took a nasty digger that pretty much wiped him out. His son caught on quickly, though we learned his natural stance is goofy and his board was set up for a standard stance.

Still, it was a great afternoon intro to the sport. Both are now hooked and poppa has found new motivation to get back in shape. They’re coming back next month (traditionally Colorado’s snowiest) and we’ll go hit one of the bigger hills for more fun in the snow.

Next time, I’ll be wearing my heartrate monitor so I can get a more precise meaure of caloric expenditure than “a lot.” I’m guesstimating that we burnt 1000-2000 calories over three hours of hiking, falling and riding. We’re all feeling the effects today. ;o)

I’ve eaten so much tuna from the can over the years it’s gotten to the point that I can’t stand to think of it. The new way of packaging it in foil is definitely more convenient and healthier (less mercury content, among other reasons) but it does nothing to change my acquired tuna aversion.

Then I saw Alton Brown make tuna croquettes on Food Network one night. They looked so good I actually made a batch that midnight. Although I couldn’t get the boy to try them, they were quickly devoured by my mom and her husband. They’re a great way to get more fish and protein in your diet without adding a ton of calories.

Here’s the original clip, and my tweaks to the recipe are below:

Ingredients:
1 (7-ounce) pouch albacore tuna, drained and hand shredded
1 cup dried, chopped onion flakes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (panko would probably be better)
Olive oil (for sauteing)

Directions:
Put 1/2 cup of bread crumbs on a plate.
Combine everything else (except olive oil) in a medium mixing bowl.
Use an ice cream scoop to make 8-10 individual balls of the mixture and drop onto baking sheet or cutting board.
Let rest for 15 minutes to firm up, otherwise they’ll fall apart.
After resting, gently form into discs and coat each in the bread crumbs.

Heat up a 12″ skillet with just enough olive oil in it to cover the bottom. Add the croquettes and cook about 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Randall Mack has an interesting post on the obesity problem in America, here’s an excerpt:

“It starts on the demand-side of the obesity equation. A multigenerational fix is needed as everything from increasing human exercise and the population`s physical activity to education on food choices to reduction in out-of-control consumption are needed to fix the problem. That means long-term behavioral changes. I think the government has given up on an entire generation. Changing behaviors is difficult the older one becomes. So one of the clear foci has become kids, and the encouraging – or demanding – of physical activity and fresher foods in schools rather than sedentary video gaming and McDonalds. It is a revolution that will be led on the demand-side of the equation.”

Full post: http://randallmack.com/japan/americas-obesity-problem/

Sadly, this depicts far too many Americans.

Losing fat really is that simple. All it takes is a bit less eating and a bit more movement. Calories In – Calories Out = Weight Loss or Gain. Burn more than you eat and off come the pounds.