Christoph's blog

Progress: Lost a half a pound. Added five pounds to the lift

When I lost a lot of weight I did it half a pound at a time.

“Yes, I’m down half a pound (or pound),” I’d exclaim while weighing myself.

It seems silly to celebrate half a pound, but they add up. Four half pounds are two full pounds. You are welcome for the math lesson. :) Seriously, it adds up.

It also works the other way. I once gained 50 pounds and didn’t even know it (consciously). It…

The blog is moving

Hello everyone and thanks for reading the blog and the eNewsletter.

I’ve decided to move this site over to The Authentic Storytelling Project. You can continue following along here.

Thanks for your interest and feel free to reach out with questions.

Christoph

Workout time is about perception

How long a workout is actually taking isn’t always about the actual amount of time but our perception of it.

Some workouts go by so fast. That was 90 minutes? No way! Those are often the ones when we totally get into the lift or run. The weights are flying around. They feel light. We are setting new personal records. We are running faster than ever and it’s not even that much harder.

We can…

Weekends are good for workouts

Weekends are good rest days. But they are also good workout days.

While I like heading to the gym when it opens right at 5 a.m. on many weekday mornings, the weekends are another great time to hit the gym for a number of reasons:

More time

During the week, I’m a bit on a time schedule. Get there by 5, be home by 6:30 to help get my daughters ready for the day. Even if I have a good lift going at…

Why #gymselfies are OK

Instagram, the social photo sharing network, is great for a few things:

Posting lunch pictures.

Posting vacation pictures.

Posting #gymselfies or other workout pictures or videos.(What’s a selfie?)

Yea, that’s a bit stereotypical, sure. Sorry. Some people post pictures of their children, too.

It can get old to look at other people’s near-flawless bodies on Instagram. And everyone – other than me…

Losing the fight with calories feels so good …

And that’s exactly the problem with trying to cut necessary calories. When we cut calories successfully we might be hungry, frustrated, and easily annoyed. There’s no immediate reward for cutting calories. The weight isn’t melting off that second.

But when we give in and eat more than we should (I’m looking at you family meals and many restaurant meals) it feels good right then. Yummy. That…

Context matters: How to look at weight loss

Sharing how much weight we’ve lost sounds good, but sometimes there are ways to add additional context.

I was reminded of this while watching part of the finale of “The Biggest Loser” on TV.

Each contestant’s weight loss was reported in pounds and than as a percentage. Here’s how much of their body weight was lost: A quarter, a third, etc.

Wow. Now that adds an additional point of understanding…

Why I buy my supplements online and not at a brick and mortar store

I usually buy my supplements online through a monthly subscription through Amazon. Unless I cancel one month’s subscriptions, Amazon will send me a package that often includes:

Protein bars

Protein powder

Pre and post workout shakes and supplements

This system works and makes shopping easy. Amazon sends me once a month the items I’m planning on using the following month. When I want to stop a…

Treadmill or running outside – which one is better?

My answer changes based on the season, temperature and what I’m in the mood for. Lets take a look at some of the pros and cons.

Treadmill at the gym PROS Consistent temperature Near weights – so I can lift, too Near other cardio machines – if I want to switch gears TVs

CONS You don’t really go anywhere I find it harder to run on one than outside Crowded gyms are possible People talking nearby

Na…

Sending virtual cheers to people out on a run

You may have seen those posts on Facebook: “So and so is out on a run with Nike. Send me cheers by liking or commenting on this post.”

They are part of the Nike + Running App, which you can download for iPhone or Android here.

I’ve liked other people’s posts before when I saw them. I thought they would probably appreciate the cheers. I continued using the app, but never actually turned this…

Keeping your diet under control while traveling

Keeping your diet under control while traveling can be tough.

One meal at a restaurant can often eat up a big chunk of a day’s calorie allotment. Of course, we can eat off the under 500 calories menu. But depending on where your travels take you that may or may not be an option. National restaurants often list calories in the My Fitness Pal calorie-tracking app. Local restaurants are usually not…

This project has been discontinued, but you can find some of our posts now at The Authentic Storytelling Project.

My baby sister rolled over …

First she made a sound so my parents would look up from their phones and then she rolled over.

From her back to the tummy. Way to go, sis.

Merry Christmas,

Your digital native

Merry Christmas – Setting up surveillance to catch Santa

There’s so much technology out there. I hope I get a lot tonight when Santa stops by. On a related note, I wonder if I can use technology to “spy” on Santa. :)

Could take my sister’s baby monitor, put it by the chimney (how does he fit through there anyway?), and hear when Santa visits? Maybe I can say hello?

I could certainly watch the Google Maps tracker, but for how accurate Google Maps is on…

Would Santa want a glass of milk?

I asked my dad about that, because you know Santa is already drinking a lot of milk flying around the globe and visiting all those homes.

He might appreciate it.

Merry Christmas,

Your digital native