What a Wacky Web We Wead

First of all, a thanks to the commenters who made yesterday's reader participation experiment a success. Now that I know you'll reply, I'm going to start doing interactive things more often. Sweet.

The bottomless appetite
"The volunteers who ate from normal bowls consumed about nine ounces of soup, just less than a can. They thought they ate 123 calories, but actually ate 155. Those with the bottomless bowls estimated that they ate almost the same number of calories -- 127 -- but had actually eaten an average of 268 calories and 15 ounces of soup. They'd ingested 73 percent more soup, but almost none reported feeling full because in their minds they'd only finished half the bowl."

This study is amazing. The general concept makes sense, but the proportion is wild. Who would have guessed that you could eat 73% more and not notice? If you sat me down in front of an endless bowl of hamburgers, heart attack city. I've heard that you should take delivery food or carry out and put it on a plate so you can see how much you're really eating. Seems like a good idea.

post workout meal nutrition -what to eat after a workout
"Simply put, aside from water (which you should already know you need) your post workout meal needs to contain 2 things, and it needs to not contain 1. You should be eating protein and carbs. You should NOT be eating fat."

There's some good information here. I would just ignore the parts where the author prefers jugs of supplements to normal food in every single case. I'm not anti-supplement, but I think real food does have some merit.

One point to notice: if you've got a sweet-tooth, indulge it a bit post-workout. The sugar won't be turned into fat as it gets absorbed into your sponge-like muscles. Also, insulin is an anti-catabolic, countering the muscle-burning effects of cortisol. Just don't down a whole cake, obviously.

5 Things: Happy Hiking Feet
I have a friend who reads my blog who hiked the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail is more than 2000 miles long! She chided me for not including hiking anywhere in my blog, as it builds leg bone density and muscle, especially if you're backpacking. She also pointed out that if you use a hiking staff you can transfer a lot of weight to your upper body, making it a full body workout. This is something I'd never thought about.

Anyway, keep the tootsies happy while you trek up and down mountains.

What's the point of living longer if you can't eat the yummy stuff?

"What's more important to you -- A sinful meal or your family and friends? I'm willing to bet that hardly anyone ever lies on their death bed wishing they'd ate more junk food -- but they will wish they had more time with their loved ones, and they'll wish they'd enjoyed time with their family more."

First, let me say that I think that if you work hard, you'll be able to occasionally enjoy the foods you love without guilt. With that out of the way:

If you're a fitness enthusiast, you may have encountered people asking you what the point of living to old age is if you have to be miserable the whole time. Some people are really contemptuous of those of us (you included) trying to better our lives and want to take us down a peg. It's easier to try to make others feel shallow and stupid than to gather up the will power to change your life. This little essay is a great response to keep in the back of your mind for dealing with this ignorant sort.

We know why haters hate, right?