sam's Healthkicker

Pop it Like it's Hot

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:02:51 GMT

I'm a cracker, and it's not just because I'm white.

I crack my neck...my back....my knuckles and my crack. OK, just my neck and knuckles - sorry, I got caught up in a little Khia. I used to pop my back, but about a year ago, I made a conscious effort to never do it again, and so far I've noticed less back pains. I still pop my neck and knuckles, though, and it's strictly become a nervous habit. A lot of it also has to do with the amount of time I'm sitting at a computer.

You wouldn't think clicking and sitting would cause so much strain, but it does. And I'm only 22, so I just can't wait to see what I'm going to be like when I'm 40.

I do have neck pains every now and then, and when I turn my head left, I can hear a little pop when I turn it back. It's not as horrible and painful as it sounds, just annoying, kind of like a clicking jaw.

Do you pop a lot of stuff on your body?

Chicken Leg Syndrome: Can it Be Stopped?

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:24:11 GMT

Ever notice how guys tend to focus solely on building muscle in their chest and shoulders? I guess it's so that when a potential mate comes along, they can puff out their chests like an exotic bird. Unfortunately, men lack the colorful plumage, so most of the time they come off as just looking like unproportioned douches.

Excuses I've heard regarding this issue tend to be along the lines of, "People notice your upper body more than your lower body."

I suppose this is true, in the sense that people tend to be drawn more towards your upper body since that's where your face is. But it doesn't take long for them to take note of the whole package, and when you've got a couple of toothpicks supporting you, they notice. And they probably laugh.

I used to avoid lower body workouts altogether, but then I starting seeing how I basically had no calves and no butt. It just looked funny, since I had a well-defined upper body. Now I dedicate entire workouts to my lower body, and I could tell a difference almost immediately. Muscles I never knew existed are showing themselves.

Is there a certain body part you tend to focus on more at the gym?

Work Food: What Do You Eat?

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:23:38 GMT

It's hard for me to get too excited about my lunch break at work. My choices are either a sub-par frozen meal, or grabbing something quick at the drive-thru. I've yet to pack my own healthy meal at home and bring it to work.

That's the odd part - I eat healthy at home, but when I'm at work, I'm grabbing cookies in the break room and getting nachos or a burger if I go out. I'm just looking for instant gratification without really thinking about the fact that what I'm eating tends to be empty calories. Plus, with the holidays, we've been having snacks and sandwiches catered to the office.

As for fast food, there are only a few choices that are within a reasonable driving distance, so those are the ones I frequent most often. And we're talking Panera, Burger King and Taco Bell - nothing to be proud of when it comes to healthy eating. However, I've been getting on their web sites and looking at their lower-calorie choices. So for instance, I'll do a half-order of salad and a cup of soup at Panera, or a grilled chicken sandwich at Burger King. (Um, Taco Bell has no healthier alternatives, but I usually go with the bean burrito...protein maybe? Ha, OK, I got nothin'.)

Frozen meals are alright every now and then, but they can't be THAT good for you. since there's usually a ton of sodium and other preservatives in them.

So what do you eat at work? What kind of routine do you have for lunch usually? Is your lunch always at noon, or do you tend to work later shifts?

The Sunday Detox: Getting Rid of a Hangover

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:20:56 GMT

Sunday is usually my day to rid my body of the alcoholic toxins I've exposed it to throughout the weekend. I typically spend 30-40 minutes sweating on the treadmill along with drinking many, many glasses of water and orange juice.

Running really makes me feel better after a night of partying. Sweating out all that crud really refreshes me. A lot of people tend to sleep off their hangover, but I like to speed up the process by getting my butt on the treadmill.

How do you rid yourself of a hangover? Do you have a routine? I've never tried a hangover pill but would definitely be willing to give it a whirl.

Gym Boosters

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:01:43 GMT

For over a year now, I've been taking a weight training supplement called N.O. Xplode. I can definitely tell a difference when I work out; I have more energy and can lift heavier weights. The problem is that most supplements, including N.O. Xplode have not been FDA approved, so there's a chance I'm hurting myself more in the long run. Whenever I take it, I pretty much have to work out, because I have so much pent-up energy, and I can feel my blood pumping.

There have been some side effects. One is the occasional severe headache. The drink contains a lot of caffeine, and I'm just assuming my body is suffering from withdrawal, because I only get them on days I don't work out. Also, as soon as I take it, it's like an instant laxative, which in a way is nice, because it cleans my system out before I work out.

Do you take any supplements like this? Some people I know drink coffee or an energy drink before going to the gym. I feel like I've become too reliant on this stuff, which is $60 a bottle and could be causing damage to my heart and liver.

But at least I have biceps!

Rude (and Fat) Awakenening

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:58:18 GMT

I'm a big Panera Bread fan. I usually go there about twice a week during my lunch break and get a sandwich or a salad. My sandwich of choice is the Sierra Turkey, but sometimes I opt for the Greek salad. (Asiago cheese is da shiz.)

I knew Panera wasn't really a low-calorie option because it uses "richer" ingredients. (Asiago cheese being one of them.) But come on - it's turkey, lettuce, some chipotle sauce and tomato. How fattening could it really be? So I went to the Panera website and was horrified to find this:

1,000 CALORIES?! ALMOST HALF OF THEM FROM FAT?! 85 PERCENT OF MY DAILY SODIUM INTAKE IN ONE EFFING SANDWICH?!!!! AND THIS DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE THE BAG OF CHIPS WITH IT!!! I NEED TO STOP YELLING!!!

Looks like I'll be cutting down on what I thought was a fairly healthier alternative to Burger King or McDonald's, otherwise I'm going to be a big Panera fan in the literal sense. My advice to you: Go to a restaurant's website and look up your favorite food. You might be surprised as to what you're actually eating.

Looking Good vs. Feeling Good

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:14:23 GMT

Looking good is important these days, isn’t it? But good health is even more important….right? At least it should be. It’s a superficial world out there, so it’s sometimes hard to balance out the reasons why we exercise and eat right. Sure, we want to live a better quality of life, but it’s nice to have people ogle at our total hawtness.

I see a lot of people at the gym who make it pretty obvious as to why they work out. They’re tan (a fake one, mind you), they’re talking on their cell phones, their hair is perfectly styled, they stare at themselves in the mirror more than any normal person should. They’re not sweating or panting, yet they seem to be in perfect shape. Pan over to Sam, the sickly pale hairy guy with sweaty man tits and you might just be overcome with a sense of pity and sorrow.

This was at least the scene at the rec center in college. I’ve since taken my moist jugs over to a smaller 24-hour gym, where I’m free to work on my fitness without judgment. I won’t lie though – the superficial aspect of exercising outweighs the health aspect. My clothes fit better and my confidence is higher when I work out regularly. On a scale from 1 to 10, looking better rates about a 9, while feeling better rates about a 7.

What about you? Why do you exercise and/or diet? You can be honest here. I won’t tell anyone as long as you don’t look at the wet bags of sand seeping through my shirt.

Plastic Bottles are Cancerous?

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:08:58 GMT

In my last post about caffeine, I happened to mention the water bottle I've been reusing for the past month. I think it's wasteful to open a new bottled water every time, so instead I just refilled Arnold (that's my water bottle's name) and placed him back in the fridge. It's not the taste of bottled water I like, just the convenience of having a little bottle in which to tote around such an important, life-giving substance. According to my readers, this was a dangerous thing to do, as Arnold was slowly giving me some kind of plastic-related cancer.

After I found out about Arnold's apparent murder plot against me, all I could do was nervously look at him like he was a possessed toy monkey. He sat on my desk, quietly mocking me, and I suspected that if he knew that I knew he was evil, he'd come to life and physically attack me. On the outside, my water bottle had a kind and refreshing appearance, but on the inside, he was leaking chemical compounds into my water. So before he could do any further damage, I threw him away.

R.I.P. Arnold. You were there for me since the first day of work, and you will be sorely missed.

Today I did some online research, and apparently the biggest concern for me was just a little bacteria that might have accumulated on him. The cancer thing was just a myth, so now I feel like I murdered my friend for no reason - like I killed my childhood playmate for wearing an ugly shirt.

"[The] FDA has affirmatively determined that, when plastics are used as intended in food-contact applications, the nature and amount of substances that may migrate, if any, are safe." Source

Were you all just jealous of my relationship with Arnold? Why all the hate, bloggers? You forced me to commit a heinous act against nature, and now, because of my rash decision, a mother squirrel is going to get lodged in Arnold over at some landfill, and then she won't be able to feed her babies. Because of the fear you instilled in me, I will have inadvertently killed an entire family of squirrels.

How does that make you feel?

Additional Reading (because I know you want it):

Caffeine Gets My Motor Running

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:48:57 GMT

I've never understood the people who drink decaf coffee, and from my observations, I would say that it's mainly old people that do this. Apparently they drink it for the taste, which is pretty much the last reason I drink coffee. Decaf is like putting water in my gas tank.

When I drink coffee, I feel smarter, so I feel more confident in my capabilities. Add caffeine to the equation and I turn into a tornado of productivity. I'm able to focus and get my work done more efficiently. I drink about two cups of coffee a day during the week, but I drink a bottle of water in between those two cups in order to dilute the insane amount of energy I've built up. I once saw the muscles in my arm twitching after downing two cups of coffee in about 30 minutes, so I figured spacing it out was a good idea.

And for you recycling fanatics, I've been using the same plastic water bottle since I started my job. I've named it Arnold, and I accidentally threw him in the trash the other day without thinking. I gasped and immediately dug him out, apologizing and rinsing him off. My water bottle and I have the same kind of relationship Tom Hanks and Wilson had in Cast Away. (I cried the first time I saw that part, by the way. *manly grunt*)

Here's Arnold with the disheveled label I've used to claim him.

So how much caffeine are you drinking during the day? Any unusual relationships with inanimate objects?

Let's Not Get Too Fat, K?

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:51:11 GMT

Hi, I'm Sam. You may know me as wherethefishlives on Xanga, but for the sake of health, you're going to address me as Sam on this blog. Got it?

Alright, so Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, and that means a lot of food is coming your way...unless you're homeless, which in that case, I'm sorry. Come to my house for Thanksgiving. You can eat in the garage, but then you need to be on your way.

I'm going to see what kind of health advice I can pull out of my ass for my blog here on healthkicker, but in the meantime I want you to give me 20 pushups and a jig.