Well….
Some of you already know this, but 2008 / 2009 were a rough time for me on a personal level. I thank all of you who helped me and those of you who sent well wishes.
After a long pause and a brief attempt at a fashion website (it was fun!), it seems like I am back to blogging. I thought about restarting 60 in 3 but the truth is that I want to talk about more than just fitness. Just as I learned a lot about myself and getting in shape through my experiences in fitness, I feel like I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about coping with stress, dealing with loss and leading a happy life. So I’ve opened a new blog called Equally Happy which you can find at www.equallyhappy.com. If you’re interested, come on over.
Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of your lives.
An End But Also A Beginning
Two years ago I started 60 in 3 as a way for me to help people who were struggling with the same health and fitness issues that I was. It was a way for me to share what I had learned and also to learn from others. In that time I have greatly enjoyed both the writing and the reading that were part of maintaining this blog. However, in the past few months, as I’ve gone through a few life changes and as I’ve learned more about myself, writing 60 in 3 has become more of a job and less of a passion. I began dreading the days on which I was to write posts and I started seeing this blog more as a way to make money and less as a way to help people. That’s wrong, and it’s not what I want to do.
So, in the past month I started looking for a new passion, a new way in which I can help people and still feel motivated. I had quite a few ideas but the one that finally stuck was one which popped into my head at random while strolling through New York. As some of you know, I’ve always disliked the fashion industry for fostering an unrealistic and unhealthy body image for men and women. The various magazines and websites out there show you pictures of people who are impossibly thin, have a dozen people to do their hair and makeup, wear outfits that are professionally assembled and use an army of photoshop artists. Then they tell you to do the impossible and imitate the way they look. At the same time, I do enjoy dressing well and I like seeing other people looking good. So it occurred to me, why not show the world that it’s possible to look fashionable without going to the extremes that the fashion industry tells us to go to?
And thus, Look A Day was born. Look A Day is my way of telling people “you can look great even if you’re not a fashion model”. I know, it’s a very different idea than 60 in 3, but for me, it’s all part of the same idea, a way to show people that being healthy is not out of their reach. Looking beautiful is not impossible. So if you like the idea, join me over there. I will be posting a new “look” every day, and yes, while the site currently has only women, I am planning to add men too. If really like the idea, feel free to share it with friends, Digg it, stumbleupon it or any other way in which you can help spread the word. And if you don’t like the idea, stay tuned. 60 in 3 is going on a short hiatus, but it will be back in a somewhat different form in a month or two.
Thank you all for being with me through this journey and I hope you stick with me as I take my next step.
14 Health and Fitness Sites You Should Be Using
Ahh the internet, the best way to waste time mankind has ever invented. However, among all the dancing badgers, LOLcats, shock sites and music players, this series of interconnected tubes does actually offer a few useful sites. So here they are, my list of the top health and fitness relates sites out there:
Healthy Eating
Calorie Counter Database - This is actually a service offered by about.com. It’s a well stocked database of foods and their nutritional values. A good place to start if you’re wondering how many calories were in that sandwich you just ate.
Nutrition Data - Another nutrition database with information on a wide variety of foods. It’s interesting to look up what you’re eating on a regular basis. Just as long as you’re ok with the occasional bad surprise. (ouch, that sandwich I ate for breakfast…)
USDA Food And Nutrition Center - A government site from the USDA which is focused on nutrition. I’m a little suspicious when I read articles on this site, especially since their goal is to support agriculture and not really promote health. However, there is some good information here as long as you’re aware of their bias.
The Food Network - Yep, I’ll admit it, I love food. You don’t really need to hate food to be healthy. And a great place to learn more about good food is the network dedicated to it. Find good recipes, meal ideas and other food related information. Or just argue about which chocolate truffle is better (go Lindt!!!)
Food Shopping
Eat Well Guide - Want to find local restaurants in your area that sell organic food? How about stores? Farmers markets? For all of you who want to eat food made with quality ingredients, this is a great place.
Eat Wild - Similar concept to Eat Well, but this one specializes in meats. Lots of good meat sources for people who don’t want factory produced crap. Find your local farmer and buy directly from them. You benefit, your local economy benefits and your body will be much happier.
Local Harvest - Another food finder that can help you find local vendors or markets with good quality foods. Remember, support your local farmer!
Exercise
Cooper’s Guns - Their news page is out of date but their exercise encyclopedia is the best around. Click on the exercises link under videos to reach it. My first destination when I’m looking to vary up my workout.
EXRX - Their marketing person should be shot for coming up with that acronym but the website still kicks ass. This is like a more professional version of Cooper’s Guns. Lots of great information here on exercises, weight training and so on. Click on the exercises link and then on the Exercise & Muscle Directory link to see a great exercise encyclopedia.
Online Tools
Fit Day - They can get a bit annoying when they start pitching their software app, but the free web based account is still a great tool for storing data about your eating and exercise. If you’re going to keep a food journal, this is a good way to do it.
Calories Per Hour - Want to know how many calories a 35 year old man who weighs 200lbs and exercises vigorously three times a week needs? How about the number of calories you burn if you run for an hour? Either way, this site probably has a calculator that will help you find your answer.
Disease and Injury
Mayo Clinic - Want to know if the rash on your leg is something you need to worry about? Need to find out how to cope with a family member who has cancer? Or are you just curious about some disease you saw in the latest episode of House or Grey’s Anatomy? This is the site for you!
Web MD - Similar to the Mayo Clinic site although a bit more commercial. I happen to trust Mayo more than I trust WebMD but there’s no reason not to use both and compare the information you get.
Centers For Disease Control - The ultimate government research site on health, illness, injuries and anything else related to the various problem that might befall a human body. Includes everything from tips on preventing injuries to advice on living with disease. Surprisingly well organized and readable for a government site.
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Got your own favorite site? Please include it in the comments. Also, I’ll be listing my favorite blogs later this week so feel free to mention those as well.
And thank you to Me Ander (love the name) for including a 60 in 3 article in their latest blog carnival.
Website Resolution
Ready Lynn C commented last week on a resolution issue with 60 in 3. Seems like she was seeing text going all the way to the edge of the screen. Is anyone else having this issue? If so, can you tell me via comments or email which browser you’re using along with version of the browser and your screen resolution? I’ve tried a lot of combos but I can’t recreate the issue Lynn was discussing.
Thanks,
Gal
Technical Difficulties Fixed, For Now…
As you can see, I managed to find a new look for 60 in 3 that does not blow things up (I think). This new look might be temporary, depending on how many broken things I find. If you see any issues, please report them to me via comments or email.
Thank you,
Gal
Technical Difficulties
Unfortunately, our Wordpress upgrade seems to have broken our old theme here at 60 in 3. I am currently experimenting with a few new ones so please don’t be alarmed if the site looks a bit different.
What Is A Grad?
I keep seeing articles about health and fitness and for some reason, many of them strike me as being slightly off. There’s something just a little wrong with them or something that doesn’t quite seem right. The odd thing is that these are articles which, three or four years ago, I would have been nodding along with, agreeing with everything they said. What’s changed? Is it the articles or is it me?
That started me thinking about what kind of articles I want to present here on 60 in 3 and the kind of material you all like to read. Who is my audiance? What are you all like? I’ve been thinking for a while that the average 60 in 3 reader isn’t quite the average person and I wanted to quantify that. What makes us special? What makes us unique? This is what I came up with.
The Grads! That’s us
I’m going to use the term grad or grads to describe you all. First of all because it’s easier than saying the average 60 in 3 reader over and over but also because it has a couple of other meaning. Grad means you’ve graduated. You’ve gotten past all those fad diets, three week exercise programs and two month resolutions. You’re here for the duration and you know that you want to make fitness part of your life. Grad also means gradual, because you understand that being fit doesn’t happen over night.
So let’s examine this a bit more. What does being a grad really mean for me, for you and for 60 in 3?
No Quick Fixes - As I said, being a grad means you no longer believe in quick fixes. You know that fitness is not about the next two weeks or even about the next year, it’s about the rest of your life. You won’t see articles on 60 in 3 urging you to try this workout for the next week or this diet tip for the next month. The only things I’ll talk about are changes to your life that are realistic and can be maintained forever. It’s what you expect and it’s what I intend to deliver.
Why As Well As How - Being a grad means you’re interested in learning more about your body and your health. You’re not interested in just being told “do this!” You want to know why and how this will help. You don’t care to be told “eat more veggies”, you want to know why this helps because this information will help you adapt these tips to your everyday life.
Detail Oriented - Related to the why, you want to know details. It’s great to know that eating less calories will mean losing weight, but where are the details? How many less calories? How many calories in a lb? How do I calculate my calorie intake? I see too many articles out there with simple tips like “eat less calories”. Well that’s great, but what does that really mean? I’ll try to provide those details on 60 in 3.
Big Picture View - This may seem at odds with the details point I just mentioned, but I think it can work well. You see, too many sites and magazines have too narrow a focus. How often have you see a site dedicated to just running? Or just a raw food diet? Or just ripped abs? These things are fine but they need to be part of a big picture. Being fit is about all of these things. It’s about diet and exercise and motivation and a whole lot of other things. I’ll try to deliver that big picture overview that you expect because I think it’s vital. Without it, we get too focused on one area or another and miss the big picture.
Enjoy - Too many articles focus on fitness as a hardship, something to be endured rather than enjoyed. I disagree completely and I think you grads do as well. Fitness and health is a wonderful part of life. There are so many fun and fit activities like hiking, dancing, sports, horseback riding and so on. I just fail to understand how people can see health as a chore. Even going to the gym can be fun if you do it right.
I think the reason many people fail at their attempts to become more healthy is because they think of these attempts as work rather than pleasure. They start with the hard stuff like gym workouts and strict diets, without enjoying the easy stuff first. Well, that’s not me and I don’t believe it’s you either. So I’m going to focus some articles on the more fun aspects of fitness.
Proud and Personal - Last but not least, you’re proud of what you’ve accomplished and what you’re still working on. You’re not ashamed to admit you still have goals. Yes, you still want to lose a bit more weight, you still want to improve your running speed or get better at dancing and that’s perfectly fine. Health is a very personal thing and it’s also something to be very proud of. You know what you’ve accomplished and you’re not afraid to share that with others. That’s part of the reason why I enjoy sharing personal stories here on 60 in 3, because I realize fitness isn’t all about cold hard facts. Sometimes it’s nice to hear of other people facing the same obstacles and struggling with the same difficulties. We can share our experiences with them and learn from their mistakes.
So here’s to you 60 in 3 grads. Thank you for making this website a joy and a pleasure to run. I hope we spend many more days, weeks, months and years together.
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And thank you to those of you who share these articles on sites like Digg, Stumbleupon and others. I appreciate the faith in me and in 60 in 3.
