Writing this entry, I hear myself promising that this won’t be one of those “where have I been?” posts; that said, I realize that some explanation might be in order, so apparently I am ignoring the voices again (it’s a joke Mom, a joke! ).

For writers, and particularly blog writers, there are a million theories on the rights and wrongs of keeping readers engaged. Some insist that you should post very short pieces several times a day; others insist that it’s maybe 3 times a week is plenty, and possibly better, if the quality reflects the time that’s been taken.

Regardless, there is one thing that is nearly universally agreed upon among successful blog writers: Posting regularly is the key to keeping readers engaged. In particular, if you post several times a week on average, you should never, ever, just disappear from your site for a couple of months with little or no explanation.

Guess which cardinal sin I’ve committed.

However, the flip side is the break that I’ve taken from Almost Fit will hopefully stimulate a flurry of new articles, and has led to a few moments of fitness clarity (I hope). Time will tell.

State of the Almost Fit Nation

First and foremost, my weight for the most part has remained stable for the last few months, which is relatively positive, though hardly what I would consider great news. And to the point, my general level of fitness has definitely declined. This is especially true in the cardio department, where I find myself these days having to catch my breath at the top of a long flight of stairs. Not bent over gasping, but winded to be sure.

Since starting my current employment contract back in the fall, overall I gained an average of 2 lbs each month over the first 4 months, but I’ve not really gained much more in the last 3 months. Honestly this doesn’t come as much of a surprise for the following reasons: Read the rest of this entry »

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Ed. note: This entry is about working toward lifelong dietary goals by eating real food in moderation. The list of techniques will change over time, but this is where I’m starting from. This is actually an update from an article I wrote a little over a year ago, including my observations, corrections, and a handful of new ideas. Your constructive feedback is always appreciated. If this is your first time here and you enjoy this article, please consider subscribing via RSS. Thanks.

“Action Feeds Motivation.”

This thought occurred to me as I finished my first run of the year today, in the rain and wind. Yes, you read correctly: my FIRST, as best I can recall. As many readers have noticed, I’ve been a little scarce lately. I’ll write another post soon with my theories (and a few personal facts) on why that has been so, but for now I thought it was more important to simply do something about it. And as it turns out, that phrase, “Action Feeds Motivation” is going to be one of my recurrent themes for Almost Fit in 2009.

A year ago I was fully motivated to pursue these techniques. I didn’t need a whole lot of inspiration; I was ready to go. Over the last few months however, I haven’t been “feeling it” like I was. That tide however, is changing. So in an effort to really rekindle that fire I decided to review some of what I wrote a year ago to try to learn from my successes and mistakes, which is one of the great side-effects of writing your thoughts down in a public format like this one. For this analysis, I came back to one of my all-time favorite posts: 33 tips on how to lose weight without dieting, and one that I now think, after a year of trying out this approach to eating, needs a little revision.

As regular readers know, my focus here on Almost Fit is to do one simple thing: Eat Real Food in Moderation. No low fat this or low carb that; just real, whole foods in moderate amounts. As simple as the statement is, the principle is much harder to apply, particularly if you live in what I think of as a culture of excess. Most of us have come to accept as normal the gigantic, oversized meals that are available at every restaurant you go to, and on every food commercial or ad you encounter. We’ve confused quantity with value, and we’ve also convinced ourselves that the cost of food should be minimal – meaning it’s common to think that we simply can’t afford to eat better. I disagree; however, applying it on a daily basis is a lot like trying to light a candle in a hurricane.

In the 2008 article, I stated:

“I don’t believe that moderation in itself is the answer; eating moderate amounts of garbage still means you’re eating garbage. If I eat real food, in moderation, I am convinced that the weight will come off naturally. Changing my diet to focus on vegetables first, and then moderate amounts of high quality meat, grains, and dairy, makes sense to me. And so far, its working with little or no negative side effects including the emotional struggle that I associate with every diet I’ve ever tried, and I haven’t had to buy a single pre-packaged plan or frozen low fat dinner to do it.”

I still very much stand by these statements, and my diet and current condition is living proof. And that’s because I’m now thin, right?

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The truth be told, I really enjoy the colder months of the year. Living in the Pacific Northwest means that along with the change of seasons, we get a fair amount of rain, but generally I don’t mind… Although as I write this I immediately picture our close friends in warmer climates raising an eyebrow or two, knowing that I do dip into a little seasonal depression (Sharon, Stephanie, stop glaring…) from time to time. In fact, generally by the end of February I may try sticking my head in the microwave to pick up a few rays just to improve my demeanor. (Just kidding Mom. Mostly.)

From a food perspective, figuring out what exactly it is that we will eat each day in mid-winter has at times been a challenge. From late spring to the middle of autumn we have an abundance of fruits and vegetables growing in the garden and being provided through our CSA, not to mention farmer’s markets. But by the end of fall, all but one or two farmer’s markets are closed for the winter, and both our garden and our CSA have scaled back to very little. The other factor however, and maybe most important, is this:?

We are simply not in the habit of eating primarily seasonally in the winter months.

My whole life I think I’ve eaten my way through winter by consuming mostly packaged foods, some out of season fruits and vegetables?(and as a result, often less than decent), with the occasional in-season dish. That has changed this year, but it hasn’t been easy; and I must say, we sometimes slip out of the groove a little.

I think that is why, in catching up with my favorite sites and blogs, I was particularly interested in a recipe that I came across at Blue Kitchen. I have followed Blue Kitchen for a while now, however I lost track of the site in the fall. I found it again, and was thrilled to return to this article:

Potage Crecy: French for: “It’s cold outside – you need some creamy carrot soup”?

A handful of basic ingredients – carrots, potatoes, leeks, stock, fresh thyme and cream – proves once again that the French are masters of sublime simplicity, in this colorful, subtle soup.”

The potage described looked wonderful, and seemed like a very simple way to cook something seasonal and hearty on a cold evening.

There was only one problem: the carrots.

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[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a personal letter to Almost Fit readers, both long-time friends and new acquaintances. I will be posting a "Best Of" article shortly, but I think you'll agree that this letter was already plenty long enough. Thanks for reading, and thank you for hanging in there with me in my recent absence. UPDATE: I dozed off last night, so this is now a Saturday post. A day late - but that's what you get for blog dollars ]

Tonight is the one year anniversary of a mild obsession: testing whether eating real food in moderation can actually work to lose weight and achieve better health.

And the principle corollary: Is it possible to live moderately in a culture of excess?

No low fat this or low carb that (both of which I had previously tried, exhaustively, to no permanent success); just eating real, whole, and at times decadent, foods – the key of course being to keep the quantities in check.

Before I get started, let me just say that it’s been a long day; I slept about 3 hours last night before heading out at 5AM for a 4 hour drive to Seattle for a business meeting at 9, and then turned around several hours later to drive 3 1/2 hours back home (don’t ask me where the missing 1/2 hour went). I’m admittedly exhausted, but some things simply cannot wait, things for which any devoted writer knows sleep deprivation is no match.

In honor of this anniversary I am sitting down with my laptop and a stiff margarita – ice, fresh squeezed lime juice and a healthy dose of tequila – evaluating as honestly as I can whether this year’s changes have been worth the effort. So if things get a little squirelly, you’ll know why. Read the rest of this entry »

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“OK Dad it’s your turn.”

“OK, let’s see. What made me happy today was drinking hot chocolate with Jonah and his Mama after sledding.”

“OK Mom, now your turn.”

“What made me happy was…well Dad stole my idea, but I’m going to say getting to sleep in a little today on a Sunday morning.”

“OK my turn: My favorite part was…Dad can I have the same favorite part as you?”

We’ve begun a new tradition in our house.

Of Tequila and Artichokes

For whatever reason we don’t really seem to have many family traditions; Neither of us have a lot of “extra” things that we simply have to do regularly out of a sense of duty, solely because that is what one does under the circumstances. We have definite habits, patterns, and schedules, but the vast majority of the time we’re not conscious of daily, annual, or seasonal out of the ordinary traditions that we look forward to. Having just passed through the holiday season, it is pretty clear that many families have a lot of food-related traditions, which come in every shape and quantity imaginable, but it’s also equally clear that many of us have lost those traditions.

I would say my wife’s family has a few traditions that we honor; when they get together my wife’s siblings and their Mother truly enjoy sharing a steamed artichoke together, which reminds them of times gone by when sharing an artichoke was an extravagance. And in times of either joy or sorrow, a shot of tequila is their family drink – a tradition that as an inlaw (or, “Outlaw” as we’re collectively named) I apparently heartily embrace. Read the rest of this entry »

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Editor’s note: Welcome to Almost Fit. As you may have noticed, I’ve been away from the site for a little while taking care of some personal matters. I’ll be writing a short post soon to explain, but in the mean time, this post is a recipe I just came up with for tonight’s dinner that I just had to share. Thanks for reading.

Since I’ve started making all of our own bread, having bread dough around has meant that pizza has become a staple for us. The great thing about homemade pizza is you are in control of the ingredients, meaning that you can eat very well using the pizza “format” for your meal.

Throwing a handful of fresh ingredients on homemade dough is not only simple, it is something everyone should know how to do. From start to finish, this meal takes no longer than ordering the delivery of an industrially produced pizza that generally includes ingredients that you can’t verify as being real food. At least, in my long, prior history of ordering pizza delivery, I do not believe I’ve ever asked the person who answers the phone whether their pepperoni has nitrates, which should probably be the least of my concerns.

In talking over dinner and evaluating the meal, my wife and I figure that in the last 6 months I’ve probably made over 100 pizzas at home, often as dinner for friends. The keys to this are the bread dough recipe from Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day, and a decent baking stone. That’s truly it. I generally make 2-3 smaller pizzas per meal, 1 for the kids (though I enjoy it too), and one that is a little more on the experimental side. I’ve made as many as 5 for one night of entertaining, serving them to guests as they came out of the oven.

For tonight’s dinner, the first pizza course was a classic tomato sauce and mozzarella pizza with artichoke hearts and olives. Believe it or not, that was the “kids” pizza; our kids love things like olives, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts – a fact that I attribute (science or not) to the fact that these elements are common in the food we eat, so our kids have developed a taste for them.

For the second pizza course, I took a few risks. Tonight’s pizza creation, the Ham and Creole Cream Cheese Pizza turned out exceptionally well – good enough that I thought I’d share it right away. Actually, given that I’ve been quiet on this site over the last couple of months (I will explain in an upcoming post), I’m going to call this December’s recipe. I’ll be returning to writing more soon, including a fresh batch of food suggestions, but for now you get pizza. There could be worse fates.

Recipe: Ham and Creole Cream Cheese Pizza

First things first: This pizza has nothing in common with low fat anything – and in my opinion, it’s probably best to let it stay that way. The key to enjoying this pizza is, as always, moderation. The richness of the ingredients makes this possible if you slow down a bit and listen to what your stomach (not your tongue) is telling you. That of course is easier said than done; but you will find that with a glass of wine and a salad, a couple of pieces will satisfy. And if after a 1/2 an hour you’re still hungry, have another piece! But if you play your cards right, you’ll have a great lunch of leftovers the following day. Or breakfast, if like me, you just can’t wait.

One other thing: The Creole cream cheese is important in this dish because it is lighter in flavor (and a different texture) than typical cream cheese. We were lucky this week because our raw milk supplier was also selling homemade Creole cream cheese, so that is where we found it. If you can’t find Creole cream cheese, Mascarpone is a good substitute, and is that much richer. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. My focus at Almost Fit is on improving health by doing one thing: Eating real food in moderation. No low fat this or low carb that, just real, whole foods in reasonable amounts. I have lost 26 lbs this year (so far) by eating decadent foods, having a beer or two, and occasionally exercising – though I’m always working on increasing that last bit. If this sounds interesting, have a look around and let me know what you think. Thanks.

In part one of this series (“Want to save money and eat well? Join a CSA“), I introduced one of our primary methods of saving money and eating well: Participating in a CSA. This is part 2.

One of the biggest contentions with basing your eating habits on local, organic, minimally processed food is that it is just too expensive for most families. The truth be told, I don’t discount this opinion at all – in fact, for many of us, the cost difference in a grocery store is more than we can justify. Being frugal has not only become a pastime, in this economy it is increasingly a requirement.

In our case, frugality has its perks: We are actually saving money by eating better – thanks to our local CSA.

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Ed. note: This entry is a personal post on where I’ve been over the last few weeks. Normally Almost Fit sticks to one central concept: eating real food in moderation. I will be writing more on my main subject in the coming weeks, but I felt that many readers might be interested to know where I’ve been since I haven’t posted in a while. If this doesn’t interest you, it’s totally understandable – feel free to skip the post. But rest assured I’ll be resuming my usual subject matter soon. Thanks for reading.

As the title of this post says, it has been, for lack of a better term, an “interesting” time for me over the last few weeks. I have never gone this long without a post on Almost Fit, but I hope this is the last time that I have to set it aside for a while. I am currently writing this post a couple of hundred miles away from home, waiting to return tomorrow after a week of work at a new job. 

As I mentioned in several posts in mid summer, I left my day job behind in favor of pursuing some business ideas that made a lot of sense to me at the time, and still do in that context. I also really needed some time off with my family, and although it wasn’t as focused as I thought the time would be, we did enjoy a flexible schedule and several local getaways, and equally important I was able to restore some of my own equilibrium after a lot of extended hours and working weekends. We were also able to develop some excellent, frugal habits over the summer, which I really believe will stick over the years to come.

Unfortunately, one major thing changed: the economic slide impacted our family directly, and I’ve had to do a bit of scrambling to figure out our next move. Part of my business plan involved funds that were tied up in the stock market – and as many of us discovered rather abruptly, that wasn’t necessarily my strongest choice. We haven’t lost nearly as much as many folks, but when that money is central to how you are going to pay your mortgage, it does force you to reconfigure a few of your assumptions. Read the rest of this entry »

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Over the summer, we discovered one of our best real food finds to date: we successfully joined a local CSA. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become one of our primary resources in our real food transformation – so much so that it is hard for me to remember what it was like without it. I would guess that CSAs are not available everywhere that we’ve lived; and I am equally sure that this is the case for many Almost Fit readers. However, my one bit of advice on this subject is simple:

Find one if you can, and treat them with great respect.

In this series on CSAs on Almost Fit, I’ll describe our experience with our CSA, how it has benefited us from multiple perspectives, how to find a CSA near you, and some ideas on what to do with the produce you receive.

You may have noticed that the second half of that statement, “find one if you can, and treat them with great respect“ is kind of an odd thing to say. Beyond the obvious human decency aspect, there is a vital reason why I’ve brought it to the forefront. But you’ll have to wait to find out. 

But wait – I may be getting ahead of myself. Maybe this question should be answered first… Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by doing one thing: Eating Real Food in Moderation. No low carb hacks or low fat substitutions – just savoring real, whole foods.

I am not alone in saying that fall is my favorite season. I enjoy the summer heat, winter chill, and spring rains, but when I can see my breath when I step outside in the evening, or when the crown of our maple trees starts to show signs of preparing to fall and form swirl patterns on the sidewalk, or when the distant sounds of migratory geese break the silence of falling dew, I know that I am in my element.

This year is unusual; for me, it is my first fall season that I am consciously focusing on a new way of eating. Although I’ve been improving my habits over the last few years, this year in particular I’m focused on eating well, and eating moderately. Real Food in Moderation is not just the slogan of this site; as my friends and family know, it is something I’ve put solidly into practice, and presents some interesting challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

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