Play Fantasy Healthball with us – Get in great shape this fall/winter

Even if you weren’t one of the first to respond and join our custom league, you can still play Fantasy Healthball this 2009 NFL season with your friends or even by yourself.  Think about it.  It is easier to stay in shape in the summer time.  Days are longer, it stay light well into the evening (allowing for outdoor activities), the weather is nicer and inspiring to get outside, and the throngs of people outside in shorts and tank tops inspire you to fit into that old pair of shorts you love or that old bathing suit. 

But then winter comes.  Days are short.  It is dark by the time you get out of work.  It is cold or windy or rainy or all three.  Everyone is bundled up in layers of clothing, not a flat tummy in sight.  It is the time of year your brain might be telling you, “time to pack on some calories and get ready to hibernate until the thaw.” 

Well my friends, Fantasy Healthball is what separates us from the grizzly bears.  Our bodies do not need to pack on fat for the long winter.  Our bodies need just as much exercise and vitamins and minerals through nutrient rich food as we do in the summer time.  So play our game with us.  You are going to be watching football anyway, you might as well be getting into great shape as you are doing it!  Check out the “Start Playing” section of our website to learn all the details and then come back here for updates and advice.  By the way, this is a 2-way communication with our fans.  Send us an email or leave us a comment on our blog and we’ll get back to you. 

And now I must get back to preparing for our custom league draft on Monday.  You probably know Jeff is our fantasy guru, but here is how I have the top ten running backs ranked for this year’s draft as of right now.  I have Forte higher than most experts as he is going to be an even bigger catching threat with a first-year Cutler in addition to his usual awesome running.  And I have Frank Gore higher than most because he has never been more fired up in his career.  A hall of fame middle linebacker as a coach will do that for a guy. 

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Matt Forte
3. Michael Turner
4. Maurice Jones-Drew
5. Frank Gore
6. DeAngelo Williams
7. LaDainian Tomlinson
8. Brandon Jacobs
9. Brian Westbrook
10. Steven Jackson

How will you compare with the season of these guys?  Find out now.  — Jim Ballard

Healthy Lunch vs. Unhealthy Lunch

So you followed our advice on breakfast, so what’s next?  Lunch, of course.  Let’s see how the Fantasy Healthball Food Formation works for lunch. 

If you can plan out your lunch ahead of time and have it with you, you can make sure it is healthy. That may be your best bet for encouraging routine and consistency.  If you are more of a forager at lunchtime, there are plenty of healthy choices. When Americans think lunch, we often think sandwiches. Sandwiches can be very healthy allowing you to hit the “meats” and the “milks (cheese)” and the grains.  Go for the whole wheat or whole rye bread or leave the bread out entirely. Watch that mayo, depending on what kind it is it can be 100-200 calories an ounce. Salads and soups are also popular lunch items. We think having a salad drenched in dressing and bacon bits is a lot like ordering the hot fudge ice cream sundae with low-cal whipped cream. It is easy to turn innocent foods into hardened criminals, or should we say hardened arteries?

 

There is no perfect formula of what to eat for lunch versus breakfast or dinner. Just keep in mind the general proportions of the Fantasy Healthball Food Formation and the variety and nutritional value of the food. A good time to think about such things is when you are driving by, instead of driving through, the multitude of fast food restaurants.   The LAST thing you want to be doing is driving around hungry without a particular destination in mind.  You may be amazed how creative you mind can be talking you into fat and greaseland.  Avoid it by by bringing your healthy lunch with you or having a particular healthy destination before getting in the car or walking to the place. 

Consider our post on calories and the Food Formation and then think about: Big Mac, large fries, and a chocolate shake – about 1,500 calories. That is getting in the ballpark of a DAILY allowance of calories! Numbers like that are pretty hard to swallow!  — Jim Ballard

Boost immunity, stay healthy

I’ve got two pre-schoolers whose job, I often think, is to go to their germ factory during the day, manufacture as many germs, bacteria, and viruses as they can, and then, bring them home to me.   If I didn’t have my Fantasy Healthball diet and exercise program, I’d spend more than half the time in bed coughing and sneezing and watching Andy Griffith re-runs.  But, on occasion, even my heightened immunity loses a battle and falls to the industro-mega-germs from the factory. 

At those times, everyone I talk to has a suggestion for me.  Most say, “Oh, your sick, have you tried Airborne?”  Now if Airborne works for you then by all means stick with it.  Since part of illness is your state of mind, if you think something is going to work then it has a better chance of doing so.  But just so no one thinks there are magic pills out there, here is what is in Airborne according to their website:

Vitamins A, C, E, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Magnesium, Riboflavin, Amino Acids, and a “proprietary herbal blend.” 

My basic inexpensive multi-vitamin has all those things too and more – they even list their own “proprietary herbal blend.”  Cold-eeze is mostly zinc, right?  Again, we are NOT trying to steer you away from these products, there are a lot of wonderful things about them.  We are just trying to point out that there is no magic here, just healthy vitamins and minerals.  And there are lots of great places to get vitamins and minerals. 

As a quick aside, my favorite thing about Airborne is their branding of ”Created by a School Teacher!”  It is as if we have lost all faith in doctors and nutritionists and we are turning towards Mrs. Pumpernickel and her third grade class to whip us up a healthy cocktail in a big pot over a bunson burner borrowed from the science lab.  I just love that image.  Oh, no, Mrs. Pumpernickel, Johnny just dropped his frog into the soup!”

At Fantasy Healthball, we are huge proponents of improving your bodies resistance through a healthy diet, all your servings of fruits and vegetables (which are packed with all those vitamins and minerals), exercise, and plenty of clean pure water.  For other ideas, we enjoyed this mini-article that showed up on the news-feeds at our blog.  As you read it, think about how it is just all about a well balanced healthy diet.  And you too, might be able to avoid most of those factory made uber-germs.  — Jim Ballard

The Obama Diet, or How to Stay Fit While Leading the World

I’ve got a fair amount of stress in my life so eating right and exercise are absolutely necessary to keep my blood pressure from ballooning me up like a engorged tick on the belly of a sleeping dog.  But how to find time to exercise?  I also have 4-year old twins who still wake up in the middle of the night for ice water, cos they had a bad dream, or just to pull their covers up.  So, sleep for me is precious, in other words, I’m not the sort of person who is going to get up at 4:30am to get in the morning workout.   And I don’t want to work out in the evening either because that is my only free time with the twins and that darn Cats in the Cradle song replays in my head whenever I choose something so self-indulgent over being a good daddy – and not the “soft as a feather” Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin either, what plays in my head is the venomous, angst-ridden version by Ugly Kid Joe.  So, because of all this, I fit most my weekday workouts in at lunch time and then I do hardcore ones on weekend days.  I used to worry about those lunch workouts.  Should I be working through all my lunches?  Should I be having lunch meetings?  Can I afford the me-time at lunch given my stressful day job?

Well, if you have ever asked similar questions, worry no more.  The leader of the world, most powerful politician on the planet, works out 45-90 minutes a day.  And if he can fit in 45 minutes on the elliptical machine while brokering hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus packages, why the heck can’t I?  It is awesome to picture, “the President calls a 45 minute intermission to this congressional session on single-payer health care so that he can play H-O-R-S-E with his top aides.”  If I were president, that’s how I’d do it.  Keeps the stress down, the blood flowing, the problems in perspective.  It is commonly reported that when someone said to Voltaire, “Life is hard,” he replied, “Compared to what?”  Now that is perspective! 

If you want to know the details of the Obama diet and exercise program, check out this article from the Chron.  He does a full body workout with aerobic and weights.  That’s the way to do it.  Get that body pumping with some treadmill, bike, round ball, or whatever, then work in some strength building.  Obama’s diet is generally healthy but he fits in the occasional “big, sloppy, high-carb delights” because you can when you otherwise run a healthy life.  If you do things right 80-90 percent of the time, you can take a little step off the health wagon from time to time and feel no guilt.  There are more healthy tips at the end of the Chron article.  EVERY single one of them are things we recommend here at Fantasy Healthball. 

Think you can’t make time?  I won’t be surprised if I see a CNN report where our President is spotting the bench press for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – spotting for someone builds a trust and brotherhood/sisterhood that can’t be replicated at some stuffy peace conference.  So try the Obama diet and exercise program, and remember, Yes You Can!  — Jim Ballard

Congrats To Steelers and Congrats to Fantasy Healthballers

A great victory for the Steelers over a team that challenged them every step of the way.  Congrats also to all of you who participated in the 2008 Fantasy Healthball season.  Just like the Cardinals did for the Steelers, life has a way of putting hurdles in your way as you try to live a healthy lifestyle.  You can’t phone it in and expect to win/be healthy.  You have to keep pushing, keep focused, and try even harder when it appears you are down or lost momentum.  The trials of a good football game are the perfect analogy for the trials of losing weight and/or having the body you want to have.  As Big Ben just said with the Lombardi in his hand, “Anything is possible.”  Sometimes it just takes the focus and drive that leads to a toes dragging, sideline, end zone touchdown catch.

My playoff fantasy team ended with 69 points for the game led by Larry Fitzgerald.  My healthpoints for the week top Jeff’s fantasy team today so I finish this wonderful season 19-1.  

We can’t help but get a little emotional and nostalgic.  One year ago, at the Superbowl halftime, as Tom Petty rocked the crowd, we launched our website and blog.  This year, as Bruuuuce rocked the crowd, we had an amazing year to look back on.  The miles jogged, the weights lifted, the calories burned, the countless fruit and veggies, the portion sizes that finally got under control, the water, the fiber, all of it combined to have a huge impact on our health.  If you joined us, you know exactly what we mean.  I leave the 2008 season in the best shape of my life and as committed as ever to stay that way.  Jeff is getting great reports from his doctor and has made substantial progress this year.  

We hope 2008 saw your healthy lifestyle improve as well.  If not, it is time to hit it at training camp and it is never too early to start getting ready for the 2009 season!  We have big plans for 2009, come along with us.  Anything is Possible.  – Jim Ballard

Happy New Year from Fantasy Healthball!

Welcome to 2009 and the first day of your new year.  If your holidays were anything like mine, you struggled to keep up or establish any healthy practices.  My family and I traveled over the holidays and stayed a week at my parents.   Their kitchen counter was cluttered with chocolates (caramel turtles), pies (pumpkin), cakes (lemon and chocolate), homemade snowball cookies, fudge, crackers and dip, and a variety of other treats.  I found myself slipping out of routine to the point that I was eating again as soon as I stopped feeling sick from over-eating the prior meal.   I just HAD to do multiple whipped cream towers on my microwave heated pumpkin pie because the cream closest to the pie would quickly melt, so the towers got taller and taller.  I started feeling lethargic, slow, out of shape, and unhealthy. 

Because of Fantasy Healthball, I had established a rock solid routine through the football season that kept my head on straight doing the right things for my body/me.  But I was out of my routine and spiraling out of control.  The day after the long drive home, I knew I needed a “Transformation Moment” to get back on track.  I kept thinking of the countless times over the holidays I set the electric train back on the track after it derailed (bumped by a kid or a present or the dog).  I needed to get back on the rails.  So I got on my mountain bike and rode a good long time until I felt strong and powerful.  Exercise sets off a reaction in your body, I think the correct medical term is “happy cells” and the happy cells get to celebrating and you can feel them when you exercise.  It was my “Transformation Moment.”

Now I’m back playing Fantasy Healthball into the playoffs to keep me on track through these more difficult (colder, rainy, snowy, etc.) months.  Jeff and I are competing in the NFL.com fantasy playoffs.  Each week, I will track my fantasy football team but also pit my Fantasy Healthball score against Jeff’s fantasy football team score.  I know I’ll have to play my “A” game (health-wise) because he knows how to pick the best NFL players who will score big in the playoffs.  I’ve picked my health challenges and have been tracking this week since Monday.  It is not too late for you to sign up at NFL.com and play against your brother, buddy, wife, partner, whatever.  We’ll let you know how we did.

The word “routine” is not nearly as sexy as “huge weight loss!” or “lose weight fast!” or some sort of magic diet.  But it is the reality of what works and lasts.  A healthy routine like you can read about here and here.  What better day than January 1 for your Transformation Moment!  We are with you.  — Jim Ballard

Weight Loss – Don’t Get Too Hung Up on the Numbers

A post from Andrew, the FHB Spokesmodel:

Football is a game of numbers. We all know that. The glory goes to those with completions, receptions, rushes, yards gained, fumbles recovered, interceptions, tackles, field goals made, and above all else, touchdowns. When we look at the box score and the breakdown, those are the things we all see. However, they are only a part of the game. Statistics don’t capture everything that happens on the field. So, like the reserve player on special teams who makes a great block on a kick off to spring a return guy or the offensive lineman who opens an alley  for a speedy running back to dart through, I was recently reminded that numbers aren’t something that tells the whole story. Here’s why.

All summer long I have been riding my bike regularly, building my endurance and speed as I went and watching my clothes get looser and looser. My riding even expanded to the point where I have ridden as many as five to six days a week and attempted a hard century in Maine (chronicled in an October entry). All during that time, I was watching, and perhaps watching too much, as my weight melted away, starting at 325 pounds at the end of May 2008 and dropping to around 240 pounds. Wow, I thought. 85 pounds is a lot of weight, that’s more than two five gallon jugs of spring water. I actually began to be concerned that the weight was coming of TOO quickly, because knowing that muscle is heavier than fat and that my legs are now much more muscular than before, the fat loss would have been even greater. So, I followed the logical route and bought a second scale. WHAM! A reading of around 285 pounds. 

I was about to be discouraged, but then I really thought about it and what it means. I have lost 40+ pound of fat and gained some serious muscle in six months by following a good exercise and diet regimen. I rode a difficult and hilly century in Maine a year before I was planning on doing one and weighed 40 pound more than I actually thought I did! I am riding strongly at 285 pounds and doing at that weight what my brain thought it was doing at 240 pounds. I have great objectives to work on over the winter and into 2009. Don’t get too hung up on the numbers. Stats are nice but it is what you actually do that contributes to your personal victory over flab and moves you towards the better health bowl game.  — Andrew

Veggie Assembly Line

Filler Up

Of all the challenges on our scorecard, one that really stands out for me in making a big change in my life is the “veggie challenge.”  It says “eat at least 2-3 cups of vegetables each day.”  For me, that has meant raw vegetables so I can maximize the nutrients (rather than overcooking them so they lose their punch).  I go for a mix.  For example, one days worth might be a few cups made up of carrots, cucumber, yellow and red peppers, celery, tomatoes, and snap peas (just like is shown in the photo).

If you check out the Diet and Nutrition section of our website, you’ll see the veggies are the linebackers of our Food Formation.  Everyone knows the importance of linebackers.  Jack Lambert, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Ray Lewis - the foundation of your defense.  They are your heavy hitters.  Your body needs a lot of these.  Like linebackers, these are packed with power and energy you need to be successful.

Vegetables have vitamins, minerals, and fiber and luckily they are found almost anywhere.  But they get a bad rap because they are what your parents made you finish before you could have the cupcake or ice cream.  Many a sentence has started with, “Finish your vegetables, and then you can…”  But vegetables are our friends.  We think of them as an “anti-cancer food.”  Make vegetables a best buddy. 

Veggies got your back, while say a chocolate donut is just going to stab you in the back!

So exactly how many servings of vegetables do you need in one day? As a general guideline, the 1992 food pyramid recommended 3-5 servings per day of veggies.  The 2005 pyramid varies the number based on age, sex, and level of physical activity and puts it in terms of cups.  Generally, it recommends 2-3 cups of veggies for people who don’t get a lot of exercise (more if you do). 

Examples of a cup of veggies include:  two medium carrots, a cup of chopped broccoli, a medium sized baked potato, two large celery stalks, a large tomato, or two cups of raw leafy greens. 

In the photo you see our veggie assembly line.  Every Sunday night, I make six of these – one for me and one for my wife for the next three days.  Wednesday night, I do the same thing to finish out the week.  If I eat them all week, it is 22 total points including the bonus.  Not only do they make me feel healthy in the short run (while I’m eating them or that day), but they make me feel like I am investing in my body for the long haul as well.  The picture shows the kind of advance prep it may take to get you going.  Give it a try, you’ll never regret it.  — Jim Ballard

How To Tell Husband/Wife it is Time to Get Healthy, Diet

In many relationships, your partner’s health can be a tricky subject.  How do you show concern without criticizing?  Even if you are gentle about it, will he or she feel attacked.  Will all the guilt, depression, and self esteem issues getting whipped up and fired back at you in a counter-assault? 

A MSNBC report by Bridget Murray Law yesterday presents a number of do’s and don’ts when it comes to helping your partner slim down.  She says:  “Having the talk is worth it. Not only can your partner’s health be affected by excess weight, but packing on the pounds can weigh on the relationship in other ways. An overweight spouse may not be as physically appealing to you or may not even feel like being physically intimate.”

Here is her advice: 

Don’t criticize - praise any exercising or healthy eating you witness. Most important, shape up yourself. If you’re living healthily, it’ll be easier for your partner to do the same.

Don’t nag -  The targeted person will likely feel ugly, angry and depressed, leading to more weight gain.

Be loving - Jennifer Blair, 59, of Alexandria, Va., largely credits her husband’s tender ways for helping her drop 33 pounds since May.

Don’t judge – We all get tempted by sugary, fatty foods, and it doesn’t help to scold when somebody gives in.  It only adds to their guilt and doesn’t help them avoid the problem in future.

Help problem-solve – Offer strategies to resist temptation, such as suggesting fruit as a snack instead of cookies. Buy healthy, low-calorie snacks such as berries or low-fat yogurt, rather than chips.

Don’t sabotage – Bringing junk food into the house only fuels a partner’s weight problem.  If you’re inhaling potato chips on the sofa, your partner will most likely want to join you.

Be a role model – If one partner starts exercising and eating better, the other partner also tends to lose weight.

Don’t play cop – Most people don’t like being told what they should and shouldn’t eat as they could rebel.

Team up – Pitch a joint health kick as a fun adventure and your partner will more likely sign on. 

Talk frequently about Fantasy Healthball- okay, you caught us, we added that one on the list.  But it is COMPLETELY consistent with all the rest of the advice.  When you suggest Fantasy Healthball, you are suggesting a football game created by football lovers for other football lovers who want to lose weight.  As far as we know, it is the only completely safe way to bring up health issues with your spouse!  “Honey, it isn’t just me, but Peyton Manning wants to help you get in shape too!” 

So, if you want to “have the talk,” make sure you then send them our way.  We’ll take it from there.  -  Jim Ballard

Staying Healthy Gets a Little Easier in California

Jeff and I often talk about how culture and environment influence healthy decisions.  Having both grown up in Illinois, we know what it is like to play basketball on a driveway that is a sheet of ice or how hard it can be some days to get motivated to play baseball on a day with triple digit heat and humidity – where it just feels like you may melt into the sidewalk.  Regional cultural differences also come into play.  Do you have more health food stores or fast food restaurants in your neighborhood?  Does your local restaurants have healthy items on the menu and how can you even tell? 

Recently, in California, the Governator passed a state law, the first of its kind in the nation, that says chain restaurants have to display calorie counts with each menu item.  It covers more than 17,000 restaurants in California. 

State Sen. Alex Padilla proposed the legislation.  He said, “All Californians will soon be empowered with reliable, accessible nutrition information . . . that will help them make more informed, healthier choices.”  Gov. Arnold signed the bill at a Sacramento-area Chili’s Bar and Grill. 

The new law applies to restaurants with 20 or more locations in California. Beginning July 1, 2009, they will be required to provide brochures containing nutritional information including number of calories and grams of saturated fat.  Starting Jan. 1, 2011, all menus and menu boards above front counters will have to include the number of calories for each item.

This sort of legislation recently passed in NYC as well.  These laws get a big “Fantasy Healthball High Five” from Jeff and me.  We hope they sweep the nation and make things a little easier for you too.  For those about to eat [healthy], we salute you.  — Jim Ballard