OK, this is "Anything goes," right? I don't want to get in trouble for an "off-topic" post. And I am going to try to bring this up for those who are interested without any blatant commercial-type message, so please let me know if I've overstepped any bounds or anything.

Many of you "hypermilers" out there (myself included) have noted that driving for max FE is like a "real world video game," that some of us really enjoy. Well, I have been trying to lose weight lately, and succeeding (!), in large part due to a computer program that I've discovered (yeah, you have to buy it, so I'm not going to mention the name here, but you can get a free 15-day trial) that plays to the same "real life video game"-loving part of my brain as does driving for max FE. It requires that you input everything that you eat (and exercise), and then shows you in a bar chart how you are doing nutritionally for the day, week, month and quarter. So in addition to telling you whether you are eating few enough calories to lose weight, and having some other interesting features that I won't go into, it provides an "Average FE"-type gauge of your nutrition, that you can improve by eating better. I find I want to get the chart "looking perfect" in the same way that I want to raise the MPG on that little display. It even gives you a letter grade (D,C,B,A,A+), for your daily (etc.) nutrition. My husband takes pride in the fact that when I eat his cooking I usually get an "A"!

Since this has worked for me (the first time I used it, 5 years ago, I lost 20 lbs., and this time I've almost finished taking off the 10 I put back on in the interim, when I wasn't tracking my input), and a lot of people seem to need or want to lose weight (whether to increase their FE or for other reasons), and I really think that I find this tool fun and challenging for the same reasons that I love trying to squeeze every "mpg" out of my hybrid, I thought I'd mention it here. If anyone wants to know what the product is, feel free to PM me (I don't want to be actively selling something here on the board, I hope I've not gone too far already).

Mods, if I see this disappear, I'll know it violates forum guidelines or something; no offense taken.

 

OK, I won't mention the name either but I will mention initals. I'm going to start using the WW point system along with some VERY INTENSIVE work outs. Hopefully the spouse and I can shave a good 80-100lbs combined weight for better FE.....and health.

Good luck on it and stick to it.

 

Speaking of losing weight "Video Game" style... I think you can get it for other game consoles too but I have a PS2 and they have a couple of different games/versions but Dance Dance Revolution or DDR for the cool kid crowd, will have you sweating off the pounds. Especially if your competitve and feel the need to set new records everytime you try it. (hmm sounds familiar) the "controller" is basically a big mat and you have to keep up with jumping on the "right" arrows as the game gets faster and faster with different beats and songs. Once you start playing it you don't realize that you have been doing cardio for an hour! I bought a second pad and my friends and I go head to head, half the time we end up falling over from laughing so hard. Even if you can't dance a step you can do this. Imagine playing any video game with your feet instead of your fingers. I don't normally recommend video games since I'm from the "what are you doing in the house go outside and play" generation but at least this one gets you moving. Good luck!

 

that program has worked very well for me, too. i am so computer oriented in my life, that it's just a natural way to keep track.

i am down 40 pounds. my FE and my horse both appreciate it.

 

The program I use is not WW, it's DP. But hey, whatever works...

It seems the similarity is that with both programs, you can eat whatever you want, but you are accountable - you have to record or keep track in some way. You can have a cookie, but you just have to cut back somewhere else. That works much better for me than any more restrictive system. Also, I like the fact that DP focuses on nutrition, not just calories.

One nice thing about DP is that it also keeps track of your loss/gain, and adjusts your "budget" accordingly, so if you follow it, it's almost impossible to not meet your goals. Even if you under- or over-estimate your intake on a regular basis, the adjustment in your calorie budget will keep you on track. If you eat more than you record, you won't be losing, so your "allowance" will go down, and vice-versa. And it also keeps track of exercise, and limits your "net" intake only - work more, you get to eat more. Is there a way to do that with WW?

 

Actually, going from my Insight to the treadmill is not much of a transition.

A while ago, I made the analogy of the Insight to a marathoner (fast-twitch muscles = assist, slow-twitch muscles = ICE, need warm up, go slower up hills, use assist[or sprinting sparingly]....)

To run a marathon effectively, you need to improve efficiency as most people have enough 2000 calories of glyogcen = 20 miles when you are running 26.2. To do it, you have to monitor your stride and training. Long distance runs helps you to burn fat as an "assist". If you run out of glyogcen, you 'hit the wall' - sort of like when my Insight does a recal and FE and power tanks.

I also wear a heart monitor watch for more effective workouts. Your maximum heart rate is roughly 220 minus your age. A good workout is 60 to 80% of your maximum rate. Working out over 80% most people go from aerobic to anerobic (read: Going from ICE only to assist). Running in the anerobic mode is possible for only a limited time, just like with the assist in a Honda.

 

If only there were a way to work out while you're driving. I predict that the HCH-III will come with a drop floor so that you can add footpower a la Flintstones. It would burn calories and lessen the load on your engine.

No, seriously, I've often fantasized about a mechanism to transduce energy generated from my body into the motion of my car. Is that just my little fantasy?

 

They should replace the brake and gas with bicycle stlye pedals. The mroe you pedal the faster the car goes, and you would break like you would with old bikes and push the pedals in the other direction. In theory it could be done.