Editor’s note: This post is a “Real Food” recipe that follows the core philosophy of this site: Eat Real Food in Moderation. The idea is to find delicious, practical, seasonal alternatives to industrial food products. Of course, the recipes do not focus on low fat/low carb dietary ideas, so the key as always is moderation. If you enjoy this article, please consider subscribing to my feed. Thanks. Green corn tamales are a seasonal favorite in the American southwest, various areas... Read Full Story

…a nasty little virus knocks you down. No, not swine flu thank goodness, but something toxic that took up residence in the back of my throat for a week. I came down with a virus shortly after my last post (same day), and after fighting it for days finally gave in and went to the doctor. It turns out it was part bacterial (treatable with a mild course of antibiotics), and part virus (not so treatable - my body just has to do it’s thing). The good news is I’m on the mend, an... Read Full Story

Note to Almost Fit readers: This photo is, surprise surprise, ME, from a while back. I rarely post photos of myself, but I think I’m going to try to change that over the coming months to increase my level of accountability. At any rate, this is what I looked like - 4 years ago after having run 13.1 miles ;). That’s not physically possible for me to do When my wife and I trained with a group for a 1/2 marathon a few years ago, part of our motivation was to spend time together. Th... Read Full Story

Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is about motivation, which is central to accomplishing health, fitness, and life improvement goals. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. It’s free, as always. Thanks. Last night we had a great evening out. The idea was to get a babysitter for the kids, have dinner with friends, then go to a parenting class, and finally head to a pub for a well-earned drink or two.... Read Full Story

As most of my friends know, in general I rarely watch sports on TV. I enjoy watching the occasional baseball game or series, college basketball when it gets exciting, and I love but rarely watch F1 racing. Lately I’ve been drawn to watching soccer, but my peak in interest is in large part due to wanting to enroll my son in soccer this fall. When I go to a restaurant or bar that features a television, I typically try to face away from the TV only because it’s such a huge distract... Read Full Story

“Dad, this is the best day of my life.” “Why’s that?” “Because I have two paper airplanes.” It seems that I have a thing or two to learn from my soon-to-be 5 year-old, especially lately. I love paper airplanes as much as the next geek, but his simple statement resonated with me on a slightly deeper level - and hopefully woke me up a little. Let me explain. [Warning: I'm about to get a little waxy and slightly philosophical here. You might want to ch... Read Full Story

We’ve returned from our brief vacation at the ocean, and although I am glad to be home, I really wish we could have stayed longer. We are definitely going to visit the beach again very soon - it really was good for my head, good for our family, and we kept the sunburn to a minimum. Last week I had what I consider a significant fitness accomplishment – I visited a personal trainer to get information on whether one-on-one training is right for me, and whether it’s something I can afford. ... Read Full Story

I am writing this note in a few moments of quiet, while my 2-yr-old daughter sleeps. I’m sitting by a picture window, with this view: My son is with my wife at a swordsmanship demonstration, over which his 4-yr-old imagination has been going bonkers since yesterday. Last summer I wrote about La Petit Maison in Port Orford, Oregon (A Taste of France on the Oregon Coast), and the sense of transcendence that I felt during those warm days. We’ve returned for a brief holiday along with our ... Read Full Story

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 mayb... Read Full Story

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. ̶... Read Full Story