Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Chicago is long behind us on the Race Across the USA! We are on the home stretch to New York now! We are currently at 2605 miles, so we are very close to New York. Start spreading the news!

These are the cities we are going to see along the way:

• Los Angeles, California – Starting Point
• Sacramento, California – 384 miles
• Salt Lake City, Utah – 1,036 miles
• Omaha, Nebraska – 1,971 miles
• Chicago, Illinois – 2,439 miles
• New York, New York – 3,227 miles

You can see the full route in detail here:

• Race Across USA Route

Don’t forget that there are prizes for the top 10 finishers:

• 1st place – Most miles run – Four DVD set of Starling Fitness walking videos: Swami’s Beach, Sugarhouse, Moab and the as yet unreleased San Antonio Riverwalk.
• 2nd and 3rd place – Choice of three Starling Fitness DVDs.
• 4th and 5th place – Choice of two Starling Fitness DVDs.
• 6th through 10th place – Choice of one Starling Fitness DVD

The current Top Ten are here:

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We are almost finished with this race, but we are doing another one some time in April. If you would like to be included, please go to this thread on the Nike+ Forum and I will include you in the invitation:

• Race Across the USA

This race has been so much fun, so I’m excited for the next one. I haven’t had one person guess where we are going to race next month. Here’s another clue: Sacajawea.

This article talks about what I have been saying for years. If only we had exercise equipment that captured it, we could save a little bit of power with our workouts.

• While You’re at It, Why Not Generate A Little Electricity – WSJ.com

Right now, most exercise machines burn more electricity than they generate. Treadmills are the biggest culprits, but exercise bikes and elliptical trainers are often powered only by human motion. If only there were a company that made exercise equipment that was meant to generate and store electricity, we could feel a little bit better about the time we spend at the gym.

Via: Is exercise the next new source of renewable energy? – That’s Fit

For more information about exercise and electricity generation, see these past entries:

• Starling Fitness » Notions of Expenditure

• The Gadgets Page » Bicycle Powered Generator

I was recently invited to a weight loss challenge and I had to decline. Now, the competitive nature within me is feeling left out of the competition.

What can I do to feed my competitive nature that is positive?

I have been competing in the Nike+ challenges and that seems to help, but even when I won the trophy for the Level 1 group, I heard myself discount it, “That was just Level 1. I used to run at Level 3 before.” Even though it has been a hard journey back from not being able to run at all, I discounted my trophy. I’m beginning to think that this competitive side of me isn’t very nice.

Is competition inherently bad when I’m trying to create a healthy lifestyle?

Should I ever compare myself to another person’s abilities, body or nature?

Isn’t there some way to feed the competitive part of me that won’t damage the rest of me?

It was my competitive nature that injured me in the first place. Doing so much mileage that quickly just so I could pass up someone on my Nike+ challenges ended up hurting me.

How can compete without hurting myself?

Do any of you have any ideas because I feel like I’m in a situation where no matter what I do, I’m going to feel crappy.

There is a competitive side of me that likes to play. Even if I lose, I like to be in the game. Recently, a friend in the geek community started a weight loss challenge called Fat Twits. You pony up five bucks, join the weight loss challenge and whoever has lost the most weight in the group wins the pot. It sounded like fun to me, but there were a lot of problems with it.

Firstly, it’s a bunch of guys. Guys typically lose weight faster than girls, so a mixed sex competition usually is fruitless for the girls.

Secondly, I promised the wild child in me that I would never starve her again. That animal part of me doesn’t believe me and is sure that I’ll go back on a restrictive diet again. Honestly, it has been a hard promise for me to keep.

Lastly, a weight loss competition is just the sort of thing that I would jump into and end up causing a massive binge after the competition was over. I have done this enough times to finally recognize my own patterns.

After some serious thought about it, I decided not to enter the challenge. Phil’s a good friend, but I have to decide on my own health first. Then, Phil called me out on it:

• Phil801 – Geek Blog » Vacation Update, FatTwits Update

It’s one thing to decide on my own not to join something, but it’s entirely another one to be asked specifically to join.

“Speaking of which, Laura Moncur hasn’t joined the challenge yet – I’m counting on you Laura! 🙂 Anyone that’s interested in competing with geeks to lose weight, join the competition! So far the pot is at 30 bucks – winner takes all!”

I wasn’t insulted that he might think that I need to lose weight. That didn’t even occur to me until another friend pointed it out. For me, I was struggling with my competitive nature. I like to compete, even if I know I’m going to lose. It was so hard for me to say it, but I had to decline:

“Sorry, Phil. I won’t be joining the weight loss challenge. It’s just the kind of thing that would cause a huge bingeing episode after the competition is over. I promised the wild animal inside of me that I would never starve her again. It’s amazing how hard it is to keep that promise.”

Ironically, just thinking about joining that challenge sent me into a little bit of a binge the last couple of days. I think I was able to avoid an eating disaster.

What are you doing right now because of peer pressure? Have you ever joined a weight loss challenge? Do you think they are a good idea? I’m wondering your thoughts on the matter. Did I make the right decision?

The Diet Blog has a great review of Subway Vs. McDonalds here:

• Is Subway Better Than McDonald’s?

Here is the conclusion:

Let’s face it: both outlets are massive businesses dedicated to increasing their bottom-line. Overeat any of their fare – and you will no doubt increase your bottom-line (so to speak).

At risk of sounding like a pimply-faced fanboy – I think that Subway offer the better options – but you still need to choose carefully. Subway tend to focus on their “eat fresh” mantra – while McDonald’s try to follow every fad at once – hoping to reach every corner of the market.

Personally, I am able to find something healthy at every restaurant available. Sometimes the salad is the only thing on the menu that can be eaten in whole without damage to an eating program, but there is always the option of eating half or even just a few bites of any food on the menu.

If you want to eat healthy, there is always a way to do it at any restaurant you go.

We just passed Omaha, Nebraska on the Race Across the USA! We didn’t even stop for a break! At this rate, we’ll be to Chicago in no time! The “Talk Trash” comments have turned hilarious. If you aren’t running with us, you’re missing out, so I’m sharing them with you!

Starling Fitness (3 days ago): 1612.63 miles! We’ve hit the 1/2 point in Nebraska!

krisjames (2 days ago): Man, that’s alot of corn!

krisjames (yesterday): Are we there yet… Are we there yet… Are we there yet??

morgan711 (yesterday): goodworkkris

LauraMoncur (yesterday): Quiet down or we are staying at the Holiday Inn without a pool!

SOKAR (9 hours ago): yeah kris don’t make us stop this car 😉

Starling Fitness (26 seconds ago): 2028.04 miles! We passed Omaha without stopping! You kids have been so good that we’re staying at the hotel with the pool AND the slippery slide!

These are the cities we are going to see along the way:

• Los Angeles, California – Starting Point
• Sacramento, California – 384 miles
• Salt Lake City, Utah – 1,036 miles
• Omaha, Nebraska – 1,971 miles
• Chicago, Illinois – 2,439 miles
• New York, New York – 3,227 miles

You can see the full route in detail here:

• Race Across USA Route

Don’t forget that there are prizes for the top 10 finishers:

• 1st place – Most miles run – Four DVD set of Starling Fitness walking videos: Swami’s Beach, Sugarhouse, Moab and the as yet unreleased San Antonio Riverwalk.
• 2nd and 3rd place – Choice of three Starling Fitness DVDs.
• 4th and 5th place – Choice of two Starling Fitness DVDs.
• 6th through 10th place – Choice of one Starling Fitness DVD

The current Top Ten are here:

The race is over the halfway point, so we are no longer accepting any new runners. If you would like to run the next race, please leave a comment here and you will be invited:

• Race Across the USA

I’m just going to give you a teaser for our next race: Louisiana Purchase. Anyone want to guess the route?

Since Nike’s system isn’t set up for a cooperative event like this, you will need to check here at Starling Fitness for progress and winners.

We reserve the right to limit participation in the challenge due to our time constraints or the limits of Nike’s system.

This event is not sponsored by Nike or Apple. Starling Fitness will choose the winners based on total mileage. Our decisions are final.

The San Antonio Morning Riverwalk DVD is finished and ready for you! It is a little over 45 minutes of walking on the San Antonio Riverwalk on September 15, 2006. If the winter has been getting you down and you are wishing for greenery, this is the right video for you!

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Here is a glimpse of what the walk will be like:

Video Description:

Last night, the riverwalk was packed with people, but this morning you have it all to yourself. Well, almost all to yourself. You pass people on the way to work and visiting convention goers. A couple of joggers run past you. Hurry, can you catch them?!

The pigeons and squirrels are cleaning up the frenzy of eating and enjoyment from the night before and the river workers are doing the same. Wave to them as they negotiate their boats past you. They might even wave back. The tourist boats are practicing as they pass you, unnoticed.

Enjoy one of San Antonio’s favorite night spots during the quiet hours of the morning!

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Here is a link to a recipe for Fennel Mashed Potatoes:

• Comfort Food: Fennel Mashed Potatoes ♥ | A Veggie Venture

If you look at their picture, the creamy and fluffy potatoes look so delicious, but their calorie estimate brings them in at 144 calories a serving. For 3 Points, you can enjoy down-home mashed potatoes made with butter and half & half.

If you have been limiting your diet too much, an indulgence like this might be just what you need.

It doesn’t look like it would exercise more than one arm at a time, but I can imagine playing on this thing for hours as a kid. Just imagine… a fair ride that’s free!

• Wurlybird Flyer – funfair style action toy for boys and girls

I have a couple of questions about this action toy, though:

Can you play with it all by yourself?

As a child, there were lots of playground toys that were useless to me. The teeter totter was one example. It’s impossible to play alone. It’s impossible to play with your sister who is five years younger. You have to find a kid who is about the same weight as you to play. Is that how this thing would work?

Does it only exercise your left arm?

It doesn’t look like you can switch arms, so you would end up with one sore arm after a day’s play with it. If you can’t switch arms, that’s a major design flaw.

This looks like a fun idea, but not quite up to exergaming standards. Heck, even the Wii exercises BOTH of your arms…

Via: Boing Boing: Hand-cranked home fun-fair ride

I am currently in Austin, Texas. The restaurants here are a tribute to the Texas BBQ, so there is lots of meat to choose from, but I’m a little short on my veggie rations. Help me!

How can I eat healthy in Texas?

What are the healthiest items on the Southern Cooking menu?

Are collard greens healthy? They taste too good to be fat free. Are they cooked with lard or something to make them taste so good?

Should I be avoiding restaurants altogether and packing my own food?

If you have any experience with Southern Cooking, please leave comments here so I can make sure I’m really choosing healthy options.