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

This postcard from PostSecret reminded me of a friend of my grandmother who is probably long dead now.

When I was really little, I remember my grandma’s friend. As children often do, I said what I shouldn’t have said and asked her why her face was so wrinkled. She told me that when you get to be her age, you always have wrinkles, but hers were the good kind because she had smiled her whole life instead of frowning. Whenever I feel myself frown, I consciously smile so that I’ll get smiling wrinkles instead of frowning ones.

When the fashion magazines write about wrinkles, they never mention this. It is possible to be completely covered in wrinkles and still be beautiful. I know this because of my grandma’s friend. I hope to live long enough to be a good example of it myself.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

This postcard from PostSecret showed up a couple of weeks ago.

When I first got my drivers license, I worried that someone might be always checking the weight that I had listed on the card. This postcard would have been my worst nightmare back then, but now, I realize that there is no hiding my weight. No matter what number I put on my license, a complete stranger can see how much I weigh just by looking at me.

For the last twelve years, I have put my current weight as of that morning on my drivers license. I have always thought to myself, “When I get to goal weight, I’ll get a new drivers license.” I STILL haven’t gotten to goal weight, but at least I am completely honest with myself where I am.

No matter how many times I tell myself that it’s just a number, I’m still embarrassed by it.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

NakedJen has decided to start a new exercise program and get back to eating healthy. She blames it all on suffering from Divorce Brain, but it sounds like a good start to me:

• nakedjen: Vegan Sunshine Every Day At 5:00 A.M.

On the first day of new regime, her dogs, Buddha and Stella, were unsure of what was going on, but by day three, they were excited to join her:

So, if you’re still reading, you might be interested to know, that I’m on day 3 of this insanity. This morning I didn’t even need the alarm at 5:00 a.m. because Buddha and Stella woke me up at 4:50 a.m. Stella jumped on my head. Buddha gave me kisses. It was still hot as Hades. We still did our 12.6 miles. I’m still going to yoga later today.

Jen also gave us a recipe for her Vegan Pineapple Nectarine Coconut Morning Bread. It looks delicious!

If you have been feeling a little stale with the heat and exercise, click on over to NakedJen’s post and remember that even in the sweltering heat of the summer, you can live a healthy life.

If you are one of the many people who have bought a Starling Fitness Yearly Journal, then you know that the quote of the month is about unrealistic standards. You can see the quote here:

You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.

Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content, #352, 05-04-05

Questionable Content is a soap opera webcomic and I read it EVERY weekday. You can see the episode with that quote here:

• Questionable Content#352, 05-04-05 She Reads Too Much Cosmo

I don’t know how Jeph understands the minds of women so well, but more power to him. I’m still learning how to be happy with myself as I am, but it’s nice to know that I’m not alone.

If you would like to order your own Starling Fitness Yearly Journal, you can do so here:

• Starling Fitness » Order Your Starling Fitness Yearly Journal

If you order it now, you can choose the month you want it to start and it will last you a year from that date. You won’t have to throw away any unused days from the first of the year. You can start fresh now.