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

People Magazine has a monthly feature called Body Watch. A couple of months ago, they interviewed Sara Rue, current star of Eastwick. More importantly, she was Leonard’s girlfriend for a while on Big Bang Theory and I wish she could have stuck around a little longer. I first saw her on the TV show, Popular, as the effervescent Carmen, but she has been acting since she was nine years old.

You can imagine my surprise when she announced that she was joining Jenny Craig to lose weight.

I’ve always felt a kinship to Sara Rue. She was the fat girl in Popular, who could dance better than everyone else and wanted to be a cheerleader. I was that girl and I LOVED that she got her chance to shine. Every time I see her in a movie or TV show, I feel like she is making a statement for all of us.

Does that change if she loses the weight?

Seriously. If she loses weight and gets back to that figure she had in 2005, will she still make me happy just to see her? Will she still be making a statement for us all?

YES! A thousand times, YES!

If Sara Rue is able to get to her goal weight, whether she uses Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers or goes back to that low carb diet from before, she is a stark reminder to all of us that it’s possible. She isn’t some actress who gained a little weight when her marriage hit rock bottom (yes, I’m talking to you, Valerie Bertinelli). She was a fat kid. She was a fat teen and now, she’s a fat adult. When she gets to her goal weight, we’ll all be there cheering for her as much as we cheered for Carmen when she finally made the cheerleading squad.

Here is a video of her talking about her decision.

I am embarking on this journey to be a happier healthier woman and I’m doing it publicly because I think that there are a lot of women out there that have felt like me over the years and if I can be an inspiration to just one other person, then I’ve done my job in the world.

I love how she talks about her goals.

I would love to put on a blindfold, walk into my closet and just grab anything and know that it’s going to fit, put it on and feel okay in it. That kind of freedom is something that I really crave.

YES! That is EXACTLY how I’d like to feel. Sure, right now, I can put anything on in my closet, but I NEVER feel okay in it. It’s always just clothes on my body and I haven’t felt like I looked good in my clothes for so long.

It’s possible to do this. I’m starting to believe that, and that little kernel of belief is so exciting to me. There’s something where it’s not a crash diet where I’m going to lose all this weight and white knuckle it until I gain it back. It’s a lifestyle choice. I’m learning to eat like a normal person, which I’ve never known how to do. The idea of waking up and not having to worry about food is a huge weight off my shoulders.

Sara Rue is keeping a video blog for Jenny Craig. Here is the first entry:

I wish her the best of luck with this new endeavor and I just want her to know that all of us fat girls are watching and hoping it works for her.

I found this little animation from Your daily gif blog.

Next time you are thinking of skipping your workout, remember that you might be just making it hard on yourself. You might be Treadmill Tumbling instead of just working out.

Promise yourself that you’ll just get on the treadmill and do a little bit for five minutes. You don’t even need to run. Just get on the treadmill and if it’s miserable after five minutes, give yourself permission to stop.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably feel a lot better after your walk on the treadmill and be willing to do a full workout. Don’t make this hard on yourself. If you are dreading your workout, remember this Treadmill Tumbler and promise yourself that all you have to do is five minutes.

• ran 1.18 mi on 1/16/2010 at 6:28 AM with a pace of 21'50"/mi http://bit.ly/7Mu9HN #: Couch to 5K Podcast [iTunes Link] Week Three
• ran 1.26 mi on 1/14/2010 at 3:25 PM with a pace of 24'28"/mi http://bit.ly/7lL5QM #: Couch to 5K Podcast [iTunes Link] Week Three
• ran 1.14 mi on 1/12/2010 at 6:49 AM with a pace of 26'19"/mi http://bit.ly/7188Pg #: Couch to 5K Podcast [iTunes Link] Week Three

For the next few weeks every Monday, I’ll share a playlist of songs that I have in my Workout Playlist on my iPhone. I’ll include clips to listen to, where you can buy them and why I have them in my list. Just so you know, I do get a portion of the sales of these songs from Amazon, so if you buy them, you’re helping me out.

You Can Always Be Number One (Sport Goofy Anthem) by Disney’s Splashdance: I talked about this song before, but right now this is the song that is number one on my playlist. I listen to it EVERY time I exercise because it keeps me from getting discouraged when I can’t do as much as I’d like. You can read more about it here: Starling Fitness » You Can Always Be Number One.

Bodyrock by Moby: This song has a strong beat, so it’s easy to run to. There aren’t many lyrics, but they get you moving, “Rock ya’all, no stop ya’ll, to the beat ya’all, the bodyrock ya’ll.”

Harder Better Faster Stronger by Daft Punk: I’ve talked about this song TWICE before: Starling Fitness » Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and Starling Fitness » Hard Body Videos for Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. This song was my powersong for a LONG time, so seeing it in my workout list is a no-brainer.

Move Any Mountain by The Shamen: This song is from a little-known band in the early Nineties that I have loved for a long time. It has a great beat to run to and with lyrics like, “I will not fail nor falter, I shall succeed. My perception is altered I do believe. Faith is so strong now nothing shall bar my way.” Ignore the white-guy rapping, and it’s a perfect song.

Work Hard by Depeche Mode: “You’ve got to work hard if you want anything at all.” With a message like that, it’s a wonder that this song isn’t my powersong.

Objects In The Mirror by SkinnySongs: I’ve talked about this album of songs TWICE before: Starling Fitness » SkinnySongs: Inspirational Music For Your Workouts and Starling Fitness » Redbook Finally Notices Skinny Songs. If you have trouble getting into the gym to exercise, this song will be your theme song.

Stronger by Britney Spears: It has become the sport of the media to make fun of Britney Spears, but they have forgotten why they noticed her in the first place. I love this song. Not only does the beat keep my feet moving on the treadmill, but the lyrics remind me that I’m stronger than I remember and I can keep going.

Work That Body by Rupaul: Rupaul has a television show called Drag Race and he’s riding high, but he has been around for a LONG time. I love this song from his album, Foxy Lady. It sounds very disco, but all that counting with the voices singing “Reach, Stretch, Push, Up” really keeps me going.

Everything You Know Is Wrong by Weird Al Yankovic: This song is kind of silly and verses sing about everything EXCEPT working out (unless you count the Almighty running past your room in heaven). The chorus, however, reminds me that sometimes I believe things that aren’t true. If I’m feeling like I can’t finish my workout, listening to this song is really good at showing me that I might be wrong.

Listen to the clips for these songs. If you find just one song this week that motivates you to exercise, then buy it and make it your powersong when you’re working out this week. I bet you’ll find that you’re more willing to get your butt to the gym and your workouts are easier.

This video is an incredibly inspiring story about David Elmore Smith’s weight loss of 401 pounds from ABC’s 20/20. The best part is that he lost it by eating well and exercising, NOT with weight loss surgery, although he DID have surgery to remove the extra skin.

I love how Chris Powell, his trainer, said, “Don’t give up on me and I won’t give up on you.”

That is how we should all look at this. If we don’t give up on ourselves, our loved ones won’t give up on us.

This is an excellent TED Talk from Dan Buettner about how to live longer. It’s a little long at nearly twenty minutes, but it will tell you a lot about living longer.

Myths About Longevity:

• If you try really hard, you can live to be 100. This is false because we are not programmed for longevity. We are programmed for procreative success. You have to win the DNA lottery for longevity.
• There are treatments that can slow aging. This is false. There are too many things that can go wrong.

The best science tells us that the capacity of the human body is about 90 years, but life expectancy is only 78. Somewhere through here, we are leaving 12 years on the table. The best way to getting these missing years is to look at the cultures where the life expectancy is longer.

After reviewing the “Blue Zones” for longevity, they created this advice:

• Move Naturally: None of them exercise. They set up their lives so they are nudged toward activity. Less conveniences.
• Right Outlook: Have a strong sense of purpose. You must have a reason to wake up every morning.
• Right Outlook: Take time to mellow out with prayer or contemplation.
• Eat Wisely: Plant based diet with lots of beans and nuts.
• Eat Wisely: Moderate alcohol intake.
• Eat Wisely: Eat small meals. Stop overeating by using smaller plates and eating until 80% full.
• Connect: Loved ones first by taking care of your children and aging parents.
• Connect: Belong to a faith-based community.
• Connect: Surround yourself with people who are planning on living a long time as well.

When it comes to longevity, there is no short term fix. Your friends can be the biggest factor to adding more years to your life and more life to your years.

Fitness Magazine provided me with a complimentary subscription in exchange for a monthly review of their magazine.

January’s issue showed up in my mailbox almost a month ago, but the only article that has really stuck with me was The FITNESS Top 100 Workout Songs of 2009. It was a great article showcasing the songs that are great for working out that came out last year. It reminded me that I haven’t shared my workout playlists with you.

I’ve been gathering songs that really inspire me to work out for years. I’ve talked about a few of them here and there, but I’ve never shared my playlists with you, so I’ll be doing that over the next few weeks.

For now, click on over to Fitness Magazine’s Top 100 Workout Songs of 2009 and find some motivation to get on treadmill!

“My Nike+ is dead.” Mike was trying to start his workout, but the iPhone couldn’t find his sensor. It just sat there, spinning it’s wheel and searching helplessly.

“I’m going downtown tomorrow. I’ll pick you up a new sensor.”

So I did, but the next day when he tried to start his workout, it sat spinning again.

“Maybe you should reboot.”

When he turned off his iPhone and turned it back on, it worked just fine with his old sensor. “I guess we didn’t need to buy a new one.”

This happened to me just yesterday, but because it had happened to Mike last month, I knew what to do. Before you assume your Nike+ sensor is dead, try rebooting your iPhone. It might save you twenty bucks.

Michelle Aguilar was the winner of The Biggest Loser back in 2008. You can read about it here:

• Starling Fitness » Lightning Strikes Twice on The Biggest Loser

I’m not a religious person, so this little video clip really had the potential to just turn me off. Depending on your tolerance for God Talk, this may or may not be inspiring to you.

The idea of giving your problems over to a higher power has been incredibly motivating to many people. I never write about that aspect of motivation because it just doesn’t work for me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you are having trouble staying with your eating and exercise program, try having a heart to heart talk with your preferred deity and see if that helps you hold on for one more day.

I rarely shop at Old Navy, but I saw these advertisements in their store windows and they just made me smile. The ads are made up to look like Lost Dog signs, except what you lost was your flabby body.

This was the first sign I saw and I love how they used Jello to represent Jiggle.

Muffin Top is a recent phrase in my vocabulary. If it’s new to you as well, it means the fat that can spill out the top of jeans.

Losing your spare tire would be a bad thing on a car, but a very good thing when you’re exercising.

Despite what Old Navy is trying to convince you, there are no magic clothes that will make you lose weight, but having a new exercising outfit is sometimes enough to get me on the treadmill. I really liked these t-shirts because they entice me to do a little more.

If these posters or clothes entice you to exercise, then Old Navy HAS helped you to lose your couch potato, jiggle, muffin top or spare tire. Get up and do a workout now because the motivation is free!