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

We got a double-dose of PostSecret this week. Frank has created a Facebook group and is posting bonus secrets there for us to see. You can become a fan of PostSecret here:

• Facebook | PostSecret

Here is a bonus secret that showed up on the Facebook profile:

It reads:

I take pictures of myself naked all the time.
I like my body better when seen in small pieces.

I have never taken a picture of myself naked. As much as I approve of NakedJen and her message about our bodies, I have never participated in naked picture taking.

I like to think that even if I had a perfect body that I would still keep that part of myself private, but I’ve never had a perfect body, so I don’t really know. Maybe if I was gorgeous, I would be an unashamed exhibitionist, but instead I hide behind my clothes.

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 last Sunday.

It reads:

I am the fat man who wears speedos in public.
I don’t care what you think.
I do it because it makes me feel sexy.

All I can say is, “RIGHT ON, BROTHER!” I haven’t worn a bikini since I was six years old because I am scared of what the world would think. It looks like I have some more Inner Workouts to do.

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.

My friend emailed me this video. The subject of the video was, “So U Think U Can Dance?” and her comment was, “One word… hottie!” I think she was being sarcastic. I clicked on the video and this is what I saw: a half naked man dancing in front of the camera. You can see it here:

Unlike most people, I didn’t laugh and turn it off ten seconds into it. I watched through the whole thing and you know what I realized,

Damn, that guy’s a pretty good dancer!

I’m not being sarcastic. He dances pretty well.

The longer I watched, the less I noticed his doughy body and the more attractive he became. What was cringe-worthy at the beginning of the video became an impressive array of booty-shaking.

Let me tell you, ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

When was the last time I was confident enough to dance in front of a mirror, much less a CAMERA?! This guy has cajones and he’s not afraid to show them!

Next time you’re feeling self conscious about the way you look, remember this guy. Hold yourself up straight, put on that attitude that you are the most beautiful one in the room and you’ll look one hundred times better than if you slink in and hope no one notices.

This postcard from PostSecret was from a couple of Sundays ago:

It reads:

I was beautiful too…

When we get older, does that make us ugly? I’ve known tons of beautiful women in the 70’s and 80’s. Sure, the advertisers never put them on their covers or plaster them on walls, but I have come to realize that marketing and reality are two VERY different things.

I never felt beautiful, so I don’t know what that feels like. As I head into my forties, I really have no fear because I was never pretty, I have no good looks to lose. I kind of feel sorry for those that have prided themselves on their appearance to the detriment of other features that are more permanent, like intellect, humor and wit.

In the end, we are mortal and there will come a time when I lose my quick mind, but I’m sure that I’ll have it far longer than any of my peers will have their good looks.

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.

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 pain and illness. If not, you can see the quote here:

The more severe the pain or illness, the more severe will be the necessary changes. These may involve breaking bad habits, or acquiring some new and better ones.

Peter McWilliams, Life 101

If you have been overweight for a long time (or even your whole life), I’m going to be honest with you. It’s going to be a little harder for you than the person who used to be skinny and gained a few pounds over the last couple of years. What habits will you be breaking? What new ones will you acquire? Your changes might need to be more severe, but they are not out of your reach. What will you do to bring yourself back to health?

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.

Congratulations to Chloe Marshall, who is the first finalist for the title of Miss England who is plus-sized.

• Sweet 16: Plus-size model Chloe Marshall reaches Miss England final – Telegraph

She is excited to show that it’s possible to be beautiful without being stick thin.

“I wanted to go through to the Miss England finals to break through the stereotype that you have to be tall and skinny.

“I wanted to make a bit of a statement. When I studied the other entrants for the Miss Surrey competition I concluded that pretty as the contestants were, they were equally all uniformly blonde and Barbie doll like.

“I want to show girls out there that it is possible to be beautiful and not a standard sized zero.”

She has had a few people saying nasty things to her, as you can see from the comments section on this site:

• Miss England hopeful Chloe tells HELLO! why she loves her curves

I want to give her a big shout-out! She IS beautiful and size 16. Thanks for showing the world that the two are not mutually exclusive.

Via: Rudd Sound Bites: Stigma-busting Beauty Pageant

Marilu Henner is promoting her new book, Wear Your Life Well. She promotes a macrobiotic and vegan diet, but this book also covers all the Inner Workouts that you can do to fix your mind.

She asks how much you love your life. So much of having a healthy life has to do with your mind. Here she describes what her book is about and how it can help you:

• Amazon.com Video : Entertainment : Marilu Henner on Wearing Your Life Well

She talks about her book on Jay Leno’s show here:

Via: Mary Lou Henner on April 24 Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Video) | TV Crunch

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 beauty. If not, you can see the quote here:

Beauty isn’t something on the outside. It’s your insides that count! You gotta eat green stuff to make sure you’re pretty on the inside.

Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata, Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

Do you have a plan to eat the healthy foods that will help you be beautiful on the inside as well as the outside? Adding five servings of vegetables to your diet every day not only will give you the essential vitamins and minerals that you need, they will give you a feeling of fullness. You’ll be less likely to binge on unhealthy foods with a tummy full of healthy veggies.

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.

This is the final week where I will give you step by step instructions on how to get into a swimsuit this summer. If you’re short on time, scroll down to the end and read “The Short Version” to get your weekly tips.

If you haven’t been following along with the program, there is still time to get into that swimsuit this summer. Go back to Week 1 and get started there:

• Starling Fitness » Get Into That Swimsuit This Summer: Week 1

If you HAVE been following along, your job last week was to wear your swimsuit alone at the pool. How did that work out? Did you take a couple of hours just for yourself to relax at the pool and test out your suit while it’s wet? If so, give yourself kudos and move on to this week’s final adventure.

Go Swimming With Friends or Family

This is the week that you test out your suit with trusted friends or family members. Don’t bring along the person who will make fun of you. Only bring supportive people who will have a good time with you.

Don’t tell them that you are there to evaluate your new swimming suit. Just tell them that you want to get ready for the summer season and go swimming with them all before the pool/beach gets crowded.

Have FUN!

This isn’t all about getting used to your suit. The whole reason why you want to have a swimming suit that you love is because you don’t want to miss out on the fun. Whether it’s water-skiing, snorkeling, boogie boarding or just splashing around in the community pool, you want to be where the fun is, so make sure you have a swimming suit that works for you.

Evaluate The Suit

How did it work out? Did anyone mention something that you might have missed? Did people compliment you? How did it feel when you were swimming, lying on your towel or laughing with friends? Did it work? Yes? Great! Then you’re set for the summer.

If it didn’t work out, however, there is still time for you to get back into the store and start all over with Week 1 again. You deserve to have a swimming suit that looks good, feels good and covers you well this summer. Don’t let yourself miss out on all the fun just because of a yard of fabric. Get out there and enjoy the summer!

The Short Version:

• Give yourself kudos for getting this far.

• Go swimming with friends or family.

• Bring only supportive friends and family. Leave the person who makes fun of you at home.

• Evaluate your suit. If it’s not perfect, go back to week 1 and try again. There is enough time to break in another suit if you have to before summer.

Each week, I will give you step by step instructions on how to get into a swimsuit this summer. If you’re short on time, scroll down to the end and read “The Short Version” to get your weekly tips.

If you haven’t been following along with the program, there is still time to get into that swimsuit this summer. Go back to Week 1 and get started there:

• Starling Fitness » Get Into That Swimsuit This Summer: Week 1

If you HAVE been following along, your job last week was to wear your swimsuit while you cleaned house.

How did that work? Did anything fall out? Did your sarong stay on? Do you trust the swimming suit’s ability to stay on your body during extreme work conditions? If not, buy a different one. If so, move on to this week’s challenge.

Wear Your Swim Suit in a Swimming Pool

I know it’s a radical departure, but at some point, you are going to have to test the suit out at a pool. My recommendation is to go to a pool on the other side of town or even at a hotel in your own town. You are less likely to see anyone you know at those places and you can test your suit in relative privacy.

Go Alone

This isn’t about having fun with the family. If you need to, get a sitter. This is YOUR time this week and you only need to be gone for an hour or two. You deserve two hours to yourself out of the 168 hours in a week. If you can’t take two hours to yourself in a week, you have bigger problems than swimsuit issues. Get help from friends, family or services so you can spend two hours to yourself.

Don’t Use The Gym Pool

This isn’t about exercise. This is about learning how to relax and enjoy yourself in your swimsuit. Don’t use the gym pool, even though it’s free. It’s better to get the adrenaline rush from sneaking into a hotel pool than to test your newly beloved swim suit at the gym. The BEST option would be to actually check into a hotel for an entire night of solitude and enjoyment, but if that’s not an option for you, make sure you go somewhere that feels as relaxing as it can be.

This is the week to really test drive your suit, so enjoy your hour or two in the pool.

The Short Version:

• Evaluate your current swim suit. Do you trust it to stay on your body? If not, buy a different one. If so, move on to this week’s challenge.

• Wear your swim suit in a swimming pool.

• Go alone.

• Don’t use the gym pool. Find a place that feels luxurious and relaxing.