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

I was watching this video of a cat jumping and playing the other day and I suddenly became sad.

Watching that cat jump over and over looked like so much fun. When did exercise become work? I remember skateboarding around and around my block all day long. When did I stop enjoying that sort of thing? Right now, the closest I come to enjoying my exercise is when I’m riding my bike. Of course, I’ve found a way to turn that into work as well. Logging miles and times, I analyze my workouts to death instead of just enjoying them.

I’ve decided that from now on, I’m just going to ENJOY my bike rides. Just like this cat jumping after the toy, I’m going to stop worrying about times and hill intervals and just ride for FUN.

Video via: VIDEO: Leaping Savannah Kitteh – Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures of Cats – I Can Has Cheezburger?

I bought myself a subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine on Zinio and it’s one of those rare magazines that I read from cover to cover. The September/October issue was pretty good. I really liked the interview with Jennifer Hudson. Every time I feel like I just can’t get to goal, it feels good to read about someone who DID get to goal using Weight Watchers. There are lots of success stories in the magazine, but because Jennifer is famous, I liked her story the best this month.

My favorite article, however, was about hunger called “Are You Really Hungry?”

Having a checklist to go through every time I feel like eating is really helpful and I love this article the best.

There was also an article about jeans that inspired me to buy a pair of skinny jeans. I’ve wanted some ever since they got popular, but I thought I would look stupid in them, so I never even tried them on. After seeing their plus-sized model looking so hot in hers, I actually have hope that they might not look so bad on me. I guess it’s time to take a trip to the store…

Weight Watchers Magazine was great this month and totally worth every penny.

I bought myself a subscription to Oxygen Magazine and every once in a while they have something interesting to talk about.

The September 2010 Issue had an article about protein bars and how they are just expensive candy bars. They then gave a few recipes for protein and energy bars that you could make yourself for less calories, more protein and FAR less money.

The most interesting recipe was the one for Bulge-Free Brownies. Each brownie costs 51 cents to make and they are only 100 calories apiece. I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but it looks interesting.

I also love the Stretch Your Way Strong article. It gives detailed descriptions and pictures for eight stretches. Over the years, I’ve tried to describe and take photos of many of these stretches, so I know how hard it is to get it right. They did an excellent job on that article and make the whole magazine worth it with just four pages of detailed photos.

I HATED the cover of the September 2010 issue. The model Alicia Marie, looks more like a body builder than a specimen of a healthy female. I wish they would show more normal women in this magazine. Seeing women like Alicia just makes me want to give up. Oxygen Magazine has a long way to go to become the type of magazine I’d read from cover to cover, but at least there are a couple of articles each month that make it worth it.

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

The September 2010 issue had an article that I really liked called, “Excuse-Proof Your Diet: Chronic Cheaters, Here’s Help!” It was an amazing article, giving you tips to avoid cheating and how to talk yourself out of cheating. Here are the excuses that they tackled:

• I’m on vacation
• I have PMS
• But he’s eating all that
• What’s a movie without Milk Duds
• I’m so stressed out
• I’ve been good all week
• I haven’t eaten all day
• I need a pick-me-up
• I’m too busy to eat right

The cost of the entire magazine was made up in that ONE article, so get yourself to the grocery store and buy your copy today!

This is where I stopped the first time I tried to ride up the hill. I caught up with Mike, panting and dripping with sweat. We had taken a ride to a restaurant at the bottom of the hill and pumping up with a full tummy was harder than I had expected it to be. We rested for about five minutes before finishing our ride home.

That was three months ago.

Today, I stopped. I was panting and moist with sweat, but this time, I stopped to snap a photo. Could I have made it up the hill without pausing? Yes. It’s still a hard hill that kicks my butt EVERY time I do it, but today I realized that I’m stronger than I was three months ago.

I need to remember this feeling the next time I’m tempted to skip my daily workout.

• Just completed a 1.15 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a90ie8 #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 1.12 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a90ef1 #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 15.31 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a8y4ej #RunKeeper #

I love this advertisement. It was for Best Foods Light Mayo, but it brings to mind a very important concept about food. It reads:

Not all love notes are written. Some are made.

Many times food gets all tangled up with love. This can be a very powerful concept that you can harness to your own benefit.

Food IS Love

Many times food becomes so embroiled in the idea of love, that it feels completely impossible to distinguish the two. This idea can be harmful and it can undermine my eating so quickly that I have to keep vigilant. Whenever I visit my mom and she pushes me to eat more, I have to consciously remind myself that she is only trying to tell me that she loves me. Sometimes I DO eat more and then compensate with exercise or good planning. Other times, I ask her to pack me up leftovers so that I can eat it later. Whether I eat it later in the privacy of my own home doesn’t matter, but I give her the chance to do something special for me.

Food MADE WITH Love

I’ve talked before about the concept of making food with love. You can read the entire thing here:

• Starling Fitness » Put Some Love In Your Food

Back then, I said:

Food made with anger and bitterness doesn’t quite taste as good as food made with love and joy. That’s why home cooking tastes so good. It was made for us with love. That’s why some restaurants just make mediocre food. It was made with indifference.

The next time you’re choking down a healthy meal that just doesn’t taste right, think to yourself, “Did I make this with love and joy? Did I just throw the ingredients together haphazardly?” Next time you make a meal, really think about who is going to eat it and the benefits that you hope they will receive from the meal. It will truly make a difference in how the meal will taste (at least to you, if not the others).

Food has become so mixed up with love and family that at times it is difficult to separate the two. When you are able to accept the love without the food, you make one step toward healthy living. When you are able to eat food made with love with the reverence it deserves, you make another step toward healthy living. Keep on making these baby steps and you will get to your goal weight with the power of love.

• Just completed a 2.40 mi walk with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a8j6x2 #RunKeeper #

• Just completed a 3.42 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a8g3ra #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 1.68 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a8b5a0 #RunKeeper #

• Just completed a 16.56 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a86ry5 #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 7.93 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a85jsc #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 8.47 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a85e7z #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 2.71 mi walk with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a81gxz #RunKeeper #
• Just completed a 29.45 mi bike ride with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a80vvw #RunKeeper #