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

• ran 1.82 mi on 8/8/2009 at 9:22 AM with a pace of 33’41″/mi http://bit.ly/ILK83 #

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• ran 1.82 mi on 8/8/2009 at 9:22 AM with a pace of 33’41″/mi http://bit.ly/ILK83 #

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Long ago, there was a clothing line called Chubbettes. As if the name wasn’t insulting enough, they ran ads like this:

It reads:

Your chubby lass can be the belle of her class

When I was a kid, Sears had a line of clothing called “Husky.” To this day, I HATE the word. I was so embarrassed that grandma made me try on husky sized clothes that I am still damaged by it even now. The same could be said for Chubbettes, Plus sizes, or Women’s sizes. It doesn’t matter WHAT you call larger sized clothing. The fact that they are isolated from the “normal” clothes is enough to make us feel ashamed.

Some people use the shame to motivate themselves. They say things like:

• I will never shop in the plus sizes again.
• I won’t ever have to buy clothes from Layne Bryant again.
• I’ll be able to wear “normal” clothes again.

None of these mantras have worked for me. Inside, I know that clothing companies are losing out on a lot of business because they insist on drawing lines between thin people and fat people. It’s discrimination and THEY are the ones losing out.

The truth of the matter is, your chubby lass CAN be the belle of her class. It doesn’t take a svelte body to win over hearts. It doesn’t even take a cute dress that fits well. All it takes is being friendly and outgoing. You can be thin and beautiful, but you’re never fully dressed without a smile.

The next time you have to try on clothes in the “chubbettes” section, remember the look on that girl’s face in the ad. THAT is what makes her the belle of her class. That flirty look behind the book, not the clothes and not the body. You can finally get to goal weight, but if you never learn how to look at people like that, you’ll stay a wallflower forever, no matter what size you are.

Advert via: Found in Mom’s Basement: Vintage ad for Chubbettes — clothing for your “chubby lass”

This The Joy of Tech comic made me laugh!

It reads:

Children, today I will show you something you may have never seen before. It’s called, “Real Food,” and it’s the kind of thing our ancestors once ate. It doesn’t come from packages or fast food restaurants!

Whoa! Weird.

Creepy.

You actually expect us to eat something that grew?

Hey! How did these things get dirt on them?!

When I was growing up, I was a big fan of The Jetsons. It was a futuristic cartoon in which the Jetson family enjoyed flying cars and robot housemaids. They also took in all their nutrition directly from machines. If you are unfamiliar with The Jetsons, here is an example of their futuristic fun and how their meals were prepared:

Back then, it seemed like science promised us the best in food. Instantly cooked, ready to eat with little work or preparation. Welcome to the backlash. Instead of appreciating the quick and easy preparation, we have come to realize that food that is fresh and as close to whole as possible is actually better than the stuff that pops out of our machines.

Which is right? The Jetsons or The Whole Food Fadists?

I think there is a benefit to both kinds of food. Whole food TASTES better than processed food, but it does take longer to prepare. Processed food is a quick way to make a meal, but it can be less healthy than fresh. A equal balance of both is probably the best way to go. Planning is key. On days when you know you’re going to come home exhausted, plan for a processed meal, knowing that you have fresh and healthy food to prepare on days when you aren’t so busy.

Processed food isn’t the savior that The Jetsons made us believe it would be, but it isn’t the villain either. It’s up to us to choose our meals wisely.

• ran 5.95 mi on 8/6/2009 at 9:30 AM with a pace of 38’46″/mi http://bit.ly/w1Sko #

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I have a hard time getting in my dairy requirements every day. I don’t like to drink milk. I cringe at spending my calories on cheese, even though I like the flavor and taste of it. I even doubt whether it is as necessary as the dairy council would have us believe. Yet, I still try to eat/drink three servings of it a day.

The other day, I saw this old advertisement for 7-Up that suggested mixing it with milk:

It reads:

a little TRICK
that makes a TREAT
Seven-Up in milk!

Mix chilled 7-Up and cold milk in equal parts by pouring the 7-Up gently into the milk. Do not stir. The 7-Up adds a light and delicate flavor making a delicious blended food drink.

Mothers know that this is a wholesome combination. The addition of 7-Up gives milk a new flavor appeal that especially pleases children.

“Fresh Up” With Seven-Up!

So, I tried it. Unlike the disastrous combination of Pepsi and milk (like Laverne used to drink on TV), Diet 7-Up and milk tasted pretty good together. The mixture had a creamy and fruity flavor that made choking down a glass of milk a LOT easier.

I’ve long been a fan of steamers. I talked about them here:

• Starling Fitness » Steamer: A Pleasant Way to Drink Milk

Mixing sugar-free coffee syrup with my milk (either warmed up in the microwave, or cold from the fridge) has been the best way for me to get my milk servings in each day. I’m glad that I have another “weapon” in my arsenal.

Who knew Diet 7-Up could make milk enjoyable? When I saw that advertisement, I crinkled my nose in disgust. I only tried it so I could make fun of it. Instead, I have another great way to get my dairy requirements in every day!

Advertisement via: Found in Mom’s Basement: 1950s treat: 7-Up and milk

• ran 2.8 mi on 8/5/2009 at 11:56 AM with a pace of 20’27″/mi http://bit.ly/QM9pu #

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I love this LOLCat from I Can Has Cheezburger.

It reads:

Your Mama Loves U
even if the other kids calls u fat, she knows uz jes fluffy.

There is something incredibly powerful about knowing that someone loves you just the way you are. So many times, people tell you that you need to love yourself in order to heal. That’s a good way to get to a healthy weight, but it’s not the only way.

You can draw from the love of the people around you, whether it’s your mother, your spouse, a sibling or a cherished friend. Become the person they believe you are. Whenever you are thinking of slacking off on your exercise, eating food that you know will harm you or restricting your food too much, think about them. Don’t let them down because they love you just how you are now and they will also love you when you finally reach your goals.

Rudd Sound Bites has a great article about Dr. Regina Benjamin and whether she is qualified to be the Surgeon General.

• Rudd Sound Bites: Why does Dr. Benjamin’s size matter?

There has been a surge of discussion this week about Obama’s pick for Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin. The focus has not been on Dr. Benjamin’s many accomplishments or qualifications as a health care champion.

No, the focus has been on her body weight, and the criticism that somehow being overweight discounts and discredits all of her impressive qualities and accomplishments.

The truth of the matter is, she is MORE than qualified to handle the job of Surgeon General. When you look at her record, she is freakin’ amazing.

• Regina Benjamin – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first step toward getting our country healthy again is acceptance. Polarizing weight as a health issue isn’t the best direction for the United States.

The same people who are trying to make obesity a disease are now trying to discriminate against Dr. Benjamin because of her weight. Would it be fair to discredit other Surgeon General candidates because they had a different disease like diabetes? No, it wouldn’t. In fact, it would give them MORE credibility because they have dealt with keeping themselves healthy despite a disease.

They can’t have it both ways. If they want to call obesity a disease or label it as an epidemic, then they can’t discriminate against Dr. Benjamin.

• RT @ddrdiva: New blog post: exergaming in the news http://bit.ly/3GqFL #
• My sister and I set up a private challenge on Nike+. There’s nothing like sibling rivalry to get us motivated, isn’t there? #
• ran 0.93 mi on 8/3/2009 at 4:40 PM with a pace of 27’27″/mi http://bit.ly/71TpY #

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