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

Hats off to The Fat Solutions for this EXCELLENT workout that you can do at the park with your kids or while out walking your dog.

You will never look at a swing set the same way again!

Via: Bodyweight Swing Set Workout | Blog | The Fat Solutions

I have been doing Weight Watchers for a LONG time. When I first started, I measured my portions faithfully, but over the years, I’ve gotten a little lazy. If you had asked me this morning how much a 1/4 cup of nuts looked like, I would have pulled out a small handful and shown you, safe in the knowledge that I was right.

But I would have been WRONG!

And not wrong how you think. This morning, I decided to measure my “1/4 cup” of almonds. I pulled out my handful measurement that I’ve been using for the last few years and put it into a 1/4 cup. Here is what it looked like:

For the last few years, I’ve been eating approximately 1/8 cup of nuts and counting it as 1/4 cup. I’ve been cheating myself out of food.

Whenever you eyeball your measurements, you have the chance of getting things wrong. Either you’re under estimating and you could be eating more food, or your over estimating and you’re eating more calories than you counted. If you haven’t measured within the last month, it’s time to get the measuring cups out and start using them again. You might be cheating yourself and you don’t even know it!

• RT @ddrdiva: RT @NiaShanks Check this out: Bodyweight Swing Set Workout: http://bit.ly/arXcw It’s tougher than it sounds. : ) #

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Laura: Hey Matt! What are you doing to keep fit?

Matt: Me? What do I do?

Laura: Yeah, you look fit. What are you doing to stay fit?

Matt: I’m taking a lot of long walks in the evenings.

Laura: Alone or with the family?

Matt: With the family. After an hour long walk with a twenty pound baby, you really feel it. I’m doing a lot of low intensity exercise because on The Splendid Table on NPR had a show about how a lot of low intensity is better than high intensity.

It’s funny. When I just ask normal people in my life how they are keeping healthy and fit, I learn more about about living a healthy life. Long walks with the family sounds like the most wonderful way to keep fit.

Yesterday, I walked the Judge’s 5K Run with people from my Weight Watchers class.

Our leader, Gina, had told us to meet at the northeast corner of the parking lot so we could all keep together. Here’s a photo of all of us together. Our Weight Watchers leader, Gina, is on the right. She has been at goal for years. On the left is Jim, he has lost over 100 pounds on Weight Watchers and he is looking great!

Before they started the race, they had some radio personalities talking and they interviewed Miss Utah. She was running the race with us all.

My only thought was, “Is she going to run the race wearing that crown?” For the record, she did not. When she passed me I pointed it out that she wasn’t wearing her crown and she said, “I ran my first race with the crown and that didn’t work out.” Good to know. Next time I run a race, I’ll make sure to leave the tiara at home.

I used RunKeeper to track the run, so you can see the map of the race here.

Of course, I wanted to use the miles for the run to compete in my weekly Nike+ Challenges, so I ALSO tracked the walk with my Nike+. I love how RunKeeper maps my walks, but I also love how I can kick some serious butt in the weekly challenges with Nike+. For now, I’m measuring my runs TWICE and carrying both my iPod and my cell phone. Until Nike allows cool features like the RunKeeper site, I won’t be able to use just the Nike+. Until RunKeeper adds the fun connectivity of racing against other RunKeeper users, I won’t be able to use just the RunKeeper. I’m stuck between them both.

I had a lot of fun at this 5K walk because my friends from Weight Watchers were there with me. I can’t wait for our July 5K!

• @flygemini I’m so glad you enjoy Starling Fitness. Sometimes it’s hard for me to write every day, so knowing UR there makes it better. #
• Pamper Yourself! RT @tracyrusso Saturday morning mani/pedi = pure bliss! To be followed by Eastern Market exploration/aimless wandering. #
• @SterlingOkura walked in with the Vibram Five Shoes. He says that they have gotten rid of all his lower back pain. Who knew?! #

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I have been using Edibles for a few months now and I’m loving it. I love it even more after seeing how well it has worked for one of its creators:

• From Fat to Fit: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY! I made my WW goal last week! I was so nervous going in I almost didn’t want to step on the scale. I lost 2.5 lbs last week which puts my total weight loss at 91.2 lbs. I am now starting the “Maintenance Phase” of WW. It’s a little weird and a little scary to not be trying to lose weight. It’s been such a long time on WW that it’s almost part of me. I have to turn the weight loss mindset off and turn on the maintain switch on.

Here are her before and after pictures. These are the undramatic photos. Her boyfriend took some smokin’ hot pics of her as well, so you can see those on her blog here: From Fat to Fit: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Dawn! After two years of following Weight Watchers, she has finally made goal! Kudos to ya, babe!

This in depth article from Newsweek talks about Oprah and her dubious and sometimes conflicting health advice.

• Live Your Best Life Ever! | Newsweek.com

This is Oprah’s special brilliance. She is a gifted entertainer, but she makes it seem as though that is beside the point. Oprah is not here to amuse you, she is here to help you. To help you understand your feelings; drop those unwanted pounds; look and feel younger; get your thyroid under control; to smooth your thighs, nip and tuck your wrinkles, awaken your senses and achieve spiritual tranquility so that you can at last be free to “Live Your Best Life.”

This is where things get tricky. Because the truth is, some of what Oprah promotes isn’t good, and a lot of the advice her guests dispense on the show is just bad. Some of the many experts who cross her stage offer interesting and useful information (props to you, Dr. Oz). Others gush nonsense. Oprah, who holds up her guests as prophets, can’t seem to tell the difference. She has the power to summon the most learned authorities on any subject; who would refuse her? Instead, all too often Oprah winds up putting herself and her trusting audience in the hands of celebrity authors and pop-science artists pitching wonder cures and miracle treatments that are questionable or flat-out wrong, and sometimes dangerous.

I’m glad that someone is willing to mention that sometimes Oprah doesn’t give the best advice. She is so beloved by so many that it’s hard to suggest that she might not be an authority. She’s not a doctor and MORE importantly, she’s not YOUR doctor. She is a talk show host. She is producing a television show for ENTERTAINMENT. Don’t get your medical advice from a talk show.

I truly believe that Oprah wants to help people, but she is easily fooled by the many people out there just eager to make a quick dollar. All it takes is a MENTION of something on the Oprah show to make it immediately sell out. I believe Oprah has raised the bar of daytime television so high that we have forgotten that in the end, she’s just a talk show host, not some infallible goddess.

Via: Consumer Health Digest, June 4, 2009

• @brianbolger #runkeeper isn’t as good as Nike+ because I can’t kick your butt at running. It’s the challenges that make Nike+ great. #

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I found this question on the Diet Blog and I wanted to say WAY more than I should in a comment, so I posted my answer here.

• Is Gary Taubes Onto Something?

I just watched Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories lecture in Berkeley, and he seems so convinced and convincing about what he believes.

So, is there a flaw in his argument? And if “yes” what is it?

I’ve been on Weight Watchers in the past, and I know it works. But they preach the complete opposite of what Taubes quotes as scientifically proven.

So, how is it that you can lose weight while eating less fat, and as much pasta as you like, but on the other hand you can eat as much fat as you like, but no pasta – and this also works?

I’m just confused…

If you look at the Weight Watchers pamphlets closely, you can see that they don’t conflict with Gary Taubes’ views on carbohydrates. They recommend that IF you eat carbohydrates, to choose whole grains. They recommend that you limit your intake of processed sugars. Carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables and legumes are highly recommended by both Taubes and Weight Watchers.

Weight Watchers will probably never say that a low carbohydrate diet is what they recommend, but they make it very easy to follow one while on the Weight Watchers program.

The risk with making certain foods “bad” like Taubes has done is that restricted foods can have a mystical element to them. Once a food is deemed as “bad” it can seem FAR more appealing than it did before. I think that’s why Weight Watchers allows you to eat whatever foods you want as long as you stay within your Daily Points Allowance. Removing the judgment from food is the first step toward eating healthier.

Gary Taubes has focused on the health aspect of food, but has completely ignored the emotional aspects of it. Weight Watchers is taking BOTH into account by allowing you to eat whatever you want, but gently steering you toward healthier choices. It’s entirely possible to eat a low carb diet while on Weight Watchers as long as you can handle the idea of “bad” foods without spiraling into a binge.

Good Luck!