Michael Verdi has been running a lot lately. While listening to the new Flaming Lips album, Embryonic, he had a musical epiphany that lead to this awesome running video.
It’s only a snippet of a song and a really short video, but it feels like running to me. Thanks for such a great video, Verdi!
Visit his website and read the whole story here: Embryonic – Michael Verdi
Fitness Magazine provided me with a complimentary subscription in exchange for a monthly review of their magazine. I haven’t bought a health or fitness magazine for a LONG time because all the stories seem like a rehash of stuff they wrote last month. Honestly, there are only so many ways to write eat less and exercise more and sometimes I get sick of reading it over and over. So, this month’s magazine actually seemed fresh to me because I hadn’t read this kind of magazine in a long time.
They grabbed me right from the beginning with their Reader Success Secrets. Unfortunately, I was unable to find them online, but the stories were inspiring for me to read.
Even more compelling, however, was the ad for the LunarGlide+ Nike shoes on the opposing page. Unless I look for them, I rarely see advertisements on the Internet. I hadn’t heard of these new shoes, despite the fact that I visit the Nike+ website EVERY day. That surprised me and I’m smiling at that fact that I enjoyed the ADVERTISEMENTS in Fitness Magazine more than the articles.
This article, called Souped Up, was wonderful inspiration for me to cook. Usually, I don’t want to eat something unless I can see it. The fact that they had a photo for EVERY recipe was enough to make me want to cook some food. The included nutrition facts after each one was an extra bonus that made me feel completely at ease with going to the trouble of cooking these healthy meals.
The photos of the soups on the website aren’t nearly as pretty as they were in the magazine. I actually tore out the pages and added them to my cookbook for inspiration next time I want to cook.
Finally, I was so motivated by this story about Kristin Armstrong. She was training to be an Olympic Triathlete, but osteoarthritis got in her way. Instead of giving up, she focused on cycling and won the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics.
I can read almost the whole magazine on the Internet, but having the magazine at my kitchen table was a great reminder to eat healthy. I think I’m going to like receiving it every month and I’m looking forward to the November issue!
Jere Keyes has been working hard for the last 16 weeks and has gone from 217 lbs. to 191 lbs.
He has done an incredible job of working out consistently. Here is a photo of his workout schedule.
When I read about his consistency, I was so impressed with how well he has done, especially when tempted with a birthday cake like this less than a week before:
If I found myself in front of a beautiful cake like this, I would have trouble eating it and even more trouble NOT eating it. I would have been paralyzed with indecision or acquiesce to a binge. Instead, they had a cake fight. You can read about it here.
The next time you are confronted with a beautiful dessert or savory treat, remember Jere and how his devotion to fitness really paid off. You are in control, not the food!
I saw this photo of Shia Lebeouf in People magazine today and it made me realize something.
No matter how fit or thin someone is, working out isn’t that fun.
The look on Shia’s face shows just how difficult a hard run can be. Even though he is ripped and buff (or “Le Buff,” as they say), the photographer caught him in the middle of a HARD run. Anyone who looks at him KNOWS that this very difficult run is WORTH it. He looks awesome, even though he is struggling.
Sure, there are some easy runs. There are times when the same workout at the same pace on the same trail feels fun, easy and enjoyable. There are other times when it’s just an uncomfortable chore. So, why do we do it?
I exercise for a lot of reasons:
I’d love to just sit here and say that working out is all fun and roses. I’d love to say that the elusive Runner’s High is a daily component of my exercise routine, but it’s NOT. See that look on Shia’s face? That’s not the face of the rumored sheer bliss of endorphins. That’s pain and work and squinting against the summer sun in order to keep his endurance and six pack abs at their best. The next time you’re thinking of cutting your workout short or taking it slow when your plan calls for a difficult workout, think of Shia Lebeouf duking it out against the heat and smog of a Los Angeles summer. If he can do it, so can you!
Part of the reason Mike and I were willing to uproot our entire lives and leave our friends and neighbors in Sugarhouse was because of the lake in Daybreak. It is a man-made lake specifically designed to be the focus of the community. Not only is it surrounded by miles of trails for biking, running or walking, the residents of Daybreak can borrow boats free of charge to explore the lake.
Yesterday, Mike and I took a break from moving boxes to take a walk around Oquirrh Lake. As we were getting in our exercise, we saw a couple enthusiastically racing each other on the lake. Their paddles were quickly rotating and their laughs echoed off the bridge. Apparently, the bridge was the finish line and when the woman crossed it, victorious, they slowed their pace to a leisurely tour of the water.
I couldn’t help noticing how fun all of us were having. The couple on the lake, Mike and I walking around the trails, the families fishing and the even the security guard on his bicycle. We all were exercising, but we didn’t notice it because the vistas were so beautiful. I decided to remember this the next time I’m sweating it out on the treadmill. Working out in the gym is important if only because it makes enjoying times like this so much easier.
The couple continued their quiet rowing around the lake just as Mike and I walked on the trails around it. By the time we were finished with our workout, they were finished with theirs and we all watched the sunset turn golden behind the mountains.
I love this advertisement from Jantzen Girdles.
It reads:
Anybody can have a better figure!
Anybody can look better, feel better, wear clothes better, get around better, do bigger and better things!
It goes on to tell you that you can achieve all these things by buying a girdle that doesn’t pinch, bind or twist, but they missed the point. The truth of the matter is that any of us can do all of these things just by eating healthier and getting some exercise regularly.
You don’t have to wear tight undergarments to look better and feel better. You just have to tighten your eating regime and exercise habits.
And best of all, it’s free!
Jantzen advertisement via: Found in Mom’s Basement: Vintage ads for lingerie
I heard the rumor on a comment from Christine on my entry about Figure Magazine:
I realize this post is ancient but I am crying. I just got notice today that Figure is being replaced by Ladies Home Journal of all magazines! NOOOOOOoooooo. If I wanted a saccharin magazine I’d buy one. I am SOOOOO bummed!!!! I overlooked the annoying fluff and was so inspired by the women and clothing. I have been anxiously awaiting my next issue and then instead I get this.
Was it true? Was Figure Magazine dead and gone? I checked the Figure Magazine website and this letter to the readers was there:
Dear Figure magazine readers,
Thank you for your extraordinary passion and support throughtout our years of publishing Figure magazine. We are saddened to announce that as of our March/April 2009 issue, we will be ceasing publication of the magazine and shutting down the website.
This was a painful decision to make. We have shared your vision to create an empowering, inclusive place for women of all shapes to come and celebrate fashion and themselves. However, we are facing unprecedented economic times and unfortunately are unable to continue publishing.
If you are a magazine subscriber, we will be contacting you regarding your remaining issues.
You all have made Figure an exciting and dynamic community. It has truly been a joy to serve the needs of today’s fashion-conscious woman through the magazine and website, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in our stores and online at www.lanebryant.com, www.fashionbug.com, and www.catherines.com. We hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
The Publishers of Figure Magazine
Christine is right. Ladies Home Journal is no replacement for Figure Magazine and the best we can do in this situation is to find a replacement online. One good one is a blog I’ve found recently:
Posting there has slowed recently, but you can read their archives for some fun things and motivation to be fabulous no matter what size you are.
If you have a fashion fix, here is a GREAT list of online shops that cater to all sizes:
It seems like the magazine industry is blaming their demise on the economy instead of themselves for not adapting to the web world. Don’t let the death of Figure magazine be a blow to accepting yourself the way you are. It’s the first step toward a healthier life.
Ray Zahab broke the speed record of the trek to the North Pole. He walked while dragging a sled in forty below weather. The most inspirational part of this story is that he started running when he was thirty-four years old after being a long-time smoker living a VERY sedentary lifestyle.
This video of his talk at TED is so inspirational that it’s worth the download time:
Not only did they trek for ten or fifteen hours at a time, they blogged the entire time. You can read them here:
He says:
“I remember thinking, ‘What do I take from this journey? That I’m this uber-endurance guy?’ As I stand here today talking to you guys, I’ve been running for the grand sum of five years and a year before that, I was a pack a day smoker living a very sedentary lifestyle. What I take from this journey is that in fact, within every fiber of my belief standing here, I know that we can make the impossible possible. I’m learning this at forty. Can you imagine being thirteen years old, hearing those words and believing it?”
No matter how old you are, BELIEVE it. If you have ever thought that being fit and healthy was impossible, it is POSSIBLE. You CAN do it. The only thing standing in your way is your head telling you that you can’t. If Ray Zahab can become an uber-endurance athlete at an age when most people think that their careers are over, then we can get to a healthy weight. We just have to keep on trudging through the snow, pulling our sleds of history behind us.
I was browsing through Flicker the other day and I found these runner photos. I thought you’d like to see them.
I read teen lit all the time, mostly because the science fiction is better than the sci-fi written for adults (less sex and more cool ideas: see Scott Westerfeld for more). While perusing the teen section at my local bookstore, I saw The Fat Girl by Marilyn Sachs. The blurb on the back of the book was compelling to me.
Jeff Lyons can’t stand Ellen de Luca, the fat girl in his ceramics class. She’s huge and clumsy, can’t throw a pot to save her life, and stares at Jeff all the time. But he’s a “nice guy” and feels bad when Ellen overhears his hurtful remarks about her. The “crumbs of kindness” he tosses her way soon turn into advice on weight loss, college, clothes, hair… To everyone’s surprise, good-looking Jeff soon dumps his pretty girlfriend to be with the fat girl! But as her pounds melt away, Jeff resents the happy, independent young woman he has unleashed. Where is the gratitude for all he’s done for her?
Through most of this book, I had a uneasy sense of distress for Ellen. Here was this good-looking guy who seemed to enjoy being with her only because she was easy to control. He dressed her, he chose their activities, he was in complete control and when he wasn’t in control, he was pissed off at her. It just didn’t seem like a healthy relationship. Fortunately, Marilyn Sachs is a brilliant writer who can make even the controlling Jeff Lyons a likable character and the story works out well for everyone in the end.
Overweight teen girls LOVE stories about fat girls who lose the weight and end up with the cutest guy in school. I know this because I was an overweight (or so I had been told my whole life) teenage girl. My beloved fat girl book that I read over and over in ninth grade was
Dreams Can Come True by Jane Claypool Miner. It was about a girl name Ellie who lost a lot of weight right at the time that her mother moved her to California, so none of the kids knew how fat she used to be at her old school and none of them were surprised when she tried out for cheerleader. It all risks crashing down around her when her old friend from the Midwest comes back to visit, exposing her dark secret of her past self. I LOVED that book and read it countless times. Even now, I’ve come to realize that my desire to move to California was first spawned by that very book.
Unlike Dreams Can Come True, The Fat Girl is a book about losing the weight and coming into your own life and an additional story about not allowing anyone to control you or your dreams. It’s a better role model story about health and fitness for young girls than Dreams Can Come True and I wish I could go back in time and give it to my fourteen year old self instead.
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