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

I found this image and it really helped me.

• The Iron You: The Virtuous Cycle

It reads:

The Healthy Living Cycle: Positive Thinking leads to Feeling Good, which leads to Regular Exercise, which leads to Eating Better, which leads to Positive Thinking.

I love this image because it reminds me of how to get back on track if I am having trouble. I can get back to a healthy life just by jumping into the cycle at any point. I don’t need to immediately limit my food choices or pound my body on the treadmill. All I have to do is jump into the cycle.

Let’s say my eating has gotten out of control. In order to get it back in check, I could do any of the following things:

• Write positive things in my journal
• Meditate
• Take a walk around the neighborhood
• Lift some weights
• Talk to a good friend who makes me feel better about myself
• Watch an inspiring movie

If you notice, none of those things involve anything to do with food, but doing enough of them will get my eating back in control.

If I’m just not willing to exercise, I could do any of the following things:

• Limit my calories to account for no exercise that day
• Change my diet plan to include more filling foods like protein and veggies.
• Write in my journal
• Meditate on all the good in my life
• Call someone who loves me
• Read a book that makes me feel better

Whatever your problem is, all you have to do is jump into that cycle at ANY point to solve the problem. So many times, I try to fix my eating by monitoring my eating or limiting my food choices. That actually makes things WORSE for me. Instead, I’m going to focus on other portions of the Healthy Living Cycle and they will lead to better food choices naturally.

The next time you feel discouraged, take a look at this cycle. Find out where you are having troubles and jump into the cycle at a DIFFERENT point to make things better. You’ll find that your problems don’t feel like that big of a problem anymore.

Via: Tumblr: Tattoos and Fitness

Sometimes I have to trick my mind in order to exercise. I have to pretend that zombies are chasing me or that I’m in the Hunger Games. When I saw this poster for the movie, it was inspiring to me. (Click for full-sized image.)

It reads:

I’m very hard to catch, and if they can’t catch me, they can’t kill me. So don’t count me out.

• Rue

It reminds me that I need to be faster and stronger to survive in this world. I don’t live in a post-apocalyptic world that sends its children to die for entertainment, but this is a competitive world and we are judged every day by the size of our bodies.

The next time you’re considering skipping your workout, take a good and hard look at this poster and change your mind. Don’t let the competition get you. You have to be strong and fast to make it in this world.

Via: The Hunger Games Movie: Character Desktop Wallpapers

I love this image from Beyond Running:

It shows all the medals hung with pride on a display that reads:

Always Earned Never Given

It’s the truth about medals just as much as about fitness. No one can give you a healthy and strong body. You MUST earn it. It’s just like that old Smith and Barney commercial:

If you replace fitness for money in that commercial, it’s more true than ever:

Good fitness doesn’t walk up, bite you on the bottom and say, “I’m here!” Getting fit takes good, old-fashioned hard work and research. The kind they do at Starling Fitness. Starling Fitness is one of a handful of top fitness blogs singled out for their work and research. Starling Fitness they get fit the old-fashioned way, they EARN it!

The same is true for winning races or even finishing them. Here’s another image from Beyond Running that rang true for me.

It reads:

Most people think your life changes forever the second you cross the finish line. Runners know that your life changes forever the second you decide to go to the starting line.

Via: I CAN DO IT

That ARThletic Girl posted this about running.

It reads:

What defines you as a runner isn’t how many miles you’ve run or how fast you run. What defines you as a runner is the decision to lace up your shoes, get out the door and run.

It’s right. Even if you’re shambling no faster than most people can walk when they’re in a hurry, you are doing something good for yourself and your body. The next time you don’t feel like you are a good enough runner, remember this. It’s not the speed or the miles. It’s the lacing of the shoes and stepping out the door that makes you a runner. Now get out there and do it!

Sometimes a before and after photo is so motivating that people all over the world notice it. That’s the case with this photo.

Usually, I’m pretty good at Internet sleuthing. I can find the original posting of an image and source it correctly, but the best I could do was this post on Tumblr back in November.

• IMAGINE THE DAY

Considering that she posted a ton of other before and after pictures the same week, I don’t think this is HER picture.

It’s just such a perfect picture that doesn’t look doctored or photoshopped at all (aside from putting two photos next to each other). And that look of pride on her face is freakin’ priceless!

Who is this girl? What is her story? I want to know! If any of you recognize her, please tell me!

I found this image on LOSING THE WEIGHT, GAINING THE CONFIDENCE.

It reads:

I’m done being fat.

I understand that feeling. It usually happens when I’m at my FATTEST, not when I’m thin. I’ve been so close to ideal weight that I almost felt thin, but at that time, I never felt like I was “done being fat.”

The moments when I am at my most aggravated and most angry with fat are when I’m the fattest. But, the words, “I’m done being fat,” have two meanings. It can mean I am so frustrated with my body that I can’t take being fat, but it can also mean that I’m thin now.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to say those words and mean that I am thin now and done being fat ever again.

Via: I CAN DO IT

I love this simple image from Fresh, Clean, Fit!.

It reads:

Tough Times Don’t Last. Tough People Do.

Every time I hit a rough patch, I need to remember this. I am tough and I’m going to outlast this.

This motivational poster from I CAN DO IT is wonderful!

It reads:

The more you stare fear in the face, the less of a face fear has.

• Eddie Harris, Jr.

For me, weight loss and exercise has nothing to do with fear. At least, I don’t think it does. It’s more about trading present pleasure for future pleasure. Do I run my butt off right now so that I’m stronger tomorrow? Do I skip that peanut butter and jelly snack for a thinner body in the future? Too many times, I have chosen present pleasure and you can tell by just looking at me.

It’s not fear that’s holding me back. It’s lack of planning for the future.

We’re almost to spring and our New Year’s Resolutions are three months old. It’s time to remember that this isn’t a sprint. It’s a long distance run.

Working out every day and eating less calories than your body wants is HARD, but that’s not an excuse to quit. You have to keep going!

Whenever I start feeling like I should want to quit, I remember Finding Nemo and Dori’s continuous singing, “Just Keep Swimming!”

If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about, here is the video:

This image is the best because it’s animated:

If you’ve been slacking off on diet, exercise or both, remember Dori singing this song and get back on track!

Images via:

• just keep swimming | Tumblr
• Blogger Challenge #3: Just keep swimming.

I love this drawing from That ARThletic Girl.

It reads:

You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.

Zig Ziglar

I love how the girl in the drawing isn’t the ideal body type. She is just a normal girl, working out every day. LOVE IT!