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

Easter is the end of Lent, meaning that you can eat all the things that you gave up during the Catholic time of denial. What did the L.A. Times reporter find among the Italian communities after 40 days of Lent? Two words: Asparagus Flan.

• In the spirit of spring – Los Angeles Times

This dish is made with whole asparagus tips and thick béchamel (thicker and heavier than cream), so this isn’t a healthy dish at all, but in moderation, it’s an interesting change of pace. I wanted to know if it was sweet or savory, but the review doesn’t specify. I thought it was savory until they talked about the sauce,

“For the sauce, I substituted Fontina because it has a more mellow flavor than Parmigiano; it suits the borderline sweetness of the asparagus. But the sauce could be dispensed with altogether, especially if the flan is served as a side dish rather than a first course.”

I think it’s a savory dish, but with fontina cheese and heavy cream, it should be enjoyed in moderation.

Via: Italian Easter, Vegetables, and Sea Salt – LA Times Food section in 60 seconds – Slashfood

Sometimes I feel as if I have no secrets about weight, exercise or eating anymore. I’ve written them all here.

I’ve told you that I have problems with bingeing. I STILL have problems with bingeing.

I’ve told you that I am addicted to exercise gadgets, even though I KNOW they won’t help me lose weight. I still want to buy them.

I’ve told you that I feel like a fraud or a poser when I write for Starling Fitness and I’m not able to keep my eating under control.

There is one secret that I haven’t ever told you, though…

Writing for Starling Fitness helps me more than it helps any of you. Your comments on my entries mean more to me than all the other websites I read on a daily basis. If it wasn’t for Starling Fitness, I would have given up by now.

I wish my secrets would evaporate when I wrote them here, but they don’t. I STILL have these troubles, even though I confess them every day.

If you were to write a secret postcard to PostSecret about weight, exercise or eating, what would it be?

How would you feel if your secret evaporated the second you wrote it here?

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

If you thought avoiding Easter Candy was hard, just imagine how it was for this guy. He created a giant Cadbury Creme Egg.

• SupersizedMeals.com – Giant Cadbury Creme Egg

He completed this project by hollowing out 22 normal sized Cadbury Eggs and placing the fillings in the huge egg.

After eating the discarded shells of 22 Cadbury Eggs, he wanted nothing to do with his huge egg and sold it on EBay for the equivalent of $30 (17 pounds).

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, had a series of events happen to her that made her stand up and notice the pressure that all women are under to be thin.

• J.K.Rowling Official Site – For Girls Only, Probably…

She saw a woman whom she hadn’t seen for three years and the first thing the woman said was how thin she was. Rowling’s instinctive response was perfect.

“I’ve produced my third child and my sixth novel since I last saw you. Aren’t either of those things more important, more interesting, than my size? But no – my waist looked smaller! Forget the kid and the book: finally, something to celebrate!”

She goes on to say,

“Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons.”

But she has failed to notice that the actress playing Hermione has wasted away to a skinny skeleton of herself.

None of us are exempt from this body judgment, not even world-famous authors.

Via: Skinny Models: Telling It Like It Is

We have heard the promises before. A magic machine that can melt fat away. It looks like researchers are still working on this goose that lays golden eggs.

• BBC NEWS | Health | Hope over laser ‘that melts fat’

They haven’t developed an effective treatment yet, but they are still looking for it:

“While this laboratory research sounds exciting, we are a long way from knowing whether or not laser therapy of this nature could be developed into an effective treatment.” – Judy O’Sullivan, of the British Heart Foundation

Every time I used to see ads for pills or machines that were supposed to “melt” away the fat, I turned away from them. I didn’t want to have to take a pill for the rest of my life. I have always wanted to find the way to live healthy and slim. I don’t want to have to go in for laser surgery every couple of months to excise the damage I did to my body. I want to eat healthy and exercise moderately so that I can be slim on my own.

If the scientists ever find a way to “melt” fat, I’ll probably just walk on by, even though it means I have to continue watching my food and keeping active. I don’t want to be dependent on some scientists’ expensive laser therapy.

Via: The Laser That Melts Fat?

A study from the University of North Carolina found that children who participated in sports activites were less likely to engage in risky behaviors like drug use, smoking and violence.

• UNC News release — Wide variety of physical activities may protect teens against risky behavior: study

They admit that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Giving the children a chance to try a wide variety of sports and concentrate on their favorites was the essential element.

“We also suspect that all teens might not benefit similarly from the same kind of activity – it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. Helping to provide kids with the opportunity to get involved in any number of physical activities, instead of staying at home and watching TV, may provide a kind of resilience against engaging in these other risky behaviors.”

They didn’t comment on whether children who participated in sports were more physically fit compared to their television watching counterparts, but sports DID help children resist the sorts of situations that could get them into real trouble.

Via: Any Physical Acitivity is Good Activity

When I saw this PostSecret postcard, I cheered. I know that’s the wrong attitude to have about bulimia, but I wanted to feel the revenge that this person expressed.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

This postcard from PostSecret really struck a chord with me. I have been blaming my bingeing on lack of self control lately when really I haven’t cared. When I am dedicated, I have no problem eating healthy. It’s not about no self control. It’s about caring.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

This was my first step toward living a healthier life. When I decided that I loved myself just the way I was, even though I weighed 235 pounds, I started treating my body with more respect. Now that I’m at a healthier weight, I realize that loving myself was the first step on that journey.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.