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

When I first saw this collection of recipe cards and her hilarious accompanying descriptions, I laughed at every single one. This time, I was seriously looking at them thinking, “Hmm, maybe there are some good ideas here.”

• Weight Watchers recipe cards, circa 1974

After looking at them all again, sadly, there are no good ideas here. All of these recipes are an atrocity to food. Luckily, Weight Watchers doesn’t promote these recipes anymore. I wonder how many Points the Snappy Mackerel Casserole is.

When I reach my goal weight, what will my life be like? I’m so close to my goal right now. I only have 28 pounds to go after losing a total of 76 pounds. It’s hard to imagine that those extra 28 pounds will have as profound an effect on me.

It’s that kind of thinking that can derail me.

I have made so much progress and my life is so much better that I think that I can’t possibly have an even better life when I finally get to my goal weight. I’m totally wrong and I know it.

The benefits of weight loss are exponential. Losing 76 pounds to get where I am today feels amazing. It feels like I have more freedom. I feel as if I have been released from those looks and those opinions that people have about fat people.

I KNOW that getting to goal will be even better, and here’s why:

• I finally conquered it! After years of trying and failing, I will have finally made it! I have been fighting this battle ever since I was nine years old and watching Richard Simmons on the television every day. Finally getting to a healthy BMI has been my goal since before BMI was called BMI. When I finally get there, I will have reached a point I have never hit before. I will have NAILED it! I can’t wait to achieve that accomplishment.

• I will feel like I belong. Even though I’m healthier now, I still feel uncomfortable at the gym. I don’t want people to look at me. I just want to get in and get the job done. I know I deserve to be there because I get in and workout as hard as I can while I’m there. I just don’t feel like I belong there. It’s not the people at the gym, it’s strictly my mindset.

• If I thought being able to fit into Lucky Jeans was great, just think how great those size fours will feel. I have never really felt worthy of good clothing. Once I know that I’m at my goal weight and I’m staying there no matter what, I will be able to enjoy the best clothing. I won’t have to shop at thrift stores anymore because I’m finished losing weight and I will be at this size for longer than the clothes will last.

• Intangible Benefits: I don’t know what they are, but I’m sure that I will be surprised with benefits that I can’t even imagine right now. That’s wonderful. I’ll take those surprises and run with them, whatever they are.

I realized today that thinking that my life couldn’t be much better at goal than it is right now is just an excuse. It’s one of those thought patterns that tries to convince me to keep things at the status quo because I’m scared of the future.

Believe it or not, getting to goal is scary for some people. I refuse to live in fear and I’m going to look forward to the benefits of being at a healthy weight.

If you have been telling yourself that even when you get to goal, you’re still going to be dealing with the same problems, take an hour for yourself. Write out all your fears and all your hopes of what life would be like when you get to goal. Refuse to believe the fears. Just release them in your mind and imagine them floating down the river, far far away from you. You have no need for fear in your life. Enjoy the prospect of your life being better when you get to goal and you’re that much closer to getting there.

This article talks about recent studies trying to find out why humans might eat too much. It’s not strictly about eating to survive. It’s not even about pleasure.

• Anxiety, Addiction and Depression Treatments – Food Preferences

After tracking the correlation between obesity, depression and bipolar disorder, it seems like a strange conundrum:

“So what does all this mean? Perhaps, in the simplest terms, it’s that the tendency for unhealthy eating habits is less about eating to feel good, and more about eating in an attempt to not feel bad.”

I can say that is true for me. Whenever I’m tempted by bingeing, it is because I am trying to smother a negative emotion with food. Sadly, most of the time it doesn’t work and I end up with a binge AND the negative emotion.

These two articles from USA Today talk about a pilot program that Weight Watchers has been testing for two and a half years down in Florida. It’s a program for children.

• USATODAY.com – Good health starts at home

• USATODAY.com – Kids embrace better habits

The hair on the back of my neck started to rise and I could feel the anger when I heard about this. After reading the articles, however, it looks like Weight Watchers has a feasible plan that isn’t going to send children into bingeing like my grandmother did to me. Here are the basics:

• Parent attend several sessions a week, whereas, the children attend one session a week. The classes are meant to affect the parent’s behavior more than the children.

“Parents model (kids’) attitudes, values and beliefs about food and eating. For example, if parents believe a wholesome breakfast is important and eat one every day, we’ve seen that kids will, too.”

• The Parent sessions are like a normal Weight Watcher class, but the children’s sessions focus on portion control.

“The concept is that parents are the biggest influencers on their children’s behavior, and by educating, motivating and providing group support to them, they can make changes at home.”

• There are no weigh-ins for the children.

“Our goal is to have the children maintain or improve their percentile on weight charts as they grow.”

• The sessions for the children are taught by a specially trained coach who has specialized in child weight issues. This is important because children are different than adults. They have less control over their environment and there is the potential to wound them in ways that may take years to recover from.

On the whole, it sounds like a good program that might help more children than it will hurt. Weight Watchers can’t control what the parents do in their lives, but they can give the parents good options. It reminds me of the advice I gave about Childhood Obesity a while back.

• Starling Fitness » Childhood Obesity

Via: food museum blog: Weight Watchers Weighs in with Kids

I love this exhibit at the Scripps Aquarium near San Diego. Here is a review from someone who has been there:

• Dance Dance DNA Revolution – by Mathowie

“At the scripps aquarium near San Diego, they devote half the space to teaching kids about science. In a wing devoted to explaining gene expression they had some stuff about DNA and the coolest thing was this video game that taught you about building blocks of life, then proceeded to a real DDR game where you have to step to the DNA parts being shown on screen.”

“The best part was when one of the 20 amino acids were built, it would say the name. So you’d see A T T G C and so on… and then it would shout ‘Cysteine!'”

“It was mostly lost on the kids, who just wanted to play some DDR, but it was a very clever idea. My hat’s off to the scientists that came up with this idea.”

This isn’t the kind of thing that can promote very much learning or regular physical activity, but it does look fun. I love it when museum designers come up with inventive ways to teach concepts.

I still can’t imagine the marketing, even though I’ve read a transcript:

“Since NutriSystem, my sex life is excellent.”

He lost 62 pounds and now, sex is great. Quite frankly, I’m offended.

• CNN.com – NutriSystem lures men with pizza, sex – Jan 30, 2006

I don’t know which offends me more, the idea that fat people can’t have fulfilling and enjoyable sex lives or that women are so fickle that they would only have sex with men who are buff.

Quite honestly, I’m not their target market. After years of eating frozen dinners microwaved to soggy perfection, I reached a point where I couldn’t eat them anymore. I’ll never forget that lunch. I had microwaved my Lean Cuisine. It was lunchtime and I was starving, but I did not want to eat that microwaved lunch. I took a bite and the feeling strengthened. My stomach growled, but the smell of the processed food made me throw it away. I don’t think I’ve eaten a frozen dinner since.

A program like Nutrisystem would just cost me a lot of money and I would just throw their food away. I ate low calorie microwaved food for so long that I just can’t stomach it anymore, even if it’ll make my sex life better.

She was extolling the virtues of Curves. I nodded politely while she described the circle of machines and the overhead announcements when it’s time to change. There is one within walking distance of our houses, so I was interested. The idea of going to a gym that only allowed women sounded unpleasant to me, but I kept that opinion to myself.

“It only takes 30 minutes to go through the circle twice and then I’m done.”

I nodded and agreed, “Yeah, 24 Hour Fitness has something like that. All the blue and yellow machines are in a line and you go down the line working each part of your body. I like it. They’re good machines as long as there isn’t someone just sitting there like a zombie instead of moving on like they’re supposed to.”

“At Curves, there is something on the overhead speakers that tells you when you’re supposed to change.”

“What are the machines like?”

“They are hydraulic things. Kind of like what keeps the door closed. “ She pointed at my screen door and I nodded again. “When you push harder on them, they give you more resistance.”

“At 24 Hour Fitness, they are real machines with weights that you can set. I don’t know why I don’t go there and do the workout. It’s so close. I should really do some weight training. It’s the only thing I haven’t really worked on.”

The next day, I went to my gym and did the Xpress Zone workout. Two days later, I was popping ibuprofen to dull the pain. I forgot how much it hurts to start weight training. I have been working out twice a week now for two weeks. I haven’t seen any results yet, but it has only been two weeks. I am going to give it two months of consistency and see how much I like it. It’s the final piece of the exercise puzzle that I haven’t tried yet, so I’ll keep you updated.

This website has a homemade recipe that will make even the most severe prunophobe enjoy the dried fruit.

• The Food Section: Converting the Prunophobe

Based on his ingredients, I believe the serving shown would be approximately four WW Points (depending on the marscapone to prune ratio). If you have been eating on the bland side, this dessert might be the exotic taste you’re looking for.

This article from UCLA shows, point by point, exactly what I’ve been saying about the “obesity epidemic.” It’s a great read.

• News: ‘Obesity Epidemic’ Overblown, Conclude UCLA Sociologists – UCLA College

The media has been throwing around the word epidemic as if it were a fact, but the true definition of an epidemic is far different that what is actually happening in the United States.

“The term ‘epidemic’ refers to the rapid and episodic onset of infectious diseases and is associated with fear of sudden widespread death,” said UCLA sociologist Abigail C. Saguy. “Deaths attributed to obesity are calculated using odd ratios, which are often only slightly higher for those in the obese categories. This is a much looser use of the term ‘epidemic’ than, say, the flu epidemic.”

In fact, recent research has found no appreciable difference in mortality rates among fat Americans with a BMI less than 35. Only 6 percent of the American population fall into that category, Saguy points out. Many more medical issues pose a greater threat to more Americans, most notably malnutrition and smoking.

If you have been bothered by my entries about Fat Acceptance, here is something to help you get over your fear. The health care industry has been trying to scare you to sell you pills, surgeries and gadgets. Releasing the fear and accepting all people, including yourself, as you are is the first step to getting healthy without their expensive alternatives.

Via: Big Fat Blog: UCLA Soc: Epidemic Overblown

I never was able to do the purging after binges. I think that might have prevented me from eating as much. This postcard from PostSecret gives me a glimpse of what it would feel like if I had been able to make myself throw up.

I think this is a picture of a pregnant woman, but I am familiar with the feeling after a binge that makes your stomach feel bloated. There were times when all I could do was lay down after the binge. I am able to complete so much more in my life now that I’m not as obsessed with food. I wasted so much time lying on the bed when I could have been writing. I almost resent those bingeing years from stealing my life away from me.

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.