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

Colleen Wainwright had a stomach incident with a bowl of cherries and it showed her what people who purge deal with on a regular basis.

• communicatrix » Blog Archive » Poetry Thursday: Things that make you go hurl

She has never had a problem with bingeing and purging, but a trip to the porcelain goddess can educate quite well what some put themselves through:

and as I tried not to look
at the film of yuck
coating the porcelain
because seriously,
if I didn’t already have to puke
it would have made me…

it occurred to me:
those skinny, skinny girls
who look so sick to me
probably are.

Probably worse than I know.

Because seriously—
would you do that
if you didn’t have to?

Frankly,
whoever did make them think
they had to—
those are the sick ones.

For me, my bingeing is caused by not taking care of myself. If I limit my calories too drastically, it sets off a binge. If I start talking to myself negatively, I binge. If I let my head get into a sad spot without taking care of my emotions, I binge. It all has little to do with fashion magazines and celebrity gossip. I don’t blame anyone for my eating problems except myself.

It’s nice to know that other people understand a glimmer of how I feel, though.

Margaret Cho has been very open about her eating troubles over the years. She received a letter from a man who is struggling with bingeing and she responded with what is currently working for her.

• Margaret Cho’s Weblog – Dear Margaret

I love her advice on keeping healthy:

“I think that eating disorders are very common, much more than anyone realizes. Millions upon millions of people have them. Some of them die, but most live with the disease, and are constantly in varying degrees of pain, and you have to think, ‘Is that life? I might as well succumb if I have to go on like this….'”

“I watch myself. Kind of like when I used to diet, but now instead of limiting calories, I will not allow negative self talk. I cut out insults like I cut out carbs and it is hard as hell because I crave self abuse like hot, fresh sourdough bread, but you know you have to be nice to you if you are going to live together.”

If you are feeling like eating healthy and exercising is not worth it, interrupt that thought right now. You are worth it. Eating healthy and exercising are just ways for you to take care of yourself and you deserve it. Be like Margaret and concentrate on cutting out negative self talk. If you have been insulting yourself with that inner voice, stop now. You are worth it.

Yesterday, I talked about the hot dog eating contest that was sponsored by Nathan’s Hot Dogs. Rob Parrish was at a bar when the contest was televised and posted this video.

• Hopper Video: Dog Eating Contest

We are at war with a country far, far away. People on both sides are dying. To celebrate our nation’s birthday, Nathan’s Hot Dogs sponsored an event that just makes them hate us more: a twelve-minute spectacle that glorifies gluttony.

No wonder they hate us…

This article is talking about governmental regulation of “junk” food.

• NEJM — Obesity — The New Frontier of Public Health Law

Not only does this article suggest that the government should create regulation concerning the food industry, it alludes to the idea of creating an environment of “social disapproval” of obesity.

“Several factors have led to a reexamination of the historical view that food consumption and physical activity are inappropriate subjects for government regulation. Among the ‘triggers to action’ that have catalyzed government intervention in other areas of private behavior, such as alcohol and tobacco use, are the development of a scientific base and social disapproval. Both these triggers are now in play with regard to obesity.”

I think that people who are struggling with weight issues have enough disapproval to deal with. We don’t need the government to come in and tell us what is wrong and what is right. If Twinkies are outlawed, then anyone who is overweight will be under scrutiny. People will assume that overweight people are eating “contraband.” Being fat could be excuse enough for a police search of our homes and vehicles.

The last thing I need is the government to watching over every bite I take.

Via: Consumer Health Digest, June 27, 2006

With my IBS, the doctor told me a huge list of foods that I should avoid to alleviate the gut-wrenching pain. None of it worked, yet I stuck to cutting that food out of my diet in a desperate attempt to avoid pain.

It seems the IBS sufferers aren’t the only ones getting shoddy medical advice. Heartburn sufferers have also been victims.

• Heartburn not cured by avoiding foods – Slashfood

Ever since I discovered acidophilus and my IBS calmed to a minor and smelly inconvenience, I’ve noticed that other people have also been given poor advice about gastrointestinal distress. If avoiding spicy food isn’t working for you, it’s not because you’re not doing it right. It’s because your doctor is just spewing the same old wive’s tales that didn’t work way back when.

I struggle with binge eating and even I don’t understand competitive eating events. What possesses someone to try to win a hot dog eating contest and, even more strange, set a world record?

• SupersizedMeals.com – Kobayashi wins Nathan’s Famous with a new world record!

Susan McQuillan, a New York registered dietitian, commented on the amount of food consumed by a competitive eater during competition.

“In twelve minutes, they will consume a week’s worth of calories, 5 times the recommended daily limit for cholesterol, 17 times the daily limit for total fat, 21 times the limit for saturated fat, and more than 2 weeks worth of sodium.”

I don’t think any of my binges have been that amount of found in that short of a time. Why are these competitive eaters shown on ESPN2? They aren’t athletes, they have an eating disorder just like I do.

“I love every inch of my body.” How many of us can say that and really believe it. I can take my body apart and love some bits and pieces here and there, but do I love EVERY INCH of my body? It sounds strange to hear it. I love my legs. They’re strong and they take me lots of places. I love my brain. It earns me money and entertains me. I love my fingers. They type lots of words. Every inch?

Every inch includes the blackheads on my nose that I can never get rid of. Every inch includes the soft and sticky outy bits on my tummy. Every inch includes that knee I fell on back in college that gives me a twinge when I ride my bike. If I love them, does that mean I don’t want to change them? Is it okay to love my body even though it’s not perfect?

I have to think about this…

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.

Last week, I talked to you as my exercise buddy. I was exercising on my bike and my right knee was hurting a little bit. This video is 1:34 minutes long and talks about running, biking and my joints.

I always wonder what makes my body do the things that it does. I have had small joint troubles with my knee every since I slipped on ice in college. The scar on my skin and the occasional popping are innocuous enough, but sometimes it will bother me when I’m riding a bike. I thought bikes were supposed to be better for my joints…

Last year, I wrote an entry called “How to Have a Healthy BBQ” and there is little that I would add to it today. Go give it a read:

• Starling Fitness » How to Have a Healthy BBQ

The only thing I would add to this entry is that a BBQ seems to be an event that is focused on the food. There is so much food around. Everyone is gathered around the grill and everyone is bringing something. The truth of the matter is, it is an event that is REALLY focused on the people. You wouldn’t go to a BBQ with someone you hate. You go there to see people, relax and have a good time.

You don’t need to overeat to have a good time. You can have a healthy and enjoyable BBQ by focusing on the people and not the food.

Happy Independence Day!

We don’t just eat healthy at home. A lot of our time is spent at work, where we need to make healthy choices.

What do you do to make sure you eat healthy at work?

Do you exercise during lunch or at breaks? If so, how do you make that work? Do you shower afterwards? What didn’t work?

How do you get past the afternoon snack attack?

What are the most risky eating areas at work?

If there was something that you could change at work to make your life easier, what would it be?

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.