Over the years, I’ve written some pretty good entries about surviving the Christmas season and keeping healthy. You can see the entries here:
Whether you’re shopping at the mall and trying to eat healthy or using it as your workout, there are a bunch of tools here to help you stay on your program while you get ready for the holiday.
I love this photo from Kitykity:
The ice cream flavor is Manatee Poop. I wish ALL ice cream was named so unappetizingly. Then maybe it would be easier to abstain from it.
I love this video of a baby playing at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. She obviously wants to play in the water, but when she gets wet, she runs away.
They never had water features like this when I was a kid, but it reminded me of running through the sprinklers as a child. I could spend all day just running back and forth on my front lawn dodging the water and bursting right through it.
Winter is coming and I can remember playing all day in the same front yard building snow men and imagining vast and elaborate snow forts. My endeavors never reached those heights, but that didn’t stop me from working all day in the snow.
When did exercise change from fun to work? And how do I get the fun back?
Back in May, we visited Welches, Oregon. I took a walk through the Wildwood recreation area and filmed it. It took a while to get the video ready to sell, but it’s ready now just in time for Christmas.
Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:
It was warm and moist and the walk through the forest was invigorating.
Estimated Distance: 3.02 miles
Estimated Speed: 2.0 mph
Time: 80 minutes
I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.
Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here
There are so many trees that I can’t see on Google maps to make a route map, but I tracked the workout with my Nike+, so you can see the stats here:
Video Description:
The Wildwood river walk calls to you with its cool shade and moist ground. You can smell the leaf blower in the distance while you start your walk. Say hi to passing joggers as you head toward the Salmon River. Leaf through the field sketch book in the marshlands. Dodge the school children as they head on their field trip.
From the tops of the trees to the toadstools growing on the logs, Wildwood is a relaxing escape from your day. Escape to Oregon and take a walk through the forest.
1984 was one of those strange times when being too skinny was still a problem. Now, too skinny means anorexic in the fashion industry and even though they pretend to think that’s bad, they would NEVER advertise a product to rectify that “problem.”
So, this ad for Wate-On is a strange thing to see now. The ad reads:
TOO SKINNY? NOW HAVE THE BODY YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED
Skinny because you don’t eat right? Let WATE-ON help fill out, shape your entire body. WATE-ON has extra calories under weights need plus vitamins, minerals and energy nutrients. Users report gains of 5-10-15 pounds and more. Try WATE-ON or extra strength Super WATE-ON in liquid, tablets or tonic or shake forms. At drug stores everywhere. For a free guide to successful weight-gaining, write.
Here are some other ads for Wate-On:
Until recently it was actually still available:
Based on its ingredients, it looks like an expensive version of Ensure.
Active Ingredients: Per 2 Tablespoons (30 mL): Total Fat (Saturated Fat 2.5g) 15g; Sodium 10 mg; Total Carbohydrate (Sugar 2g) 5g; Vitamin A 2000 IU; Vitamin C 20 mg; Vitamin D 200 IU; Vitamin E 15 IU; Thiamin 0.75 mg; Riboflavin 0.51 mg; Niacin 10 mg; Vitamin B6 1 mg; Vitamin B12 3 mcg; Biotin 0.015 mg; Pantothenic Acid 5 mg; Iron 9 mg; Zinc 7 mg; Copper 1 mg.
Inactive Ingredients: Hydrogenated Stabilized Soybean Oil; Water; Sugar; Propylene Glycol; Polyoxyethylene 20 Sorbitan Monolaurate; Sorbitan Monostearate; Xanthan Gum; Methyl Paraben; Sorbic Acid; Artificial Flavoring; Propyl Paraben; Ferric Citrate; Niacinamide; Panthenol; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Riboflavin 5 Phosphate; Thiamin Hydrochloride; Calciferol; Vitamin A Palmitate; Ascorbic Acid; dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate; Biotin FFC; Copper Sulfate; Zinc Oxide; Artificial Color; Butylated Hydroxytoluene; Cyanocobalamin.
The common thread to all of the advertisements are women with big breasts. I wonder if being “too skinny” is just a euphemism for being flat-chested. There are companies out there trying to take your money to make you thinner and others waiting to take your money when you get too skinny. Don’t let yourself be tempted by their promises.
While I was perusing the old Seventeen Magazines at the library, I found this advertisement:
It reads:
It Feels Good To Be Thin Only $2
SPECIAL TEEN DIET
Designed for you – the young and lovable teen. Lose up to 8 pounds a week, usually without hunger. No pills or special devices. Simple program includes teen diet, menus, exercises, vitamin and progress charts. Don’t delay! 30 day MONEY BACK GUARANTEE if not satisfied. You have nothing to lose but ugly pounds! Enclose $2 today.
The address on the ad is merely a house in Van Nuys, California, and I’m sure that house was there back in 1984.
What happened to 20th Century Int’l, Inc.? Was it just some guy in a house sending out diets to desperate teens all over the country? Heck, I’M just some girl in a house writing about health and fitness.
I just can’t stop thinking about this “special teen diet” because I looked at the ad SO MANY TIMES when I was a desperate teenager. I obsessed over the picture of that girl every month. I resisted the temptation to send my two dollars. Back then, minimum wage was $3.35, so two bucks was almost an hour’s worth of work. I wanted to look like her so much, but I had no hope that some tiny ad in the back of Seventeen Magazine would make me skinny.
Even now, I’m wondering where that girl is. What does she look like now? If she was fifteen in 1983, she would be forty years old now. Is she still the epitome of the “young and lovable teen”? Where is the “It Feels Good To Be Thin” Girl now?
Did any of you ever send away for this diet? Was it as much of a rip-off as my teenaged-mind said it was?
I am coming down off a Seventeen Magazine binge. I went to the library and scanned a bunch of things that have become one with my mind. One of them is Dr. Scholls Sandals. This is the advertisement I found:
The ad reads:
Dr. Scholl’s Exercise Sandals. The more you wear them, the more your legs say “look”.
The one and only Dr. Scholl’s Exercise Sandals can make legs go from all right to dynamite. They’re smooth real wood – with the toe grip that makes toes grab on. And the more they grab on, the more your leg muscles flex up… shape up – lean and beautiful. So slip into the comfort of contoured wood. Soft, cushioned leather. It’s the comfortable way to walk your legs pretty.
Dr. Scholl’s Fitness Begins With Healthier Feet
My grandma wore Dr. Scholl’s sandals for YEARS thinking that they would give her great gams. They never did. In fact, they turned out to be mostly uncomfortable shoes. She faithfully wore them without any effect on the appearance of her legs or increase in fitness.
I’m sure you’re nodding your head and agreeing with me. Silly people from the 70’s and 80’s believed anything. Unfortunately, these sorts of things STILL go on. The latest are Yoga Sandals. Here are the claims from their website:
“Spread your toes” is a favorite yoga teacher mantra for a reason. Separating your toes improves your balance, flexibility and alignment. Worn around the house or on errands, our EVA microfiber sandals retrain your feet to do just that while also helping to relieve painful foot conditions.
The four thongs insure the sandal will not slide around on the foot or be accidentally kicked off with sudden movement, and the support of the heel protects your arch while the slope provides ambulatory stability. With each toe gently separated, there is a natural alignment of the foot bones and muscles, aiding posture and balance. In yoga training, there is an emphasis on separating the toes in the standing postures to improve the sense of grounding and balance, and these sandals re-train the toes to do just that, while exercising the foot muscles.
Will you get a yoga workout by walking around in these sandals? No. In fact, the only thing they seem good for is getting a pedicure.
And then there are the Fit Flops.
They claimed:
Every step you take in the FitFlop helps tone and trim your legs. The FitFlop’s uniquely built multi-density midsole activates muscles midstep to help tone your thighs, your calves and your glutes. In fact, FitFlops are biomechanically engineered to absorb shock, lessen joint strain, and recreate the gait of barefoot walking – but with a powerful new built-in micro-wobbleboard workout-enhancing effect.
For years, shoe manufacturers have been promising that their shoes can make your legs look better. Promises that can only be achieved with healthy diet and exercise. If you go for a walk every day in a pair of shoes, it’s the WALKING that makes you fit, not the shoes. Don’t be fooled by their promises.
It’s a few years old, but still very helpful, here is my series on Thanksgiving. How to survive it, what to do if you “blew it” and everything else. Here is a list of links to that series:
I read this entry from Laura Dolson at About.com:
The Drs. Eades of Protein Power talk about the “honey tree†concept – that is, the idea that our hunter-gatherer ancestors, whose diet usually consisted mainly of protein and vegetables, would occasionally come upon a cache of refined carbohydrates in the form of honey. At that point, they probably had a party! But then of course would go back to their usual way of eating. Do you follow the “honey tree philosophy†of holidays?
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of the Honey Tree Concept. My biggest problem is that indulging usually sends me into a binge that lasts weeks. Of course, I’ve had many healthy Thanksgivings despite eating at my parents AND Micheal’s parents. Honestly, Thanksgiving food is very healthy. All you have to do is keep the portions in control.
Have a happy Thanksgiving and know that I am thankful for every one of you that read Starling Fitness every day. You keep me on track and I KNOW I would be in a much different place both physically and mentally if I didn’t have you.
I bought Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika because of the song Lollipop, but I was surprised today by a song a little further down the playlist. It’s called Big Girls (You Are Beautiful). It felt so nice to hear the lyrics:
No need to fantasize
Since I was in my braces
A watering hole
Where the girls are round
And curves in all the right places
I immediately added Big Girls to my workout playlist. It’s an upbeat song and it makes me happy.
You can see the video for the song here:
Braidwood over at Authentic Threads has an EXCELLENT entry about focusing on your workout:
I think it’s better to be mentally focused on working out when you work out. Doing something else to distract yourself from working out reminds me of taking vocabulary courses instead of reading books. When you do that, you are missing the experience of the activity, to get to the side effect.
Of course, It is helpful to have a good vocabulary and it will probably increase your life to exercise regularly, but it is fun to read books and it is fun to be in your body. While you are here, you might as well get the full richness of life if you can.
I’m a big fan of distracting myself while I workout. I like to play video games, surf the web, listen to music and even watch my walking DVDs while I’m on the treadmill and exercise bike. The idea of focusing on the run, which is what most long distance runners do, is foreign to me.
But Braidwood is right. It’s fun to play and use our bodies. If we HAVE to exercise, we might as well find something we like to do and focus on it. I would never think of doing something distracting while I’m playing DDR. It’s too fun to want distraction AND it’s a great workout. I should focus on that a lot more than putting in the miles on the treadmill.
Powered by WordPress
(c) 2004-2017 Starling Fitness / Michael and Laura Moncur
Buy Walking Videos