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

I love this video of a little girl playing Wii Fit.

Wii-fit ! Woo-hoo ! from Capucha on Vimeo.

I only played Wii Fit with adults, so seeing her try over and over to get the ski jump right is surprising. It was totally different with grown-ups. They would try a couple of times, do some trouble shooting and if they couldn’t get it, just give up. Even me. I gave up on the tightrope game. I’ve made it across ONCE to say I did it, but I never worked harder to get a good time. The ski jump game was MUCH easier for me than it was for this little girl, but she just kept saying over and over, “I’ll start again.”

Next time you’re feeling discouraged about eating healthy, exercising or anything else, remember the words, “I’ll start again.” Make them your mantra and you will succeed FAR more than you ever thought you could!

Via: Capucine Plays Wii Fit Video | cute, video, wii fit | geeksugar – Technology, Gadgets, & How Tos.

This article from the University of California in San Francisco talks about a study that shows that obesity is not only caused by overeating. Serotonin ALSO creates fat tissue in the body of worms irregardless of what is eaten.

You can see the whole article here:

• ScienceDirect – Cell Metabolism : Serotonin Regulates C. elegans Fat and Feeding through Independent Molecular Mechanisms

The summary is pretty straightforward:

Obesity and thinness are not solely determined by feeding behavior. Rather, feeding behavior and fat metabolism are coordinated but independent responses of the nervous system to the perception of nutrient availability.

So, what does that mean to me? I can’t control how much weight I’m going to lose or gain because my serotonin levels are mixed up? Can that be true? Is it really out of my hands?

They don’t know yet. Since this study is so preliminary and it was done on WORMS, they really don’t know how that transfers to the human body. They DO know that low serotonin levels cause weight gain, so what are some ways to increase your serotonin levels?

• Drugs: The pharmaceutical companies are quick to promote their medications for serotonin balance. With drugs, however, are the side effects. Just a few of those side effects are: nausea, insomnia, problems with ejaculation, somnolence (prolonged drowsiness or sleepiness), increased sweating, fatigue, decreased libido, and anorgasmia (inability of a person to ever achieve an orgasm while having sexual intercourse). If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, then popping anti-depressants to lose weight is not an option.

• Alternative Therapies: 5-HTP is supposed to naturally raise your serotonin levels, but there are no proven studies of this. If it WERE approved, the FDA would be recommending it along with the non-alternative drugs. Considering the KNOWN side effects of the FDA approved drugs, I am even MORE unwilling to use something that hasn’t been fully tested.

• Sunlight: This method of raising your serotonin levels is FREE and has been shown in study after study to improve serotonin levels. Make sure you spend time outside or get a sunlamp. I use this Blue Max Desk Lamp every morning for at least thirty minutes, but sunlight is FREE. Get outside. Open your blinds and curtains. Take a walk. If you see the sun peek out from the clouds, immediately take a break outside for a few moments.

• Eat Right: The jury is still out on how to eat right for your serotonin levels. Your neurotransmitters are made from protein, so one would think that eating a lot of protein should help with serotonin. Carbohydrates also raise serotonin levels when eaten, which is part of the reason it feels so good to eat. Fats are also necessary to keep the brain functioning well. Science hasn’t issued a perfect percentage of protein, fats and carbohydrates for serotonin health, so we are left with common sense. Eating a wide variety of whole foods is going to help you A LOT more than eating highly processed foods, especially if you’re trying to raise your serotonin levels to lose weight.

• Exercise: There have been several studies showing that exercise increases serotonin production. The studies have different ideas of the kinds of exercise. Some of them say that the intensity level needs to be high for a sustained amount of time to increase production. Others say that low-level exercise EVERY day helps. Until the medical community figures out what is best, it’s probably a good idea to exercise every day and get your heart rate up.

In the end, the news that my body shape isn’t entirely a result of the food I put in my mouth is both a blessing and a curse. It feels a little bit discouraging to know that no matter how little I eat, I might still be resistant to losing weight because of my serotonin levels. It also feels a little justifying. Whenever I notice how little I eat compared to thin people, I now know that it might be because their serotonin levels are different than mine. Additionally, I can do everything in my power to make sure I get enough sunshine and healthy food to make that chemical makeup in my body better. They say that knowledge is power and I choose to believe them. Knowing what’s going on is half the battle.

Via: Eating Habits Not Sole Cause of Thinness or Obesity – US News and World Report

I like to keeps some canned veggies in the cupboard just in case I run out of healthy food to eat. Here is a quick meal that I make up when I need something REALLY low in points and need to knock off a couple of vegetables off my list.

Mexi-Beans – 4 Points – Serves 3

Ingredients

• 1 can of red kidney beans
• 1 can of green beans
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 6 tsp of olive oil (if desired)
• 3 tsp of Mexican seasoning
• 6 granules of dried chipotle (more if you like it spicy)
• 3 Glad or Ziploc bowls

Directions

• Drain the can of kidney beans
• Pour the can of kidney beans into one of the Glad bowls. Fill the bowl with water and gently rinse the beans. Drain the water and divide the beans between the three bowls.
• Drain the can of green beans. Divide the beans evenly between the three bowls.
• Open the can of tomatoes and divide between the three bowls.
• Add 1 tsp of Mexican seasoning and 2 granules of dried chipotle to each bowl. If you want to finish off your oil requirement for the day, add 2 tsp of olive oil to each bowl. You can also spice it up with Tabasco sauce, taco sauce packets from Taco Bell, etc.
• Cover the bowls and put them in the fridge.

When it’s time to eat, pull out a bowl from the fridge, crack the lid and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. This recipe makes three meals and it’s EASY!

A special thank you to Braidwood for emailing me a recipe-sharing email. It got me off my butt to write down this incredibly simple meal idea.

The other day, I received an email about my treadmill spreadsheets. You can download them here:

• Starling Fitness » Treadmill Workout Spreadsheet

Here’s the email:

Laura,

I was wondering if you can answer a question for me. Am I supposed to do each treadmill workout (The nine on excel) for a week and than move on to the next one?

Thank you for your time and work on the workouts! I’m excited to start them!

Tiffany

Tiffany,

No, they are just a variety of workouts that I created on the Excel sheets. They vary in difficulty level, so some of them might be too hard for a beginner and too easy for a long-time runner. The idea was to give you an example of HOW to use Excel to plan your run on the treadmill.

Use the Save As… feature and save a version of this workout with a different name. Play with it as much as you want to create your own workouts. Have a little fun with it without worrying about “breaking” it because you have the original saved.

If you create something fun, feel free to share it.

Thanks,
Laura Moncur
Starling Fitness

Zen Habits has a great article about what he learned about life from training for a triathlon. You can see the whole entry here:

• Six Life Lessons Learned from Triathlon Training | Zen Habits

Here is his list:

• Get started – If you are thinking about making a life change; a new job, a trip around the world, or launching a small business…don’t wait. Get started today!

• You have to do the miles (yourself) – If you are studying at university or trying to run 3 miles for the first time it’s not always easy or pleasant, but being persistent and doing homework or running when you don’t feel like it WILL payoff in the long term

• Some days it’s going to rain – actually, it might not only rain but you might get two flat tires at the same time, too. Pursuing personal goals is not always “flowery” and perfect. In fact, some days are going to downright suck.

• Take a break – If you’ve been working hard, don’t be afraid to take a break and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back or to reflect on your goals.

• When you reach a hill put your head down and take it one step at a time – Even though it is not always the solution sometimes you just have to put your head down, take what comes, and plow ahead one-step at a time.

• Find sources of inspiration – Whatever your goals, there are people out there who have overcome and triumphed in the face of adversity and have done what you would like to be doing. Seek them out when you are feeling overwhelmed.

All of these are great ideas for life, especially “You have to do the miles yourself.” You can’t sucker anyone else to do this for you and if you don’t do it, it won’t get done. Having a workout buddy, a dieting partner or a helpful spouse is great, but they can’t stop you from eating and they can’t run for you. Only you can do it.

This is HARD. I’m at one of those points where I want to eat all the time. I don’t want to exercise. Heck, I don’t even want to get out of bed every day, but I really don’t have a choice in that matter. Eating healthy has become a chore.

It’s not always like this. Sometimes it’s EASY. I can’t remember how many times I’ve written in my personal journal the following phrase:

I ate healthy again today. It was totally easy and I didn’t even have to think about it. I wish it were always like this. I wish I could bottle up this feeling so I could use it on the days when it’s hard. I need to remember days like today when I get discouraged.

The last two weeks have been hard times. Ironically, going back and reading those happy journal entries when it was easy actually made it WORSE. Sometimes I get inspired by how excited I was, but mostly, it makes me angry that it’s hard right now.

How do I get past this?

When it’s hard, it only lasts for a few days (worst case lasts a couple of weeks), so I just need to hold on until I can get past these hard times. What do I do? Here are some of the techniques for holding on that work for me.

• Eat Low Carb: Firstly, I need to get my cravings under control and the easiest way to do that is to switch to a low carb diet. Still working within the framework of Weight Watchers, I choose to eat meat, cheese and vegetables. This has been the ABSOLUTE best way to kill the urge to binge.

• Visualize My Goal: I spend some time every day thinking about what I will look like and what my life will be like when I’m at my goal weight. This is incredibly hard to do when I’m not motivated, that’s why I set an appointment with myself every morning to do this when I’m feeling down in the dumps.

• Write In My Journal: Even though my journal entries sound like pathetic moaning, I write in my journal every day. It helps me muscle past the hard times.

• Make A New Commitment: It doesn’t matter what kind of commitment I make as long as I make one that I have to keep. I usually set up one day a week to workout with a friend. It gives me something to look forward to and it keeps me accountable to exercise. You could ask someone to review your food journal at the end of every day.

• Try Something New: I think most of my bad times are caused by BOREDOM. I have been eating the same thing for a few weeks. Sure it tastes good and it is perfect for losing weight, but I get sick of it and think that I can’t follow my program. Trying some new food that is healthy is a great way to break past that boredom. The same can be said for exercise. If the thought of working out sounds horrible to you, it might be that you’re sick of your workout routine. Try something new when you are exercising and you just might find that you can hold on for another day.

Let’s just be honest. THIS IS HARD! If it were easy, everyone would look like a supermodel. What you’re doing is difficult, but there are ways to muscle through the hard times. All you have to do is hold on for a few days and it will get easier again. These things come and go in waves, so you need to ride the dips and swells the best you can.

You know we live in a strange world when a plastic surgeon gets headline news in the New York Times by discouraging cosmetic surgery.

• A Plastic Surgeon Who Sometimes Discourages Cosmetic Surgery – NYTimes.com

“Some people think liposuction and tummy tucks are alternatives to diet and exercise,” Dr. Pitman said. “They are not.”

Why is it so surprising that a doctor might suggest that plastic surgery might not be the answer? We have been lied to for so long that when a doctor FINALLY does tell the truth, it makes headline news.

Don’t let the prevailing thoughts guide you. Surgery, whether it’s cosmetic or bariatric, is not the answer.

Here is what the doctor suggests instead:

• Resistance exercises: “You will look better because your posture is better.”
• Aerobic exercise: “When you do aerobic exercise, you release endorphins,” Dr. Pitman said. “You feel better, so you look better.”
• Get More Sleep: “If you have dark circles and bags under your eyes, maybe you are not getting enough sleep.” His prescription: eight hours a night.
• Get A Makeover: Update your hairstyle, makeup or wardrobe.
• Avoid Sun Exposure: Stay out of the sun to protect the skin.

It’s all very simple advice to take. Don’t be tempted to go under the knife.

Via: Forget Cosmetic Surgery: Change Your Lifestyle Instead

I saw this t-shirt online. It reads:

Love is 100% Fat Free

I thought it was a great sentiment. I can indulge in all the love I want from friends and family and it won’t put a pound on my body. I can have all the love I want without gaining any weight.

When I clicked on the link to the site that was promoting this shirt, however, it was a pro-ana site. Pro-ana sites are websites that promote anorexia. The whole meaning of the t-shirt changed for me. It suddenly meant that I could only be loved if I were 100% fat free. It made me instantly sad.

What do you think this shirt means? Does it mean that you can indulge in as much loving affection without impacting your waistline? Does it mean that you are unworthy of love until you are fat free? I can’t think of this shirt without thinking about the latter meaning, now. They’ve ruined it for me.

I have used Absolute Fitness [iTunes Link] off and on for about four months now. Even though I’m on Weight Watchers, I like to keep track of other details of my eating and Absolute Fitness is perfect for that. Not only does it track my fat, calories and fiber, it also keeps track of my carbohydrates, protein and cholesterol (among other things). I like how easy it is to add food to my journal. It’s also easy to calculate how many calories I’ve burned during my exercise.

After testing a ton of weight loss, diet journals and other fitness apps for the iPhone, this is the only one that I was truly impressed with. The others crashed my iPhone or just didn’t have what I needed. Absolute Fitness wins hands down for ease of use and stability.

The only downside is that it costs $14.99, which is a little higher than the cost of most iPhone apps. Honestly, if you have a choice between buying Absolute Fitness or three other iPhone health and fitness apps, go with Absolute Fitness. It won’t be a sucking disappointment like those five dollar apps will be. This is one of those cases where you really do get what you pay for.

Here are some other screenshots:

I love that they have a video tutorial that shows you HOW to use the program. It is such an overlooked thing in the software industry, but a simple video included in the program can solve so many problems. After watching the video, I felt like I could do anything using Absolute Fitness. It was a great addition and made the app worth it.

You can download Absolute Fitness at the iTunes Store:

• Aqua Eagle – Absolute Fitness – iTunes Link

Via: Apple iPhone Apps: Review: Absolute Fitness

This video from Underground Wellness about five fake health foods he found at the grocery store:

These are the foods that he found that he says are NOT health foods:

• Vitamin Water: If you look on the ingredients listing, it has 13 grams of sugar per serving and there are 2.5 servings! There are 32.5 grams of sugar in this bottle. Drop the Vitamin Water and pick up some REAL water.
• Ensure: Sugar 23 grams. That means there are six teaspoons of sugar in Ensure. Soy is not a health food. Canola oil is not a health food either. Natural and artificial flavors.
• Yoplait Yogurt: It has 27 grams of sugar, which is eight teaspoons of sugar. What kills a good bacteria in your stomach? SUGAR! If you want to have yogurt, go out and buy plain yogurt and add fruit.
• Zone Bars: They use soy protein and he says that soy is not a health food.
• Slim Fast Bars: The number one ingredients is corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils.

Here are the two websites that he mentioned in the video:

• Mercola: The Evidence Against Soy

• The Great Con-ola

On the whole, the idea that your body can’t process soy protein or canola oil isn’t something I know enough about to agree or disagree with. Whether those foods he chose are health foods or not is EASY. He’s right, all of those foods are things that are best to avoid. Drink water from the tap. Eat plain yogurt and add your own fruit to make it tasty. Make your own smoothie with real milk and fruit. Pack a snack bag full of grains and dried fruit rather than depend on weight loss bars. Real food ALWAYS trumps manufactured food for health.