desperately seeking fitness motivation

I’m going to go out on a limb here and try to talk about something I know very little about – fitness. I’m what would be classified as “skinny fat” – thin enough to appear in shape, but out of shape enough to get out of breath after climbing a couple flights of stairs. I have zero muscle tone and my heart and respiratory system could stand to be challenged by a bit of exercise. But it’s just so hard to doooo.

what does marilyn have to do with exercise? nada

My dilemma is the same as many – I work all day long, which leaves two options for bonafide exercise time – early am, or late pm. If you know me, you know I’m not an early riser. Try as I might, I just can’t seem to get my sorry butt out of bed in the morning (the only thing that gets me up early is when I know I am going to drive some sweet cats to the vet for Kitten Rescue). And after a full day of work and a starving belly, exercise is the last thing on my mind as I come crashing through the front door with all my stuff I carry around (purse, laptop bag, sweater, coffee mug – I’m like a bag lady really).  Plopping on the couch, cooking dinner, even cleaning are all more appetizing than going for a run or heading to a – gulp – gym.

I am no dummy, I know the physical (and mental) benefits of healthful living and regular exercise. My father is a martial arts instructor, my other father hits the gym every morning at 5am on the dot, my brother cycles, swims, and runs multiple times a week, even my mid-70s grandfather goes to the fitness center each and every morning (he’s a retired Colonel, die-hard and disciplined.)  It should be in my blood!!  But alas, I am lazy.  And having a husband with a no-maintenance-required physique is not helping matters.

So what’s a girl to do? Something’s gotta give. It’s time for change. I’m concerned for my future 60 year old self, and my current 28 year old self, for that matter. I have no plans to quit my job anytime soon, so I’ve got to find a solution that works for my am-or-pm schedule. I’m thinking am. After all, I’ve always WANTED to be a morning person, I quite enjoy lazy evenings (and eating dinner at a normal hour).  Plus, for the month I did a 6:30am bootcamp back in 07, I felt fantastic all day long and reveled in the fact that I could eat enormous breakfasts everyday.

So what’s my plan of attack? I’m the type of person who likes to lump changes together – therefore I think moving into our house is a great starting point for my ~*new fitness routine*~.  Plus, we are moving to a much more run-friendly neighborhood (as opposed to the sketch-tastic Sunset Blvd and dreaded La Brea/Santa Monica corner), which should be great, considering I want to accomplish this:

• Mon-Fri: wake up early (no later than 7am) and go for a run/walk, followed by stretches.
• Supplement with yoga classes and/or hiking at least 1-2 times a week.
• Buy a bike by the end of the year and go for regular rides.

We’ll start there. Yoga is a no-brainer, easy-peasy, solution – being a neurotic nut who tends to worry herself sick (literally), I am familiar with the emotional and physical payoffs of yoga.  I even bought a great deal on Living Social this weekend – $45 fora month of unlimited yoga at Earth’s Power Yoga, a studio within walking distance of our new house. If only exercising were as easy as online shopping, right?

But running – this will be a challenge for me. I was that scrawny girl in high school who couldn’t run a quarter mile without dry-heaving (I actually joined track team in ninth grade and quit after a month, big surprise). But a couple years back, I watched my girlfriend Francesca complete the LA marathon and was mega-inspired.  I wanted to be one of those people with that kind of endurance, that kind of discipline, with those kinds of sculpted legs! So I started running around my sketchy block in the evenings. At first, I couldn’t run for more than a minute and a half without having to stop, and after a mile I was so out of breath and light headed I felt like my ears were bleeding. It was fun I tell you. But after a few weeks, I was able to run 3 miles – not in one straight shot, but I got it done eventually. I felt great. I looked great. I was in a good mood.

Then I stopped. And anyone who has quit a workout routine knows that the longer you go without it, the harder it is to start back up.

My brother, who is used to me asking him for the “secret” to fitness motivation, recently shared a quote with me from one of his Air Force bootcamp instructors. When asked why he kept running if it hurt so badly, he said “I run because it hurts.” Get it?  It’s about embracing the pain and letting that be your motivator to keep going. It only gets better from there, right?

Let’s hope so.  Anyone want to join me?

Share your own fitness motivation or tell me your secrets for tricking yourself into waking up early and/or getting your booty moving!

The Buzz Over Glamour’s Size 12 Model

Originally written for and published on SocialVibe

If you aren’t a regular reader of Glamour magazine, you may have no idea who Lizzie Miller is. Lizzie is a model, a 20 year old, 5’11″ model who weighs 180lbs. Although her size 12-14 body is right about average in terms of healthy women, you rarely see women of Lizzie’s size in magazines. That was, until Lizzy was photographed for the September issue wearing nothing but underwear, hunched over and laughing, with a little belly showing. The article accompanying the photograph was about feeling comfortable in your own skin.

The same morning the issue hit newsstands, e-mails began pouring in praising the editors for including a healthy sized model for once, and asking more and more about “the woman on p.124.” Clearly, this was an issue that resonated with their readers, many of whom probably felt that for the first time, they could relate to the women on the pages of the magazine. Shocked by the success, Glamour’s Editor-In-Chief Cindy Levy wrote a blog post giving the people what they wanted – more information about Lizzie.

“When I was young I really struggled with my body and how it looked because I didn’t understand why my friends were so effortlessly skinny,” Lizzi told Cindy. “As I got older I realized that everyone’s body is different and not everyone is skinny naturally–me included! I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn’t perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it’s not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too.”

The buzz didn’t stop there. Lizzie’s photo continued to draw attention, resulting in more than 200,000 views and countless comments in just over a week, scoring headlines across the world in publications such as Newsweek. Levy and Miller even appeared on The Today Show and chatted about the photo and its success.

All this because of a photo showing what millions upon millions of real women look like underneath.

What do you think? I’ve talked before about how airbrushed ads can be misleading. Do photos of “real”-looking models you feel more comfortable in your own skin? Do you think this positive buzz will influence editors when planning future issues?