Blog Posts by Carla Birnberg

I was shopping with my five year old when she became transfixed by a Ken doll.

Mama!! Look! She shrieked. It's super cool! It's a talking Ken guy!!

Her reaction surprised me as she's a hardcore Barbie-girl (to my chagrin) & rarely interested in Barbie's male counterpart.

That day, however, she was definitely intrigued.

She grinned from ear to ear and cradled the doll pictured above while he announced repeatedly: You are a pretty princess, HerNameHere! in an odd, robotic, I-guess-that's-how-Ken-sounds voice.

I laughed (it was sort of funny & Im easy like that) & then I examined the box in her hand.

As a feminist raised on a steady diet of Free To Be You & Me I was horrified.

Barbie dolls are injurious enough to our girls' self-esteem, but a "sweet talking" male they're supposed to long to own so he can SWEET TALK THEM (!)--I lost my mother-mind.

I fired off angry missives.

I ranted *at* my poor husband and anyone else who would listen.

I

Read More »from Sweet Talking or Smarmy Ken?

2010-10-22 08.20.11

(Yes that's my leg. Ankle to hip. Much to my mother's chagrin it is NOT a Halloween costume.)

6 things I learned about fitness & healthy living from the illustrious Theodore Geisel:

• Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? What I learned: Forget motivation! If we are physically capable of working out we are lucky. No matter how much we wanna whine or lament or moan about how bad we have it the simple fact we are ABLE to exercise makes us one of the lucky ones. This MizFit says: MOJO? SCHMOJO.

• And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street. What I learned: Use your imagination. A lot. Liberally. Things are never as impossible or challenging as they may seem (or even as boring as they may initially appear). Get creative. Choose to see life through the lens of WHERE CAN I SHOVE FITNESS INTO MY DAY? This book debunks the no time whine (creativity) & also reminds us never to listen to those who may scoff at our nontraditional methods (PLAYOUTS not "workouts" anyone?)

Read More »from User Post: 6 things Dr.Seuss taught me about fitness & healthy living

Ever since my before & after was part of Yahoo!'s Real Weight-Loss Stories I've been inundated with emails.

As I'd anticipated lots of people wrote seeking advice with regards to their personal transformation goals.

To my surprise, however, a vast number of the messages addressed an entirely different issue.

Many men and women reached out to thank me for helping them feel better or encouraged (their words) about their own weight-loss stories.

Emails such as this one from Renee**:

I was overjoyed to see your weight-loss story profiled on Yahoo! I, too, only had a little weight to lose (25 pounds) and have kept my weight off for five years. When friends talk about losing weight and I chime in with my experience they brush me off. It seems in this Biggest Loser era weight-loss is no longer impressive if it isn't a hundred pounds or more.

Or this message on Facebook from John**:

I saw your story on Yahoo! this morning and can relate to everything

Read More »from User Post: What if you're NOT the biggest loser?

This video is too long if you listen to the experts which we all know I do not.

This video stars a hilarious new blogger (new to me-not to blogging) whom I met at recently.

This video was filmed in a rather LOUD hallway but we persevered.

And, in a serious vein, this longasslaughingattimes video is chock full of tips regarding arm workouts on the go.

Please to watch.

Please to learn that there's no excuse to skip a workout.

Please to enjoy.

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Carla Birnberg, MizFit, blogs daily at MizFitOnline.com

Additional workout videos can be found here.
Read More »from The Kelly Ripa Arms Project.

Summertime all child-focused? Im here to help.

No gym membership? NO PROBLEM.

No TIME? No more excuses.

Join me as I workout at the playground while my tornado of a daughter wreaks her own brand of havoc around me.

Afraid Ive skipped a muscle group or two?

Fear no more.

Exercise is a family affair at Casa MizFit.

Please to enjoy the Husband as he demonstrates how to exercise the chest & back muscles whilst simultaneously paying loving attention to his TornadoDaughter.

and YES.

YES this was really our workout for the day.

YES it was more fun than any exercise "routine" has a right to be (hence the reason we call them PLAYouts around here).

YES. It is all about practicing what we preach.

As a result there's never a need to preach (about exercise anyway) to our daughter at all.



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Carla Birnberg, MizFit, blogs daily at MizFitOnline.com

Read More »from Summertime OUTDOOR Workouts: Easy, Fun & Fast

Whether you decided to join the Woman Challenge or not----TODAY is a very important day.

Today, May 11, is National Women's Check-up Day.

It's the day to set aside all of our irrational fears ("what if there's something wrong? I'd rather not know!" "what if my doctor looks at me and thinks: Good G-d has she *gained* weight since last visit?") and love ourselves enough to take care of the only body we have.

It's the day set aside for us to focus on SPEAKING UP and being heard.

It's the day to take the time and make a list of all the questions we wanna ask our health care practitioners so we don't forget anything in that hurryinandhurryout 15 minutes we have their attention.

Heck, print out this checklist for health if you want (I did), grab a hi-lighter & have at it!

Mark the things you have questions about.

Mark the tests you wanna ask about.

Mark the screenings you've been remiss in getting.

Use this interactive health screening tool if you dont

Read More »from User Post: National Women's Check-Up Day is today!

Even prior to becoming a mom, I was a woman obsessed with having first aid kits always at the ready.

I'm not one to go from headache to brain tumor (much anyway), but I'll admit to seeing accidents everywhere.

Kitchen first aid kit? Check (knives, scissors,can openers, bottle openers, burns---the list is endless).

Bathroom first aid kit? Check (medications, razors, slip&fall, yada yada yada).

Car first aid kit? Check (I'll spare you a list here. Just take my word for the fact the possible accident-configurations are endless).

Diaper bag first aid kit? CheckCheckCheck (Please to see all the above potential catastrophes & multiply by the sheer number of places I go).

As a result, it surprised me that it took almost40years (only 60 shopping days left, People!) for me to realize that I'd left the most important first aid kit of all undone: my personal first aid kit.

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Carla Birnberg, MizFit, blogs daily at

Read More »from User Post: Personal First Aid Kits: Self-preservation in a pimp hat

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Carla Birnberg, MizFit, blogs daily at MizFitOnline.com