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This is Carla Birnberg, one of the incredibly together women I’ve met in doing this blog and trying to get the word out about the book.

A few months back, I did a podcast with her and her friend Shauna (they comprise Two Fit Chicks). It was over the phone–Carla is in Austin and Shauna is in Scotland–but was so taken by their BREATHTAKINGLY SANE attitude about fitness and body image and just plain enjoying your life without making yourself crazy that I sat there nodding like a bobble head, as if anyone could see me, and breathing “yeah!” into the phone. Do yourself a favor and check them out, as well as Carla’s blog, Mizfitonline.com.

In any case, Carla says in her video that she didn’t consider herself a Formerly–she is her best self now, at 41, and doesn’t think of herself as Formerly anything. I can understand that. I, too, feel I’m my best self at 43, although I do get a kick out of sifting through the past, what I’ve learned and that which I am no longer. It’s all what you choose to do with your allotted 24 daily hours. Carla, obviously, uses more of that time for bicep curls than I do, while I prefer gazing at my navel. When I can find it within the folds of my mom belly.

Whatevs. Carla is a “Finally,” which it turns out you can be without considering yourself a “Formerly.” Labels only matter if they’re meaningful, and “Finally” works for me.

The best part about promoting the book is the cool people I get to meet, at least electronically. Carla and Shauna are two of my favorites.

Their attitude toward getting and staying healthy fits right in with the Formerly Hot ethos, which is that there’s no single “right” answer–whatever works for you in getting and staying fit (and doesn’t cause anyone else hideous pain) is your right answer. Experts are great for information, but after you digest what they have to say, filter it through the Formerly wisdom that you’ve gained over time, and you’ll be where you should be.

In my case, where I should be turns out to be a couple of sizes bigger than where I thought I should be all these years, but I look good and feel good, so I’m done thinking too much about it. Except when I’m thinking about it. But I really try not to. What’s the point?

ANYway, here’s the podcast. I’m about 5 minutes in, and please excuse all my ums and you knows.

I haven’t seen the movie (yet), but this bit in the New York Times (thumbs down) review of Sex and the City II had a bit that jumped out at me:

“If they seem less wonderful now, it isn’t because of slackened effort or diminished charm on the part of the actresses who play them. It is that the movie itself, and perhaps the culture it stands in for, has lost interest and can’t figure out what to do with them as they tiptoe toward middle age. “

Well, yes and no. I agree that the culture “can’t figure out what to do with” us women as we “tiptoe” toward middle age, although I’m not tiptoeing so much as lurching clumsily in my brand new platform espadrilles while trying not to trip over the Razor scooters and American Girl dolls left in my path. (more…)