I Put the Special in Special K

I've always been a cereal for breakfast kind of girl. When I stagger out of bed in the morning hungry and in need of caffeine, I don't want complicated food. My cereal preferences have changed over time, but for the last few years I've been into Special K with Protein. Recently, my boxes have come with an ad for a free subscription to Shape Magazine if I entered five codes. Alas, I only had four codes on hand. So, I called my sister and asked for her codes. When I told her why I wanted them she asked

"Why do you want a subscription to a magazine that makes you feel bad about yourself?"

That's a good question.

I agree with my sister's assessment of Shape Magazine. I flip through it and I feel like an athletic failure. It's not that I'm out of shape, or one mini-Snickers away from qualifying for The Biggest Loser. I work out about 5 days a week and try and watch what I eat. However, even when I was at the height of my physical fitness, back when I was 23, worked out an hour or more a day and had the metabolism of a twenty-something, I never looked like any of the women in Shape.

So, why am I getting this magazine?

I'd like to say it's because I want to be inspired to lose some lingering baby weight, or because I need some new exercise moves or another healthy recipe. However, the real answer is a little more simple.

I want the subscription because it's free.

That's just how I roll.