Love Your Body

October 15th is Love Your Body Day, as declared by NOW. I’m not much of a rah-rah-rah, go sister, out-loud kind of feminist, though I do appreciate that those kinds of feminists exist. I’m much more of a leave-me-alone-so-I-can-live-my-life kind of person in general, and that’s the kind of feminism I attempt to embody as well. I do a little letter writing thing when something major comes up. I keep informed, etc. But rarely am I ever preachy-preachy. (Hmm, I just noticed that you can substitute the word “vegan” for “feminist” above, and that pretty much says volumes about how I think of myself. Anyway…)

This, however, is a particularly important issue in my mind. I think “love your body” is a bit of a frou-frou type phrase that makes the cynical, easily annoyed part of my, well, annoyed. But, the message is a good one. Too many times every day do I hear people, mostly women, go on and on about diets, the need to lose a certain number of pounds, how they hate how their pants look, etc. Yes, I’ve done that before, too, so no free pass for me on this one. But the way these kinds of things dominate conversation between women is disturbing. I think it sort of congealed in my mind when someone close to me said, “I’d rather be thin than healthy.” She’s much healthier now, but it was a tough time for a while.

To celebrate the love your body theme, here are some links:

• (video) Tri Delta Sorority presents Fat Talk Free Week
• (book) Linda Bacon’s Health at Every Size
  
• One of my favorite body positive blogs (and one of my favorite blogs in general), Shapely Prose
• For fans of the performing arts, there’s Big Moves, representing all sizes
• (video) And we musn’t forget, the wonderful Joy Nash: Fat Rant, Fat Rant 2, Fat Rant 3

Enjoy!

The Quest for Pants

It’s an epic tale. Most women are familiar with it. Pants. One needs them. But dreads shopping for them.

How is it that I can be a size 10, 12, and 14 all in the same day?

Why can’t they be sold according to measurements? I mean really. Waist, hip, length. How difficult is that?

I didn’t come home empty handed, however. Though it was pretty gruesome near the end when I couldn’t find a pair of jeans that neither came up to my boobs nor failed to cover my arse. I wanted jeans. The kind made of denim (with no space-age stretchiness). I thought Levi’s would be pretty reliable, but no. And I detest shopping through a display of stacked jeans in cubby holes. There are far too many variables (size, fit, waist height, darkness of wash, etc.) to be able to rummage successfully through those piles without spazzing out.

After several stores, and only a few tears, I finally ended up with a pair that were only slightly stretchy (so I’ll forgive them that), fit ok in the waist (still a bit too baggy in the back), mostly contains my ample rear and thighs of steel (though they may be a bit too tight, at least nothing’s hanging out), weren’t too short… so, they’re okay. Not exactly what I was looking for, but they’ll do for now.

I also managed to score a few other pairs of pants for work, which is good. A pair of way-too-stretchy “denim” capris (I hate to actually use the word, when I think they’re mostly spandex or whatever), a dressier pair of capris, and a couple of pairs of trousers (one fairly casual, and another more dressy). And I got a few tops to get me through the rest of the warm weather, but are fall-ish in fabric and colors.

All in all, not a bad day out, considering I shop only twice a year. Oh, and I finally found a purse I like. I popped in to Claire’s (ugh, I know) to try to find sunglasses (I lost my only pair in Colorado), but found this brown corduroy and plaid and tweed deal. It’s big enough to hold my lunch, dinner, planner, and other purse essentials, but isn’t huge, and isn’t that lame tote bag I’ve been using all year. So, yeah. A good day out. I feel a bit dirty having spent money on clothes, but I was looking a bit shabby, so I’ll try to not feel too guilty over it.

I did resist buying these, though, which was a bit difficult.

Hopefully, the next time you see me, I won’t be ungracefully hitching up my pants.

“Wake me up when September…” oh, it’s over.

And so, a list of things I did in September:

• Started school– It took me a while to get into the groove, but I think I’ve got a good routine going. I’ve just got to get over this whole procrastinating during the weekends thing.
• Went to my first Red Sox game– We lost (duh) but I got wicked drunk and had a fantastic time! Woke up with some really disturbing bruises.
• Fun with apples– Apple/Peach festival, apple picking, eating more apples than should be allowed. Apples, apples, apples!
• Roller Derby– TWICE! Super fun times. Though, I’ve been called a “Southie Rat” I don’t think there’s anything wrong with drinking beers, cheering, and doing the “clap-clap, clap-clap-clap” thing. Oh, and I can’t wait for Olivia to have her baby. She’s going to be one rokkin kid.
• Started my internship– I’m at the Concord Free Public Library, and it looks like my project will be pretty straightforward, but with some interesting challenges. I think I’ll enjoy my time there and learn a lot. I picked up some brochures from the Concord Visitors’ Center and will explore the town.
• Life is Good Productions— getting ready for Creative Sugar (November 4th), working on songs, DJeT is in the play, making time for the website, etc.
• Joined Netflix– Watched “Walk the Line” and have been singing Johnny Cash songs for a week. Next up is “Akeelah and the Bee.” I won the (I think) 6th grade spelling bee with “onomatopoeia.”
• Went to Boston’s Knit Out! (and Crochet, too)– I competed in the fastest knitter competition and lost, taught DJeT to knit (he’s getting really good, and wants to make stuff!), said high to Peta (from GSLIS SNB) at her Yarn Safaris booth. I also need some light up knitting needles.
• Started working out again– Even though I swear at her and curse her perkiness, I’m doing “Turbo Jam” regularly. Four days a week is about all I can manage with my schedule. I find that I do better when I have a million other things to think about. It’s not THE thing I’m doing, but one of many, so it’s easier to fit in, if that makes any sense. It’s just part of my routine now.

Happy ROCKTOBER! Today is the first day of Halloween, and I have begun writing a song: “On the first day of Halloween, my true love gave to me: A spider in a spooky ol’ tree.” Stay tuned for more hauntingly fun lyrics. Mayhap I’ll perform it at the BlogSEA spooktacular at the end of the month. DJeT’s birthday is Friday. He didn’t want anything big planned, so we’re just going to do dinner next weekend. I think I’ll convince him that he deserves Grasshopper. Still haven’t gotten him a gift, yet. I’ll get on that. I’m loving the weather, even today with its rain. I love it when I’m not sweating.
If I don’t pop in for a while, it’s because I’m up to my nose in school work. Slip me some halloween candy, and I might poke my head out for a visit.

100 days and pants

I don’t know if any of you noticed, but whenever I talk about fitness and health and what not, I tag the entry with “pants.” I thought it’d be funnier than just writing “fitness.” Though, “my big ol’ badonkadonk” is probably the funniest, I think “pants” says enough.

I’m also doing my “100 Days” thing again.^* I’m combining it with the beginning running program from Runner’s World. So, for 100 days I’m working on running. The beginning is just run/walk for 30 minutes, but gradually, I’ll be running for 30 minutes in a row. I got new shoes, and am feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Jesse is doing it with me, and we’ve completed 10 days so far. Not bad for a couple of slackers.

^*I do a certain thing for 100 days in a row. If I miss a day, I start counting from the beginning again. It’s tricky, and I’ve never actually completed 100 days of anything, but I’ve made it to 77 before.

Work and play

According to this calorie calculator (click on Activity Calculator), I can burn ~170 calories playing the accordion for one hour. Pretty neat, eh?

Not a total couch potato

I didn’t get the Harvard job, but I’m not giving up. I’d really like to have a job by the time school starts, so I don’t have to worry about it during the semester, and can just focus on school work.

I’m stuck in the summertime funk, though. I hate being too hot. I can’t do anything around the house without breaking a sweat. I hate sweating when I’m not even doing anything strenuous. Working out and sweating? Fine. Eating breakfast cereal and sweating? Not. Fine.

Finally got around to seeing Bend it Like Beckham. Cute movie! It was one of those that I’d wanted to see for ages, and only just now got around to seeing. We also rented Layer Cake (British ganstahs and drug dealer movie), but haven’t got ’round to seeing it. Soon, though.

Hopefully some freecycle people will be picking up some stuff we have around, and the entry way won’t be full of empty bookshelves and what not.

Been working out sporadically. When I’m consistent, I feel great, but when I skip a couple of days it takes all my motivation away. I’m not expanding so I’m happy about that. Still feel wicked out of shape, though. My motivation is a tricky beast.

So many things are connected. For example: If I make my bed right away, the workout gets done early. If not, then it gets too hot for me to want to do it. If my kitchen is clean, then I’ll eat healthy food. If not, then I eat junk, and feel gross, and not clean up. And so it goes.

I started playing with the hand weights during the World Cup matches, so at least I’m not being a total couch potato.

Activate!

Right. So, I’ll just get right to the point:

I am rediculously out of shape. I played a game of frisbee on Sunday. Now my ass hurts. How does that even work? It is difficult to walk and get up from a sitting position. This does not bode well.

I have therefore started working out again. I used to do workout videos all the time. I stopped three years ago when we moved into this house. I didn’t stop because we moved, it just happened to be around that time when I stopped. For no real reason, I think. Settling into the house did not include settling back into my routine, which at the time, included workout videos five or six days per week. Craziness. Super buff to super not.

I’m back doing the videos again. They’re kicking my ass, so that a game of frisbee won’t. I know that the videos are pretty much the only thing I’ll do to keep in shape. Once I’m strong enough, I plan on running again, since I also like that quite a lot. We’ll see.

I hate workout video music, though. It’s mostly techno musak of songs I hate, or else it’s just bad dance music in general. Lame. I tend to enjoy the routines, though, so I can get through the workout. Except now I have that “Larger Than Life” song stuck in my head. I don’t know who does it. Is it NSYNC? Backstreet Boys? I can’t remember, but I know you know the song I’m talking about. It’s stuck in my head. For real.

Other than that, there’s no real draw backs. I know I do fine with early AM workouts, but don’t do so well with evening ones. When I get a job, I’ll have to work out a schedule and stick to it, because once I sit down in the evenings, I don’t usually get back up until it’s time for bed.

There are 69 days left before my vacation. I plan on being in shape enough to hike and run and jump and play and all that good stuff. And as an added bonus, maybe I can fit properly into my pants again, instead of billowing over the top of them. I don’t have money for new ones, so this will have to work.

my pants don’t fit!

Yes, that’s right. I only have one pair of pants suitable for wear during the colder months. One pair of jeans, that’s it. The other pants I had hoped to wear again this year, are too small. Somehow, I’ve gained 15 pounds. FIFTEEN freaking pounds! In six months. This is a bit much. And it’s not in the normal places that I gain weight, but instead right around the middle. All of a sudden when I sit down I have to adjust my pants to accomodate for this entity that was never there before. I wouldn’t mind putting on the pounds if I didn’t have to go buy a whole new wardrobe!!! I haven’t any money!

Apparently, when you sit on your bum and knit all day, and do the occasional sewing or maybe even sweeping the floor or doing the washing up, and all you do for activity outside is go out to feed the cats, you gain weight. This comes as a complete shock to me. I haven’t grown accustomed to this new routine of not having a routine. You mean I have to motivate myself??? What is this nonsense?

So, yeah, I’m freaking out because I can’t fit into my baggy pants from last winter, and there’s no way (if I stay like this) I’ll be able to fit into the dress I have to wear for Heather’s wedding. It’s time to bust out the tough girl, and kick my butt into shape. I was doing so well last spring and then school got tough, and then there was the move… and now I’m just lazy. Ok, I’ve said it. I’m lazy… but I’m trying to give myself a pep talk and get moving again.

rant over.

Replies: 2 comments… woo hoo!

joelle you r sooo not lazy
you r the biggest ball of energy i know.
plus you are skinny
let the actual fat people complain about our weight
you just go have some more tofu and shush

Posted by chad @ 11/19/2003 12:35 PM EST