Social Workout

Words of Wisdom

Marie Claire Blogger Teases the Fat Kids

New York fashion mag bloggers are SO over the whole fat acceptance movement. Take Marie Claire blogger, Maura Kelly, for example. In a recent post, Kelly pontificates on the new CBS show, "Mike & Molly,"  a sitcom wherein two heavy-set lead characters manage to find love. Adventures in dating and dieting ensue, and great laughs and "aww" moments are had by all. All, that is, except for Maura Kelly, who gets queazy at the mere thought of the whole thing: 

I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair.

She goes on to qualify her opinion by stating that some of her best friends are lardasses she's "not some size-ist jerk."

Online & Video

Adventures in Blogland

129 Days of Eating School Lunches and Losing Her Mind

Move over Supersize Me, here comes Fed Up With Lunch, a blog by an anonymous school teacher somewhere in the midwest who has set out to "eat like the kids every day in 2010." On Friday, she made it to Lunch 129, featuring styrofoam-encased wieners and fries, and has minor breakdown. "Today at lunch I just stared out my window and cried. I ended up having to make a quick call to my mother. How grown-up of me...." This just goes to show, school is a drama-filled place regardless of the age its inhabitants.  Also plastic covered wieners would make me cry too.

Tips

Adding Gum to Your Smoothie

Department of smoothie intel: Smoothie Girl Eats Too covers an important scientific mystery today, i.e. how to thicken a smoothie using guar gum and xanthan gum. Huh? Yep, check it:

...the gums are natural carbohydrates and they do have calories: 20 per 7 g of Guar and 30 per 9g of Xanthan. They impart no flavor to smoothies, but make the shakes thicker and creamier. They prevent ice crystals from forming and therefore make very thick and luscious smoothies and ice creams.

I had absolutely no idea, but apparently these gums are available at a health food store near you. And here's another tip: The new way to ingest your smoothie is via bowl. There's even an acronym for this phenomenon: SIAB (Smoothie in a Bowl). Consider yourself in the know.

Online & Video

Reviews

BodyMedia, Me and the Surprisingly Friendly Calorie Matrix

I am a calorie-tracking god. Physical exertion and side dishes alike reveal themselves to me in a silent stream of numbers. Think Neo in the Matrix. What is the source of my power? The nice people at BodyMedia sent me a magical arm band device that tracks everything but my shoe size: my caloric output, steps taken, sleep efficiency, and activity level. Move over Fitbit. 

I’ve been wearing this jobby for about a month, and I’m addicted. Yes, people ask me if there is something wrong with me. They see the monitor and assume I have an ailment. It has been suggested that I wear it on my ankle, but then I’m pretty sure people will assume I’m Lindsay Lohan. 

Once a day I reluctantly take the armband off and plug it into my computer where the data it loads my data onto the BodyMedia website. (The site also allows you to log food intake, so you can balance your calorie budget.) Full disclosure, I have yet to reach the 2,685 caloric output goal the system sets for me, but I have been amazed by how many calories I burn by just existing. Who knew? In fact, the most striking feature of the whole techno getup is that it has made me MORE mellow about my exercise and food, and not turned me into a raving calorie-counting stress case. Based on the data, (accurate to 90%), I can eat a whole lot more and still be within a "losing zone." Love that. Other important things I have learned: 

Online & Video

Celebrity Fitness

Sara Rue's Half Marathon Hurts My Lady Parts

I tweet, I admit it, but you know what I don't tweet about? My underpants. I personally prefer to keep the public underpants updates to a minimum. You know who doesn't? Sara Rue, Jenny Craig Spokesperson du jour. Yes, I am now imagining Sara Rue's vagina, and it's not my fault, she totally brought it up.

Her new skinny self ran a half-marathon over the weekend, along with her personal trainer. After the race she tweeted about having forgotten her undies at home, and how running commando is the only way to go.

Los Angeles

Home Workouts

Exercise DVDs for Sick Day Couch-Fusion Relief

Contrary to what your mom tells you when you call to whine, you can still exercise when you're sick. The general rule of thumb is this: If it's above the neck, and you don't have a fever, rock out with your fitness loving self. If you have a fever, and well anything involving the rest of your body, chill out, take a nap, and watch 9,000 Law & Order episodes. Having said that, there are some general rules of sicksercise ettiquette, like skipping the gym. The gym is a confined space with bad circulation, and spreading disease is just so rude. Let's be civilized, shall we. So basically, sick time is exercise video time. If ever there was a day to get down with Denise Austin, it's when your nose is rocking a crimson hue.

Without further ado, I present a whole bunch of lovely, lowish impact workouts that will keep you from fusing with your couch this cold season: 

Online & Video

DVD Reviews

A Hip Hop Home Workout To Make You Cooler

No longer will I scour the profiles of the men of New York on OkCupid during those long lonely nights; I have found a remedy to my loserdom, and it comes in the form of an exercise DVD. Hmm, that sounds a little creepy lame but I assure you I am a total badass now, thanks to Dance Off the Inches: Cardio Hip Hop. I would even go so far as to say that this is the most fun I have ever had doing an exercise DVD in my history of doing exercise DVDs.  I know, that's a big statement, that's what I'm trying to tell you—this one is awesome.

Online & Video

Overheard

Spin Class Pregnancy Confusion

The scene: Friday afternoon spin class. The players: Spin Instructor; Whackadoo

Instructor: Is anyone new, injured, or pregnant?
Whackadoo (sitting front and center in gray cotton biker shorts and a sports bra): I'm new.

Instructor gets off bike and proceeds to adjust Whackadoo's bike for her and tell her about hand positioning.  A few minutes pass and class begins warm-up.

Instructor: Increase resistance to moderate, this will feel like your bike as a kid before you had gears.
Whackadoo: What if I'm pregnant?
Instructor: Are you pregnant?
Whackadoo: I don't know.

New York

Experimental Fitness

Rediscovering Punk Rope

A few years ago a friend and I ventured to Tim Haft's Punk Rope class. The class had been described to me via email as "recess for adults." So I figured this was going to be no big deal. My next memory, when blood started rushing back to my brain, was that I was practically hyperventilating and about to vomit. I don't remember recess being that hard. Great workout, super fun, but for the most part I like to stay away from things that make me want to keel over in a room full of strangers. So how did I find myself back in Punk Rope again last night? 

New York

Workout Wear

It's Seasonal Gear Shift Time

Happy first day of Fall. Now that summer is over and done with it's time to go shopping. Well, for me to go shopping. Truth be told up until recently all of my exercise happened within the confines of the gym. I like it there, everything is organized and climate controlled...and I can wear the same black yoga capris and t-shirts to workout all year round. I've never had to amp up my fitness wardrobe for a change in climate before. But thanks to a newfound love of the outdoors I'm left with a dilemma...what the f@#k do I wear now? Lucky for me, and you, I did some research.

Other Places