Social Workout

It's been a long time but I need you, New Yoikers!

Hello all,

I have been an extremely un-model pregnant Social Workouter and basically gave up exercise as soon as I got up the duff. Very lame. I hope you are all as splendiferous as ever. I look forward to joining you all again properly in the new year. Hey ho, here we are, 6 months pregnant and all going well so far. However, I have a problem!

Elixirs

A love Letter to Dairy from a Sometimes Vegan Girl

I've been in an on-again-off-again relationship with dairy since 1992. The big break up first happened in high school. There was a kindred soul boyfriend in the picture then, and together we worried about the planet and our affect on it. We read Diet for a New America by John Robbins, and from there Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple by Michael Klaper, M.D. We were not into factory farming — who is? — and soon we dumped dairy, and delved deeply into nuts and seeds.

It's been an awesome journey. I've grown, morphed, and pulsed through various diets and lifestyles, and I'm still learning everyday. Success, I feel, is when I listen to my body's fluctuations and respond accordingly — putting dogma and philosophy aside and consuming high quality foods that are produced with integrity.

Re-enter milk....

Celebrity Fitness

Bill Goes Vegan For Chelsea

At Chelsea Clinton's big fat vegan wedding last weekend, a few concessions were made to meat eaters, namely some grass fed organic beef on the menu. Bill was all over that, right? Apparently, not so much. Who knows how long it will last, but People reports that, at Chelsea's prompting, Bill nixed all meat and dairy and lost twenty pounds before the wedding. (via MindBodyGreen)

Celebrity Fitness

Mike Tyson Became a Vegan and Lost 130 Pounds

"I became a vegan... I wanted a different life. I felt like I was dying. I had an incident in life where I lost my 4 year old daughter in a tragic accident at home. I don't know. I didn't want to live anymore. So I said, that in order to go there, I had to change my life. I am going to change everything I dislike about myself. I changed everything that I was as a human being. I started that journey in October or November. … I don't smoke anymore. I wanted to give up everything. I had to change my life. I didn't have a problem with drugs or nothing. I had a problem with thinking. My thinking was broken. That was the solution of my broken thinking using drugs and living crazy."

— Mike Tyson, talking with ESPN Radio about losing 130 pounds and changing his life. (via MindBodyGreen)

Big Fat Vegan Weddings

Chelsea's Vegan, Gluten Free Wedding Feast

When the Arkansas Clintons marry off their only daughter, you might have expected a grill fest, i.e. plenty of beer, ribs, chicken, steak, potatoes, slaw. Not! Turns out Chelsea is a committed vegan, and the veggie blogs are all abuzz about the wedding menu, (leaked by unknown sous chef hidden in the bushes at the Astor Estate in Rhinebeck). "The food will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes, but there will also be grass-fed organic beef on the menu.” Nice! Perhaps the Obamas will bring some kale from the White House garden? According to the Vegetarian Star, Chelsea went vegan during the second Clinton administration, and even took cooking classes from the White House chefs while still in residence.

Practical Eating

What Does a Vegan Ultramarathoner Eat for Dinner?

Scott Jurek runs like thirty miles a day, on an easy day. Cause that's what you do when you're a world-class ultramarathoner training for 150+mile races. To keep up with that kind of training regimen, he needs to eat between 5,000 and 8,000 calories a day. But here's the catch: He's a dedicated vegan who has to get all those calories without any meat or dairy. How exactly do you eat that many vegan calories without resorting to dozens of donuts? The New York Times gives the rundown on his daily diet:

Snapshot

Maya's Yoga Pants Make Her Butt Look Like It's Propped Up On A Platter

Every day, we give you a snapshot of one fellow striver in fitness. We ask personal questions, he or she boldly answers. Today's snapshot: Maya, aka maya622.

• What's your number one workout spot? It's a tie between CorePower Yoga and David Barton Chicago. 
• What's your secret (fitness-related) sin? This is kinda gross. I hate washing my clothes after every workout. It seems like such a waste, so I hang my yogitoes towel, sweaty pants and sports bra and try to get two-three wears between washes. Sometimes I have no right doing this, and my boyfriend is always quick to let me know that I'm foul. 

GO Feral Challengers, GO (and an awesome smoothie recipe)!

I snoozed on joining the Feral Challenge and now I really wish I had! I'm loving everyone's feralicious posts (in addition to the usual awesome Social Workout staffer posts), so KEEP IT UP!

Other Places

Snapshot

Shayne Worships at Jillian Michaels' Tiny Muscular Feet

Every day, we give you a snapshot of one fellow striver in fitness. We ask personal questions, he or she boldly answers. Today's snapshot: Shayne, aka shaynet. 

• What's your number one workout spot? When it's nice out, outside! My favorite thing to do is explore a city by running it. I don't think I'll ever give up my gym membership though, because I also really appreciate a good treadmill run, and I'm into gym culture. I'm moving back to New York in May and need an awesome gym, so send your suggestions my way! 
• What's the healthiest thing you eat? I'm vegan, but that definitely doesn't mean everything I eat is healthy. I do start every day off with a huge bowl of oats with almond butter, though, and lately my snacks have been mostly raw nuts and prunes. (I swear I'm not 70.) 

Workout

Vegan can be treason

Today was the sorest I’ve been in a year. Just couldn’t shake it off. I bailed on my plan to do weights and was going to scratch off any workout at all. Just sit on my ass in front of the 'puter and read up on yoga. Luckily a friend called me up for dinner. After a long hot shower with some stretching, I was on the bike and riding over the Williamsburg Bridge again.