XGym – 6:45am Saturday morning. Am I insane? Apparently not. It seems there is a good chunk of the population that partakes in this thing called exercise and most of them do it in the early morning while I’m usually curled up with my cat in bed. I tried to convince myself that they were the abnormal ones, but this is quickly proving to be wrong.
I’ve complained time and time again about how magazines and movies don’t depict “real” women with “real” bodies, but at what point did I start believing that a real woman was someone who ate whatever she felt like eating and sat around on her butt watching TV or playing on the computer all day every day? And let me say this applies to men as well. So I’m not saying that we should all look like Nicole Kidman with her flat chest and stomach and her stick legs. I’m just saying that I can’t try and use my claim that a real woman is an out of shape chunky girl when really what I should say is that a real woman is whatever her body can be when it’s healthy. Sometimes curvy, sometimes not, sometimes short, sometimes tall, sometimes thick, sometimes waifish. It’s all about body type. But I am using my blog to confess right now that trying to justify my laziness and poor health by saying I am built like a real woman is bullshit.
With that said, I have started with a personal trainer (because I am still too lazy to get myself to go to the gym without an appointment) and I am going to work at eating better (but not a diet, just realistic portions and foods, moderation baby). No more cappuccinno breakfasts. I’ll still have my cappuccino at some point, but I have to eat something first, maybe with a little protein. So nothing insanely drastic that will ultimately fail or make me rebound when the “diet’s” over. Just a slight life change and little more activity. And THEN whatever body I have when I feel like I’m able to hike without hyperventilating, will be what I consider one example of a real woman’s body. 🙂 What do you think about that?
I tip my bonnet to you, Frau Toft! I’ve found for me the regular exercise is easier to pull off than eating right, but to each thier own.. If you ever get seriously interested in doing weight watchers, give me a buzz and I’ll break down the 411 on it for you.. keep us all posted on your progress, yo….
and didn’t you have a date or something? If so, spill the gory details!
I was so impressed to hear you leave so early this morning for your workout. (while I rolled over in bed and slept for another two hours).
Grab me anytime you want to go for a walk. I ‘ve also turned into the same person you described…lazy cappuccino drinking person.
Get me out of this phase too!!
Ok Marie, you Nicole-Kidman-stick-leg-waif body type! We are just amazed that you are up already on a Saturday reading Katie’s blog. (Katie, who is sitting across from me supplying MY morning breakfast – Iced Hazelnut Mocha….Thank You Katie!)
Having been a fit Army pilot who used work out at 6am every morning and did multiple outdoor activities on the weekend (both recreational AND work related), I now feel like a lazy slacker. I guess it is a good thing that my new co-workers in Orange County plan on making me work out with them every day. (Oh the pain of the first few day as I try to wake my body back up!)
As many of us know, you reach that point where you say to yourself “something has to change!” Is this that point for you? If so, I’ve found that drastic change works best. I tried small, incremental change many times, and it just didn’t work. It was too easy to drop the small things, too easy to cheat. But a complete lifestyle change–a new focus on health and fitness, shifting your priorities, not making excuses for not working out, and taking pride in your new lifestyle–is what’ll do it. If you’re working out an hour a day you can have that piece of pie at night. But if all you’re doing is eating a little less at mealtime, suddenly there’s no wiggle room (and if you think there is, you’ve blown it).
Though you claim you’re not doing anything drastic, I think you really are, if you’re truly making X-Gym a priority. And I say, “Katie Toft es muy bueno!”
Oh the games we play with ourselves.
Rugby is my drastic change. There is nothing like running and tackling for 2 forty minute periods with a ten minute half. I practice 3 times a week and trying to work out at lease twice a week and give my body a days rests. So even though I drink beer and eat pub grub I’m begining to look good in a wife beater again.
I’ve a friend who’s been going to the XGym down in Belltown for the past 18 months, and he’s doing terrific with it. He’s reversed a huge amount of physical deterioration, and in fact is now way, way stronger than I’ve ever seen him. Not bulked (well, a little – but at his choice), just a lot stronger.
I hope it works as well for you.
Having railed my entire life against the public images of “normal” women as, well, abnormal, I too found myself adopting the “Real Women Have Curves” mantra. Like you, though, I also realized that being real doesn’t mean being out of shape and overweight and that my curvy figure is no more or less real than the Nicole Kidmans of the world. It may be more common, but not more real. As for whether or not you need drastic change a la Kris, or the baby step approach, I think whatever you find that works best for you will be just right. So as a fellow traveller on the path to being a better, more real you, I commend you! Keep up the good work!
With no X-Gym over here, and my money quickly running to a low-point, I refuse to spend the last of it on a regular gym membership. I’m with you, though, if I’m not paying someone to kick my ass, I won’t work out. But I do miss going to X-Gym. And I really, really miss the results. But I walk and I play in the garden (which, on some days, can be really strenuous).
I think the change in lifestyle is the most important. I will never be a gym-girl. So I disguise my workout as something else or for another payoff–like walking to the store instead of driving–conserving gasoline; or working diligently in the garden so that we can enjoy it all summer.
I happen to be and expert on the subject of women and their bodies and I am forced to weigh in per this matter. Nichole Kidman is GROSS she was momentarily attractive some years ago, but please. She has hips like a guy, Ive never seen her rear because her publicist keeps that hidden but I bet it doesn’t exist.. or worse it’s flat. She has no tits, which can be ok, quality trumps qquantity up or down anyday. And whats up w those eyes anymore?…. she has some serious problem developing there. She may have Graves disease. I would love to furthher “weigh: in on other “gorgeous” Hollywood skanks like that “freindly dragon” Uma and others but you get the idea. These women are hollywood inventions of what u hollywood movie watching tools are told to believe are beautiful. Oh and further women w/ “muscles” and or “definition” get the hell away from me.
What are we to conclude from that last comment?
Yeah, so is this person saying that curvy women with no muscle tone are perfect or what? I agree that Nicole Kidman is far too thin and she does look very different than she did 10 years ago, but is the writer saying that the average woman is more attractive than her? This type of criticism of high profile women is what scares the rest of us real people, we wonder what will this person be thinking and saying about us?
Yeah, so is this person saying that curvy women with no muscle tone are perfect or what? I agree that Nicole Kidman is far too thin and she does look very different than she did 10 years ago, but is the writer saying that the average woman is more attractive than her? This type of criticism of high profile women is what scares the rest of us real people, we wonder what will this person be thinking and saying about us?
shit! double post!
i think you kick ass, katie!! go get ’em…call me if you want to do those fun stairs over by your sister’s place…
k I suppose the point of my remarks sre to suggest that there is and should be a distinction made betwixt the ‘separate realities’ of what constitutes “beauty” especially feminine. The one “standard” that is conveyed, purveyed, fostered and promoted ad nauseum by the media fashion industry et al is that of the archetypal nichole/uma/angelina/cameron/julia(eww)/even paris(the bratz doll)more similar. Of course the other would be the woman YES!!YES!!!YES I am saying the “average” everyday woman is more attractive! I see women everyday everywhere who are more attractive than any of the aforementioned, and they do not neccesarily conform to that stupid paradigm. Real beauty/attractiveness is a complex mix that transcends the plastic, juvenile and really unsophisticated product pandered by hollywood. This is not to say that the gross product of what the author refd. to: ‘a real woman was someone who ate whatever she felt like eating and sat around on her butt watching TV ‘ will net the desired or a desirable result but beauty is in the eye… This is not the venue in which to launch some pedantic ersatz dissertation on the subject, but reallythose women are “chosen” for so many reasons but mostly cuz maybe they photograph well;(the camera adds 10 lbs) they look good in clothing;(the camera adds 10 lbs) they can “act” a little bit”; and they photograph well, Which is to say that they look “good” on screen elegant maybe in their costumes overall pleasing and safe(not objectional) BUT THEY ARE NOT SEXY(to any guy well many guys over age 16 excluding howard stern) and um that’s what it’s all about when you come rite down to it and I know. and yea muscles and defintion on a woman aren’t sexy unless maybe you’re tom Cruise, maybe he is gay! But people say I look like tom cruise and Again if you posess those “qualities” get the hella way from me! However, one thing ladies: don’t get old that’s the deal-breaker. hello nichole demi?
This conversation just got really wierd for me. Katie, obviously a lot of people think you look great already–just look at your legions of fans. But, you’re making healthy changes in your life. Cheers to happy, healthy bodies. Maybe now you should write a nice political post just to lighten the mood a little. 😉
While the anonymous poster thing was interesting in the beginning, it’s kind of creepy now. Is there a way you can force people to enter their name? Me no likey anonymous postings. Anyway, I too have been exercising. I even entered a race! I will be running the 10K Peachtree Road Race on July 4. When we see each other again, we will be able to get naked and walk around and feel GOOD about it! xoxo
M
BTW send me your address so I can send you that Starbucks ATLANTA mug!!
While the above postings were interesting in the beginning, they’re kind of creepy now.
Though anon #1 rails against force-fed beauty conventions, the point is rather moot on this page, as I think most of Katie’s readers are light years away from having OR desiring the “Nicole Kidman look.”
And I agree with anon #2: Max, you’re making things creepy, what with your walking around naked comments.
As Naked as God Made Me!