Magazines

     Well, after reading the latest Women's Health, to which I've had a subscription for years, I got off my butt and cancelled this worthless subscription this morning. I got irritated last night as I flipped through the Katherine McPhee featured mag, seeing NO muscle tone on any of the models, including the featured McPhee. So many articles about beauty, makeup, hairstyles, and only scant mentions of fitness.
     What really sealed the deal was reading the workout which advised using 8-12lb dumbbells 3 times a week to work out various parts of the body. Head, meet wall. Repeat. This stupid magazine seemingly perpetuates the myth that if women lift anything heavier than their own boobs, they'll turn into this:

(And hey, if you DO want to look that way, more power to you! It's not everyone's aesthetic of choice, but mad props to the women who put forth that kind of effort and determination to build the kind of body that takes that much hard work. No body deserves ridicule.)

     But let's be real: the average female who lifts weights, even (gasp) HEAVY weights (like, your own bodyweight! More than that! ERMAGERD!) won't look like that woman featured above without actually intending to get there. Magazines and articles that perpetuate this myth are detrimental to women, and fitness. Here's a woman who lifts heavy weights, and competes in fitness competitions:

See the difference? I'm not saying one kind of body is better/preferable to the other, but I want to point out the serious visual differences between what perception of weightlifters is versus the reality. For the record, this particular writer and fitness enthusiast would prefer to look like the strong and beautiful Jamie Eason (pic 2), but that body also takes hard work and relentless dedication to eating habits.

     Now, maybe other bodies can achieve the kind of results they want with 8 pound dumbbells, but my body didn't change until I picked up the heavy weights, and put down the processed foods. If you're looking to be genuinely strong, and want a magazine to help you carve away the fat while leaving you fit and healthy, and able to maintain a newly de-fatted body, please check out Oxygen over Women's Health. Doing so has made a huge difference in how I view myself, my goals, and how I've gone about losing 30 pounds of fat while increasing my muscle mass and lowering my BMI. I'm still a work in progress, but that below is 180 to 150lbs. If I can do it, ANYONE can.

It Starts

Today, as I strained up from a set of straight-leg dead lifts, a drop of sweat (ew, right?) made it's way from my hairline down my forehead, along the side of my nose, and I swear it looked just like a tear. I laughed to myself, and found in that moment my new gym mantra. Sweat, not tears.
My "teardrop"

Life has thrown some pretty lame moves at me lately, and instead of wallowing in self pity, I've found fun and exertion at the gym are just what I need to move forward through the stress. Working out is a fantastic way for the body to reduce stress. It releases endorphins. It gives you a mental sense of accomplishment. For me, while I'm concentrating on pushing my body, it takes all my focus and allows me to ignore what's going on outside of the gym doors. Fitness has become my escape.

For a long time, I've considered starting a fitness or body blog. I've spent time on fitness websites, ordered subscriptions to Fitness, Women's Health, and Oxygen Magazine. (Incidentally, the only one worth reading, in my humble opinion, for anything more than fluff, is Oxygen.) I've worked out since I discovered the weight room in high school, and for years was an avid devotee of hours on the ellipse machine.

My weight has gone up, my weight has gone down. A never ending weight roller-coaster. I'm definitely a typical "average woman," I've never seen a size 2, I frequently lament the size of my thighs, and I struggle with knowing what's good for me to eat, versus what tastes or feels good in my face hole. Hence, my fitness journey, ramblings, and experiences may help others on their path towards a healthy, happy, body-accepted lifestyle. Share my journey with me!