Remember when exercise was extra super fun and involved jazz hands? (That’s me there in the middle, down below)
We know what spring time means. It means longer days, warmer weather, the desire to start moving kicks in, and every lamp post in my young urban hippie neighbourhood is plastered with signs for boot camp classes. Last week I received an email with the subject line “Get In To Your Skinny Jeans This Spring”, and I thought, Hmmm. No.
See, this booty and my five foot tall self weren’t intended to wear skinny jeans so why on earth would I torture myself for six weeks, so that I might fit into them briefly until my body goes back to the size and shape it likes best, which is exactly how it is right now.
What about effing the ‘skinny jeans’ or whatever you may be aiming to ‘fit in to’ and instead working with your own genes and what feels good for your own body? Just a question is all. Neither myself nor my adrenal glands are in the mood to strain and pain to become something that may not be just right for me right now? As I have said before, I’d rather be chubby.
I hate the gym. I am not lazy, that’s for sheezees. I ride a clunker of a bike all over the city, take on more serious rides, heart my yoga, and am happy to get outside for long walks, snow shoe adventures, dance parties for one and other such activities. Dragging my bottom to the gym three or four times a week to run on a treadmill that takes me nowhere, be yelled at in a class to work off that Toblerone bar or sweat our all my drinking from the night before is kind of useless to me. The posters plastered all over my former gym telling me that drinking chocolate milk would maximize my workout signaled my final and permanent farewell after ten years as an avid regular
I am not saying that the gym and boot camps aren’t fan-freaking-tastic for you. They very well may be, what I am saying is that we have to find our groove, work with where we’re at to have our workouts, whatever they may be, make us feel amazing. Eating well, keeping things whole, healthy, low glycemic and balanced is a major key!
I have recently been introduced to Miriam Schacter who is totally on the same page. Though I will forgive her hatred for Brussel’s Sprouts and Okra, I will happily ride on over to 99 Sudbury and other neighbourhood great big dance studio spaces to Funk The Fat for $10 a class (Monday evenings at 6 and Thursday mornings at 9:30 and a few other days and times around town). Her Flow Motion style makes you think you can dance (though I can! really I can!!!) and her attitude and message has absolutely nothing to do with changing the way your body looks but totally improving the way it feels. That bit of philosophy is what truly stole my ‘Feel Good? Feel Great!” heart.
Just like I don’t talk fat grams and calories, she doesn’t talk fat burning and calories. Miriam talks about moving, shaping and growing stronger. She talks green drinks not carb loading and she talks about shaking that booty, doing the humpty, moving and smiling all along the way. She freaking rocks it and my friend Kristen Gale and I have totally become her newest groupies. Check out Miriam’s website: Toronto Moves for latest body shaking info and classes or look into some awesome fun spring time activity wherever you may be residing. If you move in a way that you love and that feels good, it becomes something you long for and crave, rather than dread and detest.
I quote myself when I ask “What would you rather be? What’s most important to you? The way you look or the way you feel? Are you able to make these co-exist? Are you at a place of optimum health? What does health look and feel like to you?” You know what happens when you start feeling amazing? You start looking amazing too! Call it a gift with purchase.
Green Cat Funk The Fat Smoothie
2 leaves of kale
1/2 banana
1/4 cup almond milk, hemp milk, sesame milk (or other milk substitute of choice)
1 stalk of celery
about 4 inches of cucumber
1 Tbs dried coconut
1 Tbs goji berries
1 Tbs raw cacao
1 – 2 tsp spirulina
1 Tbs hemp protein
1 cup ice
1-2 cups water until desired consistency is achieved
Blend, enjoy and then funk the fat!
Check out more on Low-Glycemic Eating here, or perhaps you are up for joining the challenge!
The challenge begins next Sunday, March 21st so you’ve got oodles of time to get planning. As an extra incentive, between now and March 21st, buy any two tutorials or media downloads of your choice and you’ll receive 15% off the total purchase by entering “MoodStable2010” as your discount code at checkout (might I suggest that 5 Days Low GI tutorial and The Adrenaline Lunch mp3 make a mighty fine pair!)
How the group challenge works:
- Enter a comment here to signal your participation, and you will be entered to win a sweet little low-GI friendly gift (to be revealed next week)
- Get yourself a copy of the 5 Days Low Glycemic Eatin tutorial for just $12
- Follow me on Twitter for live Twitter coaching through out the duration of the challenge
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I hear what you are saying about “bootcamp” and was happy to hear you say in the end to do what feels right. I am a lifelong “bootcamper”. I have stenosis in my spine at age 35 (36 as of April 1st…yikes), diagnosed at 25. This is not set at a gym but through my chiro clinic which is quickly becoming a “welness centre” I never thought I would go to chiro but after starting bootcamp, I felt I would give it try as she was young, knowledgable and I didn’t know where else to turn. My back is getting stronger by the day…if I stick to classes. My chiro started the classes, taught me proper posture to do the strength training to build a great core to I could walk without pain. My massage thereapist is there, my chiropractor as well as my mental health counselor. They also offer healthy eating counseling if that is what they call it. We live in Pembroke where eating well means going to Pizza Hut rather than McDonalds and our nearest major centre is Ottawa 1.5 hours east of us. We live in a low income area of Ontario and knowledge about health is LOW. It is hard to get organic foods but is slowly getting better with food co-ops. I would love to have you contact my chiro clinic to do a talk here as there are knowledgable people here that would love to hear you speak. Most health talk are very basic as that is what the majority of the population need. Perhaps you plan a trip into Alginquin Park this summer and you could stop in to our area. Sorry if this is all over the place, between my scattered nature and my kids tugging at me, I can make a proper sentence.
My Mom, my sister and myself all love your blog…please pay us a visit in the valley.
” [Not] changing the way your body looks but totally improving the way it feels.” I love that sentence. I am currenly “gym-free” and it does feel like a relief. Great post!
My beautiful Meghan…
Having just quoted those very words in a blog recently, I can see we are definitely on the same wavelength! I love the sounds of those dance classes – because dancing is a super fun way to move and be physical! The way you feel is mega important and is a much bigger gift than ths kinny jeans will ever be xo
LOVE the message. I freaking hate skinny jeans; my body was not created for them either. I believe that unless you were built like a model – or you are prepubescent – boot cut is the way to go. That being said, I’m not a fan of what I like to call “devil denim”. It confines, pinches and encases and I’d rather live as those in other, more accepting countries do in free flowing fabrics.
Yay! I have been planning a post on working your wardrobe around your body type instead of working our natural butts off to fit into some trendy garment. It’s crazy! And we shouldn’t be stuck on that hamster wheel. Thanks, Meghan!
A workout that feels amazing. That is extra-super fun. Still looking for that. So far I know what it’s not, just have to find what it is. There’s a hoola-hoop fitness class at the local rec centre….
THANK you.
I just never vibed with the gym. I still feel strong and happy getting my movement outside of one of those sweaty, stinky places. It seems like when people feel pressured to “get in shape”, the first place they visit is the gym to sign up for ridiculously expensive contracts and personal trainers that tell them to “bulk up on protein” and “watch your carbs” (that was me 3 years ago). Yuck.
That may be what feels good to some but I can be sure that not everyone on those treadmills feels empowered about being there.
I totally agree with how important it is to “feel” good over look good, but I definitely feel great going to the gym. I know that’s not for everyone, and I haven’t always enjoyed going to the gym, but since I’ve started to make very consciously healthy food decisions, I feel good about balancing my healthy diet with a workout.
Although I definitely found it odd when they had a table offering free chocolate milk samples, and when the tv’s displayed Wendy’s commercials in front of the treadmills… something doesn’t fit! But I can see the irony and still appreciate the rush I get from being physically active
Some people like to bike, some people like the treadmill, and some people like to clobber other people on a football pitch…
You gotta do what makes your body feel good!
PS nice smoothie! i had almost all the ingredients so I’m drinking it right now
I always resented being on the treadmill because I couldn’t sing along with the music. Being in a confined, safe enviornment allowed me to relax and get into the music, but what’s the point if you can’t belt along with it?
Now I enjoy long, loving bike rides-sometimes with my ipod, sometimes just my own two, strong lungs. Great trade.
I’m always looking for more ideas for empowering physical movement-any ideas anyone?
I didn’t know you were one of the original Mouseketeers, Meghan. *wink* Cute picture!
As a life-long dieter always chasing the elusive “skinny jeans” (who dieted her way up to 300 pounds!), it wasn’t until I made the decision to stop dieting and start living that the weight began to fall off my body. No counting points, fat grams, carbs or calories. Just fresh whole foods, primarily plant based. And, moving my body — walking, hiking, roller blading, swimming, dancing, yoga. No gym membership required.
I recently shared a bit of my dieting history and warped relationship I had with my own body: Loving Our Bodies… At Any Size.
I was fuming when I saw those chocolate milk posters everywhere! These days I am outside running and not making it to the gym much, but during the crummy weather I do rely on the gym to get some exercise. I remember there was a time when I was younger when I thought about burning calories… now I am very focused on what my body can do, and it makes me much happier!
[...] Lower the Load, Funk the Fat and Ditch The Skinny Jeans [...]
[...] Lower the Load, Funk the Fat and Ditch The Skinny Jeans [...]