Touchy subject

I was reading an article yesterday about the model Crystal Renn who used to be a "normal model" at size 0 (she was anorexic at this time) and is now a "plus-sized model" at size 12. Crystal talks about how the fashion industry (and our society in general) needs to make some serious changes, specifically by not glamorizing waif thin girls/women. Hollywood clearly doesn't help this cultural attitude about weight as most actresses could jump on the catwalk and fit right in with the size 0-2 models.

After I read the people.com article, I started doing some research on the topic and was surprised by some of my findings and mainly by comments people left on various articles. The general consensus seems to be that models and actresses do not represent an attainable reality for most women and are harming the self-esteem of young girls who idolize these women. And I agree with these thoughts because I, myself, have often been overly critical of my body and the number on the scale.

It's difficult to open a fashion magazine and see these women wearing beautiful clothes and looking fantastic and actually remember that they have entire beauty team working on them and lighting experts to put them in the right light. Oh and not to mention the "re-touching" that the industry even admits to using. It's hard not to compare ourselves to these women. But we shouldn't. Most of them, I'm convinced, are constantly hungry. And if they're not, they do have plenty of money for personal trainers, personal chefs and liposuction. Besides, if you ask most men, they don't prefer the waif thin look where you can see a girl's ribs. Most men like T&A...the bigger the better in many cases.

So I do think the fashion industry and entertainment world have got it wrong, as do most of the women who left comments on the articles I was reading. But I was a little taken aback by some of the comments. While a size 0 is not necessarily healthy, is a size 12? According to various internet sources, the average dress size for women in the US is a size 14. This wasn't very surprising to me, considering how fast food restaurants are on every corner, portion sizes have increased over the years and America has gradually been getting fatter. But what did surprise me, was the numerous comments from women proudly proclaiming to being a size 12 or 14 and saying, they're "normal" and could stand to lose some weight but are not overweight. How you could stand to lose weight, but not be "overweight" is beyond me and doesn't compute, but that's beside the point - or actually, that is my point. While women shouldn't strive to be a size 0 or 2 and I don't think we should focus so much on the number on the scale or the size of our clothes, I get the feeling that many women don't think they are overweight, when in fact, they are. So there's a strange dichotomy in our society.

If you google "is a size 12 overweight" you get over 5 million hits and after clicking on some of the links, its clear there's no consensus as to the answer. Experts say BMI is the real test for whether or not someone is under or over-weight. So perhaps the question of whether a size 12 is overweight is irrelevant. But reading these articles has got me thinking about our culture and what we are teaching young girls. I for one have realized I need to get a grasp on my body image way before I have a daughter and screw up her self esteem. I do think the best thing for me growing up was doing sports and staying active. As a pre-teen and teenager I didn't have time to sit around and worry about my weight or how I compared to models - I was either going to school or swimming for 2 hours a day.

And perhaps you are asking yourself why I would be writing this post when I myself started a diet a month ago.  If you ask my husband or most of my friends, they'll tell you I look great and don't need to be on any diet.  One of my friends laughed at me when I told her I started WW. Perhaps they are right.  My BMI is in the normal range.  I wear a size 6. And I exercise 5-6 days a week, rarely eat fast food and typically eat healthy.  So why am I trying to lose weight?   It's a good question.  Personally, I want to fit in the clothes sitting in my closet.  I read somewhere that we shouldn't desire to be the same size or shape as models or actresses.  But if we want an attainable goal, you could look to a size you yourself used to be, because if you were that size at one point, you can realistically be that size again (this does not apply if you had an eating disorder when you were the smaller size).  I have a tendency to pick good food but eat too much of them (remember my overeating compulsions...) and if I stop working out, I don't feel good about myself.  But I don't need to be a size 2, nor do I want to be.  I just want to be healthy and happy.  And right now I am.

And the next time I have a negative thought about my body, I'm going to remind myself that last Sunday I did a 9 mile run.  My body is working for me and I need to love it in return, because its the only one I have.

I should be...

1.  Folding the 5 loads of clean laundry currently sitting on a table in my laundry room.  (Do I get credit for at least doing the laundry?  We'll overlook the fact that everything is now wrinkled and will require ironing...details.)

2.  Vacuuming up Wrigley's fur from all over the house.  (At least she's healthy enough now that she is shedding.)

3.  Cleaning the pile of dishes in the sink (Note: I did cook Senegalese Peanut Stew with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes (from scratch) for dinner.  Another WW recipe.  It was the first one I'm not sold on.  Too much ginger for my liking.)

4.  Putting away all the "things" that are not currently in their place around the house.  (Clothes, dog toys, cat toys, mail, you get the picture).

5.  Putting more of a dent in The Count of Monte Cristo....or I'm never going to finish the 30 Books Challenge. (I'm on page 283 of 509).

But instead, I'm flipping back and forth between American Idol, the Olympics and Ruby and updating this blog.  I should probably get my priorities straight.  At least tomorrow is FRIDAY!  I'll just do it all this weekend...or maybe I'll paint the dining room!

Blog-alking

So what is the etiquette on blog-stalking (or “blog-alking” for short – stalking sounds so harsh)? I have a handful of friends who have blogs that I read on a regular basis. A few of these friends post “Blogrolls” /a list of other blogs they’re reading or following. So for instance, lets say I’m checking out La Vida Leipprandt’s blog, she has a “Give these Blog some Love” column and I can quickly find 10 other blogs to read. But these blogs are from people I don’t know. They’re La Vida’s friends. But some of them have great blogs and I really enjoy reading them. And from there it can spiral such that I end up reading a blog from a step-friend twice removed on my great aunt’s side. Is this wrong?



Part of me feels like I’m secretively reading all about this strangers life, which in reality, I am. But when you start a blog, one of the reasons must be an underlying desire for other people to read what you’re writing. Otherwise, wouldn’t you just keep a diary or a private blog? For me, I wanted to start a blog to keep “physically distant” friends and family invovled in my life’s happenings, and also as a creative outlet. And now that I know some people follow along, I’m more encouraged to keep writing. Over 120 people have viewed my blog profile (which I admit could use some finessing), so who are these people? I know of 10-20 people who read along on a somewhat regular basis, but who are the other 100 people? Friends of friends?  And surely there are other people who don't view the profile of each blog they stumble across, I certainly don't.


But with blog-alking, what are the rules? When you blog-alk, do you leave a trail? Is it OK to comment on some random person’s blog post? Do most people do this? Or do you just silently read and move on? I’m a quiet blog-alker, preferring not to leave any evidence of my stay. But as a blogger myself, I’d love to know that/if I have some blog-alkers. So maybe I should re-think my blog-alking.


My favorite Blog-alking story happened a few months ago when a couple of friends and I went to a cookbook signing of a great bloggess, PW. Four of us went together and ran into our friend Ali from Two Onesies. And Ali was there with some other friends, so we were all chatting while we waited our turn to meet PW. My friend, who we’ll call “Anonymous Blog-alker” turned to me, after Ali’s friend (“Europe Blogger” – she had a blog about living abroad) left for a few minutes, and said, “I swear I think I know that girl from somewhere.” And then it hit her, she’d been following Europe Blogger’s blog. They’d never met in real life, but “Anonymous Blog-alker” knew all about Europe Blogger and her life. Europe Blogger returned to our little group and totally out of the blue said something about blog-alking. I sat there smiling and laughing to myself as I watched Anonymous Blog-alker’s face turn a little pink. But I couldn’t believe it when she actually admitted to blog-alking Europe Blogger, who luckily didn’t seem freaked out. That’s the thing, blog-alking is a part of blogging, so we should all just admit we do it. My name is Mrs. Swan, and I’m a blog-alker.

Living Room Renovation

When Mr. Cob and I bought our house we overlooked many of its "flaws."  I rationalized them by saying the house had character and potential.  Let's face it, parts of it were just unkempt and in need of some love.  So after a year I finally got down to business and started beautifying our house, starting with the first room you walk into when you enter the front door - the living room.

Here are some BEFORE pictures:

Take note of the stain on the fireplace...not exactly pretty.  I'd told myself it had the "antique" look...um, that would just be run down and kind of falling apart.

And the trim.  Oh the trim.  Unsightly, to say the least.

Blah white walls.  Very sterile feeling.

It's just screaming for help.

After 3 and a half tubes of caulk; almost a gallon of "Inviting Ivory" Sherwin Williams paint in the eggshell finish; atleast half a gallon of white paint on the trim; and a quart of "Coconut Husk" paint (for the mantel), we were finished.  The room looks amazing, if I do say so myself.  Thanks mom for all your help!  And thanks to Mr. Cob and Wrigley for cheering us on!

And the AFTER pictures speak for themselves:

We also refurbished an old coffee table we had in the basement.  3 cans of brown textured spray paint later and it was lookin great!

The only thing I would like to change/fix is to somehow find a way to get the old paint off the brick on the fireplace.  We tried mineral spirits, but had no luck.  Any ideas?

I'm really loving our new and improved living room!  Next on "the list" is our dining room, kitchen and breakfast nook.  I already bought the paint so I just need to recruit some help and get busy!

I have Compulsive Eating Tendencies, It's True

I love food more than the next person.  I always have.  Salty and crunchy win over sweet and savory any day.  I especially love crackers, chips and cheese.  They speak to me.  I also love red meat - the rarer the better.

This love of food was never really a problem growing up.  I started competitively swimming at the age of 8 or 9, so I swam every day after school, burning hundreds of calories each practice.  I could eat whatever I wanted and remain lean and muscular.  In fact, I needed to eat often to fuel my body so that it could work efficiently for me.  I swam every day until I was 17 years old, when a shoulder injury sidelined my dreams of being a collegiate athlete.  But I continued to work out on a somewhat regular basis and maintained a slim figure.

In college I was quite vain and went to the "Ramsey Center" on a regular basis to work out. I started running and became a pro at the eliptical and stairclimber.  Somehow I was able to counteract all the beer I was consuming.  Although, if I did take a hiatus from working out, I easily could gain 5 pounds.  But it was never a "problem."  And then in law school I really started running and worked out as a way to stay sane.  Also I'm convinced that the constant stress helped me to keep any binge eating at bay.

But then I started working a 9 to 5 (or 6 or 7) job and spent most of my day sitting at a desk.  Slowly, weight started creeping on.  Most people haven't noticed, but my clothes haven't fit quite right for some time.  I have a closet full of clothes and can't fit in about a third of them.  I've gone to a nutritionist, trained for a half marathon and tried to watch what I eat.  But nothing has been very successful.  I've been working out again on a regular basis and am in a place of loving my body again, but I still want to drop a few pounds.

So I joined Weight Watchers online.  And in 4 weeks I've lost over 3 pounds!  Which is huge for someone who doesn't have more than 10-15 to go in the first place.  So it's really encouraging!  And yesterday I wore a pair of jeans that 2 months ago made me look like a sausage...and not in a good way (if there is a good way...).

I like the way WW works.  All food and recipes are given a point value.  You're allotted a certain number of points per day, with an additional amount of weekly flex points and you get more points if you are active.  No food is off-limits - so you are not depriving yourself!  If I want chips, I can eat them - then I just have to give somewhere else in the day, or week or run an extra mile.  So far, I'm loving it and am encouraged to keep going.  I think the main thing is writing down everything you put in your mouth, which can be a challenge, but it makes you think before you take a bite.

Last week was the first week that I ate more than my allotted points.  I was over by 10.  And there's one reason for this - chips.  On Saturday, mom and I were painting the living room and working hard all day but I hadn't eaten enough in the morning.  So the afternoon came and I was hungry.  I said I'd just have one chip.  One turned into about 30.  And mom hit it right on the head when she noticed, when I'm hungry, I unconsciously eat whatever I have around the house.  It's a problem.  Always has been, always will be.  I love food.  And then Mr. Cob and I went out to Mexican...more chips.  And then we went out for a few drinks that night and came home and had a late night snack of, you guessed it - chips.  Needless to say, I ate 3 times my allotted points on Saturday alone.  Which is gross in retrospect.  But Sunday I woke up and started the healthy eating again and felt no regret for my binge the day before.  Because one day is not going to derail me.  And if I don't allow myself gluttonous days every now and again, I'd go crazy.

I am also trying to let go of the number on the scale.  I know that I'm a healthy person and not "overweight."  I just want my clothes to fit.  And it did hit me the other day just how proud of my body I should be - not everyone can go out and run 9 miles.  My thighs might be bigger than yours, but odds are, they're more muscular.

I also like WW because they have some AMAZING recipes - seriously.  Everything I've cooked off their site so far has been great.  The biggest hit has been the Shepherd's Pie.  I've made it twice in 2 weeks.  Mr. Cob told me I could milk it for 6 months straight and he'd keep eating it with joy.  So I thought you all might like the recipe.  And for those of you WW folks, it's just 5 points a serving :)  Happy eating!

SHEPHERD'S PIE:

Ingredients:

2 large potato(es), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (or I've been using 4-6 small potatoes)
1/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
2 medium carrot(s), diced  (I've been using 4-6 carrots - more veggies can't be bad)
2 medium stalk(s) celery, diced (I've been uping the celery count too)
1 pound(s) uncooked ground turkey breast
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp rosemary, fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried) (dried has worked just fine)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, or beef broth

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes, transfer to a large bowl and add sour cream and margarine; mash until smooth, season to taste with salt and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add flour, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a simmer; simmer until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

Transfer turkey mixture to a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate. Spread mashed potatoes over top and using the back of a spoon, make decorative swirls over the top. Bake until potatoes are golden, about 30 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.

Busy weekend

The Swan's nest underwent a major facelift this weekend. And the results are fabulous. But more on that later tonight - with pictures! Don't you love the suspense? What I really want to share with the world today, as a sort of public commitment that will hopefully keep me accountable, is that I've decided to run the ING Half Marathon in Atlanta on March 21, 2010. And I think I've convinced my brother to run it with me, which is very exciting. We ran my first half marathon together over Thanksgiving 2006 and it was a great experience. He was part of the reason I was able to run the entire 13.1 miles - I hit a wall around mile 11 and he just kept encouraging me and telling me I could do it. And I did. This time I'm in better shape, so I won't need his encouragement as much, but it'll be really nice to have his company for 13.1 miles! Yesterday I went out and did a 9.1 mile run. I've gradually been increasing my long runs over the past 4 weeks from 6 miles, to 7 miles to 8.5 miles and then 9 yesterday. My goal is to run 10.5 this weekend and then 12 the following weekend. So here's to my third half marathon! Anyone else want to join us? Here's the info on my run from yesterday.... Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1000 ft Location: Decatur, GA, Elev. Gain: -3 ft Date: 02/21/10 Up/Downhill: [+748/-751] Time: 05:38 PM Difficulty: 3.4 / 5.0 Weather: Partly Cloudy 61 F temp; 28% humidity 61 F heat index; winds SSE 9 mph Performance Distance: 9.11 miles Time: 1:41:06 Speed: 5.4 mph Pace: 11' 06 /mi Calories: 883 Map Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 11' 12 +0' 06 5.3 -0.1 -7 ft 2 10' 44 -0' 22 5.6 +0.2 +26 ft 3 12' 26 +1' 20 4.8 -0.6 -23 ft 4 10' 10 -0' 56 5.9 +0.5 -23 ft 5 10' 32 -0' 34 5.7 +0.3 -7 ft 6 11' 30 +0' 24 5.2 -0.2 -46 ft 7 11' 36 +0' 30 5.2 -0.2 +65 ft 8 11' 07 +0' 01 5.4 -0.0 +39 ft 9 10' 37 -0' 29 5.7 +0.2 -66 ft end 11' 04 -0' 02 5.4 +0.0 +36 ft Versus average of 11' 06 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

My Future is revealed in Free Online Tarot Cards

So work has been on the slow side these days.  I'm going on about a year of slowness, but the past month or so has been perhaps the worst.  There's a lot of uncertainty as to what my future holds career-wise and whether or not I'll become a statistic.  I'm hopeful, as I have been since the recession began, that my job is secure and I'll make it through unscathed.  But times are tough.

So I decided I needed a prediction about my future and my career.  Rationally, I googled "free psychic readings online."  I selected a free tarot card reading and asked the simple question:  What does my career future hold?   See below for the response....hum, not sure how I feel about this.

[reading courtesy of www.facade.com]
The Celtic Cross spread is one of the most popular Tarot spreads, providing varied insight into many aspects of a complex situation and your role in it. The Renaissance Tarot is a modern deck, with symbolism drawn from the heroic age and rendered in renaissance style. This deck is an excellent choice for exploring questions of passion, mastery, and the inner workings of human reason. If you would like your own copy of the Renaissance Tarot, you can buy it now!

The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. The Magician: Mastery of words and of matter. Eloquence, including eloquent silence and Hermetic wisdom. Mediator, messenger, and communicator. The Magician may be a sage or just a quick talker. He is a master-manipulator of the material world, but the miracles he effects may be true physical and metaphysical transformation of mere illusion and technical tricks. With Hermes, one never knows; he is the god of orators and liars, merchants and thieves, trickery and arcane science.


The card visible at the center of the cross represents the obstacle that stands in your way - it may even be something that sounds good but is not actually to your benefit. Justice: The vindication of the just and the punishment of the unjust. Rule of reason. Balance of power.

The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Ace of Swords, when reversed: The brutal aspect of power. Violence. Consuming heat.

The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Knight of Swords, when reversed: Opinionated person who is too quick to condemn others. Bigotry. Action without forethought.


The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Six of Coins (Success): Generosity. Philanthropy. Charity. A wise and compassionate decision.


The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. The Star: Blessedness. Tranquility. Beauty.


The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. The High Priestess, when reversed: Obfuscation. Mumbo jumbo. Heresy.


The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Temperance, when reversed: Excess. Imbalance. Indulgence. Polarization.


The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. King of Cups: A dignified and accomplished person, compassionate and intuitively accurate. A successful professional, humanitarian and idealistic. One who appreciates the Dionysian side of the arts and the wild, mysterious aspect of nature.


The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Ten of Swords (Ruin): Calamity. The failure of a hero, foretold in prophesy, but brought about by the hero's own choices.