the big ballet Originally uploaded by mo pie In the comments, msruth mentioned Russia’s “Big Ballet” and on her advice, I went to go take a look and read all about them. The Big Ballet is a troupe of dancers from Russia who weigh a minimum of 220 pounds each. I highly recommend clicking on […]

Filed under: Advocacy, Art, BFD Classic, Exercise, Fat Positive, Feel Good Friday, International, Theater | 18 Comments »

Angela sends along a story about baseball’s Florida Marlins, who are forming a male plus-size cheerleading squad called the Manatees. The team hopes to recruit seven to 10 tubby men to dance, cheer and jiggle during Friday and Saturday home games this season. Real manatees, 1,200-pound mammals sometimes referred to as “sea cows,” are not […]

Filed under: Exercise, Humor | 42 Comments »

At the gym yesterday, I saw that the Queen Latifah commercial for Jenny Craig is out—so I figured I should follow up on my original post about the issue. There was no sound, though, so I couldn’t hear it. So I just did a quick search and came up with an interview that is mostly […]

Filed under: Advertising, Celebrities, Cold Hard Cash, Exercise, Health, Queen Latifah, Video, Weight Loss | 20 Comments »

I loved reading this article about workout playlists. I’ve worked very hard on my playlist, which is incredibly cheesy and includes things like “Pop Goes My Heart” (Hugh Grant) and “I Think I Love You” as performed by American Idol’s Constantine. (I can’t help it; my response to that one is now Pavlovian.) I need […]

Filed under: Exercise, Movies, Music, Personal, Science | 31 Comments »

I’ve never watched The Biggest Loser, but I really enjoyed our own Weetabix’s post at Elastic Waist all about why she hates it. It’s a top ten list, and you know how we all love lists. 4. The weigh-in uniform. Girls wear just a sports bra but the guys get to have some modesty by […]

Filed under: Biggest Loser, Exercise, TV, Weight Loss | 30 Comments »

A fascinating story on NPR about exercise and the placebo effect. Researchers studied hotel maids with some pretty incredible results. Apparently, believing that you’re exercising when you’re doing everyday activities can make a real difference. Check it out: [H]otel maids spend the majority of their days lugging heavy equipment around endless hallways. Basically, almost every […]

Filed under: Exercise, Health, Science | 9 Comments »

This New York Times article by Gina Kolata talks about the impossibility of counting calories burned while exercising. Despite the displays on machines at gyms, with their precise-looking calorie counts, and despite the official-looking published charts of exercise and calories, it can be all but impossible to accurately estimate of the number of calories you […]

Filed under: Exercise, Health, Science, Weight Loss | 13 Comments »

My friend Geowench posted an entry today that made me feel proud and happy. It seems he’s chosen me to do this exhibition (instead of a more advanced/accomplished skater) because of my special status as having lost weight. He always calls me a “testimony.” (He’s Russian and doesn’t always express himself all that well.) Now […]

Filed under: Exercise, Fat Positive, Feel Good Friday, Meta, Tidbit, Weight Loss | 3 Comments »

Reader Chelsea alerts us to this horrifying commerical from the “anti-gym” guy we talked about before. Remember him? The impotent one? I know, I know. “We’re just giving him more attention!” But it’s not like anyone who reads this site will be dumb enough to join his gym, right? Feministing describes the commercial in detail: […]

Filed under: Advertising, Exercise, Fatism, Feminism, Video | 27 Comments »

Well, there’s a first time for everything. Welcome to our first post about baseball! Renee sends along this article about Red Sox player Curt Schilling, who has just signed a contract that gives him $333,333 once a month for six months if he “passes” a random weigh-in; that is, if he maintains his weight. Renee […]

Filed under: Cold Hard Cash, Exercise, Health | 11 Comments »

Reader Rei sends us this video of an awesome bellydance performance. It’s the dancer’s first performance, and really a treat to watch. There are also a lot of really positive and supportive comments on the YouTube page, which is refreshing. Rei says: Here is PROOF that you can be a big girl and have some […]

Filed under: Art, Exercise, Fat Positive, Feel Good Friday, Theater, Video | 35 Comments »

So, Fat March. It’s apparently getting great ratings and stirring up some controversy, so I took a little march around the Internet to find out what people are saying about it. Miriam says: The notion of a group of fat people having to support one another during a walk from Boston to Washington isn’t inherently […]

Filed under: Exercise, Fat March, Health, TV, Weight Loss | 19 Comments »

Some tight science courtesy of our resident scientress, La Wade. It’s a New York Times article that talks about something called neurogenesis, which is, as the name suggests, a process by which we can actually generate new neurons. The human subjects of one study did aerobic exercise for four hours per week: But something else […]

Filed under: Exercise, Health, Science | 10 Comments »

The group weight loss blog Pare Up, Pare Down had a very interesting post this week, courtesy of contributor Harmony. [E]very time I go into REI I feel like I am out of my element, like I don’t belong…I don’t feel actively discriminated against, but I do feel out of place, and really visible. The […]

Filed under: Exercise, Fashion, Question | 50 Comments »

With a guest post over at Elastic Waist. It’s about being a fat chick who works out, and an incident that happened to me at the gym yesterday. I’ve learned to put a lid on the negative self-talk when I catch a glimpse of my fat rolls bouncing in the mirror. (I just shift my […]

Filed under: Exercise, Health, Meta | 20 Comments »

turkey leg Originally uploaded by mo pie I was looking to post something happy today, but I haven’t run across any great music videos or fat positive things today. (Tipsters, I need you.) Instead, I ran across a new series of ads from Brazil (yes, that Brazil) for, apparently, a gym. The theme of the […]

Filed under: Advertising, Exercise, Fatism | 7 Comments »

And if you don’t believe that, you should read this essay, which details the level of commitment it takes to lose weight and keep it off. From someone who has been there. That kind of willpower is not something that comes overnight, and the fortitude to do it long term, for life, is not something […]

Filed under: Exercise, Weight Loss | 34 Comments »

Speaking of advertising, have you seen the new Reebok “Run Easy” campaign? The message of the ads is that you don’t have to run like a competitive athlete; you can just “run easy.” In Reeboks, presumably. Those ads are plastered all over the Embarcadero station here in San Francisco and I notice them especially because […]

Filed under: Advertising, Exercise, Media | 35 Comments »

It is obvious (at least to us) that fat people can and do exercise. And yet as a fat person who joined a very crowded gym near work yesterday, it’s still nice to be reminded of that fact. (I haven’t figured out my summer fitness regime yet, but I do know I have one. Maybe […]

Filed under: Exercise, Fat Positive, Health | 35 Comments »