Chimera

http://www.today.com...sion-6C10866502 Melissa Dahl TODAY 6 hours ago pinterest.com So you’re on the couch entering hour three of a Pinterest binge. This is a time when you probably could use a little motivation to get yourself to finally log off and drag your butt to the gym. That’s essentially the point of “fitspiration” – a cutesy, Internetty term for images and slogans meant to inspire people to meet their fitness goals, hundreds of which are posted and pinned every day on image-heavy social media sites like Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. And a lot of “fitspo,” as it’s nicknamed, does a great job of doing what it’s intended to do: inspire people to get and stay fit, say body image experts and fitness bloggers. But mixed right into those healthy messages are also some sneakily harmful underlying themes. “A lot of these things are very reasonable -- they say things like ‘Just start,’” says David LaPorte, a psychologist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania who has studied body image and social media. “Or, I love this one: ‘Failure isn’t falling down; it’s refusing to get back up.’ “The trouble is when you surround all those good messages with images of people that are unattainable for most women, quite frankly,” he says. Because many of the “fitspo” images actually look a lot like “thinspiration” – and if you’re unaware of that term, do a quick search on Pinterest, Tumblr or Instagram. You’ll immediately find thousands of photos of heartbreakingly thin young women (and some guys, too, but mostly young women): It’s a lot of protruding hipbones, visible rib cages, “thigh gaps." Search for “fitspiration,” and you’ll see pages and pages of similar images -- it's usually a headless shot, zoomed in on a defined, flat set of sweaty abs. Here's a couple examples of these images from Tumblr: “It sets up an equally unrealistic standard of beauty, but it’s under the guise of being healthy,” says Charlotte Hilton Anderson, a fitness blogger from Denver. On her blog, she’s called fitspo “thinspo in a sports bra,” and many body image experts say she’s exactly right. Recently, Tumblr and Pinterest responded to reports about the negative impact of “thinspo” or “thinspiration” by placing PSA-style language at the top of the results page when a user searches for those and other terms that may promote self-harm; Instagram banned both hashtags entirely. But fitspo has so far stayed mostly under the radar. Out of curiosity, LaPorte pulled up two Pinterest pages to look at them side-by-side: in one he’d searched for thinspiration and the other, fitspiration. “There are very, very subtle differences, but they look, for all intents and purposes, identical,” says Laporte, who was half-seriously designing a study as we spoke over the phone. (“We could pull them up and have people sort them out by fitspo or thinspo,” he mused. “I’m going to have to put an undergrad on this one.”) It’s worth noting the similarities because researchers who study body image and mental health have linked “thinspo” to some potentially damaging consequences. In 2010, LaPorte published a study that showed even when people with no history of eating disorders briefly looked at thinspo sites, it actually changed their eating patterns: On average, they ate about 3,000 fewer calories the next week. The participants only clicked around the thinspo sites for about 90 minutes at a time. “Now imagine you’re a 16 or a 14 year old … and you go onto these websites for hours,” LaPorte says. And a 2006 Italian study found that thinspo sites worsen some of the issues associated with eating disorders: specifically, asceticism, competition and obsession for control. Few academic studies have looked at thinspiration, and none have considered fitspiration. But psychologist Mia Holland, who specializes in treating patients with eating disorders, sees more than a few links between fitspo and compulsive exercise. While scrolling through a “fitspiration” tagstream on Pinterest, slogans like “Exercise til it hurts” and “Pain is only in your mind” particularly stood out to Holland. “Those are very unhealthy mottos to live by when exercising. If something hurts, STOP,” Holland said via email. “The body is a great barometer of its own tolerance. Yes, we do experience some discomfort when working out. … However, if the pain is unbearable, it is time to stop! “Slight discomfort can mean a muscle is working – full pain means we are pushing it too hard and need to stop,” she says. Holland reiterates that there really is some healthy, positive stuff under the fitspo and fitspiration hashtags, too, like healthful recipes or practical and safe workout tips. And if the fitspo online community is where you’re getting your encouragement to lace up your running shoes and head out the door – well, that’s wonderful, and you should keep it up! But be sure you're aware of some of the sneaky, negative messages hiding there. “(Fitspiration) does contain some good advice and healthy recipes, but that can veil the hidden negative and potentially harmful messages such as ‘Exercise til it hurts,’” Holland says. “If someone sees the positive information listed ... they will be swayed to think all of (fitspiration) is positive and helpful – when in fact, it is not.” Jodi Rubin, the creator of Destructively Fit, a training program to help fitness instructors spot eating disorders in their clients, offers this advice for people who want to participate in the online fitness community without becoming dangerously obsessive about it: Being active can and should be fun, she reminds. “I use that as a gauge often,” Rubin says. “Hopefully, exercise is fun for people. When it starts to become a drag, when it starts to feel like if I don’t go then I’m not going to feel good about myself” – that’s when it becomes a potential problem, she says.

Interesting article - I spend a lot of time with "fitspo" types of imagery on Pinterest and Tumblr and I can see how it can influence you.

I think everyone loves food don't they? This is where the rubber meets the road - discipline and mindfulness are very important now - our heads get in the way a lot of the time, it was my own head that allowed me to eat my way to 318 lbs and it will be my head that gets me out of that mess - along with my handy sleeve hang in there - everyone loves food - focus on the basics, get away from the food, work on hydration and move your body.

What an awesome, awesome site! Thank you sooo much for the link to this - I struggle with dysmorphia terribly and cannot wrap my mind around what I look like - it is so nice to see the different sizes and shapes and see where I am

I would love to get some help with this - As I type on my PC running Windows 7 64 bit - now I am using italics, which I have not selected. Sometimes I attempt to post and strikethrough is what I get - again I have not selected this option, nor can I post and have it do anything else unless I write my posts in Word and cut and paste onto a new reply or post. So frustrated!!!!!!! See now it is underlined! Is this something on my end? It just recently showed up. HELP PLEASE.

The only consumption issue I have with my own 16/8 schedule is that I like a cup of French press coffee with a teaspoon of sugar - early. I also think it will get easier when the new semester starts and I have classes that start early and I have early commitments other days of the week.

Rofl! I was reading one of the articles on Hugh Jackman and his IF/Leangains training program getting ready for The Wolverine - my husband sees the article and immediately flexes and puffs up lol. He wants to know if he looks like him I told him his workout schedule is good but he needs a lot more protein to put on that much muscle. I don't know if my hubby would leave if he showed up at our house - I think we would both pick his brain about fitness...and If Emily Blunt showed up heck even I might kick my husband out

Bah I really wish I could post and have use of the editor - so I will just keep replying to my own post lol. I think I am going to give the 5:2 plan a spin. I have been doing Leangains and I love it - which is more of the 16/8 - fast/feed daily schedule. After reading on Butter's maintenance post I researched getting a resting metabolism test done - turns out that they do them at Swedish - the medical center Fiddleman and his wife had their surgery at (see you guys on Saturday at support group - I think I will go see them and check it out.

Im still plugging away - my body seems to like hovering around 172-174 so I have not seen much downward progress with the numbers - I figure I have some excellent company though. I was one of those that the scale started to stop until I was having my cycle - then woo then scale would show losses of anywhere from 2-10 lbs. Now I think the dreaded (or not so dreaded) change is upon me and who knows when my cycle will appear these days. The weight does not want to budge! I feel great and am so happy with my progress, I never could have done this without my sleeve - I am just so looking forward to the day I can say that I achieved my goal weight - what a milestone that will be!

I think you will be fine! Brent and I had spectacular 1 year bloodwork - everything was right where it should be, and this was with not always being so vigilant with the supplements (miss a day or two here or there - don't like a new vitamin so I am not taking any of that today etc.) I think you and Lauri (sp?) have made such remarkable improvements to your health over the last years that the thought of getting news that you might be off on anything might make one nervous - I predict everything will be great!

Gastric Sleeve Veteran's Forum (NEW FORUM) This forum is dedicated to veteran Sleevers who are six or more months post-op, to discuss issues specific to those who are further along in their journey. You must have 100 posts in order to post here.

And folks that are on or approaching the pre-op diet - the goal is to shrink your liver, this vital organ is lifted with a small retractor to get at your stomach . Yes the benefit of losing weight prior to the surgery is great, but reducing the size of the liver is what is crucial as most of us who are over a healthy BMI have some level of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. What that means is that your liver is large, puffy, and soft - My surgeon compares it to the texture of foie gras and it can be very easily damaged if you do not comply with your diet protocol. You want to talk about the mother of all complications - inadvertently slicing your liver is not good. Low carb diets rapidly shrink the liver and change its texture and size for a safer surgical procedure. Every Doc has a different protocol - my surgeon does not have his patients do liquids but rather Atkins induction in the weeks prior to surgery. Every gram of glycogen has about 3 times that in Water attached to it - thus why we drop weight so rapidly on a very low carb diet initially - the water is going as we burn off our glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stores. Here is a good read about how our bodies metabolize glycogen stores. http://www.justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/ None of this is easy - it is very much about discipline, turning yourself around to learn how to really take care of ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. No, not easy, but hands down probably the nest thing you will ever do for yourself and your health in the long run.

Just logged some gym time on My Fitness Pal and thought I would post my MFP avatar - really makes you want to get up and shake it haha!

really?

Seattleite here (but you knew that), I think I went wrong when I wouldn't stop eating things that were terrible for me in copious amounts over many years coupled with my goal to stop moving haha.

Just like when the computer needs a reboot - so do our eating habits Reboot to the rules we all need to follow for success- Protein first, oceans of non-caloric, non carbonated liquid, drop the carbs - I go for Atkins 72 personally - which means 0-20 grams a day to detox from flour, sugar, etc. Don't beat yourself up - yesterday is gone. Be honest about what you consume and expend. This is a process that will never end

Lol see it never ends - I look at my own ticker and realize I have 32 lbs to go to hit goal and not 42. Lord knows the work involved when I eventually do attain the elusive 140 lbs. I have never gotten there.

My husband and I deal with this on a daily basis and we have both had the surgery hah! He works out like an animal 6 days a week, he has a gym at work and has pals that he works out with daily - I am not quite there yet. He lost all of his weight in the first six months and is maintaining and is building muscle - competing in events like the Warrior Dash etc. Meanwhile, I am not in maintenance - I have 42 more lbs. to burn and like many others, the losses have slowed way down for me - I will get there eventually though. I certainly am not going to get down on myself at this stage of the game. In truth, I am already there as my Doc says - all of my co-morbidities have been resolved. It is still hard to wrap my mind around the truth that I am only a few lbs away from being just overweight rather than super morbidly obese. I often struggle with body dysmorphia issues - washing my own clothes and not realizing they are mine, always thinking "I cant fit into something that small" these aren't my clothes and just generally not being able to see myself. Over the past months I have thought an awful lot about this very issue - I know in some ways it has to be tied to identity - and for those of us who have never seen themselves as athletic (me) trying on a new viewpoint. I am getting to the point that I actually look forward to exercise (how crazy is that!) - I know that I need to continually be mindful and focus on how much better I feel about myself being more active, and to remember just how far I have come - I am literally unrecognizable from who I was only a year ago not to mention 2,3,5,10 years ago. Change comes incrementally - those short evening walks a couple times a week turn into running 7-10 mph on a treadmill very quickly. Progress is cumulative - all of those little changes we make add up to some pretty big victories. My husband goes out and challenges himself with much more exercise than I do and we spend time each week doing active things together that are easier for me. I don't know if I will ever see myself as athletic but I am working on it

The hardest part of all of this is altering our mindset - and making the healthiest choices we can. Its really, really important to work on the habits that will make the surgery a success - what's the Doc say? Protein first. Protein first. Protein first. Take it from me - who just came back from a trip and witnessed my sister in law - who had lost all of her excess weight after a RNY - working her way back up - gaining 35 lbs since Christmas eating crap - little bits at a time.

I have been having the same problem out of the blue - my work around was to make a word doc and cut and paste from there- just a bit clunky...I am on Windows 7 desktop as well.

Food funerals don't mean much when you are addicted to food. Even after surgery you will have the same issues with food after you heal and a ways out from surgery. Then the stakes are even higher, because to undo all of one's hard work on this marathon of a journey is tragic. Honestly I think most of us struggle with this stuff.

2. Don't ever do a plank in a loose shirt that you can look down, you will be terrified! Hahaha! I have scared myself a few times with that one What's so strange is how the remaining fat and skin is like some strange outfit you have on - standing in place and shaking oneself too and fro (like a dog shaking off water) is crazy...some days I think I could start an earthquake...

The Fitbit and the neat scale are on my wish list for my birthday - good to hear that you guys love it!