Last week I was called out for my unattractive toes in the scale picture. I admit, they are not my best feature. I definitely thought about getting a pedicure this week, but then I didn't. No surprise there. The last time I got a pedicure or painted my nails was before my wedding - almost two years ago. Tim should just be happy I still brush my teeth.
So my weight went down a little, but I was eating the same calories and working out a little less. So....yeah. My only guess is that since I just found out about my wheat/soy allergies, I am dealing with less inflammation and water retention. I can get on board with that.
(Want to know why I'm posting random pictures of my weight? Read here.)
Before I forget, the winners of the 13.1 Race in Atlanta are: Julie F. and Kristin W. Congrats, ladies! You can thank Random.org for that. Send me an email and I'll send you your codes for free race entries. Everyone else who wants to run the race, use this code at checkout to save 10 bucks:
Now that that's out of the way, we can get to the good stuff. Please feel free to share your thought, opinions or questions about the following topic:
So my weight went down a little, but I was eating the same calories and working out a little less. So....yeah. My only guess is that since I just found out about my wheat/soy allergies, I am dealing with less inflammation and water retention. I can get on board with that.
(Want to know why I'm posting random pictures of my weight? Read here.)
Before I forget, the winners of the 13.1 Race in Atlanta are: Julie F. and Kristin W. Congrats, ladies! You can thank Random.org for that. Send me an email and I'll send you your codes for free race entries. Everyone else who wants to run the race, use this code at checkout to save 10 bucks:
GOURMET10OFF131
Now that that's out of the way, we can get to the good stuff. Please feel free to share your thought, opinions or questions about the following topic:
Does Pinterest Encourage Eating Disorders?
Having a blog and working from home on my computer SHOULD mean I'm totally aware of social media sites, but I'm still a little late to the party in most cases. I don't have a Twitter account or a Pinterest account. I can, however, see how addictive Pinterest can be. Twee little hipster photos, incredible recipes and 7 gazillion wedding ideas make for entertainment, I get it. And let's be honest, I'll probably have an account within the year. I yield easily to peer pressure.
The problem is that with over ten million users and a real visual appeal for young women, something helpful and entertaining can turn into a breeding ground for eating disorders and unhappiness with your own body. Take the following picture from Pinterest, for example. I think most people would say that this does cross the line and emphasizes weight loss above all else:
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But what about these pictures? These are two screencaps of what you get when you type in "fitness inspiration" on Pinterest:
From what I understand, Pinterest (as well as Tumblr) have taken steps to eliminate material that promotes anorexia and disordered eating/thinking. But to someone with anorexia, wouldn't ALL of the above photos be just as dangerous?
My Thoughts: I don't love the recent increase of Pinterest fitness quotes/images floating around. I understand the message for most bloggers is fitness rather than skin and bones, but it's still valuing a certain look above all else. I don't think trying to get fit, trying to get to a healthy body weight or even trying to look good in a bikini is a bad thing. I just don't know if we need to put sexy images of women in with the message of health. Somehow I don't think charts that correlate obesity with high blood pressure would be as "pinnable" though, do you?
What are your thoughts? Love Pinterest, love fitness inspiration and hate this post? Tell me. Do you visit Pinterest but stick to DIY and food recipes? Do you think those struggling with eating disorders will suffer with or without Pinterest?
If you find this topic as interesting as I do, here are a few articles that cover the subject a little better from Salon and Jezebel.
it took me a long time to jump on the whole pinterest thing. and i still kind of "binge" use it where I love it for a few days and then get bored. i love looking up workout ideas, recipes and inspirational quotes but i usually stay away from pinning a bunch of pictures of people that are supposedly "in great shape"...honestly it just doesn't motivate me that much because then i compare and wish i could be exactly like that and that will never be the case because im not them. i will say that i have done some pretty awesome workouts i have gotten off pinterest. like as in i have not been sore from lifting in a while but those things did me in;)
ReplyDeleteLOL I totally am a Pinterest binger too.
DeleteI'm really not one for fitness inspiration/inspirational quotes, so those pictures don't really do anything for me. That being said, I understand where you're coming from, but at the same time, don't really take issue with the pictures being posted. A lot of the quotes are about motivating yourself to move, but don't really scream disordered eating/exercising to me. That could just be me being naive, though.
ReplyDeleteI love pinterest, but that's probably because I use it to find insanely over the top baked goods to make.
I just joined pinterest and I love it! though I have NO idea how people can spend hours on there. I've only pinned things I'm actually working on or using for inspiration and I think my vast list of home improvements and art pieces that are done can speak for that ;)
ReplyDeleteI have yet to tackle any of the recipes I've pinned but I will....one day.
I have NONE of those stupid skinny quotes. I love my Buddha belly and the only reason I change my workouts or eating habits is because I FEEL like crap, not because I want to look better. I'm sick of caring about my looks, they're over-rated.
Nice weight drop. IMO if you can lose 3 lbs in a week it was most likely just the natural cycle of things. I go up and down all the time from 127-132 I never care :)
maybe it was only 1 lb...I forget
DeleteI DID love Pinterest but I find it so hard to keep up with. I feel like I have so many social media accounts and I just don't have the time for everything. I get what you're saying though. There is a plethora of sexy fitness images that I am "guilty" of pinning too. I find it inspiring that some people are able to shape their bodies into what they are, even if I never become that. It can get dangerous though, especially if someone has a history of negative body image. My favourite Pinterest photos are the Ryan Gosling "hey girl" series! Great post!
ReplyDeleteObviously, Ryan Gosling is the exception to this! :)
DeleteI have a Pinterest account but I think I've only used it like once. Mainly just because I'm lazy. haha! I'm pretty torn on the topic of what 'causes' eating disorders. Since I had one myself I think it is more psychological and comments from friends/family/loved ones. That said I definitely think images and quotes like you shared make it harder for people with eating disorders to get over them.
ReplyDeleteNot sure one word of what I just said makes any sense. haha!
You have some vein-y feet. Post that on Pinterest and see if anyone starts using it as diet motivation because looking at that could put me off my chow.
ReplyDeleteI think there is too much pressure on woman, especially young girls, to be stick skinny. And most men don't even like that. Do I wish I was thin again? Oh yes. But I look at pictures of me at 115-120lbs pre kiddos and I look sick. My collar bone is sticking out. My eyes look sunken in. That, to me, isn't attractive by any means. Tone and healthy are more important to me then if I can pose half naked in panties and TShirt or a bikini. I just wish more girls would understand that Skinny does not mean healthy.
ReplyDeleteI like Pinterest but primarily for food. I have a couple quotes and things but I don't really get the muscular or skinny women picture thing. Quotes work but pictures of other people's bodies don't really!
ReplyDeleteI like Pinterest and do look at some of the fitness pics but certainly don't repin the super skinny ones. I think strong is better.
ReplyDeleteI wish it weren't the case, but sexy images of women 'sell' everything...even the idea of fitness and health.
ReplyDeleteHadn't really paid any attention to the images to tell you the truth!
ReplyDeleteI go on Pinterest like once a month, pin approximately 900 brownie recipes, 7 good teaching ideas, and 2 crafts I want to make and then never actually do any of it. Also I've read that quote at least 4 times and I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI am on Pinterest but I haven't found it as addicting as other people, I randomly get on and look for photography ideas or clothing ideas or housework stuff or running logos/fitness workouts, but I don't get on every day or anything. It's just another website for people to get addicted to! lol
ReplyDeleteI don't use pinterest, figure I don't need another addiction. Been struggling with some weight gain myself, so you inspire me! xoxo
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteYou know, from my pictures, that I'm a BIG girl. I wish I wasn't. I really wish I looked like those dang inspiration photos, but guess what I don't. Is it healthy - nope. BUT . . . you know what, I run half marathons! Not fast and it could be ohhh so much easier to do it at a healthy weight, but I run half marathons and I weigh twice your weight so that . . . to me, and to my bigger peers . . . is impressive and maybe even a little inspirational. So yeah, I don't think we should always tie in a skinny tastic photo and link it to inspiration. You go girl - preach it!
wow, I honestly never thought of it that way which makes me sad because my main focus with my blog, twitter, pinterest, etc is to motivate and inspire women to be HEALTHY. Nothing else. Ugh, makes me wanna go delete some of my motivational pins! seriously.
ReplyDeleteI just thought if I put some of those "pins" on my fridge, I wouldn't open it quite as often!! LOL!
I would probably use pinterest more if it wasn't blocked at my work ;-) But seriously - I think images of thin women with six packs are more thin-inspiring than fit-inspiring. When I see images like that it's almost like my mind goes into "maybe I should try to lose weight"-mode when I'm actually at a healthy weight and am active, eat right, and feel great. But I don't know that there's any way to control it - it's our culture at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI like pinterest but I do think it you have to keep in the front of your mind that those are pictures of other people - so they have a different body and different issues so I have no expectation that I will/should look like them. For me, I use it as an inspiration to head towards a goal - not become that goal.
ReplyDeletei'm with you, being healthy doesn't equate to having a super skinny, super cut body. i find it depressing to think how much i work out and what i eat and know i will never look like pictures of those girls! so yeah, those pictures = not healthy in my book. healthy in the mental aspect anyway.
ReplyDeletethinspiration has always been around online, and it always will be. Sites like tumblr and pintrist just make it more visible.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think pinterest fuels people to strive toward something inachieveable. The perfect wedding, the perfect clothes, the perfect decor, the perfect body....then again that's most of media today.
ReplyDeleteI try to only focus on the positive parts though.
I think my feet are ugly but I do try to keep them "dolled" up with polish and a good scrub down especially during the summer.
I have really mixed feelings on Pinterest. Mine was more from the new abundance of be happy, feel positive quotes..we've almost made it so that if you are sad or having a bad day you feel bad about it because darn it there are a million quotes telling you that you can change your mind
ReplyDeleteI think eating disorders will/would be around with or without pinterest. There will still be girly magazines and other propaganda which sends the wrong message daily.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating and complicated topic. I started a similar post, along the lines of "don't call me a 'fitness blogger'" but haven't finished it yet...
ReplyDeleteI am appalled by eating disorders and the way mass media plays a leading role in distorting female body image...
But ultimately I agree with Kyria - eating disorders would exist without Pinterest. (They might not exist if we got rid of *all* mass media... tv, magazines, movies, billboards, photos on the internet... but I'm more likely to win the Boston marathon than to see the end of mass media!)