[side note: LOVE my hobo wallet and you can check them out here!]

Suze Orman guest starred on The Biggest Loser a few seasons back and admitted that she can pick the winners by their FICO score!! What?! Think about it!!

The way you are with money is a huge predictor of how you are with food and exercise!!!  If you look at my past, you’ll see the same patterns for me!  My goal with money is to pay off debt…ugh! The dreaded American debt. Confession: It’s a huge source of embarrassment that we have any but we’re working hard to pay it off.  In the past though, I’d go on a really strict budget…reasoning that with debt I don’t deserve to buy anything! But, then there’s a point where that’s not realistic so I’d binge on my budget and splurge!  One step forward, three steps back. It was the same with my diet. I would be SO strict…ridiculously strict, like with my contest diet.  Then, once I hit my breaking point [ again, because that's not realistic] I’d splurge/binge! This is not the way to live!

It was a great wake up call for me to recognize the correlations between money and diet/exercise in my life!!! I’ve worked hard in 2010 to change that and add moderation into both money and diet/exercise and it’s working better for me!  Giving myself a reasonable budget so I can still have some of the things I want…like my entryway rug [look at my pic to the left!] that gives me joy every day versus walking by and every day wishing  I had a rug in there…..while still paying off $x amount of debt every month.

We’ve made a very simple budget that works really well and we’re loving it and seeing more progress than with any other method so far!  And, with diet and exercise, allowing myself to choose life over a strict diet or exercise routine has been wonderful!  I’ve maintained my weight through months of trying to conceive and even the start of my pregnancy I’ve kept my weight within reason.  Allowing myself to eat “bad” things but in moderation. Allowing myself to be “normal” sometimes. And, most importantly, eating for health versus for the perfect body.

Pregnancy has been great for both money and diet/exercise for me!  A baby coming definitely puts things in perspective with money. And, I had to gain a few lbs to get pregnant. I had to use my body for what it was designed versus a tool for me to “look” good to the rest of the world. Who cares what everyone else thinks? I did. Way too much. And, now, being pregnant, the goal of taking care of my growing baby is more important than how I look.

Don’t get me wrong…I have a weight I’ll work toward getting back to after our baby is born, but not be sacrificing my health or happiness!! And, I want to look presentable and fashionable because that’s fun and that’s me…but it’s not who I am. I’m still just as cool in a sweatshirt and jeans or even [gasp!] sweatpants!

Get real with yourself….are your patterns with money and food the same? Want to share like I did? I’d love to know!!!

I know that money is a touchy and private subject, but we’re all working to do better and be better or we wouldn’t be reading others’ blogs!!

I found this when looking through old drafts for a post! I wrote this on January 9 and never posted it!!!  The only problem is that I lost the youtube videos. So here it is….

This was on the news this morning [January 9, 2010].  She’s former Miss Universe in 2004, Jennifer Hawkins.  Reportedly the airbrushing would have retouched the “crease” (not a roll) on her waist and a “dimple” on her thigh (which I cannot find).  She obviously has to work extremely hard to stay in great shape and it’s nice to see how she actually looks!  She looks perfect to me, even unairbrushed.  Just my opinion.  She doesn’t need airbrushing and I’m glad she didn’t have any.

Personally, whenever I see a woman that I think looks amazing and then I see that she looks “chubby” [in our American terms] when she turns or bends a certain way, JUST LIKE ME, I feel better.  I realize that the ideal that I have been looking for since I turned 14, the ideal body fat % that I’ve been dieting to maintain forever will still have me looking a bit chubby at this angle or that bend or whatever….because we are human and we will not look like the models in the magazines…ever…because they don’t!  I feel more normal when I see how “she” [one of my body-role-models] looks unretouched.  “She” isn’t perfect and nor will I be…ever…ah! The key to happiness. I’m not perfect and never will I be!

Can you believe she is getting criticism for this cover?!  Well, ok it’s not that surprising…. She looks AMAZING!!  She’s in great shape. She’s beautiful. She’s a model. Women hate her! Why, ladies, do we hate her? Stop it!  Women everywhere are saying that she is tall, skinny, and in great shape so she doesn’t represent most of America…why not??!!  WHY NOT??!!

That is a whole different issue to me….the hatred of women in great shape! Why can’t we embrace women who have figured out what are trying to figure out – how to get and stay in shape – and work with them to be like them?  Why can’t we learn from each other? Grow with each other? Encourage each other?

Why do we have to hate women who have it figured out? Why do we have to hate women with better genes than us who can eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce?  Why hate women who are suffering with eating disorders and hating themselves every day?  Help them!  We’re women and we need to stick together and work together and embrace each others’ strengths and weaknesses. We need to learn from each other and surround ourselves with women who make us better!!!

Model Jennifer Hawkins spoke of supporting her charity of choice The Butterfly Foundation and I had the youtube video but it’s off msnbc.com now so…..if you want more info you can check out the link.  The Butterfly Foundation provides support for Australians who suffer from eating disorders and negative body image issues and their carers.

A similar conversation was started when Jamie Lee Curtis posed in More Magazine in 2002.  It was her idea to do a photoshoot without airbrushing those photos.  Prior to this photoshoot she had been in many movies showing her fit figure.  So, seeing her in this way was nice for many women.

Another, more recent model who hit the news was plus sized model, Lizzie Miller, in the Fall of 2009 regarding unretouched photos of herself in Glamour Magazine.  And, even she says she cringed a bit when she first saw it.  But, women everywhere have been talking about this ever since. It made women feel better about themselves rather than worse!

I have mixed feelings about this. In general, you all know how I feel about accepting and loving yourself and your body. You also know how I feel about health and that includes weight. There is a healthy weight everyone should be BUT you can be that healthy weight and be unhealthy.  You cannot say that everyone who is x size is healthy or unhealthy…it’s just not that simple!

I have always been concerned about women in the public who proclaim they are healthy when they are clearly obese….Obviously this does not pertain to Lizzie Miller [photo to the right] but that’s always bothered me. I feel like we should love our bodies in whatever stage they are. I feel like we should accept why we are there, whether it is our fault, meds, disease, pregnancy, etc. It’s not ok to blame but accept and embrace where we are at that moment. BUT, to say someone is healthy when they are not has always bothered me.  There is a particular waist size and body fat percentage that puts people at risk for tons of diseases and is simply unhealthy.

What do you think?  Am I being unreasonable?

Do you want to see more “normal” and unairbrushed images in magazines?

]]> http://fitoriblog.com/unairbrushed-photos-of-models/feed/ 10 http://fitoriblog.com/eating-disorders-how-close-is-the-line-with-dieters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eating-disorders-how-close-is-the-line-with-dieters http://fitoriblog.com/eating-disorders-how-close-is-the-line-with-dieters/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:16:47 +0000 tori http://fitoriblog.com/?p=2628 image source As you know, eating disorders is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have said before that the bodybuilding world is very close to or is in some way intertwined with eating disorders. And, I have often wondered where the line is with many of us who seem obsessed with our bodies, even if it doesn’t reach the definition of an eating disorder. The definition of anorexia nervosa actually includes the weight of the individual yet it is a psychological disorder. I am glad that the many definitions and categories of eating disorders are growing!  I think EDs come in many shapes and sizes of individuals and many different forms of suffering. I read many healthy living blogs and [...]]]>

image source

As you know, eating disorders is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have said before that the bodybuilding world is very close to or is in some way intertwined with eating disorders. And, I have often wondered where the line is with many of us who seem obsessed with our bodies, even if it doesn’t reach the definition of an eating disorder. The definition of anorexia nervosa actually includes the weight of the individual yet it is a psychological disorder. I am glad that the many definitions and categories of eating disorders are growing!  I think EDs come in many shapes and sizes of individuals and many different forms of suffering.

I read many healthy living blogs and sometimes I will read a post and will think to myself and wonder if that person has crossed the line a little and is in a scary “head-space.”  I’ve been there. I think it’s really easy to go there during a diet…..thinking of dieting, food and body image more than anything else in the day and not being able to separate body image from self image.

Yesterday was a fantastic episode of Oprah with Portia de Rossi and I think her book sounds great!  She did a great job of explaining some of her feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.  Here is part of a transcript from the last couple of minutes of the show….PLEASE READ BELOW and tell me what you think….

[Oprah] You say you wrote it for everybody who’s ever been on a diet.

[Portia] Living with anorexia and bulimia is hell, but chronic dieting is also hell. Living your entire life, never feeling good enough about your body, always feeling like if you weighed a little less somehow you’d be happier…your life would be better…is a horrible way to live.  And, it’s a very short step from a full blown eating disorder, but really the only way I recovered from my eating disorder and from chronic dieting was to never ever restrict any kind of food, not even portion size.  And really it’s the only way that food loses it’s power over you.  If you can have something every day as much as you want, you tend not to want it as much anymore.  And after a period of time you actually eat what your body needs, you eat what makes you happy, and you don’t think about food ever again.

[Oprah] And that is how you healed yourself.

[Portia] And that is how I healed myself.

What she said really struck me. During contest prep I really started hating the diet and hating the obsession over my body. I wanted it to stop. I wanted to be normal again. And it took some time to get there. My body was CRAVING all kinds of foods and had been starved and when you’re starving you can’t control your diet! Food does control you. You. are. starving. You can’t have self control over food when you’re starving. It’s a losing battle.  You’re starving. You “cheat” on your diet. You feel like such a failure.  You start restricting again or just get back on your diet or whatever. Then, you hit a point where you are starving again and your body is craving something and you “break” and you “cheat” again….NOT because you are weak but because you are human and your body has needs that you are not fulfilling.

In these last few months after this competition, I have stabilized my hunger. I have stopped thinking about food all the time…what I can and cannot have. I eat normal portions. I make healthy choices for my health and my future children. I enjoy my food though. We eat whole and real foods but I add sour cream and butter and we have dessert. I do not beat myself up for my food choices. Sometimes I’ll feel full and say or think….probably ate too much…won’t do that again w/ that or there.  So what? Move on? You can adjust your diet around it or you can work out more or you can obsess all day about it or you can just let it go and move on.

I’m now rambling and could ramble all day about this subject, but I had to share that GREAT quote from Portia de Rossi yesterday and some thoughts about this….now share yours?

Any thoughts on what I shared about myself or on that quote from Portia?

Is she downplaying how easy it is to “recover” or “heal” from an ED?  Is her solution too simple?

OR is she exaggerating that dieters all have EDs? What do you think?

sources:  Unbearable Lightness book |  Oprah show with Portia de Rossi |

I am sorry I have been an absent blogger the last few days…I’ve been enjoying my life!

I took this photo while I was outside the other day taking photos.  I was admiring my curves and my booty!  I was noticing how my weight gain since the competition had been different than before and was admiring my lower half!

I am so grateful for this time of my life. I’ve been saying that for years and hopefully I will say that every day for the rest of my life.  I feel like I have the best part of my life still ahead.

I was not feeling so grateful during my competition prep because I just wanted to be propelled to after the comp and be done. I hated the body obsession that came with that time.

Now, it’s a different time and I’ve gained some weight. My ankle is hurt and I’m not as active as I would like to be.  I “rebounded” a bit after my competition and gained 5 pounds pretty steadily.

This is a time in my life where I am viewing my body for what it was intended rather than simply for what it looks like. Our body image (as women) is so complex.  This time is forcing me to love my body, even with an extra 10 pounds that I’d like gone!  I feel best lighter. My clothes [the TONS of clothes I've already purchased that I LOVE] don’t fit as well now.  But, I’m not lighter now. And, that’s ok!

I am aware that to be that lean is not the best idea for my body in this time of my life.  I am accepting that there is nothing wrong with me. This is me now. I will not look in the mirror and wish I was smaller. I will not wish I looked like someone else. I will not wish to be in a different time in my life, like back at contest prep time. Sure, I looked great, but I got there the wrong way and I didn’t feel my best. I feel pretty darn good right now.

I will lose the weight…hopefully after our first child.  Until then, I am a healthy 10 pounds heavier and hopefully fertile.  This time is good for me, mentally and I am thankful that God has a plan for my life.

Bottom line. Don’t wish to be somewhere or someone else. If you’re ready to make a change, make it. But do not wish to be someone else.  BE WHO YOU ADMIRE.  Act every day like a person that you would admire.  You will feel good about yourself every night when you lay your head on the pillow knowing you made good choices that day.  You will build self-confidence.

Tell me about a time when you felt good about yourself despite being in the “perfect” body

OR

Tell me about a time you struggled to obtain that “perfect” body and realized it’s not all it’s cracked up to be!

Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.

I am all about introspection. I think that’s what life is about.  If you search this blog for “journey” you’ll probably find 100′s of hits b/c I talk about my journey through life all the time.  If you’re new here, I’ll tell you….I believe that life is a journey and it’s all about what you learn along the way. I am constantly learning, throughout every day. I ask questions. I love wise people. I read a lot. I learn from TV. I learn what I want to be and don’t want to be.  I try to be better.  I try not to screw up.  But I am human and I do and I LEARN from it.

Where am I going with this? I want to explain what I’ve been thinking lately…since that’s what a blog is, right?  I am trying to find out what this is [this blog, that is].  Why am I spending my time blogging?  What I do is so different than the typical “healthy living blog” and it got me thinking… I don’t give you as much of my day on my blog. Many health living blogs give you all of their meals for the day and a lot of what they do. I do not. I don’t feel my day-to-day life is that interesting.

I love the healthy living and fitness blogging community. It’s an AMAZING group of strong women!  I am enjoying meeting them, learning from them and being inspired by them.  This blog post is inspired by an email correspondence with Fit Green Goddess.  We were talking about why we blog and why we are in the business of helping people be fit and healthy…because it is truly our passion to share this information and help people!

The Bottom Line. I do not want fans. I do not want a fan club. I do not have this Facebook page to fuel myself, my insecurities or build my self esteem. I assure you, I do not.

I DO THIS BECAUSE I CARE.  I DO THIS TO SHARE.  TO TEACH. TO INSPIRE. TO GET INSPIRED. TO LEARN AND TO GROW.  Read the caption on the tea bag above. I want to spread the light to you so you will be the light and spread the light also! [I like to travel and live light too...that's an ongoing struggle for me, but I'm working on it. Living lighter every day!]

I truly believe [I've said this 10 times] that most of America does not have the tools they need to succeed at weight loss because they simply do not have the information. I have spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours researching and learning and feel it’s my obligation to share this information!  I want women to feel like they can do anything! I want women to feel empowered to take life by the balls and get what they want out of life!

Anyway, just about every day I say to myself “why do I do this?” and then I remember. I am not trying to build thousands of readers so that I will feel good when I log in and see my “followers.” Instead, I want to log in and see a comment from someone that I taught them something or kept them inspired or helped them kick a bad habit.

So, what I do here is different. Is it different, good? I don’t know yet.  My blog has not reached that level of “success” yet. But do I want that kind of “success?”  I often tell my husband that I am already feeling “be careful what you wish for” because I am a member of some GREAT Facebook business pages but the ladies who run these sites must be on them all day every day. Do I want that?  Is that helping people?  I don’t know the answer yet.  [Which is part of the fun of life!]

My recent goal of building readers on my blog is to gain potential clients for my future business so that I can change their lives.  I can’t wait for that!  Maybe I will blog less when I have a group of FITori clients that I will be devoting my life to changing theirs.  Who knows.  Maybe my blog will be a breath of fresh air and JUST what the blogger world wants!  Who knows!  THE FUN OF LIFE IS NOT KNOWING WHAT WONDERFUL THINGS LIE AHEAD!!!

Why do you blog? Why do you read my blog?  What do you want to see here? What keeps you coming back?

Do I give enough of “myself” so that you feel like you “know” me?

Please give me 1 minute and 22 seconds of your time and I promise you will…

• smile
• feel better about yourself
• laugh at yourself for being so silly to ever hate your body for a second!!!

click on me for my source.

……….

I think the video says it all.

I mean really, what is “beauty”?  Aren’t we all beautiful?

Isn’t individuality more beautiful than all looking the same type of beautiful?

If you like this you REALLY need to check out the documentary America the Beautiful.

It’s available for instant streaming on Neflix.  Check it out!

……….

self portrait of FITori - wrong lens actually made a pretty cool pic!

As many of you know, I am redesigning FIToriBLOG again. You’ll see the new design soon!  It’s a really tough process to try to find a logo and design that captures I am and what I see for my brand, which essentially is me and what I want for myself and all of you. I want it to be feminine yet strong. It’s a tough process! I think we’re there.

I have included a sneak peak…

Don’t be surprised if one day soon the new blog looks something like this pic above!  I can’t wait!

I’ve been working on my About Me info for my new blog layout and remembered advice from that author of the book Operation Beautiful.  Her advice is shown below….

And, along with that, while working on my About Me info, I got this comment on a recent post.

Check out the grocery goddess jen!  Thanks for your comment, girlie!  It made me think…..

What do people want to know? How do I shorten who I am in such a small area, in a quick and easy to read section?  What will make them “like” me and keep coming back? In just a few words (I am long-winded) how do I share who I am, what I believe and why I am blogging.

………………………….

HELP!! What part of my “story” resonates with you and with new readers?

………………………….

Is it enough to tell you that TORI IS A….

wife  |  mother (to our dog)  |  daughter  |  sister  |  friend  |  full-time employee  |  Master’s Student (grad in Nov 2010)

FITNESS & NUTRITION student and enthusiast!!

Is it enough to ask you to join me as I….

take steps toward being healthier and happier  |  learn more about fitness and nutrition  |  start my business  | grow my blog and brand

Is it my FIGURE LESSONS post that helps you see who I am?  Is it my journey of how I got here that you need to know?

………………………….

The last thing I want is for someone to open my blog and see my competition picture and think…

“she’s not like me” | “she must not have to struggle with her weight” | “this must be easy for her” |

That’s now what I want AT ALL!!! I struggle daily.  I will always have to work at being healthy and to maintain my weight. But, this is my passion and I want to share what I’ve spent years researching! I want every woman to have the tools to be happy with her body and her health!

I want to inspire you to take control of the things in your life you want to change and…change them!

I want to empower you with the knowledge you need to be successful at achieving your goals!

I want you to feel confident in your body, that it will stand the test of time and will give you the physical strength to live the life you imagined!

I want you to feel the freedom to get dressed without tears and anger and go out into the world happy with your body, whether regardless of what the scale says.

I want you to be proud of yourself and how hard you work every day and go easy on yourself when you slip up. We are human.  We are not perfect.

I want you to stop comparing yourself to other women and compare yourself to you.

I want you to BE THE WOMAN (OR MAN) YOU ADMIRE!!!

………………………….

Email me  |  Contact page me  |  Comment on my FITori Facebook page |  Comment here

What About Me is most important to share?   (thank you.)

]]> http://fitoriblog.com/i-need-your-help-what-about-me/feed/ 4 http://fitoriblog.com/strong-female-leads-fall-tv-lineup/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=strong-female-leads-fall-tv-lineup http://fitoriblog.com/strong-female-leads-fall-tv-lineup/#comments Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:04:50 +0000 tori http://fitoriblog.com/?p=1783 A few years ago when I was looking for Netflix to recommend movies and TV shows for me, Netflix told me that I liked “strong female leads.”  Why yes, Netflix!  You are so smart!  I DO like shows with strong female leads!  One of my favorite shows was Alias partially because Jennifer Garner kicks ass!  I definitely recommend Alias though the last few seasons (if I recall) weren’t quite as good as the first few. This morning on the Today Show they did a story that the Fall TV Lineup for 2010 has a lot of new shows that have a Strong Female Lead or a Female Heroine.  Yay!  I love to hear that!  I can’t wait to check them out.  A few that they [...]]]>

A few years ago when I was looking for Netflix to recommend movies and TV shows for me, Netflix told me that I liked “strong female leads.”  Why yes, Netflix!  You are so smart!  I DO like shows with strong female leads!  One of my favorite shows was Alias partially because Jennifer Garner kicks ass!  I definitely recommend Alias though the last few seasons (if I recall) weren’t quite as good as the first few.

This morning on the Today Show they did a story that the Fall TV Lineup for 2010 has a lot of new shows that have a Strong Female Lead or a Female Heroine.  Yay!  I love to hear that!  I can’t wait to check them out.  A few that they mentioned were Chase (on NBC), Nikita (CW Network) & Covert Affairs (USA Network).  Let’s see how they do!

What are your favorite shows featuring tough, strong chicks?

You all know by now that I love muscles!  I love the physique of a tough, strong, muscular woman.  I have a great respect for women who work hard to stay lean and strong now that I’ve done it!  It’s hard work!

My idea of a strong and healthy physique has changed. I no longer think that 6% body fat is sexy.  BUT, I still think that a muscular physique on a woman is sexy!  What could be better than a woman who is strong and healthy enough to live??  I love that some of these ladies are NOT in their 20′s and they are still strong and sexy!!!  I hope to look as rockin’ as they do as I age!

I thought I’d share some of my favorite muscular physiques from the Emmys on Sunday.  Did I miss any?

Sources:

• celebrity-gossip.net
• yahoo tv
• zimbio
• accidentalsexiness.com

Yeah yeah, I’m supposed to be working on my Masters Paper today but I’m writing it on hostile work environment sexual harassment cases and I pulled out the book “Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law” and thought I’d be sure to let you all know what a GREAT read it is!

Above is the movie poster from the movie that was written based on the same book.  I, personally, liked the book better, but then I always do (except for The Notebook…sorry Nicholas Sparks).  The book was assigned reading in one of my Political Science classes….still love ya Prof. Sterett!!  I couldn’t put the book down.  The book is a quick read and it’s SO interesting. And, to know it’s true and that she worked hard for all of us to have a pleasant place to work is the coolest thing while reading it!

Buy it here on Amazon