comments on today's workout:
jumprope: Doing this inside for now, but should take it outside.
lunges: OK
push ups: Doing 5 reps for now. I should try going lower.
eating: I was supposed to comment on half servings today. I feel like eating everything while I can. Even the things that I rarely or never eat, which is probably not a good thing. Eating half servings is probably more difficult than eating small servings in its entirety. Parents visiting from the States tonight. That's going to make eating challenging.
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Okay, back to the title...
It was really interesting to set up the photos for the banner and the site in general. I believe in setting intentions and visualizations, as I’ve learned over the years in yoga and meditation, but yesterday, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t really thought about a body type I aspire to embody. I suppose I just wanted to be a better version of myself!
When it comes to choosing an inspiration, it was important to me that I chose a person I could respect- not just admire their body. Patrick’s choice of Bruce Lee, in this sense made a lot of sense.
So. I had a hard time choosing someone / an image. The first that came to mind were dance related:
but here, Martha Graham is probably at least 20 years older than I am now, and we don’t even see her body... the other one was:
I love the Alvin Ailey Company, but am not sure who this dancer is. Maybe it doesn’t really matter.
This is actually how I want to feel when I'm done. I guess this would have been my ideal blueman.
The visual that I ended up choosing was not so much for the role Natalie Portman played in this shot, but for her approach to her craft as an actress, her dedication to her causes, and that fact that she has a trim, toned and feminine body at 5’3”- an inch taller than I am.
Before I thought of Natalie Portman, I thought of Halle Berry, from this photo:
... but it’s probably my new short do that gives me a sense of affinity with her than anything else. I mean, she’s tall. She’s a runway model.
So then, I started looking at people my height (and possibly my body type, if they'd let themselves go):
Kylie Minogue
I like her tone. And her tiny waist. I remember reading in a women’s magazine somewhere that when you’re a short person, we can create the illusion of height by creating a tiny waist- a contrast from the upper part of the torso and the hips. I think there is even a mathematical ratio for it.
Tracy Andersen
She’s got definition. She's little but strong and toned. She used to be Madonna’s trainer. I like her workouts because they're fun and you can take it with you on the road. The problem is that there is something about her that hints porn star to me (no offense, Tracy, or any of her followers!). Too sexy? The voice? I don't know, but for some reason, I get that aura about her, so she doesn’t work for me as inspiration material.
I think I like Natalie Portman and Halle Berry’s physique in these photos the best because they both have tone but are still feminine and soft.
As far as what I relate to most, in terms of my body shape now?
Renee Zellweger on the left is me pre-pregnancy, when I was eating and drinking as much as my husband (who weighs almost twice my weight), and right, almost what I looked like when I was burning mega calories breastfeeding. Breastfeeding actually brought me down to the weight I was when I first met my husband. I felt much more energized and everything felt better, but still, I had little to no tone.
I loved Bridget Jones’ Diary, but don’t want to identify with the Bridget Jones body type!
Natalie Portman was up on the banner for a day, but I’ve changed it to the amazing soaring dancer from the Alvin Ailey Company, whose name I’ve since learned is Dwana Adiaha Smallwood.
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