Category: tbt

eating · fitness · tbt

Vegans and Protein: Yes, We Like It, Too #tbt

Tracy I

Yesterday a friend posted about how her kid’s lunch got knocked off the table at school and so she had to get a school lunch. The child is vegan. And because of that the school could come up with nothing but a few lettuce leaves for her to eat. That made me (and a bunch of other people ( both sad and furious at the same time. But it also sort of amazed us (not in a good way). I mean, how is it that people who specialize in food preparation can’t come up with something a little more subtantial that has no animal products in it?

That made me remember one of my favourite blog rants, which was this rant about chefs who can’t figure out a vegan meal with protein. As if a pile of veggies, no matter how wonderfully prepared, stands in as a satisfying meal. That was 2015. Things have actually improved somewhat in 2019, with more vegan restaurants or “plant-based” sections on a menu in omni restaurants. But still!

Have a good one. TI

blogging · fitness · tbt · Throwback Thursday

Why so much personal writing on a feminist blog? #tbt

Tracy I1 Comment

I just finished grading papers for my class “The Art of the Personal Essay” and I continue to have so much respect for personal writing and the stories it enables people to tell. So it’s got me thinking (again) about personal writing. We do a lot of it here on the blog — the majority of our posts involve personal writing at some level, even if it’s a post focusing on commentary. I thought it might be good to revisit why we do that. So here is a post from a couple of years ago as a #tbt that considers why our blog has so much personal writing on it. Have a good one! T

fitness · swimming · tbt · training

On Doing What Makes Us Feel Like Kids Again #tbt

Tracy I3 Comments

Yesterday Sam wrote a serious post about how most of her exercise these days is not fun. And she’s doing it anyway. I felt profound relief when she got to the part where she said she can still ride a bicycle (the thing that most makes her go “wheeee!”) and lift weights.

It made me reflect a bit on my own activities and how my definition of “fun” has changed from “fun” to “challenging with a bit of fun thrown in.” In honor of spring, I thought I’d repost something from my swimming days about doing these that make us feel like kids again. Lately for me that hasn’t been swimming (not fitting into my plans these days), but rather colouring books (the ones for adults) and photography (SO much fun). But even those don’t quite reach the fun level of the little swim sprint races I describe in this post.

Have you had any kid-like fun lately?

diets · eating · eating disorders · fitness · health · overeating · self care · tbt · weight loss

Metabolic Health Is a Feminist Issue #tbt

Tracy I3 Comments

For #tbt posts I like to go back to the same month in a previous year. Today we go back six years, to February 28, 2013, when I posted about metabolic health. Reading posts from the early days helps me to see how far I’ve come since we started the blog over six years ago. In this post, I finally “got it” about why it’s important to eat enough.

Over the last few years, my thinking and practice has shifted completely. Rarely do I worry about “eating too much,” unless in the sense of eating to physical discomfort, which simply doesn’t feel good. I think my metabolism has recovered from any damage I did in my decades of chronic dieting with the weight loss-gain roller coaster that comes along with it. Besides the idea of Intuitive Eating, this concept of Metabolic Health really helped me get to where I am today. If that’s of interest to you, read on….

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · tbt · Throwback Thursday

On Pacing Yourself *During* the Holidays #tbt

Tracy I

We aren’t quite there yet and I’m not having any guests this year, but this post about pacing ourselves during the holidays seems like a timely #tbt nonetheless. Enjoy!

fitness · running · tbt · winter

Bracing myself for winter running…again #tbt

Tracy I

As I brace myself again for winter running, this post from last year seems a propos. Why does winter running always feel SO HARD at the beginning, when it’s not even as cold or icy or windy as it’s going to get?

fitness · tbt

The Shape of an Athlete #tbt

Tracy I

For today’s #tbt I’m reposting an oldie but goodie from the early days of the blog (when I wasn’t even yet into photography!). Howard Schatz’s amazing work debunking the idea of “one look” for athletes has helped us in countless ways as we do our best to be a voice for fit bodies of all shapes and sizes. If anyone doubts that athletic capacity is not all about being tall, thin and lean (though some of these athletes are that, yes), you need look no further than Schatz’s work in The Shape of an Athlete. Enjoy!

fitness · tbt · Throwback Thursday

Nipples: Why So Controversial? #tbt

Tracy I1 Comment

As I looked back on past July’s and landed back in 2016, I decided to reblog something in keeping with our body policing/body shaming themes that have emerged in the recent posts about swimwear and body hair. Also, it’s Wimbledon! I actually haven’t been following my favourite tennis tournament this year so I don’t know what the latest controversies are, but a couple of years ago people were upset about nipples. We’ve got them, but no one wants to see them “out of context.” Read more….

fitness · running · tbt

As Summer Approaches, Tracy Takes Stock #tbt (from June 2013)

Tracy I

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, I go back to the very first summer of the blog, back when Sam and I weren’t even 50 yet, didn’t have a book in mind, and weren’t sure what our “goals” for our Fittest by 50 Challenge were. In this post, I consider the shifting sense of goals, some difficulties I had with the concept, and set myself the goal of running a half marathon (continuously) before my 50th birthday. I had forgotten all about that. And in fact, my fittest by 50 goal changed from that to an Olympic distance triathlon (of which I did two before I turned 50). I have done several half marathons since then, but none continuous. I’m working on continuous running now, and have done 10Ks, but not yet a half. Perhaps this is a new goal I can set for my October half? We’ll see. Meanwhile, I like this post a lot, and will undertake an actual “stock-taking” of where I’m at this summer, at 53, next week. Tracy I

fitness · tbt

Are Women-Only Races Sexist? No. Are They Good for Women? Yes. #tbt

Tracy I

For today’s #tbt I searched back to April 2013, five years ago, to see what we were writing about. It’s extremely interesting to me to observe the evolution of the blog over the past five years and especially how my thoughts on some things have changed. But one thing that hasn’t changed is my support of women-only spaces, including events. There is still a place for them and I’m glad we have them. For more, read on….
Have a good one!
Tracy