Mind Your Own Beeswax! Is That Too Much to Ask For Anymore?

I just got off the phone with my mother and I'm infuriated! Apparently her neighbor, and so-called good friend, made a comment to her about the roundness of her stomach earlier today. Something to the extent of, "Well, apparently you didn't lose all of baby weight after having your daughter."

Great. Here we go again.

Now, if you've read my earlier entries on here, you will remember that my mother has struggled with eating disorders since her college days. Lately though, she' s been doing great. Although she's far from overweight, she has added a few healthy pounds to her frame in the last few months. Still though, I would estimate her weight at no more than 120 lbs, which is still pretty darn thin for a 5"6, soon to be 54-year-old women!

I have to worry that this comment will trigger some sort of regression. After all, the woman still weighs herself at least twice a day.

I'm sure it was an innocent enough comment that the aforementioned neighbor wouldn't have said had she known my mom's history. Still though, that begs me to wonder, why do some people feel that they have the right to openly judge and critique others for how they look? We've all been there before. The feeling of being watched while shopping for clothes, eating food, even just looking at food!

A few weeks ago I was at an open-air market near my house, when I spotted a gorgeous flowy, white top that I had to get a closer look at. As I inspected the top and searched for a price tag, I was immediately bombarded by the woman running the stand. "Oh don't worry, that will fit you. These fit everyone, even larger girls like you," she exclaimed, as if she were doing me a favor, rather than offering me an unsolicited reminder that I have a ways to go before reaching my goal. Needless to say, I did not get the top. As we were walking away, I complained to my stepmother about the backhanded comment made by the woman. She simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, what do you expect?"

Was I being too sensitive about the market lady? I know that my anger towards the neighbor's comment is justified. The last thing a former anorexic/bulimic needs is to hear a comment about their weight.

But is it really too much to ask that someone you don't know would just keep their mouth shut? After all, I would have never dreamed of saying to market lady that her outfit made her look as if she had stepped out of a 1980's Florida retirement home...

New Summer Workout: Weeding?

I've discovered that I enjoy weeding.

Yes, you read that correctly. I've never exactly been an "outdoor" kinda gal, to put it lightly.

My best friend still laughs about the time we took a hike in the woods behind her house back in high school and I had to take off my shoes and claw my way up a steep muddy hill because I kept sliding down. All while having a near panic attack because it was getting dark and I heard raccoons (the raccoons, in fact, turned out to be her trying to scare me). That being said, one could conclude that gardening, of all things, wouldn't exactly be my cup of tea.

As a kid, our neighbor once paid me $60 to weed an island in his yard. I made it about halfway through and that was the end of it. I hated it. Lately though, I've been having a change of heart.

For starters, weeding can be kind of therapeutic in a way. I'm finding it sort of relaxing. Taking your time, nowhere to be, no need to rush. Just go at your own pace. Something we could all use more of nowadays.

Another benefit? Free sun! I gave up tanning beds for good about a year or so ago and have since been relying on tanning lotions. As great as some are though, they just don't compare to the real thing. Sure, we all know that real sunlight can be just as damaging as the bed, but with protection, a little bit of rays can be healthy for everyone. I'm a girl who likes to lay out in the summer (yes, I know, bad girl). But unless I'm at the beach or pool, I get bored and barely make it a half hour. If you're outside doing something active though, it's pretty difficult to get bored. Plus, no need to keep switching sides like when you're laying out!

So, all of this being said, I was curious as to how many calories a serious weeder can burn. I mean come on, all that squatting, crawling, bending your body into weird pretzel like shapes (well, if you have steep and uneven land like ours), its gotta do something good for ya, right?

According to Glamour Magazine's Body By Glamour, vigorous gardening can burn up to 500 calories an hour! That's just about as much as you could do on any gym cardio machine. And if you think about it, even if you work at a moderate or slow pace, you're still guaranteed to burn at least a hundred calories.

Let's hope I don't ruin the parents' landscaping with this new hobby.

So I'm curious, , since it is summer, the season for being outdoors, are you a gym rat, or do you prefer taking your workout outside?