Cross-posted at Beyond Black & White
What is Fitspiration?
Based on what I have read online, "fitspiration" or "fitspo" is the process of creating, collecting, watching, and reading things that will inspire you to become physically fit. It can include collecting photos of fit women, making and watching videos, collecting and sharing inspirational quotes, and creating inspirational online posters combining images and quotes. I'm talking only about fitspiration not "thinspiration" where girls/women collect and share images and quotes of underweight women to support their eating disorder. This post is NOT about thinspiration or that pro-ana stuff, fat acceptance, or feminism. It's about inspiring yourself to become really fit using motivational images.
So I have decided (once again) that I want to become one of those really fit people and lose 20-30 pounds to look my best and be healthy (Whatever the reason you have for eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, the results are still going to be the same...better health and better looks. So no need to fuss about why you want to do it, just do it!). So, along with calisthenics, I plan to do 10,000 steps on the treadmill daily while I watch something on the computer. But I wanted to watch something inspiring instead of just TV shows and movies.
So I thought it might be helpful to look at fitspiration videos! I collected a bunch of them on YouTube...actually I collected over 170 that adds up to 8 hours of video! I started exercising and watching the videos and noticed there were very few Black women in them. So I searched for some with Black women and only came up with a handful. This is not a complaint post and I am just as motivated looking at non-Black women. It motivates me because by eating right and exercising I will be a fit, slimmer version of myself, able to run better and dance better, and I will healthier. I will be a part of the same lifestyle even though I don't look exactly like them. I don't get fixated on seeing someone looking exactly like me or "trying to be someone else", I'm more motivated by the control, dedication, attitude, and proof that a healthy lifestyle is possible and beneficial.
Would Black Women Benefit from More Fitspiration?
I'm wondering if BW seeing more fitspiration would inspire them to become healthier and fitness-minded? Maybe because a lot of the BW we see around us and in the media are overweight, or just not involved in fitness, maybe that makes us think it's not a lifestyle for us (i.e., fitness is for White people). Maybe if there were more of us in Nike commercials that would actually make a difference (I'm just not into looking like Serena). Maybe if we were in more of the fitness and healthy eating commercials and magazines then we would think that lifestyle was for us. No, I'm not using this to start a petition of athletic/fitness/health product companies, I am using it to understand why BW may not think about diets, healthy eating, and becoming gym rats the way White women do. If it's due to lack of media images then I'll have to collect those images myself and expose myself to them! I'll have to frequent fitness websites and videos regardless of race and have this lifestyle etched into my consciousness so that I want to achieve it all day every day.
I accept that 99% of the young women who make fitspo videos are White so they choose other White women for their videos so that doesn't bother me and I won'r complain to them. Could it also be the case that they couldn't find many images of fit Black models (e.g., bikini models, fitness models, dancers etc.)? The collected images are from magazines and advertisements posted online, or even photos fit women take of themselves so maybe there are just not many images of fit Black women available? My first instinct was to search Google images, Tumblr, and Pinterest to find images and make my own videos. But I changed my mind because there are a lot of things I want to do so I'll leave it up to someone else for now..hint hint! Below are two examples of Black fitspo videos and I prefer the first one. Here are two examples of White Fitspo videos: video1 and video2. I didn't make any of these videos and they have some images I don't like too, but they are good enough :)
By a man who likes fit Black women!
I wasn't inspired by this video. This might be by a man too!
There were a few videos of fit Black women, but when I compared the Black videos to the White videos there were some differences that made them less motivating to me and possibly a turn off to some women:
1) The Black videos featured a lot of body builders who were way to muscular and this would turn off any woman who doesn't want to look like that. On the other hand most of the the White videos had some fitness models (slimmer with less muscles) or women who looked like models and dancers.
2) The Black videos featured a lot of athletes especially track stars during competitions so they were not made up, with their hair done, posing to look perfect, or perhaps Photoshopped. So a physically attractive BW with some extra pounds might actually think she looks better than the fitspiration women. The White videos had more professional models looking their best, in the most flattering poses, and probably Photoshopped to make them look even more perfect. They had attractive bodies AND faces unlike in the Black videos.
3) The most motivating and attractive Black women were actually featured in videos made by MEN for MEN and not labeled fitspiration! I could tell that the White thinspiration videos were made by women. The male influence may bother some women (it doesn't bother me though).
4) On the positive side, many of the White videos had women who were very underweight and celebrities who have reported having eating disorders so I don't want to watch those videos. Fortunately I didn't see any such women in the Black videos so that's a good thing.
For the Fitspiration Critics
I don't know if fitspiration is right or wrong, but it exists and I think it will help me. Some people don't like fitspiration (e.g., those who only support "self-motivation" with no looking at other people for inspiration to do anything, and those against trying to improve your physical appearance for any reason. For example article1 and article2...objectification blah blah blah). Others think it's obsessive and are fearful that if they start dieting, eating healthy, or working out that they will become addicted and end up with anorexia or doing crazy things to get thin. Others feel bad about themselves when they see fitspo because they think it is impossible to achieve and don't see the value of even trying. So if you are fragile, have a history of eating disorder, know you have the tendency to go overboard and do crazy things, and if fitspo makes you hate yourself then it's definitely not right for you. But for those of us who know they will never try to starve themselves, don't want to look like waifs, and trust themselves to not go overboard, then fitspiration may be a helpful tool to help you achieve your fitness goals. It doesn't make me feel bad because I know I can do it and I have in the past so it's attainable. I don't think "fitspiration is something only White girls do and they all have eating disorders". I think to myself, 'A lot of White girls and other people seem to be able to keep their weight down and are into healthy eating and fitness. They seem to be getting benefits for their actions so maybe I should get some of those benefits for myself! If it works for them maybe it will work for me and if they can do it, then I can do it because they are not better than me.'
Some BW will insist that BW are genetically predisposed to be fat, being thin is Eurocentric so Black women shouldn't bother with it, and you can be fit and fat etc. I don't listen to that stuff because it will sabotage my goals of being super fit and hot! I'm just going to believe that we're overweight because we are too sedentary, eating too much convenient but unhealthy and calorie dense processed food, and eating restaurant food too often (if it was just genes then BW in the 60s, 70s, and 80s would have the same weight problems we have today). Cut all of those things out and the weight will come off. I choose to believe that and work to get in shape rather than complaining, thinking I'm supposed to be overweight, or not doing anything.
P.S. Not sure how this one will fly. This is one woman's opinion. Please don't fear that this one post will suddenly make all Black girls anorexic and permanently self-loathing. Remember if you read fitness magazines, do exercise DVDs, or see commercials then you are being exposed to fitspo so I didn't really introduce you to something new. The post was about looking at photos of fit women that other people have posted online. If you don't want to look at them you don't have to. If you don't want to get fit you don't have to.
Online Weight Lost Tools, Fitspiration Sites, and Related Articles
My Fitspiration Playlist (I haven't watched all the videos so save the playlist to your own account and edit out the ones that you don't like and those that have unhealthy images).
Zuzana Light (formerly on BodyRock TV, she motivates me like crazy)
Sparkpeople.com (free fitness and meal tracking with many features, cell phone app available)
http://blacknfit.tumblr.com/ (not bad but it included men)
Black women do work out
Fit is the new black
http://fitspiration.tumblr.com/
http://pinterest.com/theniceblog/fitspiration/
http://pinterest.com/jbeard1/fitspiration/
Google images for Black women fitspo
The miseducation of fitspo: Why these sites can help you meet your goals
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
I've Decided to Start Corset Waist Training
Well you may have seen this coming since my Thank Goodness for Lingerie post, but I have decided to start corset waist training! I ordered some fashion corsets ($15) each to start. They have plastic boning and don't have many of the characteristics mentioned in the video below about what to look for in a corset.
What to look for in store video, Tips for buying a corset online (MUST WATCH).
I feel okay wearing the fashion corsets so I think wearing the waist training corset will be okay. I'm looking forward to the benefit of it reducing my appetite and eating smaller portions so that I can lose some weight. It will improve my posture too and just enhance my looks. I don't plan on tightlacing too much or trying to get under 20 inches or something, it's just not necessary to me. I don't want my proportions to look abnormal or extreme so my goal will be 26 inches in the corset after I lose some weight (I was 28 inches the last time I lost weight so it's not going to be extreme).
Related Articles:
Corset lover tumblr site (a pretty risque NSFW)
The re-re-re-rise of the corset
Waist training
Waist training 2
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Thank Goodness for Lingerie!
When I first read about lingerie on femininity blogs I didn't understand why they thought it was so great. Lingerie was just expensive stuff that some women liked, usually only in the bedroom. It was like fantasy clothing that 'regular women' didn't wear. I liked pretty bras and panties but that was about it. Also when I was younger I didn't really need foundation undergarments because my body was different and I rarely wore dresses...now I understand their utility. If you feel and look beautiful that will be a big boost to your confidence and self-esteem, this will have positive affects on other aspects of your life, and this will make you more attractive to others. The big bonus is that many men LOVE lingerie too! They think it makes women look so beautiful.
Some women think of lingerie as torture devices created by some sadistic men who didn't like the way women were naturally built. However, I see lingerie as being the exact opposite! Instead, I imagine unhappy women going to tailors and begging for something to help them to look perfect, despite their flaws, so that they could feel beautiful and focus on more important things. This is what lingerie is for me, it covers up my flaws so beautifully that I look gorgeous wearing it, accept that I am gorgeous, and then stop worrying and nitpicking the way my body looks. I mean if this stuff exists then there must be so many other women now and through out history who had the same body issues! I am normal and still gorgeous! I kind of reminds me of the way there is no point in worrying about taking a photo with blemishes on your face because you know the image can be edited and even the most beautiful women in the world have their photos edited...I am not less than, I am normal. It makes me think that maybe all those women who look perfect in dresses may be wearing spanks, girdles, waist cinchers, and corsets to look that way and so can I! Lingerie is like medicine for an illness (feeling imperfect) that not only makes you feel good, but it makes you a man magnet as a side effect!
Lingerie can be expensive though, so on my budget I'm just looking for a few things that will enhance my body in a functional way and will look sexy not embarrassing like that scene in Bridget Jones' Diary. These are my favorite 'hide your flaws and look hot' items:
1) Garter belts and stockings: Pantyhose and tights are not my favorite things because they often slide down when I walk and they often don't fit me well due to the size of my thighs. So instead of pantyhose and leggings I buy thigh-high stocking and tights.
Benefits: Garters with stockings stay up well instead of rolling down when you walk. You can use the bathroom without pulling them down so it makes them less of a hassle once you have them on (wear underwear on top of garter belt). They make your legs look better because they cover up stretch marks and cellulite and make you butt look extra round and sexy. The whole garter/stocking contraption is just so sexy looking to men and they will make you seem like sexy fantasy because many women don't wear them. The tights will keep you warm in the winter so you can still wear skirts and dresses all year long. I actually make thigh-high tights by cutting the top part off of full tights...it works and I wear them with a modified garter (I had to attach suspender clips to a garter belt because the tights were too thick for regular garter clips). If you wear a garter belt at your waist it can actually cinch it in to make your waist look smaller. In fact, you can buy waist cinchers with attached garters!
I prefer wearing garters at the waist rather than
2) Waist cinchers: I always encourage women to exercise and get down to a healthy weight but what can you do in the meantime? Well you can wear a waist cincher! Waist cinchers are modern lingerie that resemble corsets.
Benefits: They cinch in your waist and flatten your tummy so you don't have to worry about it. Unlike Spankx they actually look good and are easy to get on and off (but they don't do anything for your thighs). They make your dresses and tops sit smoother because there are no rolls or bumps and they give you more of an hourglass figure. Some waist cinchers come with attached garters, or you can just wear a garter belt over or under it. Your clothes will fit you so much better if you are wearing a waist cincher and your waist will appear smaller too!
3) Corsets: Oh I love corsets!!! They are so beautiful and nowadays you can by inexpensive fashion corsets for under $20. They come in beautiful designs, with frills and bows if you like, and can be worn over or under clothing depending on the style. Corsets are one of the most feminine undergarments ever and they have an elegant vintage look or even a modern sexy look because they come in many varieties.
Benefits: They make your waist look smaller and more feminine and hourglass shaped. You will look like you lost weight but you do not have to wear them too tightly if you don't want to. Overbust corsets cover the chest so you do not need a bra. Therefore, they are great for strapless tops or halters and act like a bra plus a waist cincher (best invention ever lol! Strapless bras do not work for busty women like me). Underbust corsets are like waist cinchers but they are rigid instead of stretchy lycra or spandex and the laces make them adjustable. Corsets improve your posture and can make your chest look very large and welcoming ;)
Waist Training
I think I want to start waist training! Waist training requires a waist training corset that is more expensive than a fashion corset ($50 and more). I watched a ton of YouTube videos about it last night. For waist training you wear the corset for as many hours of the day as you can and even while sleeping if you want. As you get used to a certain tightness then you gradually tighten it more and more. The corset has to be well made and stronger for this so you have to learn about corset parts, quality, and functions so that you can purchase a good one. By wearing it most of the time and tightening it your fat gets moved around and even your organs move a bit. This is not dangerous or harmful if done gradually but you need to do your research about it. You need to learn about the quality of corsets and shapes, how to put them on (you actually have to tighten and loosen the back every time you wear it), and how to care for it.
Once you get down to a desired size the changes can be somewhat permanent, but just like with exercise, you have to keep doing it (less frequently though) in order to maintain your progress. It is also recommended that you exercise so that you keep your core muscles strong and firm. I just want to have a perfect .7 hip to waist ratio so I don't plan of developing a wasp waist or anything. As soon as you put one on and very quickly afterwards it will look like you have lost weight and your figure will look very attractive. One major reason why I want to do waist training is for weight loss. Apparently, the corset restricts how much you can eat (similar to gastric bypass surgery) because there is not as much space for your stomach to expand. So it will help me with my weight loss plans, I will instantly look smaller with better posture, and it will make me feel sexy...so many benefits! Wearing a corset and most lingerie is like having a sexy secret that no one (except your man) knows about.
Here are some videos by modern women who wear corsets and there are MANY videos and blogs about corsets. These are super feminine women and they are proud of it!
This lady has many videos on her Youtube Channel called Lucy's Corsetry. If you look at her videos (I must have watched 20) you can see that she is very feminine. She keeps her hair long, frequently wears corsets, has undergone waist training, and also makes corsets. This video is great because it talks about different types of women who wear corsets. She has another video showing how boxy her waist normally is HERE so you can see that weight loss would never give her these dimensions.
This young lady is undergoing waist training. She is trying to make her waist very small. Not my goal but it's interesting to watch her videos and see her trials and tribulations :) You will notice that she is very feminine with long hair
.
I think this video shows how a corset, heels, feminine hair, and feminine clothing can really enhance your appearance. The comments on this video are mixed (some people think it's weird to to pose like this and the noises) but some men were really floored by her femininity. I think she looks fantastic! If you don't have a waist, you can buy one with a corset instead of starving yourself and self-criticizing all day.
Related Articles:
My life in a corset: Squeezing into a new dieting strategy (ABC news)
Waist training program
Some women think of lingerie as torture devices created by some sadistic men who didn't like the way women were naturally built. However, I see lingerie as being the exact opposite! Instead, I imagine unhappy women going to tailors and begging for something to help them to look perfect, despite their flaws, so that they could feel beautiful and focus on more important things. This is what lingerie is for me, it covers up my flaws so beautifully that I look gorgeous wearing it, accept that I am gorgeous, and then stop worrying and nitpicking the way my body looks. I mean if this stuff exists then there must be so many other women now and through out history who had the same body issues! I am normal and still gorgeous! I kind of reminds me of the way there is no point in worrying about taking a photo with blemishes on your face because you know the image can be edited and even the most beautiful women in the world have their photos edited...I am not less than, I am normal. It makes me think that maybe all those women who look perfect in dresses may be wearing spanks, girdles, waist cinchers, and corsets to look that way and so can I! Lingerie is like medicine for an illness (feeling imperfect) that not only makes you feel good, but it makes you a man magnet as a side effect!
Lingerie can be expensive though, so on my budget I'm just looking for a few things that will enhance my body in a functional way and will look sexy not embarrassing like that scene in Bridget Jones' Diary. These are my favorite 'hide your flaws and look hot' items:
Benefits: Garters with stockings stay up well instead of rolling down when you walk. You can use the bathroom without pulling them down so it makes them less of a hassle once you have them on (wear underwear on top of garter belt). They make your legs look better because they cover up stretch marks and cellulite and make you butt look extra round and sexy. The whole garter/stocking contraption is just so sexy looking to men and they will make you seem like sexy fantasy because many women don't wear them. The tights will keep you warm in the winter so you can still wear skirts and dresses all year long. I actually make thigh-high tights by cutting the top part off of full tights...it works and I wear them with a modified garter (I had to attach suspender clips to a garter belt because the tights were too thick for regular garter clips). If you wear a garter belt at your waist it can actually cinch it in to make your waist look smaller. In fact, you can buy waist cinchers with attached garters!
I prefer wearing garters at the waist rather than
the low rise one in advertisements. I also prefer
the wider bands for extra support.
I like many of the vintage style
garter belts because they provide
more support and can come with
6 or more garter straps. The more
straps the more secure and easier
to wear all day.
Benefits: They cinch in your waist and flatten your tummy so you don't have to worry about it. Unlike Spankx they actually look good and are easy to get on and off (but they don't do anything for your thighs). They make your dresses and tops sit smoother because there are no rolls or bumps and they give you more of an hourglass figure. Some waist cinchers come with attached garters, or you can just wear a garter belt over or under it. Your clothes will fit you so much better if you are wearing a waist cincher and your waist will appear smaller too!
3) Corsets: Oh I love corsets!!! They are so beautiful and nowadays you can by inexpensive fashion corsets for under $20. They come in beautiful designs, with frills and bows if you like, and can be worn over or under clothing depending on the style. Corsets are one of the most feminine undergarments ever and they have an elegant vintage look or even a modern sexy look because they come in many varieties.
Benefits: They make your waist look smaller and more feminine and hourglass shaped. You will look like you lost weight but you do not have to wear them too tightly if you don't want to. Overbust corsets cover the chest so you do not need a bra. Therefore, they are great for strapless tops or halters and act like a bra plus a waist cincher (best invention ever lol! Strapless bras do not work for busty women like me). Underbust corsets are like waist cinchers but they are rigid instead of stretchy lycra or spandex and the laces make them adjustable. Corsets improve your posture and can make your chest look very large and welcoming ;)
Pretty overbust corset. Corsets with a lot
of bows and frills will be hard to hide under
clothes so this one is meant to be seen.
Waist Training
I think I want to start waist training! Waist training requires a waist training corset that is more expensive than a fashion corset ($50 and more). I watched a ton of YouTube videos about it last night. For waist training you wear the corset for as many hours of the day as you can and even while sleeping if you want. As you get used to a certain tightness then you gradually tighten it more and more. The corset has to be well made and stronger for this so you have to learn about corset parts, quality, and functions so that you can purchase a good one. By wearing it most of the time and tightening it your fat gets moved around and even your organs move a bit. This is not dangerous or harmful if done gradually but you need to do your research about it. You need to learn about the quality of corsets and shapes, how to put them on (you actually have to tighten and loosen the back every time you wear it), and how to care for it.
Once you get down to a desired size the changes can be somewhat permanent, but just like with exercise, you have to keep doing it (less frequently though) in order to maintain your progress. It is also recommended that you exercise so that you keep your core muscles strong and firm. I just want to have a perfect .7 hip to waist ratio so I don't plan of developing a wasp waist or anything. As soon as you put one on and very quickly afterwards it will look like you have lost weight and your figure will look very attractive. One major reason why I want to do waist training is for weight loss. Apparently, the corset restricts how much you can eat (similar to gastric bypass surgery) because there is not as much space for your stomach to expand. So it will help me with my weight loss plans, I will instantly look smaller with better posture, and it will make me feel sexy...so many benefits! Wearing a corset and most lingerie is like having a sexy secret that no one (except your man) knows about.
Here are some videos by modern women who wear corsets and there are MANY videos and blogs about corsets. These are super feminine women and they are proud of it!
This young lady is undergoing waist training. She is trying to make her waist very small. Not my goal but it's interesting to watch her videos and see her trials and tribulations :) You will notice that she is very feminine with long hair
.
I think this video shows how a corset, heels, feminine hair, and feminine clothing can really enhance your appearance. The comments on this video are mixed (some people think it's weird to to pose like this and the noises) but some men were really floored by her femininity. I think she looks fantastic! If you don't have a waist, you can buy one with a corset instead of starving yourself and self-criticizing all day.
Related Articles:
My life in a corset: Squeezing into a new dieting strategy (ABC news)
Waist training program
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