Do an underwater maternity photo shoot
I'd have to get pregnant first, but isn't this underwater photography just about the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? Here's a peek at one of the photos from Kevin Beasley Photography.
Take CrossFit classes
I exercise 3 mornings a week right after I teach. I usually do 10 minutes of rowing, then lift weights, then do an elliptical machine until Eric arrives with the kids. But I'd like to take my fitness to another level. My sister-in-law has been doing CrossFit and swears by it. She's never been so fit in her life, and she has five children now! I don't care about trying to be thin. I just want a strong, capable, athletic body. I definitely don't want to be skinny fat.
Have a dress form made from my actual body
If you've ever wondered why your clothes often fit poorly, look at the body shape used for creating clothes. I've never seen a woman who actually looks like this (size 8 or "medium")...
or this? (a "plus size" dress form)
Yeah, that's why your clothes don't fit!
What is on your wish list?
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I blogged about this too - did you know every single thing on makeover shows is tailored to fit the wearer - even t-shirts and jeans! http://rubyslippersx3.blogspot.com/2011/09/you-may-already-realize-this-but.html
ReplyDeleteMy dad is getting close to 60, and he does CrossFit. He started doing it after losing a significant amount of weight on doctor's orders (he was borderline diabetic). If he can do it, I'm pretty sure just about anyone can.
ReplyDeleteI have seen magazine articles in sewing magazines, maybe Threads, about how to make your own custom dress form. I remember that it was a definitely a two person process.
ReplyDeleteI loved those picture also! I would totally consider an underwater maternity shoot if I could manage it. I am pregnant right now (4.5 months) and we got some great maternity photos last time, but nothing "couture". I'd like to try to get some really cool ones this time (my mom is my photographer!) And no, I don't look anything like those models, but I do like my pregnant self :)
ReplyDeleteI also REALLY want to do crossfit! But right now no money and who would watch our 20 month old? I would like my husband to do it as soon as we can afford it, though. It seems very guy-friendly.
First, a dress from made "from your actual body" is recipe for a horror film. And really, what would you use it for after that? (Just pointing out the unfortunate word choice)
ReplyDeleteThat said, they have adjustable dress forms and you can pad them as appropriate. I bought a medium or large adjustable dressform, added an inch to my waist measurement on the dials, kept the hips at the same, and stuffed a bra for my bust measurement. It's not absolutely perfect, but it's a good enough approximation of my figure that I can make clothes that fit quite well.
At least, when I'm not pregnant.
I just started a series on my blog where I share a birth story every week and I've been reading other blogs about pregnancy and childbirth. That's how I found yours. This post is great - love the underwater photo shoot and the idea of taking crossfit classes. My good friend also swears by it.
ReplyDeleteI once paid to have an off-the-rack dress tailored to my body and it was amazing. On What Not To Wear, they talk a lot about fitting the biggest part of yourself and getting things fitted. If you're investing in a quality wardrobe, it's a great idea, but people don't realize it's an option.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3659/clone-yourself-a-fitting-assistant
ReplyDeleteOops! I meant to post this link.
I can't remember for the life of me where I saw it, but one of the bloggers I follow made her own (with a friend's help). They wrapped plastic wrap around her body, then duct tape around that. Once she was completely wrapped, her friend cut her out of it with one straight line up the back. She stuffed it with batting and fabric scraps and taped it all back together. It sounds strange, but apparently it worked really well.
ReplyDeleteI do Crossfit and one of the reasons I love it is the diversity of bodies. We have tons of women (our gym/"box" seems to be split pretty evenly), people of all sizes (we have a guy who started a 400 lbs, couldn't do a situp, so they set him up on a weight bench with his feet on the floor, using an assistance band, and he started doing situps; now he can do them on his own. Likewise box jumps, couldn't jump at all, started with like 2" and now he can do 8" -- baby steps!). Everyone gets a good workout because they're so good at scaling exercises so they're challenging for *you*. When I've been injured they've scaled/modified whatever I need so I can keep moving even if I can't do the prescribed workout. It's a social activity, unlike the gym where (at least around here) everyone averts their eyes and is listening to their music. People hang around and talk if they can, friend each other on FB, know your name -- people introduce themselves and will remember your name or ask you again. It helps so much to know people's names, breaks all that tension. And most importantly, everyone is given a journal and records their workout, times, weights they lifted, notes, etc, every time they're there. It's great to look back and see how much progress you've made!
ReplyDeleteI also am pretty sure my endurance has improved -- and I'm not talking running, I'm talking staying up all night at births. I recover more quickly and tolerate the lack of sleep better (physically if not mentally). Needless to say, I'm a fan :)
I love the *idea* of an underwater maternity shoot, but I'm not sure that I could look as serene underwater as the women in those photos do. I can imagine my eyes bulging out of my head, and me looking like some sort of scary ocean monster. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I commend you on setting that sort of fitness goal for yourself. I too want to be FIT--to feel like I'm maximizing my body's strength and energy. I'm trying to keep up with walking, yoga, and pilates with this pregnancy, but the real fitness might have to come after this baby is born.