HNT: A leg up

Wow, what a slacker. This makes 3 posts in a row with no content, simply pics of my body.

This is me at about 6:15 am the other morning, trying to get a little cardio exercise. I’ve been trying to bike 5 to 6 miles a couple of times a week, but by the time I get out of work it’s usually too late, or I’ve got to cook dinner, or go to some meeting, or whatever. So I figured I’d try getting up early <shudder> and getting it done in the morning.

Two weeks now, and I’m still not happy about it.

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Want to join in the HNT ego stroking? Check out the guidelines at Osbasso’s place!

HNT: Saddle Up

“Hey, Tom, is that you?”

The car had pulled over across the road from me just as I was snapping the picture. Damn, I thought, I’m busted. I turned around.

“Hey, Ray – haven’t seen you in a while. How’ve you been?”

“Good. You’re looking good, dude. Hey, I saw on Facebook that your birthday was last week. Are you really 52?”

“Yeah, don’t remind me. “

“Man, I hope I look that good when I’m old.”

Old? Old? I’m sure the young little bastard meant it in a nice way.

“So, what are you doing?”

“I usually work out every other day,” I told him. “I thought for a change, I’d try doing bike sprints on the off days, since I’m still not losing any weight.”

He laughed. “You’re crazy, man. It’s six thirty in the freaking morning.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I usually work out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ve been trying to get the cardio in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but after work, I’m usually too tired, or it’s too late, or I have to go to some meeting, or I have to cook dinner. So I figured I’d try biking first thing in the morning, since I’m already used to getting up.”

He put the car back in gear. “Well, good luck with that, man,” he called as he drove off. “See you at the club sometime.”

I finished snapping a couple of pics for my HNT, and pedaled my ass back home.

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Want to join in the HNT ego stroking? Check out the guidelines at Osbasso’s place!

HNT: Working it out

I haven’t posted any HNTs in a while. This is partly because I haven’t given them much thought — I’ve been busy at work lately — and partly because, despite the number of posts I make about attractive plus-sized women, I’ve been disappointed that I haven’t slimmed down more than I had anticipated this past year.

I had a couple of set-backs over the winter because I injured myself (twice!) doing workouts that were maybe a bit too advanced. As a result, I hardly touched the weights from January until March, which is one of the worst times of the year at my house because of all the holiday baking and cooking. I actually gained ten pounds over the winter, and became quite annoyed with myself, especially since I still log what I eat, and I monitor my fats, proteins, and carbs.

But I’m back into the groove again; I’ve been biking since the weather warmed up, and Mrs. Edge even bought me a new piece of exercise equipment for my birthday. I’ve replaced some of the fat with muscle, and my clothes are fitting better.

And really, why should I deprive you, my dear readers, of what I know you’re here for: pictures of gray chest hair.

Want to join in the HNT ego stroking? Check out the guidelines at Osbasso’s place!

Could be dangereuse

In what at first seems to be a take-off on the Lane Bryant TV ad (featuring the luscious Ashley Graham), online lingerie seller Liaison Dangereuse posted this interesting ad for their own line of scanty underthings:

If you managed to watch this all the way to the end, you’re probably wondering how anybody reconciles the concept of women being compelled to wear the body-encompassing burqas in order that they do not arouse nearby men, with the concept that they enjoy dressing in what Western culture considers to be sexy and alluring.

As a story, this commercial fails in giving us any details to help us resolve such a paradox.  As marketing, I can’t figure out who their target demographic might be.

Coming on the heels of the Lane Bryant commercial, though, it’s fascinating to see the point/counterpoint tones. While both initially have women dressing for what appears to be a date, Ashley Graham is obviously in charge of the situation, and plans the encounter on her own terms. Miriam Wimmer, the model in the LD ad, while seeming to be doing so, stops well short of showing us (and by extension, the women the ad is targeting) that her position is essentially passive; instead of boldly walking out the door, she has to cover up and remain passive.

Is this a cultural perspective? Or is it simply just an ad? It would be easy to write it off as just an ad if it weren’t for LD’s own tag line: “Sexiness for everyone. Everywhere.” Maybe I’m just misreading this, but how can you be “sexy” when you’re not in control of your own body, or whether you can even appear in public unescorted?

On the other hand, does it perhaps show that despite living in a culture in which one does not have the freedoms that we in the West take for granted, women can take charge in some small but significant ways?

I’m intrigued, but not convinced. But visually, I did enjoy the scene.

une fois de plus avec les courbes

I have completely given up trying to figure out what the hell attracts people to this blog and why. However, since lately so many visitors seem to be dropping in because of the plus sized models, I thought I would give a tantalizing peek from the upcoming French version of Marie Claire magazine. Apparently they are featuring some curvy women in their June swimsuit edition.

Now, these women are not the usual Size 2 sticks that you would normally see in swimsuit features. On the other hand, they aren’t quite as curvy as the luscious Ashley Graham from the Lane Bryant ads.

That said, HuffPo mentioned this the other day, with a link to the pictures at Oh No They Didn’t. ONTD had (at the time of this writing) almost 900 comments, most of them positive, but a still, there is always  a handful of people who just have to mention the obesity epidemic, the general unhealthiness of weight gain, etc.

And let’s not forget that MC is a fashion magazine; these models — plus or plush as you define them — were still carefully made up, photographed in the most flattering light as possible, and (probably) airbrushed or Photoshopped before appearing in these pages.

Anyway, if you want to check out the rest of the swimsuit pictures, ONTD has scans of the magazine. Enjoy!