The story of how this blog came to be, as told through gchat (during the workday, of course):

12:49 PM Elle: Do you know of any super great leg workouts? This chafing with skirts in the heat has GOT to go

12:50 PM Naomi: i know right?

it’s miserable

you got to get some tal powder

Elle: I have baby powder

Naomi: talcom*

Elle: But that won’t last all day, right?

12:51 PM Naomi: well you could get a small one to carry with you

i hate it too

chafing is literally the worst

figuratively?

i always wonder if i am using it correctly

blame it on how i met your mother

12:52 PM as far as leg workouts go

lunges are the best

but hold your horses i think i have a website

12:53 PM Elle: i’m sure i could look something up

what do you mean, blame it on himym?

Naomi: literally versus figuratively

it was an episode

12:54 PM where they were all pointing out their quirks about eachother

robin says literally all the time

and dude always corrects her by saying figuratively

12:55 PM http://www.nowloss.com/how-to-lose-inner-thigh-fat.htm

12:58 PM Elle: Oh, right right. I was thinking about the thigh situation, which i thought was weird

12:59 PM Naomi: lol yeah sorry i ramble and i am random

Elle: Do you have an iphone?

Naomi: and very seldom use punctuation

nope

not yet

blackberry

1:00 PM Elle: ok. Well, there’s this Nike Training Club app that I’ve used a few times that is free and pretty great; it’s like circuit training – telling you what to do (which I like)

1:01 PM Naomi: indeed

i think i need to start a weight-loss blog/ diary

1:02 PM Elle: I thought about it. But I just don’t have the time.

Naomi: it might help me stick to it make me accountable

Elle: And I wouldn’t actually TELL people about it because I wouldn’t want people I actually know to know (except you. and maybe my aunt)

I really thought about writing a book. I even got materials from the library for research

Naomi: this is something you still haven’t been able to tell people?

1:03 PM Elle: no

Naomi: Well then yea

you can’t write a blog about something you’re not comfortable with right?

1:04 PM Elle: Well, I could write it, but since I wouldn’t tell anyone of its existence, I don’t know that i would get any followers

Naomi: well

Elle: Are you on pinterest? Because people are always pinning good stuff there. Here’s one of my friends (I don’t know if the link will work if you’re not friends or on pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vwashburn/for-exercising/)

Naomi: we could start one together

Elle: That could be interesting!

Naomi: secret society of..

something like that

1:05 PM and use new names

i just know i need an outlet for this weightloss mess

and yes i am on pinterest

but i try not to get on very much unless i need to make something

Elle: Yeah, it’s good for recipes, too

1:06 PM Naomi: i use the recipes and get good gift ideas for my friends

Elle: We really should think about this blog thing….

Naomi: I am down

the secret society of dieters?

Elle: hmmm…I’m not sure about that one. Maybe

I’ll think about it

Naomi: I guess we need decide exactly

1:07 PM what we want to write specifically about

then come up with a name

1:08 PM Elle: Yeah. It can be a mixture. It can be a record – weights, etc. Weekly progress (we’d have to COMMIT to that, which will be good on the accountability end). But we can mix it in with stories from our past of success or failure that is motivating us

Naomi: i am very interested in the idea

1:09 PM um yes please

Elle: Or even commentary on our view of the “obesity epidemic” and stuff or reviews of new articles or something.

From OUR perspective

Naomi: yes

clothing!

Elle: YES

Naomi: and then like we were just talking about chafing

boob sweat

1:10 PM p.s. i feel like being fat is like being a minority when it comes to clothing stores

1:11 PM like segregation now segregation tomorrow and segregation forever

1:15 PM Elle: That was essentially the idea for my book – intersperse memoir-type chapters with things like reviews of movies, an expose on the “fat friend” character in movies, academic research, etc.

1:18 PM Naomi: well

i’d be open to working with you on it

Elle: I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever actually write it unless some publisher invested in it and gave me enough of an advance to stop working so I have time to write it. You know

Naomi: maybe the blog can serve as jumping off point

1:19 PM indeed

Elle: “lady losers” is available on wordpress

1:20 PM Naomi: do you like that?

Elle: Kind of catchy but i don’t know. you?

1:21 PM Naomi: It’s very catchy and can be interpreted a few ways right? p.s. i’ll be using spell check and all that jazz if you’re truly into this idea because i really am

and although I am an okay writer my weakness is by far rhetoric

1:22 PM Elle: I really am. I do think we need to have a phone conversation and discuss the logistics, though. Maybe tomorrow night? I can maybe swing tonight but I have some things on the agenda

Naomi: tomorrow night works great

Elle: I can go ahead and get the wordpress domain though, if you like it (and If we decide to change it later, no worries because it’s free!)

Naomi: or even tonight

alright lets do it

1:23 PM my fake name is definitely going to be punny

Elle: I’m excited! Let’s not lose this excitement!

Ooh, fake names?

Naomi: did you want to use our real names?

I want you to be comfortable

if we use fake names it may be easier to reveal more?

1:24 PM Elle: Oh, no, I like the idea of fake names. I just hadn’t thought of it

do you want to use this email address as your login info?

Naomi: yes

1:26 PM Elle: Ok, I have to sign off for a bit because I’m getting NO work done. Talk to you soon!

Naomi: tomorrow!

Elle: Yep!

Naomi: time?

Elle: after 7

Naomi: got it

can we try 8:15?

Elle: So, even though we might not “launch” for a few more weeks, I started tracking everything today

mostly to avoid that “last supper” (for a few weeks) attitude/temptation

10:29 AM Naomi: are you tracking via computer?

10:30 AM or a notebook?

Elle: well, I just made myself a spreadsheet. But I’m also on MyFitnessPal (free; I actually quite love it. I know it’s more than just counting calories, but it’s a good start)

Also, MyFitnessPal is like a social network and you can choose to share your food journal and such with your friends…if you’re interested…

5 minutes

10:36 AM Naomi: first please send me spreadsheets

second yeah I get on myfitness pal

sorry had to run to the restroom

10:37 AM Elle: Well, I don’t have one now, but I can make one really quick (or else I’ll forget)

10:38 AM And maybe if we want to be accountability buddies for tracking and whatnot (because obviously that’s the hardest/most important part), we can set it so we can see each other’s diaries

10:39 AM What’s your MFP username?

Naomi: yes that works

and I don’t have user name yet

10:40 AM Elle: oh, i thought you said you got on myfitnesspal

Naomi: no sorry i was going to join though now

10:41 AM Elle: i just sent you an invite

10 minutes

10:54 AM Elle: under settings, you can change it so that your diary is viewable by your friends

26 minutes

11:20 AM Naomi: i changed

11:21 AM i just entered in my recipe from last night

only 16,240 calories

Elle: holy crap

11:22 AM Naomi: my grandma’s recipe

Elle: my grandmother specialized in fried chicken, apple pie, and potato salad – none of which would pass the “healthy” test

11:23 AM Naomi: i could have probably used oil instead of butter, water instead of whole milk, 2 eggs and 4 egg whites, used greek yogurt instead of sour cream

and it would have still been very unhealthy

Elle: probably so

I got a new Jillian Michaels dvd

Kickboxing.

i tried it for the first time this morninig

11:24 AM Naomi: nice i think i am going to borrow my friend’s dvds if she’ll let me

Elle: I’m really sore though

From Sunday and yesterday too, though, i think. Last night I did some arm stuff after we talked

11:25 AM http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2008/11/sculpt-a-list-arms-fast

43 minutes

12:09 PM Elle: 1. do you like the title?

12:10 PM 2. If so, I had an idea for a catchy banner image: we get pictures of our foreheads while we’re doing the loser L with our hands. I’ll join them together and make a banner with the title…thoughts?

12:15 PM Naomi: sorry

i was away from my desk

Elle: no worries

12:16 PM Naomi: i think i’m okay with Losing Ladies

Elle: I don’t like being “OK” We can come up with something better

Naomi: well do you like it?

or are you just okay

Elle: we need to have unanimous agreement on all decisions

Naomi: cause i can get on board

and i do like like the banner idea

12:17 PM Elle: I can get on board, too, but I don’t get excited about it

But I don’t really have any suggestions to supplement

Naomi: yeah it’s not exciting

me either

for now

Elle: Other title Possibilities?
AllYeKnow – from literature (of course – from Keats’s Ode on a Grecian Urn: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know)

LosersInPandora – playing with the “losers” idea but also referencing pandora’s box – we’re going to approach a wide variety of topics, some dark

thirtysix24thirtysix – the “ideal” measurements for a woman (which we know is bullshit, but we’ll explode that)

16 minutes

2:20 PM Naomi: i really like thirtysix24thirtysix

Elle: yeah, i kind of like that one too

Naomi: boss bought us lunch

2:21 PM so i was again gone from my desk and feeling kind of bad about what i ate

Elle: i don’t think it would be easy to remember if people were searching for it necessarily, though (you know, on the off chance that we become sensations – hah)

But it’s my favorite so far

Naomi: i think it’s very memorable?

2:22 PM Elle: all i can say is, STILL record it. I’m so bad about that, but I really do think it’s key

Naomi: everybody know sir mix a lot

Elle: i think the name is – the spelling with numbers aspect

yeah. I like it

Naomi: knows*

Elle: and it’s kind of ironic

don’t you think?

ha

Naomi: yes and that’s why i like it

2:23 PM we can also explore our different cultural upbringings

Elle: ooh, yeah

like in that npr thing I sent you

Naomi: kind of like the mpr article you sent me

npr*

YES

Elle: hahahha

Naomi: we’re on the same wavelength

Elle: we could review that book

Naomi: yes we could

Elle: ok. i’ll register the site. and we can always delete it and try again if we think of something better

2:24 PM Naomi: we can use measuring tape

for the pic at the top or as theme sort of

2:25 PM Elle: ooh, yeah

Naomi: i leave words out a lot when i am excited

so yeah

Elle: i’m glad we got excited about it

2:26 PM Naomi: me too!

I can see our today show interview now LOL

Elle: how amazing would that be

Naomi: it would be amazing!

2:27 PM especially because we would also be at our goal!

5 minutes

2:32 PM Elle: that would be sweeeeeet

2:33 PM ok, off to lunch now. I’ll talk to you when i get back!

45 minutes

3:19 PM Elle: back

Naomi: did you see this foolishness http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/24/tennessee-no-holding-hands-bill_n_1622722.html

3:22 PM Elle: Ridiculous. Bill Haslam. Sheesh. We weren’t allowed to hold hands at my high school. Not like that affected me, but I remember it. Only side hugs, too. (though that didn’t hold)

7 minutes

3:30 PM Naomi: i read the article though it’s kind of misleading

i mean the no holding hands law is fague in itself

3:31 PM Elle: fague?

3:32 PM Naomi: jesus vague

i am struggling today

Elle: no worries

3:34 PM Naomi: yeah but as an english major/ master i’m not at my best

3:36 PM meaning you not me

3:39 PM Elle: Hell, just the other day I wrote “have showed” in an email instead of “have shown”; it’s more about the literature than the grammar

3:43 PM Naomi: alrighty

20 minutes

4:03 PM Naomi: so

362436

it’s easier for me to type right now

4:04 PM our first joint article can be a play on the song

especially because although it’s talking about big butts the lyrics in the song are somewhat controversial

4:07 PM Elle: but it’s not going to be just the numbers (that was taken)

Naomi: i know

but for gchat purposes

i’ll use that

Elle: do you not think that the first post should be an introduction? Or just save that for later/for an “about me” section?

ok

4:08 PM Naomi: It definitely should be an introduction

but we can use the song to introduce a number of topics with the lyrics

which spreads across the board

“so cosmo says your fat”

4:09 PM ”curves are kickin” 36 24 36 only if she’s 5’3″

you’re fat

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sirmixalot/babygotback.html

10 minutes

4:20 PM Elle: Oh, yeah. “Itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face” – even if the measurements are different, it’s still expecting the same proportions

Naomi: yes

Elle: “little in the middle but she got much back”

4:22 PM even nelly:
In the club on the late night, feeling right
Looking trying to spot something real nice
Looking for a little shorty I noticed so that I can take home
(I can take home)
She can be 18 (18) wit an attitude
or 19 kinda snotty acting real rude
But as long as you a thicky thicky thick girl you know that it’s on
(Know that it’s on)
I peep something coming towards me on the dance floor
Sexy and real slow (hey)
Saying she was peeping and I dig the last video
So when Nelly, can we go, how could I tell her no?
Her measurements were 36-25-34

Naomi: i like the way you way your hair

4:23 PM Elle: yeah, you know

Naomi: and i like the stylish clothes you wear

but yeah

i mean we could go all day on pop culture and their expectations

Elle: oh, yeah.

Naomi: but you cant seem to really find male expectations

4:24 PM Elle: but those are two specific references to the numbers from the same genre of music, so it could be a good start

there’s also an article i taught to my students that was about how, visually, beauty is determined more by the ration from hip to bust rather than size. Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe were obviously very different but had the same ration

ratio*

14 minutes

4:39 PM Naomi: interesting

that sounds great

4:40 PM Elle: I mean, it’s still saying there’s an ideal – just a different one

4:43 PM Naomi: yes

9 minutes

4:53 PM Naomi: p.s i still recorded everything i ate i dont know how i missed that message from you

Thus, it began.