Why is this even remotely controversial?

Publicity stunt, indeed!!!

Someone knows how to push the right buttons to get people talking.

1. Mixing sexy and babies just creeps some people out (me for one). I'm not saying that she looks skanky, but she ain't exactly dressed like someone loading up the minivan to schlep her kids to the grocery store. The photo makes the kids look like props.

2. Someone else mentioned the text. I agree - Yeah, "if I can do it, so can you!" sounds much less b¡tchy than her hands on her hips, saying "What's your excuse?" It's confrontational - on purpose.

Slick marketing product there. I imagine she paid a pretty penny for it.

Creepy??????????? Wow! I was thinking, "ADORABLE!" when I saw the photo! Calling it creepy just shows where your mind is.

I don't even think "sexy" when I look at that picture. I think, "Woman who works out wearing workuot clothes."

She's not in lingerie, FPS, with her legs spread.

Apparently, though, if you look too good, you're "sexy" and that means it's inappropriate to have kids in the picture with you.

So, to sum it all up

Fit mom is fit, doesn't use children, work, or disabled husband as excuse.

Other mommies/fatties (Yeah, I said fatties) get mad and pull out a whole lot of reasons to discredit said fit mom

She must not have gained any real weight while preggo. She must have nannies/help. She must be neglecting her kids. She must be lying about he amount of work she puts in. She's victimizing women. She's trying to tell me I have to look like her! Well after I had MY baby I couldn't have thisthatandthethird.

And it all boils down to even in a thread where someone is saying "Don't make excuses, just do!" people are still making excuses.

Did I miss anything?

Wonder how this would have went if it was a dude that posted a pic and stated the same thing?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

it is not even comparable, dudes are not expected to invest the same amount of time in childrearing; their bodies aren't completely messed with by the invasion of another creature, there is not the same unreasonable expectation to maintain youthful beauty all through life, and the accusation of laziness if that doesn't happen (and men are thought attractive into their later years even if they don't work out), etc etc etc.

it is not problematic because women are "catty", jesus effing.

if a male cover model had a pretty face, though, some men might cut him down by calling him a pretty boy (and taking that where it often goes). if he was more rugged looking and tough, or else just cool, they would want to be more like him.

women are no longer expected to spend most of their time child rearing - and dads are a million times more involved than they were before the 70s and 80s - they are doing their dangedest to do at least half the work and girls are STILL morning about how much work they have to do to be a mom - when being a mom is all they ever wanted in their tiny little world. then they get what they want and its like ermergerd too much work. TOO BAD. This is everything youve been dreaming about since you found someone willing to put a ring on it -_-

It IS problematic because women are catty and we've evolved over the last 500 years in competition with each other. And yes - women do hold their weight differently and deal with different kinds of hormonal effects and yes we can grow a person inside of us - but its not freaking mandatory to have kids. And there's no rule saying you cant be healthy and exercise WHILE youre pregnant and you dont have to wait until maternity leave is over to get in a workout here and there or eat right - especially if youre going to breastfeed.

No im not a mom. No Im not married. No I dont have kids. No i dont think that if i was married with a kid, would i have the right answers - of course not - i know im not perfect.

but i do know that ive been living a very healthy active lifestyle for many years now and that when / if i do end up in a situation with kid(s) in my life - then i will still be active (more active because kids) still be eating healthy (healthier because kids).

because im the kind of person who looks for all the possible ways of making something happen. Im NOT the kind of person that would rather sit around and talk about all the reasons it wouldnt work for me, all the people who wouldnt have success, all the things that could pop up and throw me off course, all the what if's and buts and exceptions that i keep stockpiling to prove that i cant be successful.

and also - regarding those comments yesterday - if Im ever at the beach, building sandcastles with the kids and getting all grimy and someone tells me im creepy for being in a bikini when im playing with my kids on the beach - i would slap them across the face so hard that they'd break through a plateau and hit a mini goal.

Only people who already have something psychologically wrong up there - would accuse a mother of being creepy with her own children, just because she's hanging out with them and wearing a two piece.

The fact that youve had children does not revoke your right to being sexy or provocative. If anything, you're allowed to be sexier than regular girls.

If you put as much effort into taking action and working with the plan you found that does work for you - as the amount of effort that people put in here - spending hours talking about everything that doesnt work (facepalm - in what universe is that productive) or wont work or why it wont work - yall would all be able to look back at this ad and mental high five yourself for not having excuses either.

People who have legitimate reasons for not being in the best shape they can be - or not being able to work toward it - probably wont be offended by this picture because she obviously wasnt aiming it at people with REASONS. She was aiming it at people who have EXCUSES - and sure enough - just like every time you bring up that word, the ones that get hell bent out of shape are the ones that arent making much progress - if any, who are famous for writing long explanations of why they cant do anything, who are always complaining about not wanting to work out or are always forgiving themselves for a binge and saying its a NEW DAY! (its NOT, by the way, a new day - your body is the same one it was yesterday, with the same binge in your intestines) or who are too afraid to work out where someone might see them giving a frak. They have angry bitter mugshot profile pictures (or flowers, field or a cat) and instead of just walking past something that doesnt motivate them or doesnt apply to them, they pop a squat, sink into a big old lazyboy, grab their keyboard, move their snacks to the side, crack their knuckles and smile to themselves and get ready to shoot down every optimistic person who makes the mistake of walking into this thread and having the nerve to believe in themselves - or WORSE - to be a walking example that it IS possible.

Because its not - and there are a lot of people here on MFP who are only here to keep people from seeing any success. because they arent seeing any.

What's my excuse?

I dont have any. Im kicking tush, Maria. High Five!

If you dont want to you dont have to.

You dont see people screaming and yelling at the USAF Propaganda that's all like

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE - IN THE ARMY TODAY

because they not only dont want to be in the military, but they are completely and entirely offended that America just yelled at them personally and said they arent the best they can be unless they are in army.

ridiculous.

You dont want to be in the army - dont be in the army.
You dont want an awesome body - fine - dont have one.
You dont want to be a fit sexy mom? - fine - dont be.
You dont want to wear workout clothes around your kids cause it makes you creepy - i dont know what to tell you, you're already creepy.
You dont want to lift weights? fine - dont - there isnt much room in the weight room to begin with.
You dont want to run a marathon - fine who cares - no one will make you
You dont want to have kids or go to college? fine dont
You want to find a sugar daddy and quit your job and just eat cheerios and celery all day - that's your decision.
You want to dedicate yourself to fitness and compete? fine - you go for it.
You dont need excuses? HIGH FIVE
You get pissed when someone asks if you use excuses? ANGTFT

Wonder how this would have went if it was a dude that posted a pic and stated the same thing?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

it is not even comparable, dudes are not expected to invest the same amount of time in childrearing; their bodies aren't completely messed with by the invasion of another creature, there is not the same unreasonable expectation to maintain youthful beauty all through life, and the accusation of laziness if that doesn't happen (and men are thought attractive into their later years even if they don't work out), etc etc etc.

it is not problematic because women are "catty", jesus effing.

if a male cover model had a pretty face, though, some men might cut him down by calling him a pretty boy (and taking that where it often goes). if he was more rugged looking and tough, or else just cool, they would want to be more like him.

women are no longer expected to spend most of their time child rearing - and dads are a million times more involved than they were before the 70s and 80s - they are doing their dangedest to do at least half the work and girls are STILL morning about how much work they have to do to be a mom - when being a mom is all they ever wanted in their tiny little world. then they get what they want and its like ermergerd too much work. TOO BAD. This is everything youve been dreaming about since you found someone willing to put a ring on it -_-

It IS problematic because women are catty and we've evolved over the last 500 years in competition with each other. And yes - women do hold their weight differently and deal with different kinds of hormonal effects and yes we can grow a person inside of us - but its not freaking mandatory to have kids. And there's no rule saying you cant be healthy and exercise WHILE youre pregnant and you dont have to wait until maternity leave is over to get in a workout here and there or eat right - especially if youre going to breastfeed.

No im not a mom. No Im not married. No I dont have kids. No i dont think that if i was married with a kid, would i have the right answers - of course not - i know im not perfect.

but i do know that ive been living a very healthy active lifestyle for many years now and that when / if i do end up in a situation with kid(s) in my life - then i will still be active (more active because kids) still be eating healthy (healthier because kids).

because im the kind of person who looks for all the possible ways of making something happen. Im NOT the kind of person that would rather sit around and talk about all the reasons it wouldnt work for me, all the people who wouldnt have success, all the things that could pop up and throw me off course, all the what if's and buts and exceptions that i keep stockpiling to prove that i cant be successful.

and also - regarding those comments yesterday - if Im ever at the beach, building sandcastles with the kids and getting all grimy and someone tells me im creepy for being in a bikini when im playing with my kids on the beach - i would slap them across the face so hard that they'd break through a plateau and hit a mini goal.

Only people who already have something psychologically wrong up there - would accuse a mother of being creepy with her own children, just because she's hanging out with them and wearing a two piece.

The fact that youve had children does not revoke your right to being sexy or provocative. If anything, you're allowed to be sexier than regular girls.

If you put as much effort into taking action and working with the plan you found that does work for you - as the amount of effort that people put in here - spending hours talking about everything that doesnt work (facepalm - in what universe is that productive) or wont work or why it wont work - yall would all be able to look back at this ad and mental high five yourself for not having excuses either.

People who have legitimate reasons for not being in the best shape they can be - or not being able to work toward it - probably wont be offended by this picture because she obviously wasnt aiming it at people with REASONS. She was aiming it at people who have EXCUSES - and sure enough - just like every time you bring up that word, the ones that get hell bent out of shape are the ones that arent making much progress - if any, who are famous for writing long explanations of why they cant do anything, who are always complaining about not wanting to work out or are always forgiving themselves for a binge and saying its a NEW DAY! (its NOT, by the way, a new day - your body is the same one it was yesterday, with the same binge in your intestines) or who are too afraid to work out where someone might see them giving a frak. They have angry bitter mugshot profile pictures (or flowers, field or a cat) and instead of just walking past something that doesnt motivate them or doesnt apply to them, they pop a squat, sink into a big old lazyboy, grab their keyboard, move their snacks to the side, crack their knuckles and smile to themselves and get ready to shoot down every optimistic person who makes the mistake of walking into this thread and having the nerve to believe in themselves - or WORSE - to be a walking example that it IS possible.

Because its not - and there are a lot of people here on MFP who are only here to keep people from seeing any success. because they arent seeing any.

What's my excuse?

I dont have any. Im kicking tush, Maria. High Five!

Ok so first me:

- I don't have kids

- Until this summer when I got tendinosis in my shoulder and ankle, along with runner's knee & arthritis in both knees, i successfully maintained a 50-lb loss for over 2 years; i've gained 10 back & am working on that now

Sorry, but, though some men today are better than their fathers probably were about this, the research overwhelmingly says that women are STIIIIIIIIILL having to run things at home. Some estimates have it at ~80% of the domestic labour (when, both partners are working).

That problem is FAR FROM OVER

Sorry, but, though some men today are better than their fathers probably were about this, the research overwhelmingly says that women are STIIIIIIIIILL having to run things at home. Some estimates have it at ~80% of the domestic labour (when, both partners are working).

Sorry, but, though some men today are better than their fathers probably were about this, the research overwhelmingly says that women are STIIIIIIIIILL having to run things at home. Some estimates have it at ~80% of the domestic labour (when, both partners are working).

I do the vast majority of the housework in my home. Not because my SO is unable or unwilling to do it, but because I'm a it of a control freak and also like things a little neater than he does. He's content to run the vacuum once a week while I like to do it three or four times a week.

I wash dishes by hand every night and do 90% of the laundry. Yet, I find time to lounge in front of the TV, exercise, write and read along with a full-time job and a pretty active social life.

If women are doing 80% of the housework in their homes and they aren't happy about it, they need to discuss it with their SOs and change it. It really i sthat simple.

Don't make yourself a martyr and then ask for my sympathy.

Sorry, but, though some men today are better than their fathers probably were about this, the research overwhelmingly says that women are STIIIIIIIIILL having to run things at home. Some estimates have it at ~80% of the domestic labour (when, both partners are working).

I do the vast majority of the housework in my home. Not because my SO is unable or unwilling to do it, but because I'm a it of a control freak and also like things a little neater than he does. He's content to run the vacuum once a week while I like to do it three or four times a week.

I wash dishes by hand every night and do 90% of the laundry. Yet, I find time to lounge in front of the TV, exercise, write and read along with a full-time job and a pretty active social life.

If women are doing 80% of the housework in their homes and they aren't happy about it, they need to discuss it with their SOs and change it. It really i sthat simple.

Don't make yourself a martyr and then ask for my sympathy.

LOL ok I'm also single at the moment, as it happens. This is not about me personally, at all. (and I'm no martyr btw)

One reason you might be a control freak about it, is you've been socialized to clean -- to notice dust, etc; to know what to do with it; to feel uncomfortable in its presence, maybe worry how others might judge you if they saw it... Many, many women have been raised this way; many, many men have not. The discrepancy doesn't stop in one generation, I'm afraid.