Does Blogging Lead to Bigger Butts?

Swine flu. Waterboarding. My insane desire to try aerial yoga. There are many Important Topics I could blog about and yet what I want to know today is: Does this blog make my butt look big?
I originally started fit blogging because when you are as obsessed with something as I am with fitness, you can’t help but talk about it all the time to everyone you know. And blogging seemed more socially acceptable than cornering random people on the bus. But as I got more into the blogiverse and discovered all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, I found my short-funny-and-random posting schedule had mutated into a daily diatribe fest. Sometimes it was therapeutic. (Thanks to everyone for helping me to work out my issues with my past sexual assault! Have you noticed I really don’t write about it anymore? It’s because I don’t think about it much anymore and I honestly chalk that up to having you all to vent to for a year.) Sometimes it was educational. And sometimes it was just silliness. There have been lots of great things that have come out of my blog, most notably some fantastic friendships and readers smarter than the entire Miss USA collective (judges included) who have taught me so much.

But there has been one noticeably negative result of all that bloggy loving: a drastic increase in computer time. Don’t get me wrong, my geeky Computer Information Systems degree-holding heart has always checked my e-mail before breakfast and I heart xkcd so much that if I ever got a tattoo it would be a stick figure in a fedora but since becoming a dedicated blogger, it’s morphed into a time commitment of part-time job proportions. That I don’t get paid for.

I couldn’t find any studies to exactly back me up but I’m seeing a positive correlation between increased screen time and increased Charlotte in general. Mostly I think this is because if I weren’t blogging right now, I’d be cleaning my house or chasing my kids. And while swiffering my ceiling fans and repeatedly dragging a toddler out of the street are not major calorie torchers they certainly burn more than, well, sitting here doing this. You know you have a problem when time spent blogging exceeds time spent actually exercising (and I exercise 1-2 hours a day so that tells you how much I blog).

Another factor is that all this blogging has made me a little more – how to say this kindly? – neurotic. I was crazy to begin with. And blogging has just opened my eyes to the vast conspiracy theory that is the Internet. Even the fit-o-sphere harbors its own dark sides. For instance, yesterday I got all worked up over those Hydroxycut ads – ads for a product that I’ve never bought and never plan on buying. And while previously those ads have always irritated me, by the time I finished my post last night, I was in such a state I needed two Tums. (Okay, it helped that they were the “creamy” variety and in my mind are just as good as candy. But still.) All I’m saying is that before I started blogging I never knew how many protein powders actually exist and I think I was happier without this knowledge.

I was re-reading some old posts last night from when this blog started and I noticed two things: a) My posts have gotten significantly longer and more involved and b) I’ve become more strident in my tone and more cynical in my thinking. Meditation notwithstanding, all this negativity isn’t good for my stress levels and we all know that stress = fat. Which is not to say that blogging has made me this way – I’ve always been a bit of a cynic – but rather exacerbated my natural negativity.
So, help a blog-loving girl out! I know many of you have great, educational, entertaining and interesting blogs – I read many of them! – tell me how you manage your blog time! Do you set a schedule? Give yourself a time or word limit? How do you deal with the negative side of things? And as to the question of Blogger Butts, check out my poll:

Thanks! I love you guys! You all are the reason this is such a fun hobby for me!

40 Comments

  1. Sorry, I don’t have much good advice here. I selfishly want you to keep blogging, because I love your blog so much. But I also don’t want to make you feel guilty if you decide to cut back or cut out altogether.
    Maybe a time limit IS the best answer? (Some people I know even set a timer, so that they don’t spend too long in front of the computer.)
    This may sound silly, but have you considered replacing your chair with an exercise ball? That way you can move or bounce around a bit while you type.

  2. Azusmom – Oh, I’m not going to quit blogging all together. I’m way too chatty to spend the rest of my days talking to myself. I just need to find a way to limit myself. And yeah, I have tried the exercise ball as chair idea. It didn’t work because my kids kept relocating my “chair” and then got angry when I tried to reclaim it. Plus – it got really uncomfortable. Apparently I hate supporting my own core;)

  3. The Decayed Gentlewoman

    As far as blogging limits go, I tend to keep my entries short (except for today, actually, haha!) b/c I blog as a break from my actual work. 🙂
    I also try to fit a number of my entries into certain formats (i.e. my “where to eat in New Orleans” recurring feature. I find that certain formats lend themselves to specific lengths.)
    But I really came to comment b/c I tried aerial yoga a few months ago!
    Sadly, I get a headache whenever I’m inverted for very long (I can’t even cool down in child’s pose) so after the first class, I decided not to go again- but I have to say that it was incredibly fun. For example, we did the pigeon pose upside down!!!
    I think you should try it. 🙂

  4. Decayed Gentlewoman – The second I find a place here that teaches aerial yoga I am SO THERE! Although it hopefully will be sooner rather than later. I do know they discourage inverted yoga poses for preggo ladies so I’d have to do it before I’m really showing. Thanks for the blog tips.

  5. I think that you should definatly keep blogging but maybe the surfing could be cut back and that would limit some of the negativity you’re exposed to (except I really do love it when you comment on my blog :))

  6. Becky – That’s the problem! SO many interesting blogs and other sites to read!! I could do this all day if I didn’t have other obligations. Why oh why won’t someone hire me to aimlessly surf the web???

  7. Well, I have a cushy desk job where I work really hard for an hour and then have nothing to do the rest of the day. Hence, lots of time for blogging. However, my limit is that I only blog after I run. Since it IS a running blog and all. Not much to blog about if I don’t go for a run now is there?

  8. Well, I have a cushy desk job where I work really hard for an hour and then have nothing to do the rest of the day. Hence, lots of time for blogging. However, my limit is that I only blog after I run. Since it IS a running blog and all. Not much to blog about if I don’t go for a run now is there?

  9. Well, I have a cushy desk job where I work really hard for an hour and then have nothing to do the rest of the day. Hence, lots of time for blogging. However, my limit is that I only blog after I run. Since it IS a running blog and all. Not much to blog about if I don’t go for a run now is there?

  10. Totally relate to this post. Sometimes I think that blogging only makes me crazier. I’m loving the exercise ball idea from axusmom. I’ve been meaning to do that.

  11. Heh, I do the same thing with spending a couple hours exercising each day and then several hours blogging! Traveling makes me realize just how much I really do blog… and have been doing considerably less of it just because I don’t have the time to if I want to see everything.

    But I’m in total denial. I refuse to believe that it’s my obsession with blogging that makes my pants feel a little tighter. hehe.

  12. Crabby McSlacker

    Sigh.

    I have no helpful advice here because I have tried and failed for 2 years to cut down on blogging time. I even have a co-blogger and don’t post daily, but still manage to spend endless hours on the internet.

    Weirdly enough, at the beginning blogging actually made me lose weight. Not from lifestyle changes, but because I got so amped about the novelty of having a blog (and the fact there were more than 2 people reading what I wrote) that it gave me this weird buzz. It made me all hyper and reduced my appetite. How freaky is that?

    Anyway, I can relate to SO much of this post.

  13. I have no helpful advice at all… I spend WAY too much time on the internet AND I have a butt that, shall we say, more than adequately fills my desk chair. I have a desk job, with not much actual busy work to do, so I spend most of the day on the internet. Which would be fine if I didn’t then turn around and spent more time on the computer at home to visit those websites prohibited by the work filter.

  14. Reason # 102: I don’t have a butt 🙂 I’m a runner.

    Actually, if you type like playing that “Whack-a-mole” game, you can burn quite a few calories, …and trash quite a few keyboards!

    Go to the four day work week?

  15. Well, you know how often I manage to update my blog, so this isn’t really a problem for me.

    That being said – I do understand! I’m writing away on my thesis right now, which means sooooo much more time sedentary in front of a computer. I feel like my bum is getting saggy and my abs are forgetting what their normal job is. Sigh.

  16. **crickets chirping**

    nary a wise thought in my head.

    got no moderation to contribute here.

    as evidenced by my nonstop5daysaweek.

  17. I blog while I’m at work, so I tend to work a little/blog a little all day long. It breaks up the monotony of the endless work orders I enter dayin/dayout.

    In other words, I have no useful information for you, but just wanted to say that I can totally relate! 🙂

  18. I definitely think that computer use in general is/can contribute to weight gain. Although I’m not a blogger, the sheer amount of time spent in front of the computer for work (and entertainment) is staggering.

    I struggle with it, though, because I think it’s unavoidable. It is an intregal part of our society today…. I can’t help that my work is primarily computer-based and I enjoy the for-fun activities I do in front of the computer. I think the only solution is to balance this with other active time. Maybe trade TV time for computer time or make a concerted effort to do something active each day as well…

  19. I know I may be in the minority here but I’m all in favor of taking as long a break as you need. clear your head, let your brain remember how to think outside of posting and commenting.

    use a timer. stop commenting. be more selfish with your time. don’t work for IT, make IT work for you. all easier said than done, but very possible.

    just writing this comment has taken me twenty minutes. Every other sentence I’m breaking up a fight or pouring milk or nodding and saying, “uh-huh” completely absentmindedly.

    Finding a happy blogging balance may not be a fitness experiment but it is definitely worth the effort. love you, Good luck!!!

    p.s. random: When I stopped blogging I found myself writing ridiculously long emails to friends. Like 12 paragraphs each.

  20. I only blog when I’ve got both something to write about and the time to write it. If I have other stuff to do then it takes a back seat. Even if it is just relaxation time. I refuse to go nutty about the blog thing. I aim for 2-3 times per week. I do what I can manage. And when I do it I try not to spend too long at it. My life is more important than computer time.

    I do find the whole blogging thing tough though. I already work a full time job and a part time job. Blogging is essentially a third job. Plus I go to the gym and have to have time to do all the stuff of daily life (eat, sleep, shower, grocery shopping, laundry etc.) So again, I do what I can do.

    Some days I do feel bad that I don’t blog more – but I get over it fast. I am not going to feel guilty because I have a life to live. I look at people who blog three or four times per day and just have to wonder how they have so much free time. It seems that the time could be much better spent. Why aren’t you out there living?

  21. I only blog a little bit, and usually only about my current fitness progress. And I think that, as an accountant, my butt is not getting any bigger from blogging at work than it would get from actually doing work at the computer at work 🙂 But I do know some women’s butts “spread” from sitting too much, like a nurse who goes into a supervisory position.

  22. Ooooooh! I just had another idea! Maybe you could go to YouTube every 20 minutes or so and look up short workout or stretching videos! Then you could get an active break, which would, maybe, turn into a longer break. Would that work?

  23. On the positive side, you’re watching a lot less television. At least surfing and blogging are more interactive; your mind’s getting a workout if not your butt.
    Note: even if you have a co-blogger, you still have to end up helping them out when they forget essential steps in How To Blog, so there’s always something.

  24. Jen Makes Office Supply Art

    I don’t think blogging is making my butt bigger, because I think I just turned TV time into computer time – blogging and commenting on other blogs. So I think for me it all evens out. Maybe you should train the toddler to dust the ceiling fans? Keep him or her off the street?

  25. Actually, I find that I’m getting MORE exercise now, because I have all these great people to inspire me! 😀

    Um. Too cheerful? I also find that I’m a M,W,F girl. I tried to post every day for a while and it just made me feel stabby inside. Three days a week works for me, and I just write until I’m done writing. Some days it takes 10 minutes, some days it takes 30.

  26. I don’t do as much research for my posts as you do, which saves time, but I LOVE your posts because of all the interesting details you provide. Maybe set aside a certain amount of time each day and when thats done you stop until the next day? That may help you manage your time and priorities…?

  27. dragonmamma/naomi

    Standing burns more calories than sitting. How about adding a hutch or shelf to the top of your desk so all of your computer time is done while standing and fidgeting?

    I want to do this; I just have to get my hubby to agree.

  28. Jody - Fit at 51

    Well, like you Charlotte, I exercise a lot!!! An post of mine not too long ago outlined my crazy workout so if you ever get there, check out the post for Fit at 51's workout & that will tell you how crazy I am!!! I also live where there are 24 hour gyms so I work out at some crazy hours & I am DONE before the sun rises!!!! So, I have lots of time to blog & surf! I do some before sleeping after the workout & then when I get up.. well, back at it! I am hooked on how many people out there are as crazed about fitness as I am!

    As for weight gain, I guess my crazy workouts & healthy eating help me there because no probs yet but I do tend to get up a lot from the computer when I am on it. I drink a lot of water etc. so that gets me to the bathroom a lot & my computer is upstairs so I am up & down to do things or I force myself to get up & do things that include the up & down the stairs. It also helps that the kitchen is far away from the computer!!!

    I doubt I helped but I just make it a priority to get up just like a challenge in my workout, I challenge myself to "Just Get Up & Walk Away" for a bit. MAybe making it a challenge for yourself will help.

    I just love your writing! So entertaining & open!

  29. I’m fitter that I’ve ever been now (at least since there was a widely available internet) so it’s hard for me to say. I also have a management job in an office which is a lot of nothing-nothing-noth-FIREFIREFIRE-put-it-out-whew-nothing-nothing… so during those downtimes, I blog and surf. I’ve exchanged a good amount of gaming time for TV/surfing time so it’s not much different.

    IMO-I’m active enough. I train 5 days a week for at least an hour a day if not 2, and I usually do at least one active thing on the weekend unrelated. I feel like I’m perfectly justified being a lump on the couch whenever else I feel like it.

    Maybe figure out how much activity you need to keep the blog butt in check and make sure to get that done first? Or like other people said – set a timer and only allow yourself a set amount of time to blog/surf.

  30. No advice from me. I was having a great time blogging this past winter when I had some IT band injuries to work through. But then I got better. And I started having goals…running a half marathon in the spring, running another marathon in the fall, qualifying for Boston. I started feeling overwhelmed and tired. I realized I was just doing too much and not getting enough rest. So I gave up the blog that felt like work, and now I just stick with the family blog (with short entries). Sniff, Sniff. But it’s hard because blogging is addictive! I have all these things I’d love to blog about, but no time!

  31. Yeah, I have noticed blogging leads to a bigger Val too. And right now I should be sleeping, not blogging.

  32. Emma Giles Powell

    Sure doesn’t SOUND like such a fun hobby. It’s like you star in a Western film where you jump off your running horse onto another one galloping nearby…in the opposite direction!
    I decide my post length by how much I’m willing to read on others’ blogs, which is very little. Much as we loves ya, girl, short and sweet posts are better for our butts too! As long as they’re witty. I read too much when they’re witty. Hafta go, blogging is making my baby scream under my chair and bang her head on my computer tower. That’s bad for CPS.

  33. i can completely relate. I started as a hobby and it quickly morphed into an obsession/chore. I drove myself and my family crazy by staying up past 2am every night so I could blog! (for free!)

    recent life events have caused me to take a step back and look at the big picture. I still love blogging/surfing, but at this point in my life I just don’t have the time or ability to spend hours a day online.

    I’ve met so many great people here online, so I hope they can understand why I don’t comment as much anymore. I still read blogs (on my phone) but I can’t stop by and visit as much as I’d like to.

    and for posting, I do what I can, when i can.

    as for my butt—yes, it’s gotten bigger! 🙁

  34. I, too, have found that I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to post every day. Then I try to go to everyone’s blog who leaves a comment on my blog and leave a comment for them, which was fine in the winter when I had less to do outside.

    Now that spring has arrived (and with it, calving season and gardening and yardwork and fencing and on and on), I don’t have as much time as I’d like to spend on blogging. I still read a lot of blogs, but don’t always comment.

    You have a great blog, Charlotte, and I love it when you leave comments on my blog…….. but totally understand where you are coming from.

  35. I don’t blog but can sympathize that just reading takes too much time away from work on some days (especially rainy ones). Not sure you would like it but years ago, I noticed my butt widening and my posture really slipping (not to mention the carpel tunnel) and my husband set up a platform for my keyboard and we set my monitor ever higher so now I stand while I work. I also have a chair in my office in front of my personal computer but I stand for most of the day and shift around. I can’t say it has helped my butt but my posture and wrists are definitely improved.

  36. I don’t have a blog, but I do struggle with trying to manage my time on the computer. I don’t have any real advice for anyone, but I can tell ya what I do.
    I bribe myself. It’s ridiculous I know, but it works for me. I say to myself, you can spend 15 minutes on the computer if you do the dishes first, or you can spend half an hour reading blogs if you finish the laundry…
    I find that I’m able to justify the time I spend facebooking or whatever if I “earn” it! 🙂

  37. Again, stepping out from my lurking corner to comment because OH how I can relate. However, I don’t think this blog makes your butt look big, because I KNOW you will still exercise even if you blog. The issue, of course, is the computer time and as a mom who still has a life outside your blog, you need some time to live it! That statement is for you and for me. It’s why I can’t manage to blog more than once a week. I spose I could but I still want to sleep. Speaking for myself here, I’m just going through one of those temporary imbalances–with the pregnancy and new baby the scale has shifted to more mama time. Once the babe is older I know I’ll be able to increase my role as writer and blogger. I’m not sweating it, I’m not worried about it, that time will come. And the nice thing about people–especially your blog readers and mine–they get it! Charlotte, you gotta take care of yourself. We *want* that for you, even if it means we read fewer posts a week. Ok, Ok, and it will make me feel better about myself…

  38. Heather McD (Heather Eats Almond Butter)

    Charlotte,
    I can totally relate to this post. I’ve been spending way too much time on the computer since I started blogging, but I love every minute of it.

    Unfortunately, I don’t read nearly as many books as I used to, I’m not keeping up with current events, and yes, sometimes I think I am getting a bigger butt. I’m really working on limiting my computer time, but without much success. I need some advice myself!

  39. No, but I want a butt. Mine’s gone. I’m only legs now.

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