Female jogger has best response ever to guy who fat-shamed her

Lindsey, 26, was out running with her boyfriend last week when a guy driving a van sang Mika’s "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" to her — in a sarcastic tone, she says.

The Barnsley lass posted her response to him on her Facebook page on Friday, introducing it as "an open letter to the idiot who thought it was ok to heckle me with fat jokes on my run yesterday".

"Your comment was a clear indication of both your incredibly witty repartee and a feat of observational comedy," Lindsey continued. Ooh, the sarcasm — love it.

More: Pink just slammed body-shamers in a hilarious but positive way

"I am indeed a big girl, and I am indeed beautiful," declared Lindsey. "Thanks for noticing. I'm not sure who you were telling I was fat, you clearly have eyes, and the only other people present were me and my boyfriend. I assure you that despite your concern I do own a mirror, and my boyfriend has seen my fat body as he too has eyes. Don't tell anyone but I think he might even like it."

Lindsey goes on to point out that someone with less body-confidence than her might find fat-shaming comments from "idiots" difficult to take, and this could stop them from running.

Her confidence and lust for life leaps off the page as you read her post, and it's so refreshing.

"Let me make one thing very clear, I am not ashamed of my body," she stated. "It has never stopped me from doing anything I want. My fat body has done things that you, hanging out of the window of your babe-magnet white van could only ever dream of. My fat body has been swimming in crystal clear Thai seas that you have probably only ever seen on TV. It has lived in countries you wouldn't dream of visiting and been a part of cultures you are too small minded to appreciate. My fat legs have carried me up mountains on more than one occasion. My fat brain speaks languages you probably don't see the point of learning, which is why you spend your time hanging out of van windows since you have nothing better to occupy it with."

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Lindsey also revealed that she recently decided to get fit, her current goal is to run 10k, and she's already lost a stone. "It baffles me that anyone would try to discourage that kind of effort," she writes, adding: "Excuse me if my assumptions about you are wrong, but I only have your actions to go by."

She concludes her letter with forgiveness, encouragement for anyone else who has a goal ("fat or thin") and some spot-on advice for the van driver: "Engage your brain before opening your mouth."

Just brilliant. And this is one of the things I love about social media. It gives us all a platform to say our piece. How many times does something happen to us — whether it's being catcalled or something else entirely — and we don't have the time, energy or desire to respond as we'd like to at that precise moment? Who knows if this particular Mika-loving van driver has read Lindsey's letter, or if he ever will. It doesn't matter, because thousands of other people have, and hopefully at least some of them will think twice before body-shaming another person.

More: Why I won't teach my kids the word "fat"

*yes, I've just come up with this, but it could become a thing.

How to make it work when you and your partner both work from home

If you and your significant other both work from home, however, you're likely dealing with a whole other set of issues. My fiancée and I are both freelancers and thus often find ourselves plugging away on our separate projects in the same 900-square-foot apartment. While you might think it would be nice to work in close proximity to the person you love, it's usually more irritating than anything else.

However, that being said, we've come up with some ways to make it tolerable without storming out on the relationship. Here are the seven problems we encounter on a daily basis, and the solutions we've worked out after much trial and error (AKA yelling and screaming).

More: Impressive traits that make women great freelancers

1. Your work rhythms clash

Image: Giphy

My fiancée does video production, and he likes to do yoga at 6 a.m. before jumping into editing. I, on the other hand, am a writer, and don't usually get my workday started until 8:15. That means he usually wants to take a break and talk to me right when I'm starting to get serious. Needless to say, this is irritating for me, and subsequently sad for him.

Solution: If I'm really in a groove and see him walking toward me, I shake my head, and he knows to leave me be. However, if I can take a moment, I smile at him and we chat for a couple of minutes.

2. Phone calls

Image: Giphy

Every time my guy has to make a long work call, I'm in the middle of a writing tear, and I cannot concentrate with any conflicting ambient noise.

Solution: Either he takes a walk around the park during the call or, if he needs to be near a computer, I go to the local coffee shop and deal with the less offensive ambient noise there.

3. No conference room

Image: Giphy

We live in a small two-bedroom in Brooklyn, that really should've been labeled a one and a half bedroom. We use the half as an office, but it's absolutely not big enough for a meeting of more than two people (even that's pushing it). So again, my work is compromised because he needs to use the living room as his "conference room."

Solution: He tries to keep meetings to conference calls, but if he absolutely must meet a group in person, he rents out a temporary conference room space through WeWork.

4. Brainstorm barnstorm

Image: Giphy

So this one isn't always a problem, but sometimes, I like to bounce ideas off my sig-o when I'm working on a particularly challenging piece. Usually, he can give me a couple of minutes, but I often feel like I'm interrupting him.

Solution: He closes the door to the office (where he usually works) if he doesn't want to be interrupted. In which case, I call a friend or my mom to work out my ideas.

5. Home stuff gets in the way

Image: Giphy

The great thing about going somewhere other than home to work is that you are literally taking yourself out of home issues for the day. However, if you both work from home, these issues are all around you and can easily become your focus, especially if one person loves to organize with a partner (me).

Solution: Put a reminder for yourself in your phone and have it go off when you usually set work aside for the day. Unlike work, home improvements don't have pressing deadlines.

More: 6 Non-scammy ways to work from home

6. The impulse to be "couple-y" is strong

Image: Giphy

If your sig-o is just in the other room, it's tempting to run in and love on him/her every once in a while or show him/her something cute or funny you found online. However, I find this can get out of hand and can become annoying to the person trying to work.

Solution: A kiss a couple of times a day is fine, but if you find yourself getting gooey every hour, you should try reining it in for the sake of being productive.

7. The line between work time and home time gets fuzzy

Image: Giphy

Since we both have jobs that aren't on the nine-to-five clock, it's sometimes difficult to know when to put our projects away for the day. Usually, what happens is one of us is done with work long before the other, which leads to major frustration because now couple-time is being compromised.

Solution: Make sure you both agree on a mutual end-of-day time. If someone needs to go over, make sure your sig-o is aware ahead of time so they can plan accordingly (e.g. watch the latest Orange Is the New Black).

More: Top work-from-home jobs in 2013

5 Fun Ways to Workout With a Partner

It seems like almost everyone is getting involved in some form of group exercise today. On any given day, you can find people exercising together -- whether via a running club, bootcamp group, group fitness class or even just dedicated workout partners or couples helping each other stay fit -- more and more people are embracing community fitness.

And while it's no mystery that having a workout partner or group can help keep you motivated and accountable, its actually proven that people who workout with a buddy are more effective than those who workout alone. In fact, a recent Stanford University study shows that people who simply receive a check-in phone call that asked about progress every two weeks increased the amount of exercise participants did by 78 percent on average.

While there are a few superhumans out there that don't need any outside motivation to keep them on track or to help them push themselves, for most of us having a workout partner is a guaranteed benefit -- and something that can drastically impact our results.

So whether you already have a dedicated fitness buddy who keeps you motivated or want to start working out with friends, here are some fun moves you can use to exercise with a partner that will give you an awesome overall body workout!

Partner Burpees
Have your partner get down on the floor into a plank. Stand on the right side of your partner's chest, squat down and place your hands down flat on the floor. Jump your feet back and extend your legs to end in a plank position. Do one pushup, then jump your feet back towards your hands. Jump up into the air with your hands reaching up as high as you can go. Jump over your partner (who is still holding high plank) and repeat on the left side. Try alternating sides for 30 seconds, and then switch positions with your partner.

Partner wall squats (use your partner as the wall)
Stand a couple feet away from each other with your backs turned towards one another. Squat down and then lean into each other's backs. Try to bring the booties low, working the thighs towards parallel to the ground. By using your partner as your "wall," you'll get in a more dynamic wall squat, engaging both your core and quads to keep you stable. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute. It does help if you and your partner are close to the same height.

Partner push-ups (clap a hand in between)
Get down into a plank position facing your partner with about a two-feet distance between yourselves. Keep your elbows in at your sides as your bring your chest down towards the floor, going down as far as you can. Then push through your arms to bring chest and body back up into the starting plank position. Now shift your upper body weight to your left hand as you lift and reach your right hand to clap your partner's right hand. Do as many as you both can within one minute, switching sides each time.

Wheelbarrows
Start out in a plank position. Your partner will stand at your feet, reach down to grab your ankles, and then stand back up. Now you're in an incline plank position. As you walk forward with your hands, engage your core and glutes. And keep your eyes focused on the end point so your head stays up. Take ten steps forward at your own pace, and have your partner follow while still holding onto your ankles. Then switch with your partner.

Sit-ups with ball (partner throws, other partner does sit-ups)
Lay down on the floor on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, in classic sit-up position. Have your partner stand facing you with their feet/toes gently on top of yours to prevent you from lifting your feet. Take the ball in your hands and hold it to the chest. Squeeze your abs as you pull your upper body up towards your knees, and as you come up, throw the ball to your partner. Before you lean yourself back to the floor. your partner will throw the ball back to you. Repeat as many times as you can within one minute. Then switch.

Working out with a partner keeps us motivated and accountable for our workouts and also inspires us to challenge ourselves and work a little harder. So why not grab a partner and get sweaty?

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Sesame broccoli slaw doesn't need mayo to be delicious

Thank goodness because this gorgeous vegetable is a powerhouse of nutrients. It's great for digestion, your cardiovascular system and immune system, and has anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing properties. Superfood, indeed.

This perfectly cut broccoli? It's from my grocery store. Initially, I whipped out the mandoline to do it all from scratch; but then I remembered that I like my fingers, so I put it away. Side note: Kitchen mandolines are lethal.

To pump things up a bit more, I added a nice helping of store-bought matchstick carrots and a few sliced radishes to this awesomely healthy slaw. Toasted almonds and sesame seeds joined the party, as well as rice vinegar and oil.

Pair this side dish with a grilled meat for a fantastic family meal, or just eat it as is. Forks optional.

Sesame broccoli slaw with toasted almonds recipe

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes | Inactive time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 package (10 ounces) broccoli slaw
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add slivered almonds and sesame seeds; toast for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant, stirring frequently.
3. Place broccoli slaw, carrots and sliced radishes in a large serving bowl; top with toasted almonds and sesame seeds and set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine rice vinegar, oil and salt; whisk to combine.
5. Pour the rice vinegar mixture over broccoli slaw and toss to combine.
6. Refrigerate the broccoli slaw for about 15 minutes.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

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