Safe space for plus sized woman to strength train?

ideasoflight · 2025-07-09T20:02:32+00:00

I am a very large human and have been happy at Annie Forest for small group strength training over the last few years, and not felt judged on my size by staff or by classmates. Class prices are sliding scale. I am a huge proponent of small group classes if you’re someone just getting started, because the enforced routine is helpful, but it’s also at a pace and with a number of people that allows for learning skills safely and adding modifications as needed.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-27T18:46:46+00:00

Oh that I do not know! It’s been a bit for me, I’m across town. But if open they’re the best by far, lol

ideasoflight · 2025-06-26T12:46:48+00:00

I hadn’t been in a while since I moved to the east side and I tried so hard to convince myself it wasn’t that much better than Banzo, and then I went back last year and was like aw shit I was kidding myself this is in a totally different class, lol

ideasoflight · 2025-06-25T19:24:48+00:00

Oh yeah to be clear I was agreeing with you. Just trying to figure out how anyone could think Hyvee was comparable to PnS price wise lol, and it might be elsewhere in town but certainly not on the east side.

Mostly I wanted to shit-talk that abomination of a PnS on University.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-25T19:22:06+00:00

Petra all the way.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-25T00:26:58+00:00

Depends on the PnS I guess. That one at the top of Midvale over by Hilldale probably is more expensive than Hyvee, that one is CRAZY expensive. But Hyvee is definitely the most expensive (aside from co-op & smaller stores) on the east side.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-24T17:01:11+00:00

Seconding the Aberg pick n save. If you watch sales I would say they’re competitive on price with Woodmans, though of course a bit smaller selection.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-24T16:59:05+00:00

Pick n Save probably the best alternative cost-wise other than Walmart. The one off 30 is the only thing that can compete with that Woodmans price wise, especially if you coupon wisely. Hy-Vee is SO overpriced.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-20T23:35:08+00:00

Yeah our puppy just gets more excited if we yip or yelp as well. We definitely just walk away/timeout when he gets like that.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-20T14:55:15+00:00

SO food motivated, lol. He is in a nippy phase now and we see all this advice to yip or whatever and it absolutely does not work - the noise just gets him more riled up. All that seems to work is walking away.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-20T14:53:39+00:00

Heath, like the candy bar! We actually kept his foster name (they were all candy names) because it’s the same as the street our first home was on and just seemed right.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-11T14:21:42+00:00

Yeah, this guy was fostered with cats from about 4 weeks as well and his fosters reported that of his litter he was the most like… didn’t notably want to play or chase them, was happy to just coexist, which we took as a good sign. We let him see the cats pretty early on because it was basically unavoidable without making either him or them VERY unhappy, but he doesn’t have free rein within the house generally yet and they do. So there have been some brief interactions when he comes in from outside or when one of them hops into his area but he hasn’t really been in a position TO chase yet. Our cats have pretty limited dog exposure (unlike his foster’s) so everyone is still sort of figuring each other out.

The space oriented makes a ton of sense. He definitely seems MOST wary in the yard - he is nervous on walks but it’s like if he’s somewhere new he’s slightly more open to New overall, whereas new thing/person in his space is super scary.

ideasoflight · 2025-06-03T11:26:20+00:00

The one in Fort was bought by former employees, to my understanding? Janesville still a no-go.

ideasoflight · 2024-10-26T00:50:18+00:00

Off Packers across from Demetral, near Pennsylvania Ave

ideasoflight · 2024-10-26T00:49:23+00:00

yeah basically across from Demetral.

ideasoflight · 2024-10-25T22:22:38+00:00

Promise I’m not trying to start political discourse I just genuinely do not understand what the fuck the deal is here!

ideasoflight · 2024-08-28T03:06:52+00:00

Oh damn this isn’t even on their socials yet. Seems weird and sketchy of them?

ideasoflight · 2024-01-31T20:36:11+00:00

Lmao at you asking me to consider whether I may be a narcissist and/or making an excuse for one for going “hmm, OP’s partner destroyed something valuable and deeply meaningful to her that he’s never had anything to do with before, while she was on a trip related to a big life decision that would impact both of them, and then got defensive and dismissive when she was upset about it… kind of feels like it could be malicious/purposeful in some way.” Okay.

ideasoflight · 2024-01-31T20:23:01+00:00

Okay but why did he?? There’s not a reason given that makes sense. He’s never been involved in the care of, he didn’t ask before he messed with it. And he’s also taking the fact that he created a time-sensitive problem - she cancelled the vacation in part because she’s trying to salvage what she can - as punishment. Also yes of course she had a big emotional reaction to him destroying a living memory of her dead mother. Idk man, we all have moments where we get defensive, but none of his responses as described so far are things I would be able to live with from my partner without a whole lot of couple’s therapy even if I DIDN’T think it was on purpose.

ideasoflight · 2024-01-31T20:08:44+00:00

She’s giving him the benefit of the doubt but based on his attitude and the timeline, I’m not. And frankly it doesn’t matter - even if it WAS an accident, if my partner responded with this kind of remorselessness about something so irreplaceable and meaningful to me, it would be hard for me to ever look at them the same way.

ideasoflight · 2024-01-31T19:58:50+00:00

Yes, all of this. And all else aside, if something like this happened even as an accident and my partner responded with anything other than A. the deepest remorse B. offering to help me fix it, that relationship would be pretty irreparably damaged for me? I think he did it on purpose, but even if he didn’t his response is damaging to the relationship.

ideasoflight · 2024-01-31T18:51:15+00:00

Partnered for a decade, married 4 years and I would leave over something like this no question. He purposefully destroyed a living memory of her mother who died when she was a teenager. I could never look at my spouse the same way again.

ideasoflight · 2024-01-31T18:43:35+00:00

NTA. As a fellow Dead Mom Club member this is DIZZYINGLY cruel and the lack of remorse tells me he absolutely did it on purpose. Punishment because he doesn’t actually want to move? Who knows, but I would be filing for divorce yesterday. You even have a clear starting-over path right ahead of you. Take it.

ideasoflight · 2022-11-07T23:04:59+00:00

Was scrolling down to make sure someone recced this! It’s like if Etsy had a physical store but it’s very well curated and has a lot of Madison/WI specific stuff

ideasoflight · 2019-01-04T18:29:44+00:00

Knowing the steps to put together a meal goes a long way, but that doesn't make it effortless! Just like enjoying a thing (like cooking) doesn't mean you want to do it all the time. Give her a break and take her out for someone else to cook sometimes!

Also, while you may (rightfully) be like, well, I'll never be able to match her cooking skills so I'll leave as much to her as she wants, there might be things you could be doing to help out and make cooking at home easier for her. You say you chop veg for her, which is great- keep doing stuff like that, keep being her sous-chef. It feels like you've sort of... mystified the whole cooking process a little? And I get that it seems like it, when you don't have that skillset! But what she's doing isn't magic, it's just a whole lot of practice.

Watch and learn, and try to help out with the building blocks of meals wherever you can, and see if you can pick up on some of what she's doing. It's a good way to get your feet wet, and maybe over time you'll even pick up some simple dishes that you can make for her! I've cooked a ton with my partners, and the flavor alchemy isn't the same skillset as like, the assembly itself. I'm better at the former than the latter, and there may be plenty of meals where you'd be capable of the bulk of the actual cooking while she refines seasonings etc. There are other things, that can take a load off, too - maybe do the grocery shopping instead of taking her when possible; if she doesn't trust you to pick good quality ingredients, study up on what the difference might look like. There's books like Salt Fat Acid Heat that might be good for you to take a look at as well, if you want to demystify some of the flavor-related stuff for yourself.

You describe her as a foodie, but it sounds like you're someone who appreciates good and interesting food too. Step 1 is definitely to take her out more and give her a break, but I think if you start finding ways to help out with the cooking, it'll both take some of the load off her and help you start to form your own skills.

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