Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’
Loving Your Body Image (Friend Friday)
It isn’t even still Friday in some time zones, but I wanted to get this posted as I’ve been meaning to blog some more personal stuff and it goes right along with another post I’m drafting. Questions are the Friend Friday from Modly Chic – Also be sure to check out Tashina’s answers over at Logical Harmony. Please comment here if you filled this out as well – I’d love to read it!
Image from Refinery
1. Since you started blogging, has your image of yourself changed? Definitely – I never realized how good I had it. After having my first baby, I look back at old photos of myself and cannot believe how small I was then (compared to now). On one hand it’s depressing, because I don’t look that way now, but it’s also motivating to see those images and know that I can look that way – I did once and I will again. It is hard though.
2. Are you self-conscious about any aspect of yourself? If so, do you go out of your way to avoid it or do you post it/talk about it anyway? I sometimes touch on my weight but I don’t like to complain, especially about things I do have control over. I don’t want to make excuses for being fat.
3. Based on how you are feeling now, what do you think the future holds in the evolution of your body image? I suppose that when I finally get thin again, I’ll be a lot more proud and aware of it because of how hard I’ve had to work. God, I hope I’m aware of it!
4. Do you photograph yourself for your blog? If so, how do you feel about the experience when you’re having your picture taken? Not enough! When I’m dressed up and have my hair and makeup done (not tons of makeup, just looking right), I love a photo shoot. Right now I’m broke and don’t have a ton of clothes that fit post-baby, otherwise I’d be posting a lot more photos of myself and my style.
5. What would you want every person who struggles with body image to take to heart? There’s a line from Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) that goes, “You are not as fat as you imagine.” For many people this is true. I look back at photos of myself and am floored at how I really looked versus the way I remember thinking I looked at the time. BY ALL MEANS, work out and eat right, but dress your body for how it looks now and put the effort (and a bit of time and money) into wearing flattering things while you work to change your body.
Fatties should get a room
One of my favorite fashion sources, Refinery 29, recently objected to Marie Claire magazine post, “Should Fatties Get a Room”. The Marie Claire article is about the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, based around two extremely overweight characters. Apparently, many of the magazine’s readers are upset, even threatening to unsubscribe, because they construed the article as fat bashing.
To sum it up, Marie Claire’s Maura Kelly writes that she finds it displeasing to watch very fat people move about, the same way she might find it displeasing to observe a very drunk person or a drug addict. She points out that the shows characters are not just overweight, but obese, and how unhealthy that is.
… While I think our country’s obsession with physical perfection is unhealthy, I also think it’s at least equally crazy, albeit in the other direction, to be implicitly promoting obesity! Yes, anorexia is sick, but at least some slim models are simply naturally skinny. No one who is as fat as Mike and Molly can be healthy. And obesity is costing our country far more in terms of all the related health problems we are paying for, by way of our insurance, than any other health problem, even cancer.
By the time I came upon the article, it had been up for a couple of days, and Kelly had already issued a lengthy apology to readers.
I hate that she felt she had to write an apology and that she was slammed with so many negative comments. Her piece was honest, and more optimistic than it was mean. In the second half of her article she is sympathetic and presents genuine suggestions for successful weight loss. She all but cheerleads for the overweight, even writing “YOU CAN DO IT!” in all caps.
The truth is, Kelly made some great points that likely hit too close to home for those who complained.
Can you imagine a pro-anorexia television show airing on American television? Not a chance. But we as a society are so sensitive, so quick to label any criticism as prejudice, any name-calling as bullying, that we will pretend that being too fat is somehow superior to being too thin. We will pretend that Beth Ditto naked looks anything but disgusting. Tell ourselves that the average fat person on the street has no control over their weight. Well, we do have control over our weight – In fact, a lot of people have eating disorders because they feel it is the only thing that they do have control over. By showing more overweight individuals on television and in magazines, we are normalizing being overweight, and being overweight should not be the norm.
I have a feeling that more people agree with me than are willing to admit it. After all, our country is obsessed with The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Fit Club, etc etc. We love fat-to-fit transformation stories because we all know that it is preferable to be fit. I could go on and on about this, really.
Maura notes that her strong opinions may stem from her “history as an anorexic, and my life-long obsession with being thin”. Well, my feelings are tied to my own body and thin-bition as well — I’m mindful of my food intake and activity, and I’ll be damned if my single-digit dress size is seen as dumb luck. How you treat your body is a reflection of how you feel about yourself – Why should I respect you if you don’t respect you.
Bottom line: You are in control of your own body. Fat people are aesthetically displeasing, not to mention unhealthy to the point that it literally shortens their life expectancy, and pretending otherwise isn’t doing anyone any favors.
Enjoy Life with Weight Loss Tips
“Have a healthy life & you can enjoy fashion so much more than if you eat too much sugar & cake.” – Karl Lagerfeld
You look best when you’re in shape. Every woman may not be able to attain a size 2, but garments fit the best on a tight body, and it’s great not to have to worry how your body will look in clothes. Whether you are trying to stay slender or achieve a model’s silhouette, these tips will help you think thin and fabulous.
Visualize yourself skinny. Picture the girl you want to be. What would she order at the drive-thru window? If it helps, think about what people think when they watch you eat. It isn’t just shallow – Making good food choices represents the respect you have for yourself.
Know calorie counts ahead of time. Do a quick Google of your favorite menu items. If you splurge, eat light at your other meals to budget your calories. Keep a journal of everything you eat; You’ll think twice about what you put in your mouth if you know you’ll have to put it on paper.
Watch your drinks. Non-diet beverages are often high-cal, even seemingly healthy drinks such as juices. And of course alcoholic drinks are usually packed with calories. Plan drinks the same way you plan food, based on your calorie goals. A glass of white wine is around 100-150 calories. A shot of vodka is around 80 calories, and can be mixed with diet cola or Lite Cranberry Juice (just 40 calories per glass!)
Invest in exercise you love. Invest mentally, emotionally, and financially. For me, a gym membership is useless, as I’d rather work out at home in my sweats. I keep free weights at home and do pilates
Be scantily clad. At least in your own home. When you can see exactly where every bite is going to go, you’ll be much more likely to make smart food choices.
Extra help – Products: A tan can make your body look 10 pounds slimmer. L’Oreal Sublime Bronze
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” – Kate Moss
© 2012