It's about Health, people!
I don't normally cross-post my entries from FB to Google+ to LJ or vice-versa, but I felt strongly about this post and felt I needed to post it everywhere I'm listed.
I read this article this morning: http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/model-natural-20-inch-waist-182500417.html
There are a couple of things I take from the article I've linked. First, that thank the gods not everywhere has joined the cult of thinness that we have here. And second? ALL women are raised with body issues today. Skinny, fat, completely healthy at whatever size...every woman seems to grow up thinking there's something wrong with their body. facepalm
A once-girlfriend of mine has a fabulous blog called "Dances With Fat" that address this issue. She's won three national dance championships...and she weighs 284 pounds, according to the blog's main page. (http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/) She's a strong advocate for "Health at Every Size" and contends quite eloquently that "fat" doesn't mean "unhealthy".
I just wish people would stop judging other people by their bodies. Skin color, weight, height...it's all so stupid. You look at this model and assume she starves herself. People have asked me what I did to lose 50 pounds, like it was somehow a great feat. (I much prefer the people who are referring to my smiles and more outgoing attitude when they say I'm looking great these days. People who look down at my waist when they say it? Not impressed, and not complimented. The number of healthy women in our office who turn down a cookie or slice of cheesecake because they "need" to lose weight is disgusting...)
How did I lose weight? I got healthy. Depression = weighing between 180-200 pounds for me. Getting on the right psych meds? 150-160, which is what healthy equals on my body. I didn't set out to lose weight - I set out to get my stamina and breath back. I succeeded, so I'm happy. I don't care what I look like. My goal wasn't weight loss, it was health gain. (I can't give you an exact weight unless it's the day after a doctor's appointment, because I don't own a scale!)
I read this article this morning: http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/model-natural-20-inch-waist-182500417.html
There are a couple of things I take from the article I've linked. First, that thank the gods not everywhere has joined the cult of thinness that we have here. And second? ALL women are raised with body issues today. Skinny, fat, completely healthy at whatever size...every woman seems to grow up thinking there's something wrong with their body. facepalm
A once-girlfriend of mine has a fabulous blog called "Dances With Fat" that address this issue. She's won three national dance championships...and she weighs 284 pounds, according to the blog's main page. (http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/) She's a strong advocate for "Health at Every Size" and contends quite eloquently that "fat" doesn't mean "unhealthy".
I just wish people would stop judging other people by their bodies. Skin color, weight, height...it's all so stupid. You look at this model and assume she starves herself. People have asked me what I did to lose 50 pounds, like it was somehow a great feat. (I much prefer the people who are referring to my smiles and more outgoing attitude when they say I'm looking great these days. People who look down at my waist when they say it? Not impressed, and not complimented. The number of healthy women in our office who turn down a cookie or slice of cheesecake because they "need" to lose weight is disgusting...)
How did I lose weight? I got healthy. Depression = weighing between 180-200 pounds for me. Getting on the right psych meds? 150-160, which is what healthy equals on my body. I didn't set out to lose weight - I set out to get my stamina and breath back. I succeeded, so I'm happy. I don't care what I look like. My goal wasn't weight loss, it was health gain. (I can't give you an exact weight unless it's the day after a doctor's appointment, because I don't own a scale!)