A weekly blog about how to quit dieting for good using an intuitive eating and health at every size approach.
You've heard from me before about the dubious links between weight loss and health.
It's how we psychologically twist a need to be skinny or good looking into "self-care." It's also how we mix up "concern" with discrimination. But, sometimes, focusing on weight loss can be unsafe. .
The best example of this is...pregnancy.
I once was a size 2. Actually, if you go back far enough, I think I used to be a size 0-2 months.
Ba doom cha!
Seriously, though. This is the diet trap.
One time when you were "really really really good," you were able to be this size. This is your ideal size. It seems reasonable to you because you were there once. It's not like you want to look like OG Barbie or even like Taylor Swift, you just want to be this size again.
In last week's post, I posted a video from Anita Sarkeesian about "choice feminism."
She mentioned this idea that we live in "systems." While it feels like we have space to make some personal choice, these choices have parameters.
But, what does all this have to do with body image?
Beyonce thinks it's cool. Emma Watson thinks it's cool. Feminism is for sure getting cooler these days. With feminism's increased popularity, it's also true that it's achieving some commercial success.
You've seen the Dove commercials. The commercial success of feminism also means that companies have started to co-opt the language of feminism to sell products. Commercials from these companies suggest that when we purchase their products, we are somehow being more feminist.
Instead of me trying to fumble through this nuanced idea, I will instead direct you to the source. If you have 15 minutes, please please please watch this video because it talks about the complexities of a concept called "choice feminism."
Next week, I will be talking about how this concept applies to dieting.
Spring time is rampant with all sorts of "detoxes" and "cleanses" encouraging you to stress out about how your body looks. And, even though I like to think I'm immune to this nonsense, I'm not. Today, I found myself thinking WAAAAAY too much about my belly.
I'm a child of the 90s and during key developmental parts of my life, "midriff tops" were a super big deal. Can you say Hit me baby one more time? I've always been REALLY insecure about my belly.
I wanted to share what really works for me to get out of the body shaming funk so you, too, can stop the cycle:
