Body Image, Dieting, and Your New Year’s Resolution — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)
For many of us, in the next few weeks we will be thinking about one thing, and one thing only. Dieting. The holiday parties will be over, and it will be time to make that inevitable New Year’s Resolution, many of us will resolve to lose weight.
But why? Why will we be so consumed with dieting and losing weight?
Don’t get me wrong, some of us really do need to lose some weight (me included). And we read study after study showing the health risks associated with being overweight. But, let’s get “real” here for a minute…When we say “diet”, we usually mean that we want to get back into our “skinny jeans”. We don’t like how we look, or we think others are judging us for how we look. Yes, we have a poor body image.
Is there not a woman among us who has not struggled with this issue at some point or another? It seems that loving, much less even liking our bodies raises issues. We postpone that love by saying, “I’ll love my body when…” When I lose ten pounds, when I get the face-lift, when I start working out, when the kids are older. But someday never comes, and many of us live in perpetual disregard of our earthly body temples. — read full post
We think that if we can just get down to [enter magic number here] then we will be happy. And the “happy” part is a vicious circle. When we feel we look bad, it makes us sad (even depressed)…Then we run right on over to our “feel good” foods (usually also the fattening foods)…And the cycle continues.
This is from Karly…
I started First Ourselvesafter awakening from years of depression, body bashing, and Mommy martrydom. I saw how my quest for the perfect body, my inability to care for myself, and my self-abuse (I was an expert at beating myself up) kept me stuck: it kept me from being the wife, mother, friend—woman—I wanted to be. I couldn’t share my light, or my gifts with others—I was snuffing them out. Learning to deeply and completely love and accept myself has allowed me to share my light, and speak to my truest passions. My ambition is to help other women do the same.
We know all about how our body images are being manipulated by the media, we know we have unrealistic ideas of what beautiful is…But, we will also still jump down the rabbit hole on January 2nd.
Now, this post isn’t going to try to convince you not to do that. Because in all honesty, I’m jumping right down that dieting rabbit hole with you. I’m just going to ask you to consider a few things first.
So what would it look like to be beautiful today? That’s a hard question for most girls and women. The quick response would usually entail taller, thinner, blonder, straighter teeth, wider eyes, smaller nose, or a myriad of other physical features.
What if you looked in a mirror and saw the words “this is what beautiful looks like” right above your reflection? — read full post here
This is from Big Fat Deal…
Big Fat Deal was born: a blog to help navigate those murky waters of body image, size, healthiness, hottyness, and Star Jones. In the comments here, we try to define who we are: a body positivity blog that is inclusive to people losing weight and people happy to be whatever weight they happen to be.
With her two collaborators, anne and Weetabix, mo pie tries to keep tabs on issues of weight in the media, pop culture, and society. Big Fat Deal is, first and foremost, a community. The thoughtful people who read, comment, and send in tips keep this site going. Here’s a place for you to introduce yourself, if you’d care to. And here is our Flickr photo group–you’re beautiful, you know. Please add your picture. We hope you like it here, you gorgeous thing, you.
More from Karly at First Ourselves…
What is body ease? Body ease is being comfortable with your body; being comfortable with your body as it ages or changes. Body ease is being relaxed about your body or your “imperfections.” It’s letting go of your nitpicking, the ways you fuss or pick at your body to be “better.” Body ease is being comfortable with other women’s bodies; letting other women be beautiful, too. Body ease is separating your self-worth from your appearance, so that when you have a pimple, a cold sore, an extra 20 pounds, a double chin, or wrinkles, that you can accept them, even if you don’t like them. Body ease is caring for, feeding, and exercising your body without neuroticism. Body ease is treating yourself with kindness, compassion, and levity.
So, what’s wrong with treating ourselves with kindness? Absolutely NOTHING, and there is no reason why you can’t make this part of your New Year’s Resolution.
Can you be at ease with your body, and still resolve to lose weight? Sure you can. Just make a resolution to replace some of the junk you’ve been eating with healthy foods, make a resolution to put yourself on the path to healthy living. After-all, healthy living is the kindest thing you can do for yourself.
How many times has “losing weight” been you New Year’s Resolution? What will be your New Year’s Resolution this year? How’s you body image these days? Do you want to lose weight to look better, or feel healthier?
A few other links…
As We Are
Healthier Outcomes
What NOT To Do When You Want To Lose Weight
