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I think someone just called me FAT!
Wow! Did you see the comment to my Fat Talk blog?
I think someone just called me fat!
First of all I am not naturally thin but I am very fit and healthy and that's kind of my point. THIN is not what I preach. I preach eating and exercising for the health of it. Fit comes in all shapes and sizes and it takes someone who isn't naturally thin but is (and has always been) healthy to understand that.
Not that I need to defend who I am but I was a dancer growing up and through college and was always interested in eating healthy. I have had two children (now teens) and a hysterectomy and I've never felt better. I don't have any joint aches and pains and I exercise almost every day including a kick ass cycling class and pilates. I don't smoke nor do I have anything close to an eating disorder. I don't need to take any medication because I don't have any health problems that would warrant it. I don't overeat because I naturally eat when I am hungry and stop when I am comfortable. I eat light at night because I like going to sleep with only some tea in my stomach. My family often calls me "bird" because I eat like a bird (small amounts).
What kind of a society do we live in where people are actually judging someone like this?
These are the kinds of comments that make me wonder if I should have chosen another profession. But then I realize, I need to be out there representing what's real and hopefully all these other people will listen to what I have to say because they can relate to me. Because they know I have the true view of health (mind, body, spirit) as my focus. Being obsessed with being thin and being obsessed by weight is not being in balance. Embracing the fact that there are many healthy shapes in the world is.
Marilyn Monroe is a perfect example of beauty coming in a wonderful curvaceous size 14. There are plenty of modern day Marilyns!
Here are a few truths that I know after living on this planet for 45 years:
* Just because someone is thin doesn't mean they are happier or healthier or have a better marriage (that's code for sex life)
* Someone can eat healthier and exercise more than others and because of their personal metabolism and body type will not be as thin as others are (and by the way - that's okay)
* When you focus on health and let your body find its happy place, you free yourself to work on what truly matters in life.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Body Image: Bigger Can Be Beautiful, What is a Healthy Weight?
Technorati Tags: bodyimage, healthyweight, fattalk
I think someone just called me fat!
First of all I am not naturally thin but I am very fit and healthy and that's kind of my point. THIN is not what I preach. I preach eating and exercising for the health of it. Fit comes in all shapes and sizes and it takes someone who isn't naturally thin but is (and has always been) healthy to understand that.
Not that I need to defend who I am but I was a dancer growing up and through college and was always interested in eating healthy. I have had two children (now teens) and a hysterectomy and I've never felt better. I don't have any joint aches and pains and I exercise almost every day including a kick ass cycling class and pilates. I don't smoke nor do I have anything close to an eating disorder. I don't need to take any medication because I don't have any health problems that would warrant it. I don't overeat because I naturally eat when I am hungry and stop when I am comfortable. I eat light at night because I like going to sleep with only some tea in my stomach. My family often calls me "bird" because I eat like a bird (small amounts).
What kind of a society do we live in where people are actually judging someone like this?
These are the kinds of comments that make me wonder if I should have chosen another profession. But then I realize, I need to be out there representing what's real and hopefully all these other people will listen to what I have to say because they can relate to me. Because they know I have the true view of health (mind, body, spirit) as my focus. Being obsessed with being thin and being obsessed by weight is not being in balance. Embracing the fact that there are many healthy shapes in the world is.
Marilyn Monroe is a perfect example of beauty coming in a wonderful curvaceous size 14. There are plenty of modern day Marilyns!
Here are a few truths that I know after living on this planet for 45 years:
* Just because someone is thin doesn't mean they are happier or healthier or have a better marriage (that's code for sex life)
* Someone can eat healthier and exercise more than others and because of their personal metabolism and body type will not be as thin as others are (and by the way - that's okay)
* When you focus on health and let your body find its happy place, you free yourself to work on what truly matters in life.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Body Image: Bigger Can Be Beautiful, What is a Healthy Weight?
Technorati Tags: bodyimage, healthyweight, fattalk
Labels: body image
23 Comments:
It's amazing what people will say under the cloak of "anonymity." I salute you, Elaine! You do important work. And I love your blog!
I saw that person's comment... how rude! I've always thought the advice you give is about eating nutritious foods, not eating just to lose weight. That rude commenter obviously doesn't get it.
Some people can be so disrespectful. I really like your blog and like your advice on nutrition and healthy eating. i think you are what people need to in todays world, since our minds are so warped these days. keep blogging!
I agree with you and for me when I was a size 14 (5'6 and 171 lbs) I did not feel healthy or happy. I ate right and exercised and got down to my original weight before marriage(134)but have since shrunk down to 128 lbs. I am now just wanting to be be as thin as I can possible be, which I know is not healthy, as I have scaled back my exercise routines because of extreme stress. I am aware that a size 14 person can be sexy but for me I feel like the smaller the better.
I think it's great to encourage people to exercise and eat to be healthy, not skinny. However, I take issue with pointing to long-gone celebrity beauties as being a size 14 as a reason to believe current size 14s are all just fine. I can tell you that a size 14 in 1950 was NOT the equivalient of a size 14 now. I have vintage clothes from my grandmother in my closet that say size 8, but my size 8 body (by today's standards) can no way wriggle into them. Clothing manufacturers have upped the size of the clothing while keeping the number the same b/c so many women hate to go into double digits on size; it makes us feel better to say "I'm still a size 8." But it doesn't necessarily mean we're thinner or healthier than the size 14s of 50 years ago.
Please explain to me what "personal metabolism" is as well as "body type". Frankly I have no idea what these terms mean because they sound vague.
As an overweight nutritionist, Elaine can relate better to the two-thirds of society that are overweight or obese. I want to lose excess bodyfat and regain my good health by eating better. Just because Elaine is happy being fat doesn't mean she can't teach us about nutrition. Imagine how good she would be if she were obese!
Elaine, I think the advice you give, is right on. I have lost 50 pounds just eating right. keep up the good work...
I never did have any use for a "skinny" woman!
Thanks for all the support you guys!
Not to belabor this point but everyone has to find where their body ends up while they are living a healthy lifestyle. For some of you it's a size 8 and for others it's a 10 or 12 or 14. It's not one size fits all. We are all different, Don't you see?
While I might be considered overweight by certain tables, my waist circumference is good. I'm an apple shape so my hips and legs are fairly cellulite-free. Every since my hysterectomy (they cut me from east to west) my lower belly sticks out a little--to be honest, that's the only part of my body that I'm not crazy about. These days I'm wearing a size 12 Gloria Vanderbilt jean (I'll do commercials Gloria!) and a size 2 pant in Chico's (love that place).
I wish everyone could just be happy and healthy with the body that God gave them. Maybe then they wouldn't pick on others bodies that look a little different here and there. If we all had the same shape and size and color, it would be a really boring place don't you think?
--Elaine Magee
Anonymous said...
I never did have any use for a "skinny" woman!
I am at the other end of the spectrum. As a result of illness, I am very thin. I was stocky before and had a big butt but now the butt is gone. I get lots of contemptuous comments about being thin from people who would like to lose weight. All I really want is to have my butt back.
There's a new book out about this very topic: Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss and the Myths and Realities of Dieting by Gina Kolata...I have not read it completely but it has made sense of things I know. You can lose weight, but keeping it off is another thing. I think many of us would agree that we have lost weight over and over but it comes back (and more), so trying to eat healthy is important.
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I think you are AWESOME and quite attractive-- people have such a skewed version of what thin is. I'm 5'2" and 88 lbs and still have been told that I need to lose weight by my acting coaches and producers (or rather, "just a bit off your belly-- my belly is almost concave!!!!) Now I'm trying to get healthy but it's hard-- becase of people like that!
I can't stand ignorant people! Life is hard enough without having perfect strangers tear you down. Especially someone who wasn't gutsy enough to use their name! You just keep on doing what you're doing. I LOVE your blog and respect what you do.
-Betsy
I agree with many of you. Being healthy does not necessarily mean being "thin". As a person who has a large frame and a large body over that frame, I'm sick of the standard look to aspire to being that of an Auscwitz survivor! I'll compare my bloodwork lab values to any of those skinny minnies any day!
I am struggling to lose about 20 pounds.
I was always quite small, and have a small stature. That just makes 20 pounds look a LOT heavier than I ever thought.
After going through Menopause, which in and of itself was VERY unpleasant; I can't seem to lose the weight as easy.
I also have arthritis which makes exercise painful at best.
I eat right and do not over eat, but my metabolism is SO MUCH slower now; I am very self consious of how I look to me which is a bit "chunky". Actually I guess I look "fat" to myself.
On the internet some people will act like jerks. They are actually cowards and scoundrels. The cowardly scoundrel who called The Healthy Recipe Dr. a mean name should give her an apology.
I think your blog/column is the best and I look to your articles for answers to my nutrition qestions etc.
First of all the comment was rude but I don't think it was over the top. As a personal trainer I have to tell women the truth sometimes to get results. I have had women that are 47% fat tell me that they look fine. I have to let them know that there are things they can do to improve. I don't stress being skinny but I do stress being the best your body can be.
I am over weight I can say that but I have been to the doctor many times for check ups and annual blood tests and all that jazz and normally i get the same reply and that I am totally fine and healthy its just that i'm over weight and thats the only thing that is off.
I don't get hammered on to often about my weight but there arepeople who are just rude and think that people that are over weight are not aloud lives or to have fun like other people do. They also stereotype A LOT! think that everyone is overweight because they eat 5,000 calories plus a day. It use to be over weight meant that you were wealthy and taken care of. Now tho in the days of Hollywood humans have an image etched in to their brains on what is except able. I'm sorry about that person sayin that to ya.
I knew when I started outgrowing my size 16s at almost 160 lbs and my cholesterol and blood pressure were going up that I needed to lose weight. I just cut back on my total food and watched my fat intake and was slowly losing weight when several life situations struck. The next thing I knew was that I had dropped down almost to 110 and nothing fit anymore and my health was not so good either. I have done several things since then and am very pleased with the way I look and feel. I stopped smoking, I started working out and I have a pretty good doctor who has finally learned to listen to me and will send me to a specialist if we both think I need one. I now weigh between 131 & 135 (no problem with that) and wear anything from a size 10 to 14 depending on style and maker. At 66 years of age, most men still think I look sexy. I see so many young girls who don't look bad except for their posture and the fact that nobody has taught them to stand up straight and suck in their tummies and I wonder how they will feel about that after they have a baby or two and they still aren't really fat but will look sloppy because of simple body mechanics. I think that each of us must decide what is best for our own bodies but good nutrition and moderate exercise are key to it all and not what the media has to say about "ideal" weights or looks
i am 22 yrs old and i am like 5'3 and weigh 155 am i fat i feel like my lags and stomach are heavier than what i want??? please tell me something my name haley
re; everyone isn't a beanpole well what about those of us who are. u know the ones u look at with disgust swearing were smoking crack & shooting up! Where do we go for help in achieving OUR weight goal? Or did u think we enjoy looking & being treated as if we are drug addicts? Meanwhile I still try to convince various specialist that it's o.k. for them to help me gain weight by all available means even if I am not terminally ill I won't become obese because after I pay my rent and utilities I only have about $100 left for hygyne, household cleaning, laundry supplies & food Not 2 mention the 75 steps I have to climb down just 2 get out the building & 75 steps I have to climb up to get back in. dispite this along with my willingness 2 sign a waiver reliquishing my rights to sue in the event I do become obese I still haven't been able to obtain the help I need. It's been 9 years! I wasn't always a beanpole & I never wanted to be.
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