Before I even begin, let me say that I am well aware that I am overweight. I am not going to use the word "fat" because people who call themselves "fat" do it for one of two reasons: They either have low self-esteem or they are fishing for compliments. Neither of those applies to me. It's simply that I really enjoy food and put too much of it in my mouth, and I would rather spend time with my kids than with sweaty strangers in a gym. Therefore, I weigh more than I'm supposed to.
I'm not happy about it and I plan suck it up and remedy the situation. However...
Why, oh why, is it no longer socially acceptable to have a female body shape?
Can someone explain this one? Please?
I lose count of the number of pins I see on Pinterest with links to some exercise program or diet that promises to help the pinner, "Lose that lower belly that women have," or "Get rid of those wide, womanly hips." The pictures accompanying the claims are almost always depict the torso of some poor woman who looks like she has just been released from a war prison.
This is beauty?
This is what I'm supposed to aspire to?
I'm supposed to want to be shaped like an adolescent boy??
I understand that some women would rather not have the ample posterior that I have (and have always had, even when I wasn't overweight). It does make it a little more difficult to buy pants. I happen to like my body type, and I cannot lie. (You're singing it, aren't you? You're welcome.)
I grew up hearing statements like, "I saw So-and-So the other day. She's put on weight." I'm no stranger to such eloquent labels as, "Fat as a cow," "big as a barn," and, "beached whale," when describing women who have recently added a few pounds. I am aware that thinner is considered more attractive in our culture.
But, I have always been inclined to believe that the hourglass figure was more attractive than the stick figure. Have I been wrong all this time?
Wait, is my husband wrong???
Even more frightening, is Kate Moss right?? Is it true that, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?" Haha! Nope. You can tell Ms. Moss isn't Southern, because she has obviously never had fried green tomatoes or red velvet cake.
Oh, and by the way, Ms. Moss, please stop telling our daughters this malarkey. Thanks.
I know that being overweight isn't healthy, and I can definitely tell a difference in the way I feel now compared to when there was less of me.
You know what else is unhealthy? I'll make you a list, because you know how much I love making lists.
- Fad diets. All of them. I may be a big girl, but I do know that cutting entire food groups and adding chemicals and other unnatural ingredients to your food in order to trick your body into being thin is not healthy.
- Diet pills and supplements. Ask your doctor. I did.
- Starvation. You wouldn't do that? Well, maybe not, but teenaged girls and young women who just can't seem to get skinny enough do it every day.
- Binging and purging. See above. Yep, it happens. It's closer to you than you think. There are pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia organizations, websites, etc. Do your research.
I have stretch marks. My belly is bigger than it used to be. The girls are a little lower.
I had two babies. I wouldn't trade them for a more taut abdomen. I also don't feel as if I have to buy special lotions, get plastic surgery, or do five million sit-ups to try to hide the signs of being a mom.
I am a mom. I'm also a wife and my husband still adores me and finds me attractive, so why does it matter if I have stretch marks?
I'm more beautiful now than I was before, because I've carried two beautiful babies.
If anyone can make heads or tails of this craziness, I'd be much obliged.
In the meantime, can we implore the media to STOP telling my daughter she's not pretty enough if she doesn't starve herself?? Please??
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