Helllloooo!

There is sooooooooooo much existing mental real estate on how much a person “should” weigh. I recall that the collective wisdom when I was a girl: Five pounds for every inch over five feet tall. It later switched what’s considered a “reasonable” BMI or Body Mass Index. This is literally just your height and weight working together to consider what is “healthy.” No considerations for the fact that muscle weighs more than fat. Just a number for you to adhere to for the rest of your life.

And it splintered after that where bodies are treated “clean” machines always processing their input efficiency. Um… Nope. This is beyond a simplistic view of weight and food. Like some folks assume that being overweight is a character defect. Well? That says far more about you than the overweight person.

Why?

You deciding people are less than due to their weight? That’s a whole lot of fucking assumptions. Imagine how much better your life would be if you focused that energy on taking better care of yourself??? Food and body images have long been distorted in media. Cuz media hypes what sells not necessarily what’s healthy for the long term. Some folks also challenge weight loss trends due to how it cuts into their own revenues. AND??? Most diets are promoted to be a “one size fits all.”

Bullshit.

The best plans that work for you? Listen to your body. It’s going to tell you what it likes and dislikes. Sure. Your mind wants to bully your body into doing its bidding. BUT BUT BUT DUDES!?! AGAIN: BULLSHIT.

For your mind can build all sorts of condos on fantasy about what it means to have an effective weight loss plan.

EXCEPT

Weight loss and weight management aren’t one in the same. I’ve found that out through my journey of experiencing all the main eating disorders: overeating, anorexia, and bulimia. These were all stress responses to tough situations. Yes. Actual food had nothing to with my food consumption or lack thereof.

Like when I had anorexia? I let the mantra “IF I LOSE FIVE MORE POUNDS, EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT.” And when this wasn’t true after losing the five pounds? I lost five more pounds until my hip bones stuck out more than my breasts.

Bulimia was similar: Let me eat until I’m sick then stick my finger down my throat. No. I was a “brown bomber.” These were the folks overweighting then chugging bunches of laxatives to move everything through their systems. Folks with anorexia did this stuff too. Very messy.

I also tried all sorts of fad diets. But my old personal trainer Aggie Bitney said it best: Diets are meant to be short term not lifestyle choices. And that’s the truth: limiting food and chasing trends set me up to have a yo yo weight existence cuz I wasn’t doing the actual work:

Addressing the underlying issues driving my relationship with food. I’ve already talked about it some in my ode to cake blog, my holiday sugar declaration and sprinkled throughout the rest of my blogs.

Cuz I’ve come to realize that my relationship with food leans more towards self-soothing behaviors than treating it like rocket fuel. Yup. I know that you hate the phrase “self-soothe,” mom. But a spade is a spade.

And now that I’m formally addressing all the bullshit floating around in my head??? My food is evolving back to rocket fuel rather than security blanket. Kinda scary for sure. Totally worth it. Loving it too!

How about you? Have you had a complex relationship with food? Are you on a first name basis with it? Just circling it? Don’t ask don’t tell? BFFs? I’d love to hear.

As always: Have a glamorous day for fun!!

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