(Untitled)

[cicipsychobunny]

Okay, so this week is developing a theme, and I want to put some things out there.

I know you all know me, and love me, and care about me, and think I'm awesome and hot and all that jazz.

Comments

[morpheus0013]

I've never quite understood the whole "being fat means yo udie earlier" trope that seems to be followed by "being fat costs more in medical costs when you're old." I thought I wasn't going to GET old BECAUSE I'M FAT.

Ten years ago or so, when I went to the clinic for the first time for an annual and birth control, the PA-C insisted on a blood draw. She was actually visibly disappointed when my sugars and lipids and cholesterol and all that jazz came back absolutely perfect.

[cicipsychobunny]

Yep, the doctor was shocked that my blood pressure was totally normal. And then didn't even ask the classic "history of heart disease/diabetes/alcoholism" questions which at least give them SOME basis for concern trolling (because it's a great throbbing YES on all three, thanks, genealogy).

[poor_toms_acold]

I agree with you on this (as you know), but there is one thing that bothers me - the 'noone can keep off significant weight loss for more than 5 years'. I'm sure that's true in general (and certainly true when discussing fad diet crap), and I'm sure even the authors of the articles would be quick to jump in with a "there are always the exceptions", but when I read those articles/comments I feel really demotivated, like why did I bother, I'm never going to keep it off, the article says so. And I know that's bullshit, because at this point it would take a significant change in lifestyle for it to all go back on, but even so it's really demoralising to read 'you did it all for nothing' in the middle of an article that is about building up my confidence with hard scientific fact. I'm reading the article going "yes! Yes! Finally someone is making sense! Ye... oh. Guess I'm just fighting against the inevitable." That feels really awfulI think the authors of those articles could break that statement down a little more, because as a blanket

[cicipsychobunny]

You know, I get that it's a downer. But it's true. And it sucks, because we are thoroughly conditioned to hate our bodies and ignore the fact that they change over time and don't match up to the "ideal".

I'm feeling cranky, so apologies for bluntness: fuck "motivation". If you (editorial) are doing what feels good for your body, eating foods that make you feel vital and energized, having a level of activity you enjoy and doing things that you find fun and fulfilling, wearing clothes you love, a number on a scale should not be the focus of your attention, because it's totally meaningless. It's a number, and it's a number probably no one else would ever guess or think about.

[syn_abounds]

WARNING, WALL O' TEXT AHEAD:

Look, you know, you're right, diets don't work when you are cutting out an entire food group or doing faddy things like the Atkins diet or chugging a bottle of vinegar a week to "speed up your metabolism" or whatever. You're right, they don't work because once you've reached the goal weight or whatever, or even before then, you go back to your old eating habits.

But when you change your eating habits and make this a permanent change, in the way that both Taryn and I have, this is not unhealthy and it does work. It is not a fad diet. It is not some bullshit depriving-yourself-of-everything-nice thing. This is eating healthy and eating better and eating less. This is eating your recommended daily intake. This is figuring out what ratios of proteins to carbs to vegetables works best for your body. And that DOES work

[megapope]

Pretty much what Syn said, though I should add that my own perspective is that of a guy who got diabetes from being overweight, and who knows what being miserable in his own body is like.

I don't doubt for a second that part of my misery came from social pressures and all that jazz, but at the same time, as I keep the weight loss going, I just feel better, and it's not any kind of self righteous 'not one of the fattys any more' thing going on.

[jessikast]

Ah hah hah, yes, I had a very similar rant (x2)when I had to go get a checkup before my pill script was refilled and I was told I was obese and No More Pill For Me

[dizzydezzy]

Oh mine was even better. The doctor took my blood preassure (on the low side of normal), asked me all these questions about my diet and excersize and drinking and smoking. Praised me for looking after myself, and being overall very healthy... and then asked me hop on the scale, just for the records. and suddenly everything she had said before went right out the window, because the number was too much, so I was suddenly WAY TOO FAT to be healthy...?

(by the way, I have gigantic bones. Many years ago when i was in my "healthy" weight range according to BMI, my school friends tried to do an intervention because they were convinced that I had an eating disorder because I looked too skinny).

[megapope]

*beavis voice* heh....heh.... gigantic bone.... heh

[poor_toms_acold]

*Snort*