If you don't read the blog Two Whole Cakes (formerly known as Fatshionista) you really should. It's a witty, insightful, well-informed blog on fat and body acceptance and a myriad of adjacent issues. I want to post something that was linked to on her January 25th post: "Weight-loss focus is ineffective and harmful, study suggests". Here's an excerpt:
“Although health professionals may mean well when they suggest that people lose weight, our analysis indicates that researchers have long interpreted research data through a biased lens,” Bacon said. “When the data are reconsidered without the common assumption that fat is harmful, it is overwhelmingly apparent that fat has been highly exaggerated as a risk for disease or decreased longevity.”
Bacon noted that the study findings do not support conventional ideas that:
- weight loss will prolong life;
- anyone can lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise;
- weight loss is a practical and positive goal;
- weight loss is the only way overweight and obese people can improve their health; and
- obesity places an economic burden on society.
Anybody who's ever dieted probably already knows all that. But I wanted to use this as a jumping-off point to talk about weight loss vs. health.
It seems like the two of these things are connected inextricably in the public's mind - if you're fat, you're unhealthy and need to stop eating fast food and get off your butt and go to the gym. But if you're thin, you're healthy, even if you indulge in fast food and don't go to the gym. We all know, logically, intuitively, that one of the biggest factors in health is giving our bodies the nutrients it needs, like fresh foods, meals made from scratch, a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc. So, why is it that a doctor will be concerned about the health of an "obese" woman who eats well, but not the health of a skinny person who does not? We need to stop acting like somehow, magically, everybody who is skinny eats a good balanced diet, and everybody who is fat eats lots of cheeseburgers.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell, just by looking at somebody, who is healthy and who is not, but it's easy to tell who is fat and who isn't just by looking at them. But this is pure laziness on the part of our doctors, or anybody in the media claiming to be a "nutrition expert," etc. Everybody's case is different, yet somehow every time I go to the doctor he simply looks at my weight and tells me I should work out or lose [X] pounds (for me I think it's about 80lbs now, maybe 100 since I'm so short), or follow a diet plan... We never actually talk about my eating habits, which are, in my opinion, perfectly average, if not 100% healthy, for a 21-year-old. We never actually talk about how I feel about my body, whether I feel strong or weak, comfortable or uncomfortable, or even just beautiful or ugly.
I think there are lots of "obese" women out there who are strong and eat food of normal quality and quantity that make themselves less healthy by trying to force themselves into a body that they aren't. And, conversely, I think there are a lot of thin women who do themselves a disservice by thinking that just because they were blessed with a fast metabolism and thin genes, they can laze around on their butts, drink nothing but coke, and still be healthy, and not have it take a toll later in life.
I'm talking about this now because It's something that I'm struggling with. I don't want to lose weight, but I want to be healthier, and that article really dealt with a lot of my personal fears... if I were to focus on weight loss, I wouldn't actually be healthier. But I'm afraid that if I start working out, give up a couple of my (mainly sugary) vices and make an effort to be healthier, that it will result in me losing weight, which will trigger an old demon of mine - the little voice which tells me that I can't be pretty until I'm thin, that I have to weigh myself every day, that I don't deserve to eat and that that feeling of an empty, growling stomach is actually pleasurable because it means I'm losing weight. How do I separate these two things... How do I obtain my health goals without triggering old destructive patterns?
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On a lighter note, eShakti has a ton of gorgeous new styles in spring prints that I'm drooling over this blouse and this dress. Also, Forever21+ has some cute springtime styles like these floral shorts or this flattering floral tunic. It's too bad they go through their stock so fast. Also there's a sale on ASOS Curve's "ASOS Collection" line.
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Another topic I wanted to discuss is sewing. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I sew a bit. I pretty much taught myself, with a little help from my mom, who is no great shakes at sewing either, and who I've now probably surpassed in sewing talent. It's a good skill to learn if you're plus sized, because you can adjust sewing patterns to fit any size if you have the patience. It takes a lot of trial and error, but you learn as you go. I recommend starting on sleepwear, because most of the styles are really easy, and if it doesn't turn out as pretty as you'd like, you can still wear it in the comfort of your own home.
I think I might put up some pictures of things I've sewn if I ever get around to it. I haven't sewn anything in a while (school, and other stressors) but I've just started working on another project, a vintage 70s pattern - an A-Line dress with a cool princess-seam detail. Most of my sewing projects are vintage - I have a huge collection of vintage patterns, even quite a few from as early as the 40s. So far I've sewn a vintage 60s granny-nightie, a 70s blouse with large bell-sleeves, a 40s dress with smocking details on the shoulders, and a 60s shift-dress :)
A couple tips for people who are interested in sewing:
- People donate perfectly usable fabric to the Goodwill (and other thrift stores). It's way cheaper than a fabric store, and it's where I get most of my fabric. Don't ignore a piece just because it has a couple of marks, stains, or holes. If they're small enough you can always cut around them
- Patterns can be resized. Most pattern companies, like most department stores, have a smaller, less attractive selection for plus sizes, but you can always make a pattern larger. I have a great sewing book ("The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing" from 1980) that has a great section on making alterations that I think I might scan and upload in a post sometime. While it's true that it's way harder to size up a pattern with a really large size difference, or with a complex design, it is possible to size any pattern up to any size given enough patience, care, accurate measurements, and calculations.
- However, if you don't want to size up patterns (which is admittedly very time consuming) I recommend Butterick, whose Misses patterns often go up to size 22 or 24 (sewing-size that is. The sizes on pattern envelopes are smaller than "catalog sizes" by about 2 sizes so always look at the measurements), McCalls, who has a very stylish plus size selection even if their Misses patterns don't go up very large, Kwik Sew, whose Misses clothes go up to XL in addition to a decent plus-size selection, and Hot Patterns, an independent pattern company that uses catalog sizes and provides sizes 6-26 in all their patterns. However, I don't recommend bothering with Vogue, Burda, or New Look; Vogue patterns don't go up to very large sizes, and all their plus size clothes are matronly; Neither Burda nor New Look carry plus sizes as far as I'm aware.
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