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Double D · 08-26-2003, 05:02 PM

I feel for you, I hurt for you. I was you.
You do not have to hate yourself, because you are beautiful.

Before you dismiss my assertion, please hear me out.

Diets don't work, they make you fatter
If diets, did work, we'd all be thin
Repeated dieting messes up your metabolism and screws with your self-esteem
Almost everytime you go on a diet, you gain all and often more, of the weight back within two years.
It is possible to be *overweight* and fit at the same time

I'd like to introduce the idea of size acceptance to you. It dramatically changed my life. I went from despising my self/my body to accepting, to liking it, without losing a significant amount of weight.

I'm going to borrow a bit from my friend who is a size acceptance activist, to explain what size acceptance is and why it can help you to be happier. In the words of Judy Sullivan of sizewise.com:

*A lot of people pooh-pooh the very idea of size acceptance. They think size acceptance means taking the easy way out, giving up on oneself, and letting oneself go. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Size acceptance is about acknowledging to yourself that the body you have will not be helped by any more dieting, that the intelligent thing to do is to concentrate on improved health and mobility. Very few of us will ever achieve long-term, substantial, healthy weight loss. We can all make reasonable advances in taking care of and loving ourselves as we are.

To paraphrase Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, size acceptance is a journey, not a destination. It's more work than dieting, but it helps rather than hurting. It's often a two steps forward, one step back process. At the same time it is empowering, giving confidence, strength, and comfort.*

If you would like to explore this process further,
there are two Size Wise email lists dedicated specifically to helping people of all sizes achieve their own personal goals in health and improved general lifestyle. They are SizeWisePlus (for people of all sizes), SizeWiseSS (for people larger than approximately 350 lbs.), and Size Wise Health Care (limited to members of the health care profession). All of these lists can be joined by going to the sizewise.com site. (There is no fee to belong to the list-serve or access the site.)

To finish up, I'm leaving you with a book list of empowerment. I've read most of the non-fiction books on the list (& others) in my journey to accept & love my body as it is today. Please feel free to PM me at any time.

{{hugs}}

--DD

Non-Fiction

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health by Glen A. Gaesser, Ph.D.

Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann

Great Shape: The First Fitness Guide for Large Women by Pat Lyons and Debby Burgard

Health Risks of Weight Loss by Francie M. Berg

The Invisible Woman: Confronting Weight Prejudice In America by W. Charisse Goodman

Live Large!: Ideas, Affirmations, and Actions for Sane Living in a Larger Body by Cheri K. Erdman (No longer in print. Try Amplestuff.)

Losing It: America's Obsession with Weight and the Industry That Feeds On It by Laura Fraser

No Fat Chicks: How Big Business Profits by Making Women Hate Their Bodies by Terry Poulton

Nothing To Lose: A Guide to Sane Living in a Larger Body by Cheri K Erdman

Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman by Rochelle Rice

Size Wise: A Catalog of More than 1000 Resources for Living With Confidence and Comfort at Any Size by Judy Sullivan (Try Amazon.com for used copies.)

Somebody To Love: A Guide to Loving the Body You Have by Leslea Newman

True Beauty: Positive Attitudes & Practical Tips from the World's Leading Plus-Size Model by Emme

Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media by Susan J. Douglas

Wake Up, I'm Fat! by Camryn Manheim

Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes by Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Notkin

Fiction

An Abundant Woman by Elizabeth Neff Walker
The Axeman's Jazz by Julie Smith
Fantasy by Raynetta Mannes
Fat Girl Dances With Rocks by Susan Stinson
Flesh by David Galef
Larger Than Death by Lynne Murray
Murder Can Kill Your Social Life by Selma Eichler
Murder Gets A Life: A Southern Sisters Mystery by Anne George
Significant Others by Armistead Maupin

08-26-2003, 05:02 PM	#66 (permalink)
Double D Junkie Location: Chicagoland	To All Ladies Who Hate Their Bodies Because They Are Too Fat: I feel for you, I hurt for you. I was you. You do not have to hate yourself, because you are beautiful. Before you dismiss my assertion, please hear me out. Diets don't work, they make you fatter If diets, did work, we'd all be thin Repeated dieting messes up your metabolism and screws with your self-esteem Almost everytime you go on a diet, you gain all and often more, of the weight back within two years. It is possible to be overweight and fit at the same time I'd like to introduce the idea of size acceptance to you. It dramatically changed my life. I went from despising my self/my body to accepting, to liking it, without losing a significant amount of weight. I'm going to borrow a bit from my friend who is a size acceptance activist, to explain what size acceptance is and why it can help you to be happier. In the words of Judy Sullivan of sizewise.com: A lot of people pooh-pooh the very idea of size acceptance. They think size acceptance means taking the easy way out, giving up on oneself, and letting oneself go. Nothing could be further from the truth. Size acceptance is about acknowledging to yourself that the body you have will not be helped by any more dieting, that the intelligent thing to do is to concentrate on improved health and mobility. Very few of us will ever achieve long-term, substantial, healthy weight loss. We can all make reasonable advances in taking care of and loving ourselves as we are. To paraphrase Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, size acceptance is a journey, not a destination. It's more work than dieting, but it helps rather than hurting. It's often a two steps forward, one step back process. At the same time it is empowering, giving confidence, strength, and comfort. If you would like to explore this process further, there are two Size Wise email lists dedicated specifically to helping people of all sizes achieve their own personal goals in health and improved general lifestyle. They are SizeWisePlus (for people of all sizes), SizeWiseSS (for people larger than approximately 350 lbs.), and Size Wise Health Care (limited to members of the health care profession). All of these lists can be joined by going to the sizewise.com site. (There is no fee to belong to the list-serve or access the site.) To finish up, I'm leaving you with a book list of empowerment. I've read most of the non-fiction books on the list (& others) in my journey to accept & love my body as it is today. Please feel free to PM me at any time. {{hugs}} --DD Non-Fiction The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health by Glen A. Gaesser, Ph.D. Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann Great Shape: The First Fitness Guide for Large Women by Pat Lyons and Debby Burgard Health Risks of Weight Loss by Francie M. Berg The Invisible Woman: Confronting Weight Prejudice In America by W. Charisse Goodman Live Large!: Ideas, Affirmations, and Actions for Sane Living in a Larger Body by Cheri K. Erdman (No longer in print. Try Amplestuff.) Losing It: America's Obsession with Weight and the Industry That Feeds On It by Laura Fraser No Fat Chicks: How Big Business Profits by Making Women Hate Their Bodies by Terry Poulton Nothing To Lose: A Guide to Sane Living in a Larger Body by Cheri K Erdman Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman by Rochelle Rice Size Wise: A Catalog of More than 1000 Resources for Living With Confidence and Comfort at Any Size by Judy Sullivan (Try Amazon.com for used copies.) Somebody To Love: A Guide to Loving the Body You Have by Leslea Newman True Beauty: Positive Attitudes & Practical Tips from the World's Leading Plus-Size Model by Emme Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media by Susan J. Douglas Wake Up, I'm Fat! by Camryn Manheim Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes by Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Notkin Fiction An Abundant Woman by Elizabeth Neff Walker The Axeman's Jazz by Julie Smith Fantasy by Raynetta Mannes Fat Girl Dances With Rocks by Susan Stinson Flesh by David Galef Larger Than Death by Lynne Murray Murder Can Kill Your Social Life by Selma Eichler Murder Gets A Life: A Southern Sisters Mystery by Anne George Significant Others by Armistead Maupin Last edited by Double D; 08-27-2003 at 08:34 AM..