Weight. It is the number one demon that seems to plague, well, everyone. You’re too thin, too fat, your boobs are the wrong size, the wrong shape, the wrong bounce, your butt is too chuncky, too lumpy and it goes on. But this is not your general bitch about weight. This is the voice of the ‘skinny person’ who likes to eat a lot.
I do not consider myself to be stick thin and I’m really not, I am a healthy 57 kgs and I am 163 cm tall. I am happy at that. I put on a bit of weight here and there, I loose a bit when I go for a run or walk up a steep hill. In summer I am toned because I am doing at least 1 hour of exercise a day and 3+ on weekends because I love outdoor sports. In winter… the abs go for a little vacay and the hips have a little more to pad them. That’s ok. I rarely eat take out, my bad food for the week is chips (ready salted) and I love my fruit and veg. No I am not a heath ‘freak’ but I like to eat healthy. It is a personal and a medical choice. I get very sick if I don’t. That is an unfortunate but good fact of life.
This morning they were talking about foods making you fat on the radio as a light-hearted way of talking about those winter pounds that pile on. People phoned in about cheese burgers and chocolate and fried chicken and pies… well yes. If you eat 6 cheese burgers a week – you’ll probably get fat. No, it is not because you are eating a lot. It is because you are eating really crap food. The woman presenter then said something about feeling hungry on a diet.
It made my blood boil. People often tell me: ‘oh you just wait, you’ll get to your 30’s and you wont be able to eat like that anymore.’ ‘Eat less, it will catch up with you eventually.’ ‘Oh you’re so lucky being skinny, I remember those days, make the most of them while you have them’.
I sometimes get so mad I turn red.
I am not fat. I am blessed with ‘skinny’ genes, people come in all shapes and sizes and we should not judge that. BUT if I want to eat five servings of eggs, fruit, salads, oats (porridge) gluten free toast, stir fry, soup, crackers and humus or nuts… THEN I WILL EAT THOSE SERVINGS.
Now I am getting myself worked up. You see, it is not the amount, it is what you eat. If I eat a cheese burger a day followed by a sausage roll and a coffee full of sugar then top it off with a packet of microwave white rice then yes, I will probably get to 30 and think ‘crap I used to be so skinny!’ But I do not intent to do that.
I want to eat healthy, I feel better, look brighter, am happier and have energy. I exercise and I live a very active life style. The way women are taught to eat is ridiculous, we should not be taught to starve and to limit ourselves to amazingly scrummy good foods. Sure, there is too much eating, like spending all day in bed on the computer eating. I get outside I eat in moderation AND I have absolutely no intention to deny my body food when it is hungry. I will not starve. That makes me unhappy and sad and grumpy. I love food. We all should.
It is just so, so wrong. From the age of 14 people were telling me to eat less. I did not understand it back then. I ate when I was hungry and I didn’t eat when I was full. I ate good food that was good for my body. People wonder why we have such a bad body image, I love my body and not because it is ‘skinny’ but because it is mine and I want to look after it and enjoy having one!
We come in all shapes and sizes. We should not be told to starve ourselves because of ‘what might be ahead in the future’ – we should be taught to look after our body and enjoy our lives.
Now I’m going to go stuff my face with apple, mandarin and then I will have a nice lamb salad with humus for lunch. And I will enjoy every last bit of it!
Rant is over.
The irony kid 