![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
What is it with our society and weight loss? Why is it that we are so damned worried about how we look and why oh why are skinny, twiggy little stick insects of women, who look like they've been starving themselves, touted as being the ideal of beauty?
I for one, am sick and tired of our societies obsession with weight. If you must be obsessed, why can't we be obsessed with being healthy and just feeling comfortable with ourselves? If I hear one more person say that they're dieting, so they can't have a piece of the scrumptious cake at morning tea, I think I may bop them on the nose and hit them with this rant. Honestly, denying yourself the good things in life, which in my opinion is where food falls, is silly and pointless. Good for you, if you're shedding the pounds and feel great about it, especially if it is making you feel healthy, but puleeease do it sensibly. For the record, this does not mean suddenly going on the latest fad diet and taking up running 10km a day, when just yesterday you were a couch blimp...and, if you insist on taking it to mean that, then don't come crying to me when the damn thing falls apart and the only result is you feeling like a failure.
But you say, "you go to the gym, you eat healthy food...you're a big phony hypocrite." Yes indeed I do go to the gym, because it's fun. I used to be a salsa-dancing freak, because that was fun...and before that I had some other hobby or other. I like the movement, the music and the buzz of the happy hormone's that your tired brain releases...and I don't watch what I eat at all. My diet sucks, because diet is DIE with a T tagged on the end. I don't however, eat greasy takeaway day in, day out, because it is just gross and you feel crap when you do that...I prefer Thai food and have been known to eat it several times a week.
Anyway, my point is that even when I'm in between my various hobbies, when I come home each night for months on end and eat and watch TV, or play on the WWW, my weight doesn't change that much, just my fitness and how fast I walk up the stairs. So why are we obsessed with weight? Weight has a huge genetic component. Various hormones, like leptins, keep your weight varying slightly around a genetically set point, so quit trying to be a damn size 6 and be a happy normal person. Alright? Or otherwise, don't complain to me. Bell curve peoples! There is a reason why size supermodel McTwiggy Skinny girl size is not average. Be happy. Throw out your scales. (I did years ago) Life's too important to take seriously.
I choose to end this rant...
...
...
...NOW!
I for one, am sick and tired of our societies obsession with weight. If you must be obsessed, why can't we be obsessed with being healthy and just feeling comfortable with ourselves? If I hear one more person say that they're dieting, so they can't have a piece of the scrumptious cake at morning tea, I think I may bop them on the nose and hit them with this rant. Honestly, denying yourself the good things in life, which in my opinion is where food falls, is silly and pointless. Good for you, if you're shedding the pounds and feel great about it, especially if it is making you feel healthy, but puleeease do it sensibly. For the record, this does not mean suddenly going on the latest fad diet and taking up running 10km a day, when just yesterday you were a couch blimp...and, if you insist on taking it to mean that, then don't come crying to me when the damn thing falls apart and the only result is you feeling like a failure.
But you say, "you go to the gym, you eat healthy food...you're a big phony hypocrite." Yes indeed I do go to the gym, because it's fun. I used to be a salsa-dancing freak, because that was fun...and before that I had some other hobby or other. I like the movement, the music and the buzz of the happy hormone's that your tired brain releases...and I don't watch what I eat at all. My diet sucks, because diet is DIE with a T tagged on the end. I don't however, eat greasy takeaway day in, day out, because it is just gross and you feel crap when you do that...I prefer Thai food and have been known to eat it several times a week.
Anyway, my point is that even when I'm in between my various hobbies, when I come home each night for months on end and eat and watch TV, or play on the WWW, my weight doesn't change that much, just my fitness and how fast I walk up the stairs. So why are we obsessed with weight? Weight has a huge genetic component. Various hormones, like leptins, keep your weight varying slightly around a genetically set point, so quit trying to be a damn size 6 and be a happy normal person. Alright? Or otherwise, don't complain to me. Bell curve peoples! There is a reason why size supermodel McTwiggy Skinny girl size is not average. Be happy. Throw out your scales. (I did years ago) Life's too important to take seriously.
I choose to end this rant...
...
...
...NOW!
Tags:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
(Sorry, couldn't resist)
I'm totally with you there. We have a physics morning tea every week at uni, and I'll eat whatever's there. I don't really watch what I eat (but I do eat fairly healthily at dinner, one of the advantages of living at home), I eat what I feel like eating. I don't exercise much (which my knees are complaining about at the moment), but as you said, I don't lose weight, I don't put it on, it's just my general fitness level that suffers. And at 5 foot 5 and 60 kgs, I'm a perfectly normal weight, so I don't really care.
I don't think going to the gym and eating healthy is being a hypocrite. You're doing it because you enjoy it, not because you're trying to lose weight. And hey, I'd love to be fit, I just don't have the energy or the motivation to do it.
But yeah, it really pisses me off when friends who are far skinnier than I will say that they 'shouldn't eat that'. Food is one of the pleasures in life.
From:
no subject
I love that the company reps have caught onto the fact that to pull us researchers out of the woodwork, they have to provide food. Yay to company reps that come bearing muffins! I wish more of them would catch on. :P
From:
no subject
Although the morning teas have ended for the year :-(
We also have an astronomy breakfast, but I never make it to that nowadays. And you have to buy your own food.
From:
no subject
I look forward to ours all week. You have to sit through the lab meeting to get it, and occationally you're responsible for bringing the morning tea, but its just so good to get a cake and coffee and chat to everyone. Seriously, forgetting to bring morning tea when it's your turn, is about the biggest sin there is in our lab. *grin*
From:
no subject
Usually the morning tea counts as my breakfast that day *grins*
Oh well, I'm off uni in a bit over a week anyway.
From:
no subject
I think what you say is starting to be reflected in society. It's been a long time coming but I think we're finally getting a turn around because people are sick of it. You still get the sticks but they're adding other shapes in. Not mine yet though, but I'm not really surprised. *sigh*
Diets are bad. Eating healthy is good. And there is a difference people!
my weight doesn't change that much, just my fitness and how fast I walk up the stairs
*g* Can I be you? I mean, my weight doesn't change, but I feel flubbier and look it too. So annoyed at how much of my fitness I've lost over the past couple of months.
But, yes. Excellent rant!
From:
no subject
Diets are bad. Eating healthy is good. And there is a difference people!
Here, here. My point exactly, though I really don't always eat properly. Teehee! The joys of being single, lazy and having your own place. There are days when the packet of Timtams and a mug of coffee start to look like a reasonable dinner when compared to the other options in the fridge!!
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
I hate having a Tim Tam Slam with hot drinks though. I always have them with milk - I don't burn my fingers and it tastes much nicer. :D
From:
no subject