Weighty Issue

Weight: n., a measurement of an object's heaviness

Never ask a women how much she weighs. Weight is a very sensitive issue for a lot of women. We are all programmed to be beautiful is to be "supermodel thin." What people don't realize is the concept of beauty has drastically change throughout history. Centuries ago, beauty was associated with having a voluptuous body. Beauty is the fragilely thin girl nowadays. They may snap and break at any moment. They don't realize that they are harming themselves by trying to achieve what society deems as "the perfect body." Everyone has a different body. Our bodies changes throughout our lives.

The media has influence many young girls and women to hate their bodies. It really is a shame. The media has shaped many of our ideals and insecurities. People don't realize that the images in magazines, commercials, etc. are computer generated. These women are not real. They are airbrushed, photoshopped, etc. Some of the women in the pictures do not exist. They are composite of many women's body parts. It's sad that children grow up having psychological and emotional issue since they are not thin or pretty enough. I remembered my niece was around three when she said, "I think I am fat." She ended up not eating and losing weight. This memory will always be ingrained into my head. I can't believe a child so young was influenced into starving herself because she thought she was fat at the age of three. This shows how powerful media messages can be transmitted.

These insecurities perpetuate many solutions (good and bad). The media makes people think that there is a solution for every problem. All you have to do is fix it. Anything can be fixed. You go on the south beach diet. It doesn't work, try weight watchers. People are foolishly wasting their money. You don't like your body, go have surgery. You still aren't satisfied, go have more surgery. You probably don't realize that sticking your fingers down your throat, the vomit acid decays and rots your teeth each time your purge. Really? We live in a mess up world. What kind of message are we sending to our kids?

Our bodies really do change many times throughout our lives. So what if you are not as thin as one of the Victoria Secret models. It doesn't make you any less beautiful than them. Having curves is more sexy than looking like a stick. These past three years my body has been through the ringer. I lost so much weight when I had a lupus flare and pneumonia. I was only 100 pounds. I hit rock bottom. I was very fragile (physically and emotionally). I felt like I was going to break at any moment. I looked like an anorexic and felt like one. Skin and bones is not a flattering look. It was very unsexy. I gained most of the weight back and more from the steroids to prevent the flares. My weight fluctuated.

I couldn't seem to lose the weight from the steroids this time. It's a lot harder trying to lose the weight this time around. I have always eat healthy. I mostly eat lean meats. I also started to exercise more at the gym too. I did not give up on foods like pizza, donuts, sweets, chocolates, etc. I just eat in moderation. Ever notice how French women stay skinny? They stop eating when they are full. It's about portion control. Most people continue to stuff their faces even when they are not hungry. I don't. What I have been doing has paid off. I went to my Rheumy three weeks ago and found out I lost another three pounds. I have lost a total of eight pounds so far. I am very ecstatic. I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal. I just don't want to be anorexic thin. Been there and it was not fun. I like having curves. I could lose some inches off my butt though. It's not about loosing weight for me. It's about having a healthier lifestyle. Loosing weight is the icing. I hope young girls realize that being thin is not as beautiful as being healthy.

xoxo,
Kat