Ugh, what a messed up jerk. And the thing that really gets me is that shame does NOT make or help people lose weight or get healthier. I firmly believe that in order to take the time and effort (both physical and emotional) to eat healthier and exercise--whether to lose weight or not--you need to have a certain amount of love for your body. You need to value the strength and ability and beauty that your body has in its present state.
Being ashamed of your body only makes it that much easier to disassociate your *self* from your body to the point where you don't know or care what's going on with it. I've spent plenty of years like that, living just in my head with my body as a sort of unfortunate luggage dragged around with me. In order to be willing to invest effort in my physical self, I have to continually find things to love about my body, and society doesn't make that fucking easy.
Of course, none of that touches on issues of disability or other things beyond a person's control. If everyone could just stop judging other people without knowing their whole story, the whorld would be an immeasurably better place.
That's pretty much the crux of it. Obesity, along with other issues that individuals have to deal with, is a personal deal and there really isn't a place for anyone to be preaching one way or the other. It still boils down to what I've been saying for the past year. Most of the world's problems would be nonexistent with a) respect for your fellow human and b) personal responsibility. Alton should do a bit of both, as could we all.
Most of the world's problems would be nonexistent with a) respect for your fellow human and b) personal responsibility. Alton should do a bit of both, as could we all.
THIS, exactly. And I've found that personal responsibility tends to come with less of a judgmental interest in what other people are doing on their path.
Yes. I agree with everything you've said here. Hating yourself and being ashamed of your body will just put you in a hopeless slump, ffs, it's not a motivating factor! You're so right about needing to find something to love about your body just to reconnect to it.
I swear, I'm gonna print this out and stick it to my bathroom mirror as a reminder.
Being ashamed of your body only makes it that much easier to disassociate your *self* from your body to the point where you don't know or care what's going on with it.
I've spent the better part of twenty-five years disassociated, and all shame has ever made me feel like doing was buying a half-gallon of ice cream and scarfing it down while I read fanfic. It's only now, after several false starts and over a decade of wanting to lose weight that I think I might finally be able to get healthier. But I will always love food - I will never be a twig, and I'm fine with that. I just want to get my body to a point where I'm able to do the other things I love as well.
But I will always love food - I will never be a twig, and I'm fine with that. I just want to get my body to a point where I'm able to do the other things I love as well.
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Being ashamed of your body only makes it that much easier to disassociate your *self* from your body to the point where you don't know or care what's going on with it. I've spent plenty of years like that, living just in my head with my body as a sort of unfortunate luggage dragged around with me. In order to be willing to invest effort in my physical self, I have to continually find things to love about my body, and society doesn't make that fucking easy.
Of course, none of that touches on issues of disability or other things beyond a person's control. If everyone could just stop judging other people without knowing their whole story, the whorld would be an immeasurably better place.
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THIS, exactly. And I've found that personal responsibility tends to come with less of a judgmental interest in what other people are doing on their path.
PS: I love that icon.
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I swear, I'm gonna print this out and stick it to my bathroom mirror as a reminder.
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Being ashamed of your body only makes it that much easier to disassociate your *self* from your body to the point where you don't know or care what's going on with it.
I've spent the better part of twenty-five years disassociated, and all shame has ever made me feel like doing was buying a half-gallon of ice cream and scarfing it down while I read fanfic. It's only now, after several false starts and over a decade of wanting to lose weight that I think I might finally be able to get healthier. But I will always love food - I will never be a twig, and I'm fine with that. I just want to get my body to a point where I'm able to do the other things I love as well.
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Yes! Exactly! *hugs*