Are you thriving in your fat identity, or still getting lured with the promises of diet culture (ahem, GLP-1s)? In this episode, I share the details on the stages of fat identity, from “ugh, why am I fat?” to “heck yes, I’m fabulous, unapologetically me!” Learn the signs that show you’re rocking self-acceptance alongside the traps that might still be holding you back. If you’ve lived your whole life being told that fat is bad and dieting will be your salvation, then unlearning those messages can be hard. This episode will give you a roadmap to track your progress and celebrate your journey so far!
A recent opinion video from The New York Times titled “Confessions of a Former Body Positivity Influencer” claims to expose the dangers of the body positivity movement. But does it actually represent what body positivity (and fat liberation) have historically stood for? Short answer: nope. In this episode, we watch the video in real time and break down the misinformation and subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways anti-fatness is repackaged as just “caring about your health.”
TW: anti-fat beliefs.
Does weight loss surgery make you thin and healthy? What percentage of people is it successful for? Are the side effects worth it and what are they exactly? This episode is a deep dive into "bariatric" surgery AKA "weight loss" surgery AKA stomach amputation. TW: There are mentions of the types of surgeries, outcomes and side effects as well as general awful stuff fat people endure.
It’s part 2 of the GLP 1 deep dive! In this episode, we are covering “food noise,” the weird things that people are reporting happening to their bodies on GLP-1s, horrid stuff that’s happening in the UK, lawsuits, safety planning for those taking the drugs, and whether taking GLPs goes against fat liberation. TW: for British anti-fatness, side effects, and mental health.
How can we convince healthcare providers to examine the harm they cause when they tell fat people to lose weight and deny us care? It can be pretty hard to realize that you haven’t been providing evidence-based care so it’s a challenge! That’s where the work of the disability community comes in with their medical and social models of disability. This lets us communicate how medicalizing fatness is not helpful in the same way it’s not helpful for many in the disability community. Alongside that, let’s talk about harm reduction ideas! We’re getting deep today, come join me :)
As human beings, our bodies are always changing. In fact, we have been constantly changing since the very first day we arrived here on earth. Every part of our body has been evolving over time. It’s a natural part of our human evolution and it’s our body’s way of adapting to our needs, our behaviors and the environment around us.
Imagine if you just decided, against all societal odds and against everything that people say you should feel about your body, that you were comfortable and confident with how you looked and how you ate?
You just decided: I’m confident. I’m okay. I’m doing alright. I should be proud.
Your life would transform in an instant.
The truth is that health is not an obligation, barometer or worthiness, entirely within our control, or guaranteed under any circumstance. The truth is that we should all have the opportunity, but never an obligation, to participate in fitness/athletics/movement at any level we choose. The truth is that we don’t have to make our self-confidence, our self-esteem, or our self-worth contingent on our health, our participation in fitness, or anything else. The truth is that the trolls can (and will) yammer on, but we don’t have to care what they say. The truth I realized for me is that I am the only person who can decide how I feel about myself and my body. The truth is that we are worthy, no matter what.
Aahhh, giving a fuck. It’s a life long battle about what things deserve your fuck giving and what things don’t.
The way I see it, society has asked us women to give a fuck about the wrong things in order to distract us from giving a fuck about the things that really matter. That shit makes me mad girl!
I’m talking about dieting, teaching negative body image, treating women’s bodies as commodities and objects.
For my 18th birthday my dad wrote me a letter. He told me that no matter where I go, what I do or who I become, the most important thing I could ever have is integrity. The strength to stand up for what I believe in, for what's right, even if there are a million other people standing up for what's wrong. Before body positivity, I didn't believe in very much (and I definitely didn't believe in myself), but these days I understand exactly what he meant.
Why are fat bodies hyper-sexualised and slut shamed so often? Is there no other way for a fat women to exist, aside from being the voluptuous siren? With numerous fashion outlets coming up with sporty, alternative fashion for the plus size community, and women showing up for hashtags like Alternative Curves there is a clear message: Like straight sized fashion, we embrace diversity in style and have unique fashion senses.
What does confidence look like through the camera lens?
We know what we’re told confidence it’s ‘supposed’ to look like. We’re told it’s our goal, told what it looks like, what it wears, what it’s proportions are.
Or at least that’s what I thought. That’s what a lot of us think, even as we’re in the process of unlearning the expectations of what our body is ‘supposed to look like’. It felt like one of the remaining big expectations I had put on myself in my own body acceptance journey.
I first heard of Summer after I stumbled onto her podcast Fearless Rebelle Radio and I immediately thought “Who IS this woman? A long lost badass cousin who loves swearing as much as I do!”.
I recently posted an image of myself on Instagram and described myself as fat and beautiful. The first comment I got was from a Nutritional Therapist/Fitness Coach saying “You HAVE fat.... You are not fat. You also have fingernails. You are not fingernails.”
Hmmmm…..
Semantics you may say, she was trying to reassure me that I wasn’t ugly and not to use derogatory names like FAT to describe myself.
Writing this blog post I felt so embarrassed. So ashamed. I also felt scared.
I feel embarrassed because I am a strong confident woman and why would someone like that be with such a loser for 2 years of her life.
I feel ashamed as in some way, it feels like it was my fault, that I deserved it. I worry you will lose respect for me or see me as a victim.
I feel scared because even after 10+ years of being away from him I still suffer from PTSD and worry he will try and hurt me in any way he can.
I have never written about this time in my life because I was scared he would read my words and try to destroy me as punishment for speaking out.
