Feminist only

sarahazelnut99

i am dieting...not rioting...why do i feel so guilty

i weighed 184 and now im yo-yoing with 10 pounds.

i feel like im setting a bad example. Being healthy is one thing but achieving greatness is another...i need to focus on school and work...not being skinny to fit societys norms right?

maybe no one on this website will agree...or there tell me i need to do both but i think dieting was advertised to women to distract them from real issues, i dont want to be a part of this massive society trend thats so broken and i notice tons of men being obsessed with there weight as well but they can afford to be because they have more options.

ambie35

if your losing weight its because YOU want to,not to fit into societies standards.
Conquering your body is a very feminist thing to do!

I have total confidence in you Sarah,we all go through hard times I know you will be able to break this soon and keep getting closer to your goal-for you and for nobody else!

rfcollins33

So...... what's the problem or the question? I don't get it. Why would anyone argue with you or care that you wanna be healthy and not just skinny? I think, for the most part, that's what we're all here for. Just sayin'

sarahazelnut99

its just that there is an extreme team of marketers out there that are advertising women to change there bodies...changing your body takes A LOT of work which is a distraction
its a distraction from life.

amymrls

You need to do what is best for you. Do what feels right to you. The work to me was well worth it. I feel so much better about myself.

rfcollins33

yeah, lol.... Considering there is one on the right side of my screen right now, I get what you're saying. I totally ignore that crap, which is EXACTLY what they DON'T want us to do. Just my lil' way of gettin' back at the man!! lol.... Just stay focused on you and your health, because sadly, that crap will probably never change. Good luck with your journey to health!!

Nikiki

i feel that eating healthy and exercising is most definitely a pro-feminism way to live. Its very easy to get caught up in society's ideals but if you take a step back and be realistic in determining what a healthy weight and activity level is for you it can empower you in other areas of life. There is a vast difference between the anorexic, silicone injected bobble-heads that are thrown in our faces and a happy, healthy, intelligent, fit woman. To me feminism is about evolving into strong independent women and there are multiple facets to those women, you can't ignore your body and concentrate only on career, that's just as bad as the women who ignored their desire for intelligence and career to focus only on family.

its all about balance

beverlyl64

I am not dieting! I am choosing to change my life style! I am discovering that I like fruits and veggies, I like to exercise. That self control is not about depriving myself but in fact allowing myself a cookie and feeling good about it. About eating one cookie and not five.

I could careless what society thinks, but care a whole lot about what I think about my body and how I feel. This is also carrying over into other areas of my life. I have discovered that it is ok to stand up for myself and that I don't have to do what everyone wants me to do, just so they will not be mad at me or still like me. I am a human being, I have feelings, and I will no longer be pushed around and walked all over. I like the new me, whether society does or not (and that includes family).

I will have bad days, but I have learned to recognize them and I know how to get myself back on track. I get back on track because I want to, not because I feel guilty or because someone on here might see that I slipped up.

Do this for you, not for anyone else! If you are doing it for YOU, for the better way you feel, for the increased energy, for the sexy new clothes then you will be successful. I'd love to be your friend and to encourage you and motivate you, please feel free to send friend request.

courtneycuth

This is a really interesting question that you are asking. Actually, I see a few:
1. How does society define success? (including the question about how bodies should appear)
2. How does the individual define success?
3. What is society's hierarchy of success? (e.g., where is body shape/form vs. academic successes in the hierarchy)
4. What's up with the focus on body and body image, and what are the gender differences in this?

I would say that:

In traditional feminist thought, men having control over society means they can set the tone as well as what is important. Women, as objects to be used by men, should appear as men want them - it is what men want that matters. There are tons of "manuals" from the 1950s on how the housewife should structure her day to make the most for her man. (for example, http://j-walk.com/other/goodwife/index.htm ) When it comes to bodies, this means that from a first-wave feminist perspective that the images women see of "perfect bodies" are constructed in accordance with men's desires. For women, acheiving attractiveness or being skinny is the same as achieving greatness under these standards. Second-wave feminists have responded by saying that "fat is a feminist issue" (there is a book with this title by Susie Orbach - http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Feminist-Issue-Susie-Orbach/dp/0099481936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306859814&sr=8-1 ) - that women need to learn to love who they are even with the massive messages telling women they need to be thinner, tanner, and sexier. Certainly feminists would argue, as you said, that focusing on body and body image distracts women from other gender issues (like that women are still, on average, paid 75 cents when a man is paid $1, or that most of the upper positions in corporations or work are occupied by men). Men, though, are not free of body image issues - the idea that they should be strong, muscular, and seemingly invincible. And in this day and age, it's not as simple as "men are creating the problem" - we are all in this mud pile together, equally creating and engaging in pushing forward stereotypes of perfect men and women.

I have thought a lot about what this means for my own situation. I don't necessarily want to be just part of the crowd and I want to be conscious of the gender inequalities that still exist in our society, but what concerns me are the health issues associated with being overweight. Research has shown that people who are overweight have higher risks of diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, heart attacks, asthma, and other issues - and these health issues along with obesity lead to 20% of deaths in the US. People who are overweight pay more for health care as a result of all the health complications. I want to live a long, relatively healthy life, free of the problems and complications that may come with being overweight. What I have decided is that I am going to do what it takes to be healthy - be eating as few processed and fried foods as possible, maintain a good diet, get to a good weight - and of course, these are all constructed by our society, so it's about making the decisions for myself about what's healthy for me - while also being aware of the complex social issues surrounding body, body image, and gender.

Sorry for the ramblings - I thought you posed some great questions! Don't be afraid to keep posting on this topic!

sarahazelnut99

Courtneychut, your post actually meant alot to be so dont apologize! Maybe I'm more impressionable then i think...If i am concerned that im doing something wrong by trying to be healthy then i obviously dont have my priorities straight. But at the same time i wonder how my grades would of been at RIT this quater if i wasnt dieting. I did so horrible at school...yet last year at MCC i got stright A's, felt focus, and ate everything i could lol.

RIT is much harder then MCC but still....i just remember being happier. ive been on this site for 95 days and i feel terrible. isnt that sick?
Im torn between the hard truth that i dont actually care about my health AT ALL... yet i go through the motions of being healthy...so why do i do it? morals?

Im glad you understood my post, im actually a little surprised because i wasn't expecting to get someone who understood what i was saying so crystal clear... lol i think you actually understood what i meant better then i did