Fat-positive Feminism and Weight Loss

Big thanks to everyone, all of these posts are extremely helpful

To me, being fat positive is about knowing what it means to be fat (or big, or overweight, or curvy, or whatever other adjective does it for you), including the negative health effects, and choosing to be that way anyway. I've recently been conceptualizing choosing to be fat as a way to "fight the power" so to speak, to challenge societal standards of beauty and femininity. However, I really do want to be healthy, and to feel physically comfortable in my own skin.

I think instead of struggling with whether or not to lose weight I'll choose health and comfort over obsession with body weight and dress size.

Thanks again everyone!

Well, I'm a feminist, and I'm positive that I'm fat. Does that count?

choosing to be fat as a way to "fight the power" so to speak, to challenge societal standards of beauty and femininity.

I think maybe a better term that would give you less internal turmoil would be Body Positive. Having a positive self-image no matter what body you're in and striving to make it the best you are comfortable with

I tried reading all the responses before I posted, but I couldn't take any more a few pages in. All I'm hearing is "fat is bad and you should feel bad blah blah blah"

I'm fat-positive.

I grew up in the neo-pagan community; the daughter of a 300lb witch of a woman. Big women are very common amongst American pagans. We call it "goddess sized" and we're cool with it. More than cool with it. "Goddess Size" is sexy. We're a sensual people. We like to eat, to drink, to dance, and to hug. I've seen more dancing, naked, fat people in my lifetime than you can possibly imagine.

The pagan community is gender positive, but very feminist. We overemphasize the feminine divine. Our leaders are women.

I was looking at fat people during my developmental life stages. In my early teens, I looked at all those soft rolls dancing by firelight and realized that I wanted to touch that. All that jiggly business. I've been a chubby chaser my whole life.

Fat people can have their health problems. They'll have painful joints if they stay sedentary. But sedentary and out of physical shape and fat don't go hand and hand. You can run/dance/climb all you want, but if you eat too many good meals, you'll be fat as *kitten*. I can't get down with hating fat people, shaming them, calling them all sorts of names (lazy, gross, in denial, selfish, stupid)----just because they overeat?

Maybe if they're fat because they under-exercise. That's easy to do. It's harder to burn calories than it is to eat them. Sedentary is lazy. A sedentary person can be in denial. But a sedentary person can be skinny, also, and that's just as unhealthy as being sedentary and fat.

You can run miles and miles and be fat. I know plenty of people in very good shape, hauling around a whole lot of hearty-meal-induced pounds.

and me? I am interested in the interesting people who enjoy fine wine, good meals. Happy people eat dessert. I'll hang out with someone who can appreciate cake long before I'll hang out with someone who whines about calories and always turns down doughnuts.

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and all that fat-positive belief does nothing to dissuade me from preferring myself thin

I don't like being heavy. Cars, clothes, carnival rides, bicycles, restaurant booths: they aren't comfortable to me when I gain weight. So I stay slim. I stay slim because I like me slim.

Maybe it's hypocritical?

but my skinny daughter-of-crazy-feminists self dates heavy because heavy can be sexy.

I consider myself feminist and body positive. I don't believe that anyone should have their value as a person judged based on their weight, appearance, or ability. I have people I love in my life of all different sizes, and I accept and love them where they're at. However, I don't think it is incompatible to love/accept/don't judge someone where they are at, and also endorse a healthier lifestyle.

I think it's important to love yourself and your body - but loving it invokes taking care of it. I don't want to body-shame anyone, including myself, but no one does themselves any favors by remaining unhealthy, making choices that will, in the long run, affect mobility and even life span. It's hard for men to "get" how much emotional and societal baggage women have about weight and their bodies,and I appreciate a lot of the affirming parts of the "fat positive" movement - but I also think it enables women to not have to heal the relationships they have with food or their bodies. If you're "perfectly fine" the way you are then you never have to change anything or understand why you overeat or overcome your fears of working out, and you never get to be amazed by watching yourself rise to a physical challenge and meet it. It seems like a bandaid to cover/redefine the situation, not a solution. And I think it may do as much harm as it does good.

So, for me, I am body positive. I don't talk *kitten* about my body or anyone else's, I try not to judge myself, I challenge body shaming, and I take myself and others where they're at. But I also owe it to myself and my kids to make the most out of this one life I have, and this one body I have. And that means confronting my own issues with food, getting myself to a healthy weight, and getting myself active and strong.