Here to get healthier AND avoid diet culture pitfalls!

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elizabetht264
elizabetht264 Posts: 12 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm here because I'd like to feel a little lighter on my heels and fitter when I dance. I just turned 40 and have noticed the scale creeping up and my feet aching.
I'd like to find a supportive little group of like-minded people looking to make some healthier choices while also avoiding Diet Culture (and ED) pitfalls like: before and after photos, assigning value to clothing sizes, assuming health based on appearances, and all fatphobic diet and fitness rhetoric.
If you happen to also dig plus size fashion and affordable shopping tips, I'm sooo here for that! (We all have to clothe ourselves, and we should feel fabulous doing it without going broke!)
Let's be friends!

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  • elizabetht264
    elizabetht264 Posts: 12 Member
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    I don't think before and after photos are all that motivating as they assign value to one body shape over another... so here I am, today (ok last weekend), in a dress I quite like.
    *Pardon my sad dirt lawn 🏚
  • Une_Poire
    Une_Poire Posts: 56 Member
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    That is a nice color on you. Good luck with your efforts to get healthier :smile:
  • savannahs21
    savannahs21 Posts: 364 Member
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    Why are before and after photos bad?
  • ladyzherra
    ladyzherra Posts: 438 Member
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    I absolutely understand your rejection of particular dieting pitfalls, as rejecting things can make people feel a certain kind of empowerment. Rejecting allows us to detach from energies that perhaps have not served us well in the last, or to cast aside modalities that we were not personally able to achieve. These may have made us feel unworthy or frustrated with ourselces in the past.

    As someone who has rejected stuff for these reasons before and found myself placing success stories and experiences and methods of these kind in a distant "reject" box, I get it.
    Separating from things sometimes feels more powerful than uniting with them.

    Nevertheless, on my own journey, I have found truer power comes from seeing the positive potential in most modalities, even if they don't work for me, and finding a way to join with what scares me or makes me feel ashamed.

    I'm happy to join just about any group and feel solidarity with people on this journey. That can feel really great even if don't come in first, or at all, in some approaches
  • ellie117
    ellie117 Posts: 293 Member
    edited November 2019
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    I love your energy and positivity! I don't necessarily agree with you on before and after pictures, as I do find them very motivating especially if you look at your own journey, but doing this for your own reasons and not based on others' views of the "right" size or the "right" shape is very empowering and inspirational.

    In terms of plus size fashion, I absolutely adore Unique-Vintage. They are size inclusive and have dresses galore! They're a little pricey but their stuff is so cute and made of good-quality material that doesn't rip or tear or pull easily. They also have a Sale section to help save some $. I've used them throughout my personal weight-loss journey, and have at least 6 of their dresses, a pair of high-waist jeans, and a number of blouses for work.
  • elizabetht264
    elizabetht264 Posts: 12 Member
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    savannahs21 wrote: »
    Why are before and after photos bad?

    Here's a link to a recent essay that I find mirrors my viewpoint well: https://humanparts.medium.com/the-quiet-harm-of-transformationtuesday-6165c56414ec
  • elizabetht264
    elizabetht264 Posts: 12 Member
    edited November 2019
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    twsgc4c3n9ll.jpg
    ellie117 wrote: »
    In terms of plus size fashion, I absolutely adore Unique-Vintage. They are size inclusive and have dresses galore!

    I have a ton of Unique Vintage dresses! Even my wedding dress!
  • ploomka
    ploomka Posts: 308 Member
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    Welcome elizabetht264!
    ellie117 wrote: »
    In terms of plus size fashion, I absolutely adore Unique-Vintage.
    Thank you for this. I am loving the site!

  • elizabetht264
    elizabetht264 Posts: 12 Member
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    ladyzherra wrote: »
    Nevertheless, on my own journey, I have found truer power comes from seeing the positive potential in most modalities, even if they don't work for me, and finding a way to join with what scares me or makes me feel ashamed.

    Setting boundaries, especially as they relate to my experiences with disordered eating within my previous "diet" experiences, is a great step to finding a healthy way to lose a few pounds without also sacrificing my own mental health.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
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    elizabetht264 wrote: »
    twsgc4c3n9ll.jpg
    ellie117 wrote: »
    In terms of plus size fashion, I absolutely adore Unique-Vintage. They are size inclusive and have dresses galore!

    I have a ton of Unique Vintage dresses! Even my wedding dress!

    Your husband reminds me of Graham Elliot (if he had a beard)!
  • elizabetht264
    elizabetht264 Posts: 12 Member
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    Go_Deskercise wrote: »
    Your husband reminds me of Graham Elliot (if he had a beard)!

    Awe, he'll love that! He even has a huge assortment of wacky button up shirts like Graham! (And he's good in the kitchen)
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
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    elizabetht264 wrote: »
    Go_Deskercise wrote: »
    Your husband reminds me of Graham Elliot (if he had a beard)!

    Awe, he'll love that! He even has a huge assortment of wacky button up shirts like Graham! (And he's good in the kitchen)

    Next years Halloween costume right there!

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