The Hunger Games: When Hunger Feels Like Winning (But It's Really, Really NOT)
This is for all the women out there who feel victorious for being hungry all day. I get it. I was there too. Things have changed. And today, I’m sharing my story. Maybe you’ll recognize some similarities with your own. My hope is that it gets your wheels turning.
Let’s start with a comparison. BEFORE & NOW: My views on feeling hungry…
BEFORE:
“I’m starving, but if I make it until 7pm I “win”. Gotta get this weight off. I’m in charge of this body, not the other way around. Don’t eat, don’t eat: as long as you’re under 1000 calories for the day, you’re cool. Have some more coffee. (reality: after 7pm, eat everything in sight and feel like an awful person)
NOW:
“If you need me, I’ll be eating the food. I might be able to lose a few pounds, but it’s not a priority. Feeding the bod is. Feeling awesome, but excuse me…nom nom nom.”
It’s been YEARS since I was hungry on purpose, and the thought of spending the day feeling victorious for not eating seems foreign to me. I was an under-the-radar yo-yo dieter and my behaviors were linked entirely to my weight. Up, don’t eat. Down, eat everything. If I’d gained weight, the punishment was not eating or eating very little. The triumph was overcoming my body’s physiological needs and ‘winning’ at not eating for a day. It was pretty addictive.
AND… I didn’t know it was messed up. Really, no idea. Every woman I met was on some kind of diet, saying very similar things and feeling very hungry too. Seemed normal. It had no basis in health: I hadn’t learned that veggies were awesome, to eat to fuel my body or to reduce my sugar. I was drinking 3-5 diet cokes a day and thought they were bad ass because they were zero calories. The perfect “victory” food.
Thank fuck that’s over, lol. High five lady. I love the food.
続きを読む… →
Stretch Marks, Body Love & A Dose Of Reality
It’s a show and tell, nothin’ to hide, body pride kind of a day, so posting this pic for a reader who messaged me about how ‘abnormal’, ‘gross’ and ‘ugly’ her stretch marks were.
She said she didn’t know anyone who had them on their thighs, butt or boobs like she did. I thought I’d put an end to that.
Hi. I’m Chichi. Nice to meet you. These are my thighs/hips. And some of my stretch marks. I’d show you my boobs, but FB gets weird about that. I pinky swear, their stretch marks look similar. I also have scars, cellulite, a big birthmark on my belly and a horrible, ill advised playboy bunny tattoo on my low back. I was 16 and thought it was ‘cool’. These all used to be things I hated about myself. I decided that didn’t work for me anymore and now I’m pretty cool with ‘em. No shame.
My body doesn’t need me to apologize for it. It’s wicked.
I have no story behind these marks. They aren’t tiger stripes, or battle wounds. At my biggest, I was a size 12-14. My boobs are smaller now, but I had the marks pretty much out of puberty. This is just my bod. I didn’t do anything to earn it. But I’m down with it.
I don’t know what your body looks like, but I can guarantee ‘most’ of us here have stretch marks or cellulite. Or will one day. You might have more marks, less marks, lighter marks, darker marks or none at all. But no matter what your body’s own brand of quirky brings, know that there are millions of beautiful women in the same boat. It’s normal. It’s beautiful. It’s not gross.
So here. Check my legs out. I’m not everybody, just somebody. And I have awesome legs and stretch marks. Bam.
(PS- Fit Mama Training started an avalanche of awesome earlier. Click on the link for the most amazing post ever.)
