oops!

I'm suppose to have a Copic Marker update today, but I had friends over yesterday and then my husband let me sleep late today (what a dear!) so I'm popping in for a quick update and apology.

Just so I have something to talk about, I'm asking how many of you have read Linda Bacon's (Ph.D) book Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight? Amazing read. I recommend it to absolutely everything regardless of body image. Someone who totally loves their body can still learn something from this book, and if it means spreading the word to those who need to hear the message... great! Most especially though... anyone who has EVER dieted needs to read this book. Anyone with children (especially girls) needs to read this book.

I'm very tired of hearing that overweight=unhealthy, because it's simply not true. There are many reasons someone might be "over" what society expects them to weigh and usually it's NOT due to a sedentry and unhealthy lifestyle.

Changing the focus from "I'm fat, how do I lose weight" to "I want to be healthier and eat healthier and I want to move more, I feel good when I eat well and move more" does not mean "the fatties are giving up". How many other situations in our life do we use negative reinforcement to learn? Do our children respond better to, "hey, let's try this awesome activity here" or "get off your fat ass and exercise!"? If we know children and peers respond better to positive reinforcement, why would we treat ourselves any differently?

All my life I remember being called fat and hating my body and how I looked. When I look at pictures of myself as a tween and teenager, I'm floored at how great I look. My mental image of myself was entirely distorted and flat out wrong! It makes me really, really, worried for my girls.

We're a "fat positive" household that is working toward better food and activity choices. How about you?