Quarantine 15 and Why It’s Toxic
Let’s talk quarantine weight. There has been a lot of talk about the “Quarantine 15″ and gaining weight during quarantine in general. In my opinion this is extremely toxic because if you think about it, if the only ‘bad” thing that comes from this quarantine for you is gaining weight, you are pretty lucky. There are bigger problems going on in the world right now than gaining weight. Not to mention that gaining weight is not always a bad thing. Your body is leaving this quarantine having carried you through a global pandemic without getting sick (or it recovered from sickness). That’s pretty incredible! So being upset or annoyed by gaining a few pounds or having more prominent pudge is not productive in the slightest. As long as you took care of yourself, whether that’s taking a break from the cardio workouts or trying out new nutritious recipes, or even getting more sleep, that’s all that matters. Instead of putting so much pressure on your body to maintain a certain shape through a changing environment, choose to focus on what your body did for you through this weird time and choose to love, appreciate, and care for it as it keeps you alive and breathing through the craziness that is life.
Let’s Talk Stretch Marks
Ah yes, stretch marks. Our body’s natural reaction to growth and development. How amazing and beautiful that is? Our body’s are making space for our growth and maturity in this world. Yet, we judge and hate them. Why is that? That’s a genuine question too. Has society conditioned us to believe our body’s natural, biological reactions and being is ugly? Yup. Society has brainwashed you into going AGAINST human nature. It’s our body’s NATURE to stretch and scar. It’s NATURAL and NECESSARY in order to grow into the beautiful matured body’s we have as adults. So why would we waste our emotional energy staring at our tiger stripes seeing them as “ugly” instead of accepting, loving, and embracing them as they are? Those are BATTLE scars girl, SHOW THEM OFF. Your body has stretched and grown in order to take up space in this never ending universe. Your body is telling you that you are capable of taking up space, changing, and becoming what you desire to be. That’s amazing! Respect, LOVE, and APPRECIATE your battle scars and tiger stripes. You are growing into a stronger and more capable version of yourself. Live like it.
All Bodies are Summer Bodies
The fact that we focus so much on what our body looks or feels like depending on the season is toxic and so wrong. Now let me tell you exactly why that is. Nature and our body’s are naturally linked. Think about it, our body reacts to certain weather right? The sun helps our body’s release endorphins (bringing us joy), we sweat when it’s hot outside, we loose circulation in cold temperatures to protect our most important organs. Because of this, our body’s are going to change in each season of life. So why are we trying to act like our body’s are a pick and choose dress up game. NO! Every human on earth could do the same workouts for the same amount of time, eat the same way, and wear the same clothes and STILL everybody would look different. Let that sink in. Our body’s exist as they are because they are all different and need different things to survive in this crazy world. The extra chub on your stomach that no matter what you eat, what exercise you do, and what jeans you wear won’t slim down? Yeah, it’s not supposed to because it’s there for a reason. Our body’s are a lot smarter than we are. Our body’s shift and change for a reason, and a valid one too. Our body’s also hold memories, joy, hardship, accomplishment. So why would we ever try to shape those experiences into what will fit in the tiny bikini that can barely fit an ant. Our body’s hold the stress and anxiety that we bravely fight off, they hold the late night ice cream runs with friends filled with laughter, they hold the long sport practices and the late night study snacking. Our body’s lovingly give us the capacity to experience all these things. So why in the world would we try to erase these memories just to fit a photoshopped mirror pic on social media. Exactly, there’s not a single reason we would. Society is brainwashing you into hate. So wear the bikini and eat the ice cream cone.
Ladies, Let’s Talk Body Hair!
Yeah, we need to talk. Women are constantly shamed for their body hair and made to feel as if it’s gross or dirty to not shave. First off, female body hair is NATURAL and BEAUTIFUL! When a girl goes through puberty, she is going to grow body hair in all kinds of places on her body. This happens for a biological reason, so why are we shaming the nature of our bodies? Do not let anyone, anything, or even your own internalized misogny make you feel uncomfortable or weird about your body hair. It’s there for a good reason and it deserves your love and respect! Not to mention that it was normal for women to NOT shave at all up until the 1940’s, when the beauty industry started to pressure women into shaving for their own financial benefit. The history of shaving for women is sexist and shameful. Women’s bodies are supposed to have hair and it is wrong that women have been made to feel ashamed of their body’s nature. Women’s body’s are temples and are beyond beautiful, strong, and powerful yet we’re made to feel otherwise for an industry’s bank account. Now, your body is your choice. So that means if shaving empowers you, then continue shaving! But if not shaving empowers you, then don’t shave! And if shaving when you feel like it and not out of a feeling of requirement or approval empowers you, then only shave when you feel like it! The point of this post is to let women everywhere know that their body’s hair and natural state is beautiful and worthy of respect. So love your body hair ladies!
Belly Fat and Bloating
Not having a flat stomach is beautiful! Bloating is beautiful! You do not need a flat stomach to be sexy or hot! Just had to get all of that out of the way. But in all seriousness, having a flat stomach is I think one of the biggest pressures put on women. We are constantly told by diet culture to get rid of that muffin top, get rid of the rolls, and get a six pack. But let me remind you, the best part of the meal at a restaurant is the rolls. Your rolls, bloating, and muffin top are sexy! As long as you love and take care of your body, it’s beautiful just the way it is! If you workout when your body asks you to, you eat a salad when your body asks you to and you eat the cake when your body asks then you are taking care of your body. Balance is key. Salads are yummy and good for us and so is cake! Balance, moderation, and listening to our bodies is crucial. If you are doing that, who the heck cares about a six pack? Bloating is also something that we are told to be ashamed of. Let me remind you that bloating is your body breaking down food, food that it needs to survive. So the next time you’re bloated and you look in the mirror and feel bad about it, I want you to instead thank your body for breaking down that nutrients and thank it for keeping you alive and able to eat the yummy food you just did. Now, let me mention that abs are genetic and it is simply impossible to spot lose fat. Every single body holds it’s fat differently. And whichever way your body holds its own is beautiful and right. You do NOT need a flat stomach to be beautiful, hot, or even sexy! So where the frickin bikini and wear the frickin crop top!
Thin Privilege
Let’s talk thin privilege. This is something that I’m still learning more about but wanted to share with you guys. First off, for those of you that may not know what I’m taking about, thin privilege is the privilege that comes with having a body type that is deemed as “acceptable” or “ideal” by society. In our society today, that means being skinny or thinner. One privilege that comes with this is being less likely to be singled out or bullied for your body type, something that many fat bodies can’t say the same for. It also comes in small day to day things, like being able to walk into most every store and find clothing made in your size. Or even having the ability to size up in a store. It can even show up within medicine as many fat bodies will have their health problems blamed solely on their body size, when it may not even be the cause. This even happens within mental health too where professionals will write their problems off as them needing to lose weight when it may not be the cause either. This is something that I’m definitely still learning about. The body positivity movement was created by black women to make a space for fat bodies to live their healthy and happy lives without having it discredited by societies beauty standards. Now, with that said, body positivity is for everyone and welcomes every single body type. But it is important to recognize where the movement came from and other people’s experiences and hardships within society when it comes to body love, and how they may differ from yours.
Bad Body Image Days
Let’s talk about bad body image days, because the reality of body positivity is that we aren’t going to love how we look every day. And that’s okay! That’s called being human. When it comes to bad body image days, it’s all about how we deal with them. If you aren’t feeling good about how your body is looking that day, try and refocus to what your body is doing for you that day. Because at the end of the day, our bodies weren’t made to look like perfect polished dolls. They were made to keep us alive. So instead of focusing on the not so good thoughts you are having about your body that day, focus on how your body functions for you. Like your legs allowing you to dance to your favorite song, and your arms allowing you to carry your heavy grocery bags. Maybe it’s your stomach bloat breaking down the delicious food you ate that day. Start loving your body for what it does for you, because realistically you are not going to love your appearance every single day, and that’s okay because you are not alive to prove yourself pretty. You are alive to experience life and contribute to not only your own but other people’s lives as well. And if you do that with a few pimples on your face or some cellulite on your legs, you are doing life right and in a real way. So allow yourself to feel what you feel on these days, and then shift your thoughts to more appreciative ones towards your body’s functions, because your body is strong and it loves you even when you don’t think it’s looking its best. Now, some more outward ways to deal with bad body image days can be a range of things! It could be wearing your favorite pair of jeans or maybe wearing a comfortable hoodie. Maybe it’s trying a new hairstyle or putting on some makeup if that’s something you like to do. Try to make yourself comfortable in your appearance that day and take care of your body because it loves you! Our bodies are incredible and forces of nature that deserve our love and appreciation. So do something kind for your body on these days and remember that you’re so much more than your body!
Offstage Talk 