OBSERVATION
Please tell me I am not the only person who has seen, Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. The opening of that movie shows Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes preparing for a drag show (clip at the bottom). I love watching how confident they are and of course curse that they look ten times better in a dress than I do! And nothing can beat Wesley Snipes giggling and kicking his legs while admiring his new heels! So, why can't I feel just as confident and sexy as they do?? Did I just ask why I couldn't feel as sexy as a drag queen...oy!
In my situation, part of it is internal and will take a while to improve. But the other is physical. I feel frumpy and unattractive and I have no energy to boot, which complicates my life. I have a little bit of pregnancy weight to loose, but then another 40lbs pre-pregnancy (what I refer to as 'love fat', since I put it on during my first year of marriage). I always feel better when I am active and eating healthy...although I'm not gonna lie. Nothing makes me feel better like a huge piece of cheesecake with chocolate syrup and a nice full glass of wine!! But now that I have two little people to raise, I need to work on my body AND body image. I want my daughter to grow up with a positive attitude and my son to see beauty in everyone.
RESEARCH
Let's face it, when you feel good about your body, you feel good about yourself. I'm not saying everyone must be a certain weight or size. But confidence makes people happier. An interesting article from the Huffington post discusses Shawn Achor's, author of, "The Happiness Advantage," belief that being happy will increase your future success, in life and weight loss. I know men who are dissatisfied with their bodies. They stress over every calorie and work out incessantly. But, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that women have more pressure to look a certain way. I remember watching The Princess Diaries (you know you have seen it so don't judge me!) and noting that Ann Hathaway's character was happy and smart, but unpopular. Abra cadabra! Straighten that curly hair. Take off those glasses. Smother on lots of makeup and she's a beautiful princess. What an awful message to send to our daughters!
I watched a documentary years ago that blames the modern obsession with stick thin-ness on Twiggy (some call it "heroin-chic"). But there have always been trends throughout time and place and the accessibility to these trends via the internet, TV, and in print make them even more noticable and damaging! For example (According to Oprah.com, wikipedia, and National Geographic...I'm having a lazy day so no scientific journals/articles this time. For more information you can go to Google Scholar and look into just about any culture or time period.):
* Modern Japanese women believe fair, smooth skin and long, straight black hair can define beauty.
* I'm sure you have seen pictures of the women from the Kayan tribe in Myanmar and Thailand. They wear rings around their necks as a sign of status and beauty.
* Women of the Mentawai tribe in Indonesia sharper their teeth to resemble those of a shark.
* Several tribes in Africa (Mursi and Surma) place plates in young women's lips and reportedly gives the adorned a great sense of self-esteem.
* In the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, pale, white skin was not only a sign of status, but beauty. Women would actually use toxic materials to acquire it! Also during this time period (thanks to Queen Elizabeth I), a high forehead was considered beautiful.
* Geisha were typically beautiful young girls. They stayed covered except for showing the back of their neck, which was considered very sexy.
* We have all heard of corsets, foot binding (to make the foot look like a lotus flower), push-up bras, high heels (although men historically wore them too), chemical peels, liposuction, implants all over, hair extensions, and make-up (Although I read an interesting study once about red lipstick as a sign of sexuality and the theory that it resembles the redness of a primates genital area when in heat. Therefore a primitive, animalistic part of our brain sees the red lipstick and thinks about breeding. Wonder what my clear, shiny lip gloss means..).
I could go on and on, but we all see magazines and TV and know what is considered beautiful in our culture.
HYPOTHESIS
If I get healthier and lose weight, it will simplify my life.
EXPERIMENT
I will be taking the Body-for-Life For Women Challenge, starting Sunday, March 18 (because I still refuse to start things on Mondays!). This 12-week program focuses on healthy eating and exercising during the four stages of a woman's life. Each month (every four weeks), I will report on my progress in inches (because I am not 'body beautiful' enough to share my weight OR a before/after picture at this point). I will only weigh myself on Sunday mornings and I will allow myself one day "off" each week. I will also take measurements from my chest, waist, hips, arms and legs.
RESULTS
Month One - (4/20/2012) I am a few days late, but I did weigh-in on time. I was slow to start this month. I am down 6lbs. Motivation and time are my main enemies...that and the evil ladies at work who constantly bake and have a full candy jar - make that bucket, an actual bucket, people - sitting on their desks! It was also hard only weighing myself once a week. I horribly failed that one, but have at least stopped doing it every day. Oh, and I have failed the Body for Life challenge too. When I work out, I try to stay to it. But not with the eating. I really, really hate tracking what I eat because then I obsess even more over food. But I realised it is the only way I can curtail my snacking. So I joined Weight Watchers online almost two weeks ago.
So...not looking too good. But negative data is data, right?
Here are my stats:
Weight lost: 6lbs
Inches lost: 1.damn.inch
Month Two -
Month Three -
DISCUSSION
COMING SOON!!
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