Is it anti-feminist to blog about weight loss?
I currently weigh more than I ever have in my entire life. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind the number I see when I step on the scale if I were happy with the body I see when I stand in the mirror. (Even when I looked my best and had six-pack abs, I weighed much more than anyone, including my doctors, thought I did.) But I am woefully disappointed with both.
Today I am recommitting to my goal of losing 35 pounds by the end of the school year and the writer in me wants to blog about every step of this journey. I want to use my blog and social media to hold myself accountable for eating right and exercising more. I want my readers and followers to cheer me on along the way.
But the feminist in me says that every time I write about being unhappy with my body or with my weight I’m making another woman or girl feel as if she should be unhappy with hers, too.
The feminist in me wants the women and girls in my life to be more concerned with keeping a record of what they accomplished each day than they are with keeping track of what they ate.
The feminist in me wants them more concerned with counting the money they’ve raised for their favorite charity than counting calories.
The feminist in me wants them to exercise because they want to be strong not because they want to be skinny.
Nonetheless, I know that when I run a road race or try a new yoga pose or get through an entire Jillian Michaels workout without stopping I suddenly feel like I can do anything — especially considering I have a connective tissue disease that should be preventing me from doing any of this.
So I’ve decided I won’t post about the weight I’ve lost or dress sizes I’ve dropped. Instead I’ll only write about lessons learned. I’ll share how putting better things on my plate teaches me to put better things into my life. I’ll share how sticking to a workout regimen helps me stick to a writing regimen, too. And I’ll share how I’m going to learn to love the woman I see in the mirror even if the number on the scale never changes.
I SO understand. It is part of a larger issue with blogging about our personal challenges. We deserve support, and celebration, as we struggle with hard things. I will read whatever you decide to write about your journey, and cheer you on!
Thanks so much, Liz! I really appreciate that!
Javacia, I’m taking a body positivity yoga module as part of my yoga teacher training. The fact is we deserve to love our body as it is in the moment. As we walk around in the world, we should be allowed to exist without judgement from others or ourselves. We should be allowed to take up space in this world no matter how we look or are perceived.
It is always a feminist act to want to be our best selves. My internal dialogue about my extra pounds has been anything but healthy most of my life. The internal dialogue mirrors the horrible things society says about heavy bodies. The most radical thing I can do is accept who I am as I am in this moment. By doing that I can make choices about my body that come from a place of self love and self care.
So yes, blog about your journey. Question the negative thoughts about image, AND do the things that make you feel strong and healthy.
Thank you, Heidi. Yoga really helps me when I’m feeling down about my body. And I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how focusing on self-care can help me learn to love my body whether I lose weight or not. I really appreciate your input.