Plus sized no more.

It's weird when in today's society, being fat is so reviled, that there are people who are still fighting to be considered plus sized. There is a bit of a brou haha with model Robin Lawley who launched her plus sized pretty swimsuit line Swimsuits for All. You can see her in the yellow bikini on this site. She looks lovely, and she is what the fashion industry and the real world considers plus sized. Though the argument can be made in the real world, she'd qualify as an average.

She's been kicking up a stir because she's lost a bunch of weight. Her choices, her reasons, none of my business. However then issue is, do you still get to call yourself plus sized if you aren't. In model world, she can be a size 8 and still plus sized, whereas in real world, she's well under that. Needless to say, anyone with half a brain knows that model world has some serious issues with body diversity.

A lot of people are upset because she was still representing as plus sized. The reason being is, if what she is now is considered as plus sized, then is there a new norm of what is "healthy/skinny/beautiful"? She's upset because she doesn't feel like she can win, she's clearly gone out of the plus sized market and has caused some disappointment. I can understand that, as us fat girls have very few representatives in the beauty industry. This gives more weight into equating fat to ugly, so to lose someone kinda sucks. Then again though, she's clearly not plus sized.

I think another issue in what I see is the commercialization of plus sized. More and more of us women are becoming aware that we needn't go on a diet and become a size 4 to be pretty. We are starting to embrace and dare I say love our bodies and fashion is starting to have to adapt. With online shopping, we can pick out an outfit and look just as awesome as those not in our category. This is great for people who love shopping as much as I do, but it too has a pitfall. The plus sized model. I've noticed that many of the models have similar body types. They may have some extra weight on them, but it's concentrated mostly in the boobs and butt area and you don't see chubby knees, or larger arms and certainly not a hint of double chin. And the worry I have is, that went you go onto a site like Swimsuits for All and see Robyn Lawley with a not plus sized body modeling, there is a wee bit of a problem. I see a model who made a name being a plus sized model and excellent for her, but she's retaining that status and making money off it, even though she no longer fits there.

Is it okay to do that? Is it okay to use a below average sized body to market plus sized swimsuits and gear to women and girls? Given that eating disorders on an epic rise, is it responsible? I dunno, personally, if I were to become a model (they just haven't discovered me yet lol) and ended up losing weight, I'd resign as a representative for plus sized people. It's strange because no one would think twice about someone resigning from a political party, or non-profit if someone found themselves in conflict with the overall message of that organization, but it's hard to put it into words with this. I think because we're not talking about beliefs, we're talking about image and while all in all, it can be considered a vapid subject, battle lines have been drawn and women who are fat have to constantly prove ourselves smart, pretty, funny, ambitious, hard working because of our image. So to have someone who no longer has to fight that battle to say they still represent, is a bit frustrating to say the least, especially when they know exactly what that battle is

Catchy Tune

If you're interested in body issues and think that it's okay to be plus sized and still be considered pretty, smart, ambitious...HUMAN, you've probably heard Meghan Trainor's song "All About That Bass" making it's rounds. If not, here you go.

Truth be told, I love it. It's catchy as hell, love the visuals and love the message that you don't have to be a size 2 to be considered desirable. There is a little part in the lyrics I have a problem with:

"I'm bringing booty back
Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that
No I'm just playing I know you think you're fat
But I'm here to tell ya
Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top"

I get the jist of it that everyone regardless of size has been told in some way or another that something is wrong with them, I am just really uncomfortable with the whole separation of fat and skinny in the first place. A lot of plus sized campaigns seem to rely on sorting out women as well. "Real women have curves" we've all heard it. Dove has made a mint off their "Real beauty" campaign which somewhat exploits the whole real women have some curves...mind you the same company sells Slim Fast and products for skin whitening...So maybe only so many curves and you have to be light skinned to be a "real woman".

notice how none of the "real women" are really all that thin

While there no doubt is a heavy heavy bias against women who are size 14+ in the media and girls (and boys) are fed images of the ideal body from a very young age, we needn't willingly separate ourselves from other women. A backlash against this notion needs "hey, plus sized people ROCK!" not negativity such as "real women have curves". Because as we all know, there are plenty of women who fit into a size 2 and they're pretty real. They may diet and work out like crazy to get there, or they just might be naturally skinny. If you can talk with them, smell them, poke them with your finger, THEY'RE REAL! Not all of them have an eating disorder, just like not all of us plus sized folks stuff cheeseburgers into our mouths.

So, I do think its important to highlight that there is an uneven scale as to what constitutes beauty and strength and fitness and smarts, I think we can do it without even jokingly referring to other women as other. It ends up saying that we're insecure and hateful and really I'm not. I love my body, I tune out whenever the discussion turns to weight loss with my friends, only to interject every now and then randomly "You're beautiful!!!!" which my friends think is weird, but so be it. I don't hate other women because of their bodies, I don't compare myself to other women and I don't think anyone else should despite what the media tells us.

Fact is, that we're all in this together. Fat women are told that they are unattractive, skinny women are told that they are unattractive. Black women need lighter skin, white women need to not be so pasty. Asian women need bigger eyes and curly hair women need to straighten their locks. Really with all those mixed messages, who the hell knows what the media wants us to look like anymore. The only thing that is wrong is the message that is trying to be sold to us and for that, one group can't afford to make enemies of any other group, we stand fat, skinny, short, tall, black, white, curly, straight whatever we look like together.

 

Going to the Gym to Gain.

This is my good friend Mary. She texted me last week to submit herself for my awesome page. As such, she gets a prize, cause she's the first....not sure what, but something. lol

Mary Crossfits the hell out of Crossfit. It's a challenging regime and Mary has been killing it. She also has a demanding job, a busy social life and an awesome loving family, whom I personally feel honoured to know and call friends.

Mary writes:

"Not a beautiful pic, but it makes the point after doing Crossfit for 8 months. I've lost inches but not lbs and I feel great...in the pic I'm dead lifting 225lbs, a personal best. I think its a powerful and positive message to share...it can be scary going to the gym where everyone has six packs and can do things you only see in YouTube videos, plus being able to do the same exercises as 20 year olds."

Well Mary, I think it is a beautiful pic, it also sends a message to so many people who go to the gym solely to lose, as opposed to gaining. Give me gaining confidence, a sense of accomplishment and super strength any day!

Many thanks Mary!!!

xoxo