I'm trying really, really hard to love The Fat Girl's Guide to Life, by Wendy Shanker. I've wanted to read it since I saw Shanker on the Jane Pauley show a few months ago, so when I went downtown to my feminist bookstore, I decided to buy it. As soon as I finished the Evanovich paperbacks (ah, freedom), I picked up Shanker and started to read.
Right now, I'm about half-way through, and I just don't like it. It makes me uneasy. First of all, so much of what Shanker says is dead on. There are too many processed, chemical-laden foods. There's no doubt that those things aren't healthy, and that we would be better off eating less processed food. You've got me there, Wendy. And furthermore, the "Diet Industry" is bad. No doubt about it. Offering diets and plans that don't work--or are unhealthy--and profiting off of what is a very, very emotional thing for some people. Well, it's not a good thing. And, I do think that it is better to be fit than anything else. It is. Fat, thin, whatever. Fit/healthy is better, and it's possible. So we agree, Wendy, on these things.
But when you talk about being fat, you talk about "secret" binges, and eating whole bags of candy in one sitting. Or even a whole bag of Veggie Booty in one sitting. And you can absolutely choose to do that, and if you do that, and you're fat, that's fine. I think you're a stunningly attractive woman, and I think your message is great. But come on. That's not healthy. Bingeing is not being "fit and fat." You talk one second about eating right and still being fat, and the next about not being able to sleep because you know there's cookies in your kitchen. I'm not saying it's bad to eat those cookies, but I am saying that you can't have it both ways. You can't eat all the cookies and in the next breath tell everyone that it's okay, because you're one of the healthy fat people. It just doesn't work that way.
The truth is, many people will be what is considered overweight no matter what they eat. Healthy diet, exercise, and they'll still carry more weight than other people. But there is a population of people that would lose weight if they would get active and eat healthier. It's not healthy to eat out every night. It's not healthy to eat a dozen cookies a night, whether it be from a bakery and organic or from a bag with the words Chips! Ahoy! on it. I'm finding that no matter what I thought at the time, I was eating too much. I wasn't bingeing, or eating secretly. Never have, in fact. I've never dieted before this WW thing, so it's not a combination of yo-yo dieting and eating. I just point blank ate too much at every single meal.
Why is it so bad for me to say that? Because I get the feeling that Shanker would have a problem with that. Yes, I was eating what I wanted, and yes, it's very hard to discipline yourself to eat less. I WANT to eat more every day. But this isn't about eating what I want, it's about eating what is right for my body. And I feel better. I can't deny it. I had a very indulgent week last week. I ate a lot of good food. I at 2/3 of a frozen pizza one night for dinner. I felt really bad, because I'd been so indulgent, but you know what? I lost weight. I lost weight because indulgent now is so different from indulgent then. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a damn good thing. No matter how much I bitch, I still eat a lot of good food, by my standards. I'm just allowed to eat less of it. Is that bad?
I hope that when the book continues, Shanker pulls through with the chapters on Hollywood, Dating and Style. Because there is nothing wrong with loving yourself, no matter what. But to misrepresent yourself? I don't know, it makes me uneasy.
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