#43 I'm saying the thing we're not supposed to say...
...but hopefully you'll understand why
As I find myself in a position of caring for my parents, I find myself considering the future of my own children and the pressures they may have to face in looking after myself and my husband later down the line. It’s inspired me to make some changes to the way I live my life for one reason and one reason only: I want my body to last me as long as I need it to.
I hope you enjoy this article. It’s not easy to talk about this stuff in today’s world of black and white ideas around body positivity and confidence. Please know that I always live in the grey areas (because that’s where, in my opinion, the magic happens) but I also understand that this may be triggering for some. I deliver this article with love and compassion both to myself and to every one of you reading it.
Ok - I’m going to say the thing we’re not allowed to say but I’m going to say it for a reason that I hope goes someway to validating my decision.
I’m on a diet. I want to lose weight.
I feel like it’s not ok to say we want to lose weight these days, or that we’re on a diet. The word ‘diet’ appears to have been appropriated to have only negative connotations and don’t misunderstand me - I get it. I grew up in a world where every woman I knew was on a diet and more than that - they talked about it all the time. If I’m honest, I never saw any of those women actually lose any weight. Mostly, I just saw them beating themselves up, constantly talking about food and stepping on scales that just didn’t move. For my generations, and the generations before us, the word ‘diet’ has meant ‘you’re not good enough because you’re not thin enough’ or ‘you’re not happy because you’re overweight’ but I’m reappropriating the word and making it my own.
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