Last night I met Mr. Shallow Hal. Anyone who doesnt know the reference, please look it up on wikipedia. I was having a conversation with this man, who seems like a sensitive, educated and civilized person, but he blew me away with his ignorance and stupidity.
I was mentioning how I feel like I need to start working out again and get fit. And he said, "Yes, you need to lose your belly, you are overweight." I was so shocked, that at irst I thought he was joking. But he wasnt, he really meant it. He thinks I am overweight and obese. I agree that I have a few pounds to lose, but I never thought of myself as an overweight and obese person.
I am 31, 5 foot and 3 inches tall, 60kgs - am I really overweight? So I looked up my BMI on this website http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ and found that my BMI is normal. I am actually in the normal weight range, but then I am not a well-toned, six-pack ab kinda girl. I used to be 5 kgs lighter before I had my child, but now I do have more curves and rolls than before. I am well aware of that, but never have I been called overweight before. Since I am petite, yes my curves are more obvious, but that is no reason for a man to mention to a woman that she is overweight.
This made me think about 100s of women who are Bulimic and Anorexic. Peer pressure, societal pressure and most of all our own perception of our body has made us women extremely sensitive about our shape, size and weight. How can a man understand what a woman's body goes through during pregnancy and after delivery and how she struggles to reclaim a body that has changed shape forever.
I put on 30 pounds as part of normal, healthy pregnancy and within the first year of breastfeeding and light workout I lost 25 pounds. The last 10 pounds was really resilient and wouldnt budge. So I joined a boot camp for women, spring 2012 and it was so worth the money and pain. I lost 7 pounds and most of all 5 inches on my waist. I was ecstatic and trust me I flaunted my new lighter body. In the past few months, I have been unable to work out because of some health issues, and I have packed on a few pounds. I have never been a person who diets, but I try to eat healthy and cut out my refined sugar intake. I will keep at it, but now I am worried that I am overweight, because a Shallow Hal told me so. How do I look past that person's judgement and do what is right for my body?
I dare you Hal put on 30 pounds, lose it and show me your six-pack body...I will apologize for writing about you.
I call out to all women who are struggling with their body image, please do not fall prey to men or women, who care more about your size and shape and less about who you are inside.
I am a strong, independent, modern woman and I will not apologize for being who I am. I might need to lose a few pounds, but I will not do it to impress someone like Hal. I will do it for me, for my self-worth, how dare you call me overweight?
I was mentioning how I feel like I need to start working out again and get fit. And he said, "Yes, you need to lose your belly, you are overweight." I was so shocked, that at irst I thought he was joking. But he wasnt, he really meant it. He thinks I am overweight and obese. I agree that I have a few pounds to lose, but I never thought of myself as an overweight and obese person.
I am 31, 5 foot and 3 inches tall, 60kgs - am I really overweight? So I looked up my BMI on this website http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ and found that my BMI is normal. I am actually in the normal weight range, but then I am not a well-toned, six-pack ab kinda girl. I used to be 5 kgs lighter before I had my child, but now I do have more curves and rolls than before. I am well aware of that, but never have I been called overweight before. Since I am petite, yes my curves are more obvious, but that is no reason for a man to mention to a woman that she is overweight.
This made me think about 100s of women who are Bulimic and Anorexic. Peer pressure, societal pressure and most of all our own perception of our body has made us women extremely sensitive about our shape, size and weight. How can a man understand what a woman's body goes through during pregnancy and after delivery and how she struggles to reclaim a body that has changed shape forever.
I put on 30 pounds as part of normal, healthy pregnancy and within the first year of breastfeeding and light workout I lost 25 pounds. The last 10 pounds was really resilient and wouldnt budge. So I joined a boot camp for women, spring 2012 and it was so worth the money and pain. I lost 7 pounds and most of all 5 inches on my waist. I was ecstatic and trust me I flaunted my new lighter body. In the past few months, I have been unable to work out because of some health issues, and I have packed on a few pounds. I have never been a person who diets, but I try to eat healthy and cut out my refined sugar intake. I will keep at it, but now I am worried that I am overweight, because a Shallow Hal told me so. How do I look past that person's judgement and do what is right for my body?
I dare you Hal put on 30 pounds, lose it and show me your six-pack body...I will apologize for writing about you.
I call out to all women who are struggling with their body image, please do not fall prey to men or women, who care more about your size and shape and less about who you are inside.
I am a strong, independent, modern woman and I will not apologize for being who I am. I might need to lose a few pounds, but I will not do it to impress someone like Hal. I will do it for me, for my self-worth, how dare you call me overweight?
