Trash · Memories

I am in an odd position regarding my fat: On one hand, I am learning to love my body as it is while on the other hand seeking to be healthier. Of course, "healthier" still equals "thinner". (As much as I'd like to deny that line of thinking, it's there.) I've been really struggling to understand this unique position. How does a fat woman stop blaming herself while simultaneously changing her habits?

Enter Health at Every Size, or HAES.

According to the wikipedia entry (and Jon Robinson), HAES has three central ideas:

1. Self-Acceptance: Affirmation and reinforcement of human beauty and worth irrespective of differences in weight, physical size and shape.
2. Physical Activity: Support for increasing social, pleasure-based movement for enjoyment and enhanced quality of life.
3. Normalized Eating: Support for discarding externally-imposed rules and regimens for eating and attaining a more peaceful relationship with food by relearning to eat in response to physiological hunger and fullness cues.

HAES advocates generally do not believe that the same narrow weight range (or BMI range) is maximally healthy for every individual. Rather, the HAES approach is that as individuals include physical activity in their lives, and eat in response to physical cues rather than emotional cues, they will settle towards their own, personal ideal weights. These weights, however, can be higher or lower than those described by standard medical guidelines.

This is my philosophy. This is what I'm trying to practice. I'm being more physically active, eating good food that I've made myself, and learning to listen to my body. The self-acceptance part is the hardest, but I'm working on that.

Next step, buy the book.