Showing posts with label body acceptance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body acceptance. Show all posts
The F Word
I think it’s hard to find an environment where self-love, security, and acceptance exist. In our world obsessed with the attaining "perfection" when it comes to looks, it’s completely normal to trash talk your own body and find something “hideous” and “wrong” with it to point out—not only to your own self—but to others as well. This type of body bashing is insane, degrading, and I ABHOR it. I hate it with passion.
Unfortunately, our office is one of those environments where it always happens. Every day there’s a colleague (male or female, it doesn’t matter) who would express disgust/shame/hatred/dislike for a certain body part (if not the complete body itself) for being fat. It’s either a part is getting too big, or they’re getting too heavy. I see some of my officemates weighing themselves early in the morning, and again during mid-afternoon, and fret at the slightest change of the digits they see on the scale (I guess they don’t know the fact that a human’s weight fluctuates with an increase or decrease of 2-4 pounds in a day). Their obsession about weight—NOTE: WEIGHT, NOT HEALTH—saddens me, and I would always find a way to compliment them to make them feel pretty despite them feeling otherwise about their own bodies. And I do mean what I say. I really think I have good-looking colleagues, and I ain’t bullshitting on that. ;)
Aside from the girls constantly expressing their disapproval of their bodies, there’s also a colleague who would always throw the word fat around. It was obvious that his intention was to tease, if not insult. If he notices you packing on extra pounds, he would always come up with different ways of “warning” you. He’d tell you to not get a second serving of lunch, which he did to me, (we have free buffet breakfast and lunch in the office—YAHOO! indeed), or he’d scare you with the thought of you looking like “a rolling ball”.
Yesterday, he jokingly called my officemate “Miss B” because she obviously gained weight—significantly in the tummy area. And B stood for—you’ve guessed it!—Miss Buntis (Pregnant). And that’s exactly what my male officemate was hinting with the regular-word-turned-acronym-turned-insult. Although it is very noticeable that she got chunkier, she’s not someone you’d call fat. She just got a bit curvy, but she still looks regular-sized to me.
The name-calling offended my officemate, which resulted to dramatic sobs delivered jokingly--although I knew she got hurt. I immediately tried to alleviate the situation by saying, “Bakit ka ba nagpapa-apekto jan? Huwag ka nga makinig jan! (Why are you letting him affect you? Don’t even listen to him!)” But my officemate won’t stop with the vocal expression of her dented self-esteem, that at one point, she even kidded that “Miss B” would soon stand for “Miss Bulimic”.
It is true, though. She did gain weight.
It’s disturbing. It’s disturbing to me how in this whole situation, it’s so apparent that so much negativity has been associated with the word FAT that it seems like it's everyone's worst nightmare to be described as that. Once a woman is called fat, the typical reaction would be insulted, hurt, or offended, even if it’s an obvious fact that she is fat. I don’t get it. How is being called what you actually are offensive? Imagine someone telling me “OH MY GOSH, YOU’RE A REDHEAD!!!” and I’d just bawl for being called that.
There’s another interesting incident that happened. It’s our church’s prayer and fasting week, and some of my male officemates joined the fast. Just a few days ago, one of my officemates tells another that he lost weight. “Pumayat ka ah. (You lost weight.)” This statement immediately plasters a huge grin on his face, with a reply of “Thank you ah!”
If I must point out, my officemate was merely being descriptive when she said he lost some weight. She didn’t actually compliment him, but he assumed she did, that’s why he responded like he was given one.
For the longest time, when body bashing and shaming occurs inside the work place, I would just defend the one being mocked and try to steer the conversation to a different direction. That’s it. That’s all I did. I was a bit scared to speak up because I was the only one who believed that body shaming is utterly wrong and should be put to an end. It also didn’t help that I was the youngest employee in Yahoo! Philippines at 21 years old. I had fear that they'd think I was pikon, and would talk about me behind my back for being overreacting when they’re just “joking” or “teasing”. But truth is, it bothered me. I’m bothered that there’s always a time for this type of body negativity inside the workplace which is my space too. I get annoyed, exasperated. I get pissed mostly at myself for not trying hard enough.
But today, I decided to stand my ground and do what I can to at least lessen (if not totally eradicate) the existing fat stigma.
Part of it is probably me PMS-ing, but mostly it’s because of what a male officemate said yesterday to the offender, after my female colleague calmed down after being called “Miss B”.
“Oy bakit mo sinabi yon? Alam mo bang yun yung worst na pwede mo sabihin sa babae? (Why did you say that? Don’t you know that’s the worst thing you can call a woman?)"
He was trying to defend her, trying to make her feel better.
This statement was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Or in my case, the statement that unleashed the activist/feminist/body revolutionist in me BIG TIME (pun intended). It really got to my nerves. I immediately IM’ed (through Yahoo! Messenger, of course) my best friend, and told her how pissed I am for what has just been said. I typed heavily at my keyboard being fueled by anger (I also didn't find it funny what my officemate said about developing bulimia, because after having gone through it, I know for a fact that enforcing an eating disorder on one's self is not something hilarious to be joked about). Then, I realized I was madder at myself for not doing anything about it, despite the fact that it consumed me emotionally.
I told my best friend that that was it, and tomorrow (which is today) I would put up posters all over the office to make people think twice about the words they say and how they react to things.
She made me calm down by telling me that some of my officemates were exactly the reason why I’m a body image warrior. And she was absolutely right.
So this morning, I made this and posted 3 copies in different areas of our office.
I know all the body love/fat acceptance revolutionists like myself would see it as great feat if women of all shapes and sizes would be secure in themselves and not take offense when the word fat is thrown at them. I myself know for a fact that once we’ve reclaimed “fat” and removed all its stigma, I’d be giving myself a pat on the back and feel extremely happy and content, knowing that finally more women are getting it, and I am part of making a change in their self-esteems.
-S
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the work environment of the office mentioned above.
Unfortunately, our office is one of those environments where it always happens. Every day there’s a colleague (male or female, it doesn’t matter) who would express disgust/shame/hatred/dislike for a certain body part (if not the complete body itself) for being fat. It’s either a part is getting too big, or they’re getting too heavy. I see some of my officemates weighing themselves early in the morning, and again during mid-afternoon, and fret at the slightest change of the digits they see on the scale (I guess they don’t know the fact that a human’s weight fluctuates with an increase or decrease of 2-4 pounds in a day). Their obsession about weight—NOTE: WEIGHT, NOT HEALTH—saddens me, and I would always find a way to compliment them to make them feel pretty despite them feeling otherwise about their own bodies. And I do mean what I say. I really think I have good-looking colleagues, and I ain’t bullshitting on that. ;)
Aside from the girls constantly expressing their disapproval of their bodies, there’s also a colleague who would always throw the word fat around. It was obvious that his intention was to tease, if not insult. If he notices you packing on extra pounds, he would always come up with different ways of “warning” you. He’d tell you to not get a second serving of lunch, which he did to me, (we have free buffet breakfast and lunch in the office—YAHOO! indeed), or he’d scare you with the thought of you looking like “a rolling ball”.
Yesterday, he jokingly called my officemate “Miss B” because she obviously gained weight—significantly in the tummy area. And B stood for—you’ve guessed it!—Miss Buntis (Pregnant). And that’s exactly what my male officemate was hinting with the regular-word-turned-acronym-turned-insult. Although it is very noticeable that she got chunkier, she’s not someone you’d call fat. She just got a bit curvy, but she still looks regular-sized to me.
The name-calling offended my officemate, which resulted to dramatic sobs delivered jokingly--although I knew she got hurt. I immediately tried to alleviate the situation by saying, “Bakit ka ba nagpapa-apekto jan? Huwag ka nga makinig jan! (Why are you letting him affect you? Don’t even listen to him!)” But my officemate won’t stop with the vocal expression of her dented self-esteem, that at one point, she even kidded that “Miss B” would soon stand for “Miss Bulimic”.
It is true, though. She did gain weight.
It’s disturbing. It’s disturbing to me how in this whole situation, it’s so apparent that so much negativity has been associated with the word FAT that it seems like it's everyone's worst nightmare to be described as that. Once a woman is called fat, the typical reaction would be insulted, hurt, or offended, even if it’s an obvious fact that she is fat. I don’t get it. How is being called what you actually are offensive? Imagine someone telling me “OH MY GOSH, YOU’RE A REDHEAD!!!” and I’d just bawl for being called that.
There’s another interesting incident that happened. It’s our church’s prayer and fasting week, and some of my male officemates joined the fast. Just a few days ago, one of my officemates tells another that he lost weight. “Pumayat ka ah. (You lost weight.)” This statement immediately plasters a huge grin on his face, with a reply of “Thank you ah!”
If I must point out, my officemate was merely being descriptive when she said he lost some weight. She didn’t actually compliment him, but he assumed she did, that’s why he responded like he was given one.
For the longest time, when body bashing and shaming occurs inside the work place, I would just defend the one being mocked and try to steer the conversation to a different direction. That’s it. That’s all I did. I was a bit scared to speak up because I was the only one who believed that body shaming is utterly wrong and should be put to an end. It also didn’t help that I was the youngest employee in Yahoo! Philippines at 21 years old. I had fear that they'd think I was pikon, and would talk about me behind my back for being overreacting when they’re just “joking” or “teasing”. But truth is, it bothered me. I’m bothered that there’s always a time for this type of body negativity inside the workplace which is my space too. I get annoyed, exasperated. I get pissed mostly at myself for not trying hard enough.
But today, I decided to stand my ground and do what I can to at least lessen (if not totally eradicate) the existing fat stigma.
Part of it is probably me PMS-ing, but mostly it’s because of what a male officemate said yesterday to the offender, after my female colleague calmed down after being called “Miss B”.
“Oy bakit mo sinabi yon? Alam mo bang yun yung worst na pwede mo sabihin sa babae? (Why did you say that? Don’t you know that’s the worst thing you can call a woman?)"
He was trying to defend her, trying to make her feel better.
This statement was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Or in my case, the statement that unleashed the activist/feminist/body revolutionist in me BIG TIME (pun intended). It really got to my nerves. I immediately IM’ed (through Yahoo! Messenger, of course) my best friend, and told her how pissed I am for what has just been said. I typed heavily at my keyboard being fueled by anger (I also didn't find it funny what my officemate said about developing bulimia, because after having gone through it, I know for a fact that enforcing an eating disorder on one's self is not something hilarious to be joked about). Then, I realized I was madder at myself for not doing anything about it, despite the fact that it consumed me emotionally.
I told my best friend that that was it, and tomorrow (which is today) I would put up posters all over the office to make people think twice about the words they say and how they react to things.
She made me calm down by telling me that some of my officemates were exactly the reason why I’m a body image warrior. And she was absolutely right.
So this morning, I made this and posted 3 copies in different areas of our office.
Feel free to download the poster!
One of the 3 bulletin boards where I pinned the FAT poster
I also did this to our weighing scale, just to remind the lovely ladies in the office not to fret so much about their weight, because they’re more than just a number.
I know all the body love/fat acceptance revolutionists like myself would see it as great feat if women of all shapes and sizes would be secure in themselves and not take offense when the word fat is thrown at them. I myself know for a fact that once we’ve reclaimed “fat” and removed all its stigma, I’d be giving myself a pat on the back and feel extremely happy and content, knowing that finally more women are getting it, and I am part of making a change in their self-esteems.
-S
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the work environment of the office mentioned above.
Welcoming 2013 differently
Happy new year, everyone! :)
It's our first time to celebrate the new year away from home. Ever since I can remember, we have always stayed in on New Year's Eve to do our annual family tradition:
- Our mom and titas prepare a feast of our favorite scrumptious dishes
- As we wait, we write what we've been grateful for for the past year, and write what we ask from God for the coming year
- Gather to pray as a family
- Eat eat eat
- Wait for the clock to strike 12
- Kiss everybody and make lots of noise
- Jump as high as we can (to get even more taller! HAHA)
- Our tito breaks his piggy bank to throw and roll the coins (which he had saved up during the entire year) all over our living room, as the entire family get on all fours to hoard as much coins as we can!
- Set off fireworks (safe ones)
- Burn the letters that we wrote (see #2)
- Go to bed.
But for 2013, it was different. My mom decided it was time for a change, so she booked us rooms at The Remington Hotel.
Turns out, everyone decided to spend the new year's out. There were a lot of people at the hotel, which resulted to poor service and lots of waiting.
After having dinner (which consisted of turkey, stuffing, cold cuts, cheese, fruits, and wine), we all got dressed up and headed to Resorts World for a different New Year's Eve celebration! :)
Our mom chose to stay in Bar 360 at the casino, because there were too many people at the plaza where the countdown happened.
Danah with our lola, who's looking fresh as ever at 62!
With my gorgeous momma! Excited as we watched bands perform live while waiting for another brand new year!
The loves of my life
The Company was the band to perform last, and they lead the countdown to 2013! The primary countdown happened at the plaza as hosted by DJ Toni Tony, but there was live simulcast at Bar 360.
What I wore:
Sparkly Deep-V top Una Rosa | Pumps Payless
I decided to ditch accessories with this outfit because the top's sparkle and shine was enough. Didn't want to look like a Christmas tree on NYE (or ever, for that matter)!
Danah's outfit
Dress Dorothy Perkins | Shoes Marks & Spencer | Bag Gucci
After our parental units went back to our room to sleep at around 1 am, Danah and I went back to Bar 360 for more drinks! :) This is one of the strongest in the bar list: The Flaming Spade. It's a flaming shot which consists of Kahlua, Baileys, and Absinthe! It was really good! :)
Spent the first few hours of January 1 drinking shots, singing along with the live band (in our seats--we weren't that drunk), and laughing with my crazy sister :)
The flaming shot turned me into a bossy poser: "Danah, kunan mo ko!" HAHA
Giant tree at The Remington Hotel
Truth is, Danah and I couldn't be more excited for 2013. I have faith and I have claimed that this year will be the BIGGEST YET TO COME for our blog and our advocacy. I've actually started a "reality journal" wherein I write all my dreams for The Plump Pinay for 2013, and with strong and unwavering faith, believe for it all to materialize (in His perfect time, of course). I'm just really excited and passionate like never before. I know 2012 wasn't really a strong year for us, but we've definitely learned and grown from it. I've come to realize that no matter what distracts you from your true purpose in life, no matter how much you wander away from the path of what you're really meant to do, if that's where your passion and heart is, that's the exact place where you'll end up in to finish the work set uniquely for you.
I know in my heart and soul that God's purpose for us on this earth is to empower women--not just the plus size, but every woman struggling to love herself. We will keep blogging, posting, and tweeting until every single woman on this planet believes with ALL of her entire being that she is worthy, beautiful, and capable. :)
Our hope is for your 2013 to be magical and fun--full of love, laughter, and lessons. May you conquer your fears and start loving yourself more. Dare yourself every once in a while, 'cos you'll never know how you'll surprise yourself until you do something outside of your comfort zone.
Live it up, be bold, be better, and most of all, be YOU.
Happy new year, everyone! :)
-S
Love, Carla
We all have our own body acceptance story to tell, and since what we want is for women to get inspiration from one another in this big, fat community of love, here's what Carla has to share. I'm sure, like me, you'll love her spunky attitude. Prepare to munch on her nuggets of [body] wisdom! :)
***
To borrow words from Erwan Heussaff, I got to this size because of a "sedentary lifestyle." Being in a family of 10 kids, you learn to take every opportunity you get. This includes snacks, chocolates, chips and normal food. I grew up being toted to restaurant after restaurant with my dad while he took business meetings. Visiting restaurants and trying the food was part of our bonding, midnight runs to Wendy's included. He spent so much time with work that when he realized that we could accompany him, we never stopped. Until now, he and I still attend meetings together.
As I always said while getting stuffed with yummy food, "if you die fat, at least you die happy." Or something along those lines.
When I was younger everyone used to call me "taba," or worse, refer to me as "the fat one" and each mention still kind of stings, especially with strangers. I never let it get to me, and just ignored it. Even worse for me is when people referred to me as "cute," like a nicer and politer way of saying that you were too old to still be that fat. I still didn't let it get to me. Really. What else could I do but ignore them? I didn't want to lose my weight, I was fine! And when will I ever run into these strangers ever again anyway?
I guess I could say that fashion kind of changed the way I looked at myself. When I started caring about how I dressed and as I developed my own style, "taba" turned to "ganda" or "sexy" and cute eventually became "fashown," which is as good a compliment as any. I guess that means that my confidence actually shows now? Now only my dad calls me "taba" as a pet name, and I love him all the more for it.
I've kind of accepted my weight, despite everyone around me being a lot thinner. Several people have told me that I would never have a boyfriend because of my size. While I have never really had a boyfriend, I shrug off the thought that it's because of my weight. Please. If a guy can't accept that this is how I look, then he's not worth my time, even if it does hurt to think so sometimes.
I love the way I look now. I love that I have curves, I love the fact that I've got more "assets" (or "boobs that could save the world" as my friends always say) and I love being who I am. Sure I would like to lose weight, but I don't mind not losing it. My work involves going to restaurants and eating delicious things (possibly getting bigger with each day), but I gain confidence from the fact that I know who I am. I'm not just a curvy body and a pimply face. I'm a person who can sing, write and draw the pants off of anyone while giving them a sweet smile.
I'm actually comfortable in my own skin now, and I love it!
***
Plump love,
Danah
Love, Sarah M.
I have forgotten that the inbox of Twitter doesn't notify you when you receive a message (I understand it's because the tweets themselves serve as personal messages for their users), but I'm just more than happy to have clicked on the 'Messages' link one particular Thursday afternoon.
I cupped one hand over my wide-opened mouth with the 1-liner message I read, which made me shuffle my way to Stacy's cubicle and pseudo-whisper: "SARAH MEIER WANTS TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR OUR BLOG!"
It was unbelievable. The rest of the day was just filled with clouds of pure excitement and joy, because Sarah Meier -- no need for intros here -- supports our advocacy and is gracious enough to share with us her experiences and insights in this very thought-provoking and wittily written article.
******
Let me start off by saying that though I am categorically considered a writer, I have not volunteered to cement words on behalf of anything in a very long time. But in the throes of a very fulfilling (yet chaotic) Philippine Fashion Week this past May, the existence of theplumpinay.com was introduced to me, and after weeks of smiling incessantly that women like Stacy and Danah exist, I found myself twitching to say a thing or two to both them, and you.But as a fixture in the modeling and fashion industry, what business do I have talking to you about perception of body beautiful, and self-love? More than you think.I like my body. I think I have lapses in discipline when it comes to my eating, sure, and the prospect of working out is an endless scenario of the angel and devil perched on either shoulder, but ultimately, I am okay with not having a waistline that is 10 inches smaller than my hips. I am okay with the fact that I will never be able to wholeheartedly sing along to club Hip Hop songs about my rear end being impressive (I literally stop dancing when songs like "Baby Got Back", and "Bootylicious" come on).I didn't used to be okay with it all.35, 29.5, 36.It's a far cry from the "model ideal" 34, 24, 34 that I'm supposed to be, and believe you me - armed even with the justifications that I'm 6 feet tall, or that I have a 5 year old daughter; armed even with all the confidence and positive thinking in the world - the fashion industry still has a way of making me feel like a whale. (And they say it to my face too, which I sometimes am not sure whether or not I should be grateful for.)Sarah with her lovely daughter, KayaBut the truth is, I don't want to be the type of skinny they want me to be. And I fight it everyday. I think curves are viciously attractive, for as long as they are healthy, and not a sign of detachment (from concepts of nutrition or reality), or attachment (to food). I think that every woman needs to have something a man can hold onto, and to be completely honest with you, when I was breastfeeding my daughter as a baby, I was torn because she couldn't find anywhere soft to nestle when she was lying on me. (Huge "growing up" moment in realizing it wasn't all about ME after all.)I too, have internal battles about bikinis, oscillating between "I just can't do it" on some days, and flicking a figurative middle finger to the world saying "I don't care what you think" on others. I have considered moving to cities with a colder climate for the mere convenience of not having to wear a bikini so often in the first doggone place, and frankly because in winter, layering is the great equalizer and we can all look like sleeping bags together.But there is a fine line between comfort, confidence, and complacency.You can tell yourself you're comfortable with how you look, and then work on having the confidence to step out to the world and say so. But if this breeds a buffer around you, becoming justification for you eating what you want, and not working out…then you're muddling up concepts.I gained 79 pounds when I was pregnant. For some reason, I guess I had convinced myself they'd all leave my body when the baby did, but she weighed 8 pounds and 2 ounces - which left me staring at the remaining 70 on the weighing scale, able to muster nothing other than a resoundingly depressed "WTF".And when I gained all that weight, I lost the "friends". Some because my confidence was shot, and I probably wasn't the most beautiful or pleasant person to be around, but some also because they didn't know how to handle their famously skinny supermodel friend being not so skinny or supermodel-y. I learned a lot in those months, about people, and about myself, and took all of the hurt and frustration to mind-blowing strength and conviction…at the gym. One year of commitment, it took. And I learned one very important lesson:There are no shortcuts.There are no shortcuts in dealing with prejudice. In losing weight. In learning how to enjoy exercise.There are no shortcuts that work long term, in crash diets, or pills.There are no shortcuts in developing real skills, or habits, or strength.(And when you do take shortcuts, there WILL be repercussions. Always. I guarantee it.)I'm doing a talk this Saturday called "How To Be Awesome 101", and one of my little pointers is to "not fill empty with empty". All this means is that there are voids that sit inside each and every one of us, and what we do to fill them, determines whether or not we drift off into oblivion, or settle down comfortably; stable and at peace.(See, weight can be good for some things too!)--It is what you make of it. It is what you allow it to be.If you let it be an issue, it will be an issue. If you ignore it, it will remain unresolved. If you claim change, you will attract it. If you put it on a throne, it will becoming king.I had just never seen it that way before, because all I had was the peg of what I wanted to look like, (mis)matched with what I was seeing in the mirror.So from one girl whose community says she's too big, to another -Remember - it's all a matter of perspective.I leave you with a hug, and the words of one of my favorite non-judgemental fashion industry people, designer Sassa Jimenez:"Ang tunay na babae, nag-eextra rice."Photo by Celwyn AbasoloLove,-s.
******
Thank you Sarah. This seriously means a lot to us. :) (Speechless, still.)
Plump love,
Danah
CELEBRATE: Body Love Month
Before we are able to love others, we must be able to love ourselves first.
We're so happy to have received numerous submissions from you, dear plumptastic women!!!
We really feel so blessed to have awesome women share the body love with us. :)
We're so happy to have received numerous submissions from you, dear plumptastic women!!!
We really feel so blessed to have awesome women share the body love with us. :)
I may be fat, but I'm perfectly good at it.
sent by Flowie Diana
Cause the star within us is way bigger than our bodies.
Gotta ♥ my body.
sent in by Katsi
I always wanted to be in a real photo shoot
but never thought it'd ever happen because I'm overweight.
Little did I know my "flaw" would
lead me to bigger and better things!
sent in by Katrina
Have no fear, summer is here!
sent in by Chili
It's edgy, fierce and definitely me.
Never be afraid to show your funky and real self! :)
sent in by Gellie Anne
Quaintly naive
sent in by Jessa
I'm proud to be plump...
sent in by Claire
We absolutely love these fearless women's photos! And we think it's a great way to celebrate love month. :) If this ain't fatbulosity, then I don't know what iz!
Always remember, YOU CANNOT LOOK AFTER SOMETHING YOU HATE! Keep spreading the body love!
Plump ♥
Danah
ZE LOVE MONTH IS HERE!!!
Let's celebrate BODY LOVE this February!!! :) Please send us a photo of you, enjoying and celebrating your wonderful hips and curves!!! Add a 1-liner caption to make it extra special! E-mail us at theplumpinay@gmail.com!
We want to fill this page with beautiful photos from our readers, so please participate! ;)
We want to fill this page with beautiful photos from our readers, so please participate! ;)
Verbatim: Oprah Winfrey
Got this inspiration quote from a follower on Facebook. I just had to post it here.
“Step Away from the mean girls… and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks. Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.
This is a call to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you're too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world.”
Plump love,
Danah
“Step Away from the mean girls… and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks. Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.
This is a call to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you're too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world.”
Plump love,
Danah
Summer's almost here...
so let us be inspired with Fluvia's summer mantra:
1 bikini, 0 make up, 100% happiness
I’m that fat chick wearing bikinis at the beach and seriously happy about it. Perhaps because New York City winters have made me realize how awful I look on that pale yellow skin tone but probably and most likely because I’m aware that if I’m not happy under my own skin, no one else will be for me.
Enjoy your summer, I know I will.
Beyond Yoga winner!
It was really great to hear from our readers their personal stories of varying experiences and most importantly, victories. With this, I would like to share with you the 5 comments which made choosing so difficult for us! But of course, we can only pick one comment. Before we reveal the lucky new yogi, let's check out the 4 entries which are also inspiring, encouraging and just plain awesome. Let their words strengthen you and empower you to break the fears brought about by poor body-image. :)
The question:
What's one thing you hindered yourself from doing because of your weight and how did you win over it?
Gellie answered:
I actually had second thoughts about fashion blogging and recently a new comment in my blog showed up telling me that people comment nicely in my blog just because they feel sorry for me cos I'm fat. I will not deny the fact that I was still affected and hurt; but after a few minutes of thinking about it and some words of encouragement from my blogger friends, I just shrugged it off and moved on. I know I'm just expressing myself and fashion for me is an art which is a form of self expression.
Nothing and no one should ever stop us from doing the things we love to do. We are as beautiful as how we see ourselves. I've had second thoughts about fashion blogging because of comments like that; but I've thought of it and realized, I'm not blogging to please but to inspire and to encourage fellow plus-size women that everyone can be beautiful. If I show a hint of defeat, my purpose is already defeated. Thus, I continue my journey into blogging and will just shrug off the negative comments.
I will just be myself and continue loving who I am.
Cheers to staying real and true to ourselves! <3
April answered:
With what the media has been telling us, performers (singers, actors, etc.) should be thin, period. My passion is for the arts, theater acting and singing in particular, and in this business, you gotta be beautiful aside from having talents. At one time that I was invited to do a mini concert, I got sort of disappointed because the clothes they have provided that I wear were literally for petite people. I don't know if they were "nananadya" or something. Luckily I brought my own clothes that time. So I went on with the show, did my thing, and had a standing ovation. And from then on, I didn't care if I was the chubby singer or that chubby theater actress. All I cared about was to show everyone that I am as good as those skinny people, or even better as some would say. I am passionate with what I do and I'll continue doing it because it fulfills me :D
Leonore answered:
Because i am so much bigger than a lot of my beautiful cousins and sister,in the past i would hide during family occasions whenever someone would bring out a camera. but it was my curvy physique that make me a popular choice for casters for television and print ads!one of the best moments was to see myself as the lead in a commercial! my weight fluctuates but i don't hide under baggy clothes anymore- i flaunt my girls, the pair of legs God gave me and i let my personality shine. Best of all i love having my picture taken with the family!
Jeanne answered:
i've always wanted to wear lovely sleeveless dresses and blouses whenever i go out instead of the usual shirt and jeans but my big arms and tummy had always stopped me from doing so.=( i wanted to be free from being insecure about my arms and tummy and be seen wearing fashionable dresses and blouses. =D
and the winning entry goes to...
Carl Garcia!!!
She wrote:
Although loving my curves has always been my number one principle that I’ll always live by, I also strongly believe that if I take care of my body , it will equally love me back as well. With the sports arena having to be giving out standards that you should be fit and lean to compete into any event, I grew up just playing ball games because it’s the only way I could play in a team without being awkward about my size. But upon mustering up courage to learn about this sport that I was ( and still am) eagerly interested in, I braved myself into trying out for the swimming team. Yes, I paved my way into rigid trainings and even competed to the Milo Olympics in highschool, caring nonetheless if my curves weren’t fit enough for my body fit Speedo. I realized, if I can be at par with these fast swimmers and water babies, should I give consideration to my size when competing in front of a large crowd? I convinced myself, no. I aint a size 2 or 4 at that, I’m a healthy size 10 and I’m a kickass swimmer with amazing curves. =)
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Congratulations, Carl! You just won a Beyond Yoga unlimited access for a week! :) I hope you enjoy the experience! Do share with us how it goes! :)
Plump love,
Danah
She puts the UMP in PLUMP: Mel
It's such a privilege to have known this exuberant woman. She's one of the plumpies who really just bursts with so much life, energy and confidence that you'll just want to be friends with her. Mel is one of our schoolmates way back in high school who knows how to liven up the crowd. With her amazing singing voice, awesome volleyball skills and spunky personality, Mel definitely puts herself out there with so much tenacity and boldness that we just had to feature her! We definitely know that she's one plumpie you can take inspiration and courage from. :)
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What is your size? I’m a size 10-12
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What is your size? I’m a size 10-12
Have you always been plump? Why? I’ve always been plump and voluptuous. Being full figured runs in the family.
Have you ever been bullied/verbally abused/discouraged because of your weight?
Yes.
How did you react? What did you do about it? I have a very strong personality and it helped me to be positive during the times when people put me down because of my weight. I always tell myself that as long as I am healthy, there is no reason why I should feel bad. I have always been comfortable in my skin and I am very proud to be a full-figured woman.
Who is your style icon? If I had to pick one, it has to be Marilyn Monroe. During the peak of her career, she actually wore size 12 dresses and size 8 pants. Up to now, she’s still considered as one of the most beautiful and stylish women in the fashion/media industry.
Favorite store? H&M, Forever 21, Cotton on, and plndr.com
Favorite pieces of clothing to wear? Sundresses and bright colored tops ♥
How do you want people to see your style? I want people to see my style as fun, funky, and comfortable. J
Where do you get your confidence from? I am confident because I accept who I am and I love who I am. I know that I can’t please everyone, and I don’t try to.
How important are other people’s perception of you to you? There are a lot of people that judge. It’s a natural thing. However, I don’t allow myself to be stuck in a certain stereo-type. Everyone’s got an opinion about everything; but it’s up to you if you let their opinions bring you down.
Message to other Plump Pinays: Confidence is something you find in yourself when you learn to love who you are. You are your worst enemy… so keep healthy, sexy, and happy! J
Fill in the blank: A TRUE PLUMP PINAY LOVES HER CURVES AND EXUDES CONFIDENCE.
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Plump love,
Danah
Danah
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