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When is the body madness going to end?

Posted by Positive Sarah on May 17th, 2013

This might seem a little off topic, but bear with me…

You can’t have missed the furore over Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a double mastectomy in order to avoid the chance of developing the breast cancer which killed her beloved mother. Whether you think having such radical surgery is going too far or a reasonable sacrifice, it’s hard to fault her decision to make it public; women who might be facing a similar decision might feel reassured by the fact such a high profile celebrity has made a point of not sweeping the surgery under the carpet.

In a Kylie-esque kind of way, it might also make a few more women breast aware, which can only be a good thing. If one of the world’s most famously beautiful women is willing to have her breasts removed to safeguard her health, doesn’t that send out a positive message that we are not just the sum of our body parts?

Well, no. Not if you read some of the comment that’s been posted about it online, or written in magazines and newspapers. Some people seem almost affronted that Ange chose to remove her ‘assets’ on a whim, even though there was an 87% probability that she too would be affected by breast cancer at some point due to the presence of the faulty gene.

It made me think; women’s bodies, especially celebrity bodies, are almost public property. The fact that it was Angelina’s breasts that were removed seemed to have caused such a stir – more of a reaction than perhaps if she’d opted just to have her ovaries removed, which I believe she is also planning to do. Would there have been such a fuss if she’d checked into a clinic for a preventative appendectomy? I doubt it very much. Our breasts seem to embody our femininity, and a decision to have them removed seems to be much more of an issue to the media and commentators than any other part of us. How dare a beautiful, healthy woman remove part of her body that makes her desirable?

I believe that the current fat hysteria is very similar. It’s not about our health – many overweight men and women are healthy, fit and well, and don’t need to reduce their body size to live fulfilling, productive and healthy lives. The fact is, women especially, are seen as objects of desirability for men, and so if we offend the general consensus on what is deemed to be attractive to men, we’re considered to be less feminine, lesser women. We’re ‘deliberately’ making ourselves less attractive to men (although to be honest, there are so many men who love women for who they are and find them gorgeous at any size) and that’s unthinkable.

It’s NOTHING to do with our health. The frenzy over Angelina has nothing to do with her health. It’s all about LOOKS. And that makes me sad.

(image by www.promiflash.de via Wikimedia Commons)

Fat Girl Fitness Update

Posted by Positive Sarah on May 10th, 2013

Now that the sun’s out, I’ve been feeling way more inclined to move my ample bottom off of the sofa and out into the fresh air, and I’ve gone and dome something very brave (or spectacularly stupid, whatever your point of view.)

I’ve signed up to take part in the Shine London Marathon in September.

Yes, you did read that right. Me, in all my size 22 glory, taking part in a marathon. OK, it’s a 26 mile walk, rather than a run, I’m not that daft, but the principle is the same; I’m going to have to do rather a lot of training between now and 28^th September if I’m going to be able to manage this. Blisters have so far been my nemesis, and I’m only up to 6.5 miles. I won’t let them beat me, though, and I’m hoping to raise lots of money for Cancer Research.

I’ve also taken the plunge and started Zumba classes. I tried one once before at Virgin Active in Chelmsford, but I tend to associate that day with the extreme pain I felt the day afterwards, as a result of an introduction to the world of pain that is overdoing it on a TRX. It was my own fault; the teenage fitness instructor kept looking at me pityingly and I wanted to prove to him that I could, in fact, manage everything he asked me to do. I managed it, but I walked like I was about to wet myself for about two days afterwards. Vanity, that is all.

Anyway, I gave it another go this week and I have to say I enjoyed it. I have the coordination of a three left-footed punch drunk hippo, but I went with the attitude that I was just going to do what I could and try and keep up. I managed to follow most of it and actually found myself grinning and laughing – and at one point even singing along – which believe me, never happens when I do a fitness class. So, looks like I am hooked and I’m going back next week. I found that once I started to lose myself in the class and forget how I thought I looked, or what other people might have thought of my efforts, I enjoyed it a lot more.

I suppose that’s my message for this week. If you’re fat and want to exercise, don’t worry that other people might underestimate you or that fat people are supposed to be lazy, unfit and all that rubbish. Get up, move your body, do what makes you smile and to hell with what anyone else thinks, just have fun with it!

A Natural Pear?

Posted by Positive Sarah on April 26th, 2013

Are you kicking yourself about being pear-shaped? Annoyed that you can’t seem to shift that extra weight on the tops of your legs and thighs, and have trouble finding jeans and trousers that fit, let alone flatter?

Well, stop beating yourself up and don’t worry about punishing yourself with another diet or even a ‘target those difficult areas’ workout, because it might not be anything you’re doing that’s causing the extra weight – it could be a little-known condition called lipoedema.

If you’re prone to lipoedema it will probably start to show itself around the time you hit puberty, when the female hormones start to circulate. It’s easily missed; so many women are naturally pear-shaped and teenage girls are told ‘you’ll grow out of it’ or ‘it’s puppy fat’

The trouble with the medical profession being so obsessed with weight loss and obesity, and the media being convinced that the only reason people ( especially women) are bigger than society tells them they should be is that they can’t stop eating chips, is that a real medical condition like lipoedema is easily missed and put down to eating too much. So there are many women not being taken seriously when they notice an extra layer of hard, uncomfortable fat building up on their thighs and hips. No amount of anti-cellulite cream will help; it might make your skin smell nice but this is a medical condition and not just vanity.

The worst thing about lipoedema being ignored by the medical profession is that if it’s left untreated it can get worse and in time develop into lymphoedema which is a really hard condition to manage. If you think that your exaggerated pear shape might be down to more than inactivity or too many biscuits, and you notice symptoms like:

Large lower limbs which are similar in shape and size on both sides.
A very distinctive pad of fat below the knees and sometimes on the thighs (like a ‘saddle bag’)
Thighs, hips and buttocks which are larger than the rest of the upper body
Loose, ‘floppy’ tissue on the thighs which is tender or painful to touch.
Easy bruising
Skin that feels cold to touch and looks pale,

you might have lipoedema. For advice and help on diagnosis, lifestyle tips and more, and to connect with other women who have the condition, go to Lipoedema Ladies and…stop blaming yourself!

Image by Olayavalle via DeviantART

Fat and jolly

Posted by Positive Sarah on March 22nd, 2013

Did you know it was International Day of Happiness on Wednesday? Maybe you didn’t because you’re normally quite a happy kind of girl anyway, or maybe you were in far too much of a grump to notice any silly ‘National Day’. Either way, it’s quite a new concept, International Day of Happiness.

It made me think about the old ‘Fat and jolly’ stereotype. Do you remember a time when chubby people were always portrayed as cheery, jovial types? I can remember the old Enid Blyton style character with red rosy cheeks and a jolly sense of humour. Of course, it was as much a stereotype as the ‘fat and miserable’ stereotypes we’re all used to now, but I know which I prefer.

Fat people still get the ‘buffoon’ treatment, in soaps and TV in general, so we’re allowed to be funny to look at and take the mickey out of, but deep down there always has to be some kind of inner sadness. The most recent examples are in programmes like ‘Waterloo Road’ where the aptly named Mr Chalk is a kindly, slightly ridiculous figure who we find out was abused as a child. Perfect, that’s all bases covered. He’s jolly and buffoon-like but hides a private sadness which presumably made him overeat.

Years ago, Hollyoaks tried to break the stereotype by including a feisty, attractive fat character called Chloe. That didn’t last very long and in fact the actress, Mikyla Dodd, left the soap, went on Celebrity Fit Club in 2006 and lost weight. The last we heard of Mikyla on TV, as far as Imdb is concerned, was in 2012 when she appeared in ‘Teen Binge Britain’ on the Community Channel. I liked her character in Hollyoaks, a rare fat actress on a teen soap who wasn’t just there to be laughed at. Now, we have to make do with Myra McQueen, who is troubled (of course) disadvantaged by having had six kids (I think) with at least five different dads, and who is always stuffing her face. But she’s fun to laugh at, clumsy and a bit dim, so she probably ticks every box.

Don’t even get me started on the late Heather from Eastenders. And now Cheryl Fergison is playing – wait for it – Bergita, a fatty who gets insulted behind her back by the staff at a spa. Sky Living describes her like this:

“The staff unwittingly insult her, so she’s permanently disgruntled and complaining as a result. Still, it doesn’t stop her from returning to The Spa for more.”

And hilariously; “One of our favourite moments so far is when Sally misunderstood the name of one unfortunate Spa member. She thought her name was Big Eater. Oh dear.”

So, there we have Bergita, a figure of ridicule for the other skinny cast members, with a tray overflowing with unhealthy food and a miserable attitude.

Wouldn’t you prefer to go back to the days of ‘fat and jolly?’

Weight loss and plus size positivity

Posted by Positive Sarah on March 15th, 2013

Is it hypocritical to want to lose weight if you’re a plus size positive advocate? It’s something I’ve wrestled with but I’m coming out of the closet now and admitting it – yes, I’d like to get a bit slimmer.

Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely no desire to be thin. I mentioned in my last post (very quietly) that I’m hoping to get pregnant at the advanced age of 42, and this isn’t going to be an easy task. Buoyed up with the news that hormonally and health-wise there is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to conceive, I have to accept that lifestyle will be an issue, so out goes my love of a strong coffee (or three) and my Sauvignon consumption is going to have to decrease even more, preferably to almost nil.

The only other things I can do are get a bit fitter (hence the appointment with the hunky personal trainer at the gym today) and lose a bit of weight to see if that helps. I’m apparently ‘seriously obese’ and whether I like that or not, it does affect fertility.

Trouble is, I’m anti-diet. Really. I couldn’t face months of Slimming World or Weight Watchers and I don’t think they work anyway. They just send me straight to the biscuit tin. I have been giving Intermittent Fasting a try though and I’m tentatively hopeful that it might work, because it also improves a lot of health markers and is supposed to be generally good for you.

I don’t want to yack on about it, and I’m not interested in extolling the virtues other than to say the main reason it appeals to me so much is that you get to eat normally most of the time and only have to think about it twice a week!

But I’m really struggling with the idea of being a plus-size positive kinda girl and actively trying to lose weight. This is my life and my health I’m thinking about, plus my own selfish desire to become a mum…and my feelings on the hideous way that weight, diets and BMI are forced down our throats on a daily basis haven’t changed. It’s perfectly possible to be fat and healthy – not to mention gorgeous, fashionable (well, just look at the latest additions to the FatPhrocks range) and successful. I whole heartedly support plus size bloggers and have my own plus size positive blog Gorgeously Full Fat too.

If I were younger, I’d probably not bother. After all there are plenty of young, fat mums out there who seem to have had no problem at all making babies. But I also have the age issue against me, which there’s nothing I can do about. It’s a toughie. I feel slightly hypocritical…but I feel like I have to try. What do you think?

Image courtesy of Jomphong – FreeDigitalPhotos.net

B M Why?

Posted by Positive Sarah on March 8th, 2013

I’m editor of a magazine called Inspired Essex, and as part of my job I get invited to do lots of nice things. This week, I was invited to Nuffield Health in Cambridge, a gorgeous, swanky new gym with a difference – they give all of their potential new members a Health MOT before they join, and make a promise that if they can’t improve your results in six months or so, you can cancel your contract with no penalty. They also give you an incentive to keep at your goals – if you DO improve your score at your next MOT, you can have a month’s gym membership completely free.

It’s a great idea, and I really liked the gym, and the people. I trotted in for my health MOT, safe in the knowledge that I was pretty healthy, even though I’m fat. I’ve recently been tested for thyroid, liver and kidney function and all were fine, and I already knew my blood pressure and resting heart rate were also fine.

So I went through the Health MOT with a lovely guy called Gareth, who asked lots of questions about my lifestyle. No,I’ve never smoked. I rarely drink as I’m trying to get pregnant. For the same reason, I’m trying to cut down caffeine, improve my diet and drink more water. I sleep well, mostly. I’ve had no major illnesses recently, and I’m not on any prescribed medication. My family health history is generally good and the only health issues I have are IBS and acid reflux; irritating and uncomfortable but unlikely to be life threatening.

So, then we moved on to the actual tests. I was weighed, measured and my BMI calculated. No surprises there, I registered as seriously obese. That sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Anyway, we carried on. I had my blood pressure taken and it was normal. I strapped on a heart monitor which somehow calculated my predicted aerobic capacity based on my level of activity and my heart rate. It was fair/average. My resting heart rate was normal.

Then I had my cholesterol and blood sugar tested. Blood sugar was no problem at all, but the cholesterol was slightly raised. He said this was unlikely to be anything to worry about because I’d only eaten a couple of hours before rather than the 12 hours a doctor test would recommend. There was a possibility I was still digesting my bacon roll…and he also explained that the reading looked at total cholesterol and didn’t differentiate between good and bad types. The chances are I’m perfectly fine, and the reading wasn’t in the high range anyway.

He fed all of my results into his computer programme and I was expecting a fairly average result.

Oh no.

Apparently, I was so unhealthy that I wasn’t even on the scale. Everything you answer gives you a score, the maximum being 100. Their table showed scores between 60 and 100 for a woman of my age – mine was only 53!

I have to confess to being a bit gobsmacked. He’d told me that everything was normal and there were no health problems, and even my fitness was average, but I wasn’t healthy enough to register on their chart.

When I queried this, he said that the points score clearly gave more weighting to BMI than the other indicators, and even though in his words “It’s only aesthetic” my BMI basically trumped all my good results and made me score like a complete wreck!

This just highlighted to me the complete futility of basing a person’s health on their weight. Top athletes would score highly on the BMI scale, but they are super-fit. Maybe their other scores would bring the overall health score up, but even so, it’s ridiculous.

The reason ‘experts’ preach about us all having to lose weight is that in their opinion, a high BMI indicates a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes. I don’t seem to be at risk of any of those, looking at my results, and that’s because of my healthy lifestyle (which includes the odd chocolate and a bit too much cheese, I admit). My weight doesn’t affect my health in any way other than possibly my reflux problem and my running speed. It’s just fat. I’m larger than some people, smaller than some people but the fact I have extra fat on my body does not of itself make me unhealthy. That much is obvious from the rest of my results!

Even so, I’d still quite like to go back in three months and see if I can improve my scores. Does that make me a hypocrite?

More than pear-shaped…

Posted by Positive Sarah on February 8th, 2013

Diet and exercise are always seen as the cure for all body shape related ills, and we’re constantly being told that if we do this exercise, that toning move and stop eating anything remotely tasty that we can emulate the arms of Michelle Obama or copy the lean toned legs of a Victoria’s Secret lingerie model. Yeah, right.

With the best will in the world and a whole lot more time to spend working out than most of us, it’s nigh on impossible to create sculpted arms and super-sleek thighs. It’s even harder if you’ve got to contend with a medical condition at the same time, especially if it’s a little-known condition that a lot of people, doctors included, aren’t aware of.

You might have heard of Lymphoedema, a long term, sometimes painful condition that’s caused by water retention and mostly affects the legs? Lipoedema is very similar, only the swelling is caused by a build-up of fat cells, rather than fluid, under the skin, which typically causes a very pronounced pear-shaped body type and large, symmetrical legs. Lots of women are naturally pear-shaped and it’s not usually anything to worry about, but in women with lipoedema, it’s a lot more obvious, and the skin feels different, sometimes ‘doughy’ and often painful. It mostly affects the legs but it can also get you on the arms, and wouldn’t you know it, it only happens to women. Dieting makes absolutely no difference to it, so it wouldn’t matter how many Slimming World classes you sat through, you could lose weight everywhere else and still be left with the same size legs.

Nobody really knows what causes the condition, although it’s probably genetic, and it’s linked to hormonal changes like puberty, pregnancy and menopause, so the chances are there’s some oestrogen causing havoc somewhere to blame for it. It can be quite a distressing condition for people who have it, mainly because their limbs can seem as if they are out of proportion to the rest of their body, and it can be pretty uncomfortable at times, too.

At the moment, there’s no cure for lipoedema, and the only way to manage it is to have a special type of liposuction as a last resort, or a course of manual lymphatic drainage massage. Have you ever had a manual lymphatic drainage massage? They aren’t your typical warm and fuzzy massage treatments – they’re functional and they sure as hell make you grit your teeth!

Dealing with lipoedema isn’t just a case of getting some sexy maxi dresses and a Wingz top in every design, although they will make you look great. It’s important that if you think you might have the condition, you push to get a diagnosis, as left untreated it can sometimes develop into lymphoedema because the fat cells can get in the way or normal lymphatic drianage and give you water retention too. See if you can get your GP or healthcare provider to refer you to a specialist – and be prepared to be pushy! The symptoms you’re looking for are:.

Loose and ‘floppy’ tissues on your legs, and sometimes your arms.
The affected areas can be tender or painful to touch.
You bruise very easily and without any obvious reason.
The affected areas are pale and feel cold.
Cellulite.

There are online support groups where you can get more information about the condition and talk to other women about where to go and what to do – don’t suffer in silence!

Lipoedema Ladies Support Group

Feel Good Friday

Posted by Positive Sarah on February 1st, 2013

Did you know that today, Friday 1^st February, has been designated ‘Feel Good Friday?’

The Samaritans, and celebrities like Graham Norton are supporting the idea of a day that cheers the nation up, and there are ideas for things to try if you’re working in an office, like a themed dress down day, or a fitness challenge. You can find out more on the Samaritans Feel Good Friday website.

If you like the sound of it and fancy designating today your very own feel good day, here’s a few ideas for getting that Friday feeling and with any luck extending it right into next week and beyond!

Avoid the news. Just for one day, steer clear of news websites, current affairs programmes and newspapers. They are full of misery, death and depression, and usually at least one story about how overweight people are all doomed. If you can’t avoid the news for a day, try and at least avoid reading online reader’s comments, which will depress you like nothing on earth. And balance up any miserable news with something positive – a website like Sassyology , Relentlessly Positive or Leonie Dawson will put the sparkle back in your step!
Do one thing at the very least that’s all about you. Read a good book, do some online shopping (maybe here on FatPhrocks?), listen to your favourite music while doing NOTHING else, go to the movies alone and buy the biggest bag of pick and mix you can. Whatever you always mean to do but never get around to.
Laugh. Really, really laugh. Remember how we used to laugh until our sides hurt when we were kids? Chasing each other around the playground and being silly? How good does it feel when you actually let yourself go and belly laugh as a grown up? Those of you with kids have a perfect excuse to take them out to the park, chase them around the garden, tickle them and generally act like a child again. If you don’t have kids, improvise. Think about what REALLY makes you laugh out loud? For me it’s usually Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory or the Cats and Dogs sketch from Eddie Izzard. They might not work for you but here they are anyway:

Be yourself. Don’t try to fit into what you think the ideal woman should be, act or look like. Fed up with bitching about celebrity weight loss because it makes you feel uncomfortable? Stop doing it and change the subject. If you’re annoyed at colleagues’ well-meaning attempts to seduce you into another diet “I need a buddy for Weight Watchers” – just tell them politely that you aren’t interested. If you’ve always wanted to wear bright colours but you’ve been told that big girls shouldn’t draw attention to themselves…knickers to that! Find the brightest, sassiest item in your wardrobe and work it. Wear it with pride and a smile. It takes a bit of getting used to, standing up for who YOU are if you’re used to going with the flow…but it’s so worth it.

What would your ideal feel good day be? I’d love to hear how you spend yours…

Fat TV

Posted by Positive Sarah on January 18th, 2013

I know, it’s that time of year again. Look down the TV schedules and there’s The Biggest Loser – in several countries, Fat Families, Supersize –v- Superskinny and of course, my personal favourite ‘Embarrassing Fat Bodies’. Why is a fat body inherently embarrassing, pray tell?

Anyway, if you’re tempted to watch The Biggest Loser for any kind of ‘thin-spiration’, you might be interested in an account written by one of the contestants on the US version of the show, who spilled the beans on just how inhumane and cruel the fat people are treated. They work you out for hours on end with no water to dehydrate you ready for weigh-in, keep you exercising even when doctors have told you not to because you’re injured, and even stop you drinking electrolyte solution when you’re dehydrated because ‘you’ll gain water weight’. Unbelievable. There’s a big hoo-hah going on in the States too, over the children’s version of the show. Really? The adult woman, Kai, who blew the whistle on the way contestants are bullied, also developed an eating disorder since being on the show, and revealed that she was even bullied once she got home, while being reminded how lucky she was. If you’re interested, you can read more here:

The Biggest Loser Exposed

If you’ve had enough of the hideous way that fat people are depicted on TV (you know the drill, fat, lazy, greedy, a bit simple) you might prefer to watch E4’s latest teen-drama ‘My Mad Fat Diary’ instead. The first episode aired on Monday 14^th January and the series follows the life of Rae Earl, a sixteen-stone teenager from Lincolnshire who is funny, cool, a little bit rude and of course, fat. She’s also just come out of psychiatric care and has noticeable self-harm scars on her body, a nightmare mother with a Tunisian toyboy and fantastic taste in music. It’s set in 1996 and the soundratck is just brilliant.

The show feels real, funny and sad at the same time. If you’ve ever been humiliated in public because of your size, you’ll identify with Rae’s reaction to a bikini-in-public incident. She’s not portrayed as a loveable loser, a cuddly buffoon or a miserable binger whose life revolves around biscuits; she’s a human being with flaws, an eating disorder and a personality. The show has been complimented for its portrayal of teenage mental illness, without the over the top melodrama.

My Mad Fat Diary is based on Rae Earl’s actual published teenage diaries and in my humble opinion is one to watch. Unlike Embarrassing Fat Bodies…

A bit of self love at any size…

Posted by Positive Sarah on January 4th, 2013

If you’re fed up with the constant nag, nag nagging of the TV schedules and media at this time of year, my advice is to turn it off and search for The Self Love Movement on the Internet.

Or you could save time and just go straight to their website: How do I love me? The idea was thought up by an American, self-empowerment guru Daylle Deanna Schwartz. Like most of us, she realised that January isn’t a great month for loving yourself.

We’re swamped with information and advice about losing weight, changing ourselves for the better in some way, and the message is coming across loud and clear: “You’re not good enough.” To top it all, we set ourselves goals that make January miserable. Don’t drink, don’t spend money, take up a punishing exercise routine and throw out all the leftover chocolates because you’ll be on a diet come January 2nd.

We feel even worse when we realise that we can’t keep up such draconian regimes and then start berating ourselves again. Daylle decided to christen January Self Love Month and encourage people everywhere to do something nice for themselves every day. It doesn’t have to be expensive – it could be losing yourself in a good book, having an indulgent bubble bath, getting outside in the fresh air and enjoying nature.

Of course, you could always push the boat out, spend your Christmas money on a spa treatment, or something gorgeous to wear, so that you don’t feel as if you have to lose weight and get into a size 12 to look gorgeous. Try having a browse on Fatphrocks to see if anything takes your fancy – cheer yourself up with a brightly coloured maxi-dress or a gorgeous piece of jewellery. It has to beat sitting indoors, poring over calorie counter books and diet magazines and planning your diet for the coming weeks. If you need any help thinking up ideas, or want some advice on scheduling in a bit of January self-love, head over to Facebook, where you can find the Self Love Challenge on Facebook – and download the free e-book from the website at: How do I love me?

How do you love yourself? I’d love to know your ways of making January a little bit sweeter…

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

When is the body madness going to end?

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Fat Girl Fitness Update

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A Natural Pear?

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Fat and jolly

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Weight loss and plus size positivity

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B M Why?

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More than pear-shaped…

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Feel Good Friday

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Fat TV

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A bit of self love at any size…

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