Comments on: On Women & Weight: A Manifesto

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 18:43:04 +0000

I just read this article. . . did the math, and found out that I have a waist hip ratio of 70! I was really surprised as I have viewed myself as “fat” since I birthed my daughter (4.5 years ago). I gained 75 pounds during pregnancy and lost all of the weight breastfeeding and eating a high fat diet. I ended up with a chubby baby and my pre-pregnancy weight. . . with extra curves that I don’t necessarily appreciate. For the last four and a half years, I have consistently eaten a healthy diet and was puzzled as to why my body hasn’t gone back to it’s pre-pregnancy state. I still would like to tighten up my stomach some . . . but this article has given me a little extra confidence about my “new” body! Thanks!!!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 16:55:49 +0000

Thank you. <3

By: Kitty

Kitty — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 04:03:22 +0000

Thank you for writing this. I only wish more women would read it. Women’s bodies are designed by nature to be curvy; ok, not everyone has the same proportion of curves, but we generally still have more curves then men do. Women also have more body fat than men. Again, that’s nature. Women are not just male bodies that “aren’t quite right.” Women are half of the human race, and our natural bodies are beautiful. Extremes are dangerous, whether those extremes are fat or thin.

By: Katie L

Katie L — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:37:52 +0000

This is a late comment, so I’m not sure if it’ll get a response, but I’m just wondering if there’s anything people who naturally store fat in their abdomen should do? I do not naturally store (much) fat in my feminine places, but can’t seem to shake the fat around my abdomen. I’m at a healthy weight, I eat nutritious foods and exercise almost daily. Is there anything else I should be doing?

By: HannahB

HannahB — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 21:25:19 +0000

This post is great. I absolutely needed to see all these women agreeing that curves are WONDERFUL. I think they’re amazing. They make us WOMEN. I’m a super health conscious person and I’ve been trying to get every ounce of visible fat off of me for 2 years and I’ve lost 30 lbs of fat and gained muscle which is GREAT but now I’m at a place where I’m healthy, the perfect weight for my height and yes, that includes visible fat (tummy, hips, thighs.) and I’m finally HAPPY with myself. I’ve spent enough of my life beating myself up for not looking like a VS model and then binge eating stress away only to be more depressed afterward. So stupid…

I heard a statistic that has stuck with me for awhile now. It’s that a solid 75% of women prefer their men to have a little bit of a tummy rather than ROCK HARD ABS. I found this shocking because I thought I was the only one? I like my mans tummy. He doesn’t have a beer gut but hes not super fit.. and I love him for HIM. SO LETS FLIP THE ROLES HERE… If most women like men with a little bit a fat, whose to say men don’t like a little bit of curves? Most men do. EMBRACE IT LADIES. We’re beautiful, no matter what shape or size.

The only thing that counts is that we’re healthy and happy! 🙂

By: Virginia Miner

Virginia Miner — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:37:36 +0000

I thought this was a great post, too.
Maybe you can help me; I have the opposite problem of most women: I can’t seem to put on weight! Before my first was conceived, I weighed around 130 (I am 5′ 8″) but it wasn’t a very healthy 130… I didn’t have much muscle mass or stamina and I kept growing out of my jeans. I wasn’t eating a real food diet, and I was sick all the time. Then my first was conceived, I gained about 25 lbs with the pregnancy, and then got down to about 115 after he was born and started breast feeding like crazy 🙂 around then I discovered real food eating and I think that also contributed to weight loss. Then I conceived my second, gained about 20lbs with that pregnancy, and now, with a toddler and a breast feeding baby I weigh about 105. Yikes! I feel generally healthy, but I would really like more reserves, if you know what I mean. I am not strong and don’t have a ton of physical stamina, and I would really like to improve both those things so that I can keep up with my boys without ruining myself! Any advice? I would really like to gain 10 or 15lbs, but I don’t know where to start, and I am not willing to compromise on my real food diet.
Thanks!

By: Becka

Becka — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Great perspective – I would just add a note (from personal experience) about the vitality of prayer and surrender to God in dealing with the physical, emotional and spiritual aspect of this very “weighty” issue! 🙂

By: Sarah Jacobsen

Sarah Jacobsen — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:47:00 +0000

very good post. i’ve had 2 babies and will never get back to a size 6. and i’m ok with that.
i feel like the fashion trend of all the stretchy knit pants and skirts also don’t help our mindset because those clothes show off every imperfection. why not give ourselves a break and wear something that flatters rather than shows flaws?

also, i would like to point out that age, not just having babies, can be a cause of our bodies changing. i have some friends that have never been pregnant, yet they find themselves “wider” or more curvy than they once were. and, in my opinion, they now look like beautiful women, not just skinny girls.

By: Julia Woensdregt

Julia Woensdregt — Tue, 07 May 2013 02:59:00 +0000

In reply to Cassandra Roy. You go girl!! This is a great message and not enough people have heard it. Please keep sharing with everyone who will listen!!!

By: Leslie Clark

Leslie Clark — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:21:00 +0000

I am bigger than most women, I am 5’9 wear size 11 shoes, and have big, healthy bones. I started eating paleo about 1 and 1/2 years ago and it has helped me immensely. A blood test revealed high levels of adrenal testosterone, and even with paleo, the symptoms have not improved. Any tips or credible resources for balancing hormones naturally?

By: DeAnna

DeAnna — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:19:00 +0000

What a great post. I am just beginning to re-think the things I have been taught. The biggest thing for me is to accept my body the way that God made me and to realize that being a size 10/12 is not fat. Thanks again for the post.

By: Rachael

Rachael — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:04:00 +0000

Absolutely awesome post! Thanks for sharing it on your FB page again since I hadn’t seen it before. I 100% agree with what you posted here. There are things that I don’t love about my body – but only because others have told me not to. It’s a daily struggle to accept the cellulite and the curvy hips but it’s absolutely vital to loving myself completely and deeply. I know I am healthy so the body I have is the body I should be proud to have. Thanks again!

By: Fleur De Lishy

Fleur De Lishy — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:03:00 +0000

I totally agree with this post! Thanks for writing it 😀

By: Michele G

Michele G — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:48:00 +0000

Amen, sister! I am so tired of being “sold” a nearly unobtainable image as being the desirable shape and form! I’ve struggled with this since adolescence. I have always been a gal with curves (32 DDD & hips to match!) but never able to embrace that. I’ve always felt “fat” even though I am not overweight. Finding clothes that fit is an exercise in frustration. Fits in the hips? Then it’s 2 inches to big in the waistline. Fit in the shoulders & waist, then it’s pulling in the bustline. Argh! Why do clothing manufacturers not realize that women come in LOTS of shapes & sizes?

And just to add my personal survey. As the wife of 1 man and the mother of 4 adult males, I can tell you that every time we see a low-fat, runway model-thin or musclebound female in pictures or on TV, they all say, “Ewww!” They all want a woman to look like a woman and I am pretty sure most men feel that way. 🙂

By: Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:26:00 +0000

In reply to Marisa Haugen. :)

By: Marisa Haugen

Marisa Haugen — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:16:00 +0000

After reading this article I looked up pictures of Betty Page. I actually think she looks too skinny.

By: Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 04:13:00 +0000

In reply to Nana Morken.

I’ve seen enough evidence that many people suffer from grain intolerance without even knowing it and that it is one of the foods most likely to spur intestinal issues and even autoimmune disease if consumed by certain people. There is no nutrient in grains that isn’t present in higher amounts in other foods like vegetables, meats, eggs and healthy fats. There is simply no nutritional need to consume them, and since they can cause problems for many people, it’s safer to just avoid entirely. Certainly, I don’t think everyone will follow a complete grain free lifestyle (though I try to) but since I’ve seen the greatest benefit in clients from doing so, it is what I recommend… Thanks for reading 🙂

By: Nana Morken

Nana Morken — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:34:00 +0000

I totally agree with you – great post. Just curious though – why do you say grain free? Do you disagree with the advice of many (including Weston A Price and Nourishing Traditions Cookbook) that advocate consuming some grains, but only if they are properly prepared (like authentic sourdough or sprouted)? There can be a lot of nourishment in a good organic heritage grain that has been traditionally prepared.

By: Kristin Jones

Kristin Jones — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 22:45:00 +0000

I absolutely love this post! I completely agree with everything you wrote, and it’s so difficult to find people who believe this. I have larger thighs and a rounded tummy, but I’m in amazing shape and while society tells me I should lose another 5 pounds, I’m so happy at this size that I don’t care. Hopefully other women will read this and learn not to be so hard on themselves!

By: Anyah Brittain Martinez

Anyah Brittain Martinez — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 22:10:00 +0000

I was heavy growing up, and when I was 25 I decided I”d had enough. I was about 160 pounds and only 5’4″. I lost weight very quickly, 40+pounds, doing it the healthy way eating less and exercising more. However, I became obsessed and found myself with a too-thin look for my frame, and had many people concerned, while I was in denial. A couple years later I realized I couldn’t get pregnant. Even after some oral treatments and gaining back a little weight, the damage was done. I had to undergo a surgery, then injections and be inseminated in order to conceive. Lesson learned. Much healthier now, and still weigh less than I did in high school. AND I was able to get pregnant a second time more recently without intervention. I have realized that a size 6/8 is right for me, and 130 pounds is light enough. I can deal with my belly flab, as it is symbolic of my struggle, my pregnancies, and generally being female. 🙂