Hi
Would any of you, like me, love to pick up a magazine that doesn't have a diet in it? I am so fed up with being told how to drop a dress size, get into my little black dress (if I had one), detox, get more energy, lose my cellulite, get into my bikini (now thats funny) etc. Along side these interminable lists of what not to eat and what you are not allowed are my other pet hate - weight loss stories. They always follow the same format.
First there will be a before picture taken when the person was wearing their most unflattering outfit and taken from the worst possible angle. Then an after picture were they look toned and svelte even though they must have stretch marks and loose skin after their dramatic weight loss. We then get the story of how they 'ballooned'to a size 16, always the word ballooned, how they were afraid to go out the door, wore tents and - OMG - elasticated waists. We are then told how they ate 6 bacon butties for breakfast, pie and chips for lunch, fish and chips for tea and a chinese carryout for supper. They also ate packets of biscuits at a sitting and multi packs of crisps all washed down by lashing and lashing of ginger beer (or coke).
By now all of us over size 16 are feeling very bad, what with our balloon like figures, our tents and our elastic waists. We are beginning to think we should lock ourselves away for the good of mankind as we must be frightenening children every time we go out. We are also wondering if we are over eating in our sleep because we have never knowingly eaten a whole packet of biscuits in one go, stuffed our gobs with fries and carry outs and always drink water or diet coke.
Now and again a magazine will take pity on us chubby chops and add a 16+ feature or style a few balloons but further into the same magazine they will be discussing Victoria Beckhams cellulite (!!!!!!!) and offering yet another diet.
I was watching a programme on RTE (Irish station) recently where they had the editor of a magazine that has a 'no diet' policy - what bliss! Its not that I am against weight loss - I lost a lot of weight myself in recent years - but I dont want to be bombarded by diet advice when the space could be used for something more interesting.
I also object to the tone of these weight loss stories - they inevitably make the more ample amoung us feel bad - if these are womens magazines for women surely they should not do that - we have enough to make us feel bad without other women doing the same.
Having been a serial dieter almost all my life I can say with total certainty that if I had never dieted I would never have got to the size I did. Now I am trying to develop a normal relationship with food that has nothing to do with a diet.
I think we should vote with our money - don't buy a magazine that says it contains another miracle diet - and start a campaign for magazines that make us feel good about ourselves no matter what size we are.We are woman we are invincible!
BB