I saw this cool commercial for slimfast products that have protein now. It wasn't the product but the girl in the commercial. She's like a normal size and I noticed I felt envy that she was so pretty. I guess I just tune out commercials with skeletons in them since if a model is selling a diet product I know they don't have my metabolism and if their selling clothes I know they won't look the same way on my body type. The first thing I noticed was her top, thinking I'd like to get something like that (she actually had breasts). Then they show her face, shes a natural beauty vibrating with energy and good health. I totally related to that look as a goal.

The advertising worked. I went to the store and got a slimfast LC bar, it was good!

Sorry I know my post is way off the size zero topic. But not quite worth its own thread ya know?

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Eleanor Roosevelt

Woo, what a post. you got me sitting here at work fighting back tears, unsuccessfully. I recall recently, fessing up the agony of being obese this last 7 years: I had gotten angry because I messed up a HUGE pan of mashed cauliflower-I was distracted by the kids and put milk in instead of cream(old habits of making mashed potatoes)-suddenly, it became a food I couldnt eat! My husband freaked on me, being so upset. And I shouted the explanation: DONT YOU GET IT! I cant eat that, or I will never be a worthy person ever again!!

And thats what it boils down to. As hard as I try to rise above the nasty looks when I eat and the surrepticious peeks into my grocery cart, it still gets to me, I still feel sub human. Part of those efforts is looking past the curtain and refusing to let sizeism, and someone elses idea of what I SHOULD look like affect me. For the 900th time, my outburst over the size zero was in an attempt to protect girls from wanting to go ANA with unreasonable expectations-BELIEVE ME, I have been more than adequately educated that there are some women somewhere out there over age 17 that fit size zero and are completely healthy. Hu-freaking-Zah for them.

Well, this is me signing off, for at least a week. Maybe permanently, if people continue to be so competitive and defensive. Heading to the playa 50 pounds lighter than 4 months ago, but still 50 pounds heavier than I really want to be, since Im gonna be surrounded by minimally clothed beautiful young people. At least the fatigue wont get me like it did last year, running around for 20 hours a day at altitude and the blazing sun. So I guess I can call it a success. Will be low carbing as much as possible out there, and certainly beyond. Thank you all for your support, information, insight, and big shoulders listening to my rants. I cant tell you how much I have relied on this forum to help me through it.

lots of love,

janet
the scathing harpy

Sizes vary SO much by brand/store that it's really irrelevant what 'size' you wear unless you always buy the same brand. I live out in the boonies and we have some outlet stores here that appear to have some serious vanity sizing - a 2 (my normal size, 23.5" waist, 32.5 inch hips) is falling off me and they don't even carry zeros. If you want something smaller you need to drive down the mountain or visit the thrift shops.

I wear a 2 in most jeans and at 5'4, 122-125 I am most definitely not underweight, just have a decent amount of muscle.

I had a friend once at a job who was extremely thin, wore 00/0/1 and was horribly unhappy about it. She wanted to get pregnant and was eating as much as she could in a desperate attempt to gain a bit of weight - even I thought she would look better with a few extra pounds -- I can confirm that in no way did she have an ED, that was just the way her genes tumbled.

Wow Woo - powerful post. Im practicly speechless. Up until that post I could agree with both "sides" on just about every point (bar a few generalizations) but that post was.. WOW. I felt every word. Thank you for the great read, Im sure many agree wholeheartedly with it.

I know some have said that this post should have been/should be stopped but I think that these are the kinds of posts that enlighten and open up all of us to the feelings of other and to the feelings of ourselves that we may have not put words to just yet.

I want to applaud for ALL of the people that have posted and tried to show their points of view in the many topics and subtopics that have come from this thread.

On a personal note to Woo - I admire you, for many different reasons. You are clearly a brilliant young lady .. with many issues of her own. One of the things I admire is your openness to share them in this forum and in your journals KNOWING you will be judged by some. Your seem to clearly and precisly express yourself without backing from your original opinion WHILE also expressing that you have thought of and/or exerienced the flip side of the situation. I know you have many admirers on this site and many people that care about you and worry about you from time to time. You are clearly an asset to this forum and I for one am always glad to see you post (even if I dont always agree....which most of the time I do - LOL)