‘Oh My, You’ve Gained Weight, Hey?’
Unless you have the metabolism of Kenyan long distance runner, it’s likely that your weight will have fluctuated at least once in your life. I’m beginning to learn that, after 30, keeping your weight under control is a life-long battle. You don’t just get to a healthy place and stay there, every single day is a struggle and a choice.
Just look at the different diet’s on the market. There’s the no carb diet, the healthy carb diet, the high protein diet, the vegetarian diet, the portion control diet, the high fat diet, the no fat diet. WHAT?! All this talk of banting and paleo and the stress of it all makes me want to smash a full-fat tub of chocolate chip, oreo cookie ice-cream in my face (which is, like, almost Noakes, bru)!
You have to watch everything you eat constantly, to the point of keeping a food journal for some, get moving daily and cut down on sugar-laden drinks, which (FYI) is just about every drink on the market except water!
Listen to me: “It is not sustainable to live like this without fault for 365 days a year for the rest of your life.”
At some point, that evil gremlin that is cellulite, belly fat, flabby arms, bloated face, fat fingers, love handles, back fat, back wings, double chins (I know them all) will catch up to you!
And here’s the thing, it’s ok!! We ALL go through it!
My earliest memory of dieting and the stresses of weight loss is back in my pre-teens. I observed it in my mother who, after two children and years of koolkos, tomato briedie and braais started gaining weight. She would take to the beach for morning runs and start on the latest diet fad. At family get-togethers, she would compare her physique to her relatives and they would sit and obsess about their weight gain/loss for hours. “Oh but have you seen so-and-so, but she really let herself go hey!” And so the obsession started, stay thin, stay thin, stay thin, it was drilled into my head from such a young age.
I’m all about a healthy, active lifestyle, but ladies, we’ve all got to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves!
On Facebook this week, two friends’ status’s was of other women pointing out that they’ve gained weight. This is two perfectly beautiful women, with perfectly beautiful bodies. They’re active, they’re healthy most of the time, but they (apparently) gained a little bit of weight. So what? They will lose it in a few months, gain it back the next year and lose it again. It’s an on-going cycle and it’s no one else’s business. Literally everyone I know has gone through this. But we were brought up with this obsession that if we’re not a perfect size 6, we’re overweight. What utter rubbish!
So I’d like to challenge you all, the next time someone says “Oh but you’ve gained weight”, you answer them in one of the following ways:
a) $%^& off!
b) Why do you think it’s okay to make such a bitchy comment?
c) You’re not exactly Candace Swanepoel yourself!
And the next time you’re tempted to tell another woman (to her face or behind her back) that she’s gained weight, look in the mirror because I know you’ve been there too!
Remember, your life is your own, your weight is your own, learn to embrace the journey! Some days are going to be curvier than others, love yourself and your body even in those days. Keep being healthy, keep being active and, if you slip, get back up and know that you are perfect in your imperfections!
How many bumps have you faced on your journey?
Tell me on Twitter — @MissGailis
