Golda Poretsky's Blog, page 31
November 10, 2010
Affirmation Of The Week
This week's affirmation:
"I forgive myself."
Try it out and let me know how it affects your week!
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No related posts.
Affirmation Of The Week originally appeared on on November 10, 2010.
November 8, 2010
Just The Fat Facts, Ma'am.
by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C.
www.bodylovewellness.com
Listen to the podcast here:
This post originally appeared a few months ago, but not as a normal, Monday post and without an associated podcast. I hope you dig it and share it with friends!
Recently, this blog has gotten a lot of new readers who may be new to Fat Acceptance & Health At Every Size.
As a consequence, I've been fielding lots of comments of the "how can you be promoting fat?!" and "haven't you heard of type II diabetes?!" variety. So, rather than trying to respond to these commenters individually (and as a way to provide support to people who want to respond to these comments in their own lives and blogs), I've decided to write this post. I've outlined 9 typical statements by commenters, together with an explanation of why each statement is wrong, wrong, wrong.
1) Fat is unhealthy. Fat is not inherently unhealthy. In fact, being underweight, in many ways, is more dangerous than being overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. Furthermore, a great deal of evidence suggests that health problems linked to fat are actually a result of dieting, and the incredible strain that dieting puts on the body. A recent study found that people who lost 15% or more of their body weight had an increased risk of death compared to people of the same size who didn't lose weight. In addition, fat people live longer than thin people and are more likely to survive cardiac events and not suffer as much blood loss due to treatments such as angioplasty. Fat has even been shown to protect against a variety of problems, including "infections, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, osteoporosis, anemia, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and type 2 diabetes." Fat people also have lower rates of emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip fracture, tuberculosis, anemia, peptic ulcer and chronic bronchitis.
If you're wondering why you've never heard any of this before, that's because this information doesn't make anyone money. It doesn't support the $60 billion a year diet industry nor the multi-billion dollar weight loss surgery industry nor the multi-bajillion dollar pharmaceutical industry.
2) Fat people all have eating disorders, eat poorly, and don't exercise. No study has ever supported this conclusion. And let's just get clear on something. You cannot tell anything about a person's eating habits or fitness level or relative health from their size. I have 300-pound clients who eat all organic, whole foods and train for triathlons, and I have 120-pound clients who are generally sedentary and have binge eating disorder. People of all different sizes have all different habits, and a quick survey of your friends and relatives will show just that.
3) If fat people would eat properly and exercise, they wouldn't be fat. Contrary to popular opinion, people come in all shapes and sizes. Just like people are short and tall and in between, people are fat and thin and in between. It's called diversity. It's called genetics. It's called, in some instances, the result of constant dieting.
4) Weight loss is a healthy goal, deserving of promotion. Not true at all. First of all, diets don't work. They really don't. The one or two people that you know that lost weight on a diet and kept it off for more than 5 years are statistical freaks. Dieting wreaks havoc on the body, affecting everything from your immune system, to your cardiovascular system, to your stamina and mental health, to your body image. Oh, and don't get me started on the incredible dangerousness of weight loss surgeries. If anyone tells you that their plan promises long term weight loss, they are lying to you. If they promise weight loss and fail to mention whether it will be long term or not, they are deceiving you.
5) Promoting fat acceptance makes people fat. I haven't seen a study that shows that approving and loving your body causes one to gain weight. In fact, Health At Every Size practices, which include body acceptance, actually make people healthier. When you can show me that shaming people about their bodies improves health, then we can talk. And by the way, the way we shame fat people has led to an exponential rise in discrimination against people in the workplace, health care and education.
6) There's an obesity crisis going on and obesity is on the rise. Actually, it's not. Also, see item 1, above.
7) Childhood obesity is a serious problem. Actually, it's not. Childhood life expectancy continues to rise. And every attempt to make kids thinner has failed. And, you might want to follow the money behind Michelle Obama's obesity initiative to see how corporations are benefiting from the b.s. The real danger for fat children is the threat of bullying, and the toll that that takes. Finally, access to healthy, organic food and safe places to play are important for all children, not just fat ones.
8) BMI is an appropriate and scientific way of determining health. If you consider the way BMI works for more than a minute, you realize that it so flawed as to be completely useless.
9) But all of this goes against the conventional wisdom that fat is bad and deadly! Your "conventional wisdom" has been paid for by the diet industry and pharmaceutical companies for decades and decades. It's time to get over it and start thinking critically. I encourage you to read this blog and other fantastic fat acceptance blogs and begin the process of unraveling your internalized and externalized hatred.
Additional Recommended Reading:
The Obesity Myth: Why America's Obsession With Weight Is Hazardous To Your Health, by Paul Campos
Losing It: False Hopes & Fat Profits In The Diet Industry, by Laura Fraser
Fat!So?: Because You Don't Have To Apologize For Your Size, by Marilyn Wann
Lessons From The Fat-O-Sphere: Quit Dieting And Declare A Truce With Your Body, by Kate Harding & Marianne Kirby
Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, by Linda Bacon, PhD
Stop Dieting Now: 25 Reasons To Stop, 25 Ways To Heal, by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C.
P.S. This post was inspired by Kate Harding's excellent post "But Don't You Realize Fat Is Unhealthy?"
Want more size positive info? Stay up to date with the Body Love Wellness blog by joining our VIP Club.
© 2010 Golda Poretsky. All rights reserved.
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Related posts:It's Okay To Be Fat
What's Wrong With Dieting, Again?
Truth, Assumptions, & Everything In Between
Just The Fat Facts, Ma'am. originally appeared on on November 8, 2010.
November 3, 2010
Affirmation Of The Week
This week's affirmation:
"My body is divine."
Try it out and let me know how it affects your week!
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No related posts.
Affirmation Of The Week originally appeared on on November 3, 2010.
November 1, 2010
You Have To Ask
Golda Poretsky, HHC
http://www.bodylovewellness.com
Listen to the podcast here:
This has been one of the most bizarre election seasons in U.S. history. With a senatorial candidate threatening that people will "use their Second Amendment remedies" if Congress doesn't change, a variety of candidates advocating the repeal of a number of constitutional amendments, a head-stomping at a political rally where the person committing the assault wants an apology, and on and on and on, it seems like reason, and any hope for a functioning political process, may be out the window.
And I know that things look really dire. And I know that there are no simple answers. But in this time of political and social turmoil, I think we need to remember the importance of asking for what we want.
It's true that the personal is political, but the political is also personal. Just like you need to ask your political representatives for what you want (by voting, peacefully protesting, emails, calls, etc.) you also need to ask those around you for what you want. If you never ask, you never know what could have been.
If the folks who put together the Kiss-In's in NYC, Philly, and San Francisco never asked anyone to show up and take a stand against fat hatred and bigotry, then those amazing events never would have happened. In the same way, if you never ask for a raise from your boss, or a hug from your best friend, or for your boyfriend to do the dishes, than those things are probably not going to happen.
None of us were meant to be completely self-sufficient. When we ask for help and ask for what we need, we get to feel cared for, supported and part of something bigger than ourselves. Even if the answer we get is "no," at least we've had a conversation. At least we asked.
So, I'm writing this to remind you that it's important to ask for you what you want. And if you're registered to vote in the U.S., please remember to vote tomorrow (Tuesday, November 2nd)!
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Struggling with food and body image issues? Looking to transform your relationship with food and your body? Then sign up for your free Body Love Breakthrough Session by clicking here.
Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to sign up for her newsletter and get your free download — Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining!
© Golda Poretsky 2010
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No related posts.
You Have To Ask originally appeared on on November 1, 2010.
October 28, 2010
Come To The Big Fat Kiss-In!
You are invited to The Big Fat Kiss-In!
PLATONIC KISSES! ROMANTIC KISSES! FAMILIAL KISSES! PECKS ON THE CHEEK! AIR KISSES! FRENCH KISSES! ALL KISSES!
Marie Claire chose to publish an essay in which the author shares her utter disgust for fat people – but moreover – physical displays of affection between said fat people.
That being said, I WANT YOU to join me TOMORROW, FRIDAY OCTOBER 29, 2010 at 6:00pm outside of Marie Claire at the Hearst Building to make the statement that LOVE HAS NO WEIGHT LIMIT!
ALL SHAPES AND SIZES! EVERYONE IS INVITED!
Here's the link to the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164609923568922
For those of you in Philly: Check out this Kiss In at the same time!
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Related posts:Get Pampered And Raise Money For a Good Cause!
The Compare-Despair Conundrum
Come To The Big Fat Kiss-In! originally appeared on on October 28, 2010.
October 27, 2010
Affirmation Of The Week
This week's affirmation:
"My body supports me beautifully."
Try it out and let me know how it affects your week!
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No related posts.
Affirmation Of The Week originally appeared on on October 27, 2010.
October 25, 2010
The Big Secret
Golda Poretsky, HHC
http://www.bodylovewellness.com
Listen to the podcast here:
I was wallowing happily in Birthday Land this week and didn't get around to writing a new post. So this is a slightly edited "oldie but goodie." I hope you enjoy it!
Since I am essentially an advice columnist (and someone who coaches and counsels for a living), I am about to give away what amounts to state secrets.
The big secret is — You can trust yourself.
When I work with my clients as they transition from dieting and self hatred to intuitive eating and body love, one of the biggest parts of the journey is supporting them in learning to trust themselves.
Sometimes, that first act of self-trust is enrolling in one my programs. You have to decide to trust your gut and value yourself enough to make the commitment to work with me.
Similarly, you found this blog, and perhaps certain of our weekly encounters really resonated with you and you took them to heart. Perhaps you practiced some of the tips, even if they felt a little silly at first. You did that because some part of you – that part that's connected to the deep knowing that we all have as humans – told you that trying that tip was going to be healing in some way.
A big part of the work that I do involves healing and transforming your connection to your body. I do this in a number of different ways. In this blog, we've used mainly a mind-centered approach towards changing your thoughts about your body. This mind-centered approach can be very healing, especially for mind-centered people who like to read blogs!
Another pathway of change that you can employ is starting to love your body through your senses. This body-centered approach is also very healing, as you learn to slow down and savor your body through feeling into your senses.
Many times when we talk about the senses, we think mainly of the 5 senses — sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. Exploring and savoring each of these senses is a great practice for getting in touch with your body, but there is also a 6th sense, which is our intuition and our connection with the Universe.
The sixth sense, I believe, ties together all of our senses. It is also more than that, as it connects us with knowledge that we don't think we have. This 6th sense allows us to know, on a deep level, when something is right and something is not right.
You know when you're hungry or full. You know when you're tired or angry or annoyed. You know when someone is trying to convince you of something that isn't for you. You know what you need and what you don't. Learning to trust that knowledge is the essence of embracing the 6th sense.
We've all learned to heap logic atop our intuitions. Intuition has been discredited for years. Don't make the mistake of discrediting your intuition. Listen to it, and it will begin to speak louder; just give it time. When you can really hear your intuitive sense, you will increasingly feel as though you've entered into the flow of your life.
Your practice this week is to connect with your sixth sense. Pay attention to your hunches. Notice what your inner voice says. Notice what your typical reaction to that voice is. Is it respect or do you discredit it? Try following a hunch and see where it leads you. The more you learn to trust your intuition, the more you will learn to trust yourself.
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Struggling with food and body image issues? Looking to transform your relationship with food and your body? Then sign up for your free Body Love Breakthrough Session by clicking here.
Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to sign up for her newsletter and get your free download — Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining!
© Golda Poretsky 2010
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Related posts:Trusting Yourself
The Big Secret originally appeared on on October 25, 2010.
October 23, 2010
Book Review: Beautiful You: A Daily Guide To Radical Self Acceptance by Rosie Molinary
by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C.
www.bodylovewellness.com
When publicists send me books to read by an author I haven't heard of, I'm often really skeptical. Even if I initially like it, I always wait for the other shoe to drop in the manner of a anti-fat or pro-dieting message.
Fortunately, that didn't happen when I read Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance" target="_blank">Beautiful You: A Daily Guide To Radical Self Acceptance, written by author and teacher Rosie Molinary.
The book contains 365 tips for being coming more accepting of yourself and your body. The tips range from things like "Don't Make Unrealistic Comparisons" to "Ditch What Doesn't Fit" to "Realize That You Should Be Cared For By You" often with a personal anecdote from the author.
Truthfully, I found many of the tips to be repetitive, or really just a different gloss on the same idea. That being said, I think repetition is okay, because even if we're asked to "Stop Comparing" on Day 28, we may need that reminder to "Harness Your Jealousy" on day 140.
Overall, I think this is a really lovely beginner's guide to self acceptance. I also feel like this would be a great gift for teenagers in particular.
Happy reading!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Struggling with food and body image issues? Looking to transform your relationship with food and your body? Then sign up for your free Body Love Breakthrough Session by clicking here.
Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to sign up for her newsletter and get your free download — Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining!
© Golda Poretsky 2010
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Related posts:Big Beautiful Bargains in NYC
Book Signing Party + Plus Size SCUBA + Re/Dress NYC = Awesomeness
Book Review: Beautiful You: A Daily Guide To Radical Self Acceptance by Rosie Molinary originally appeared on on October 23, 2010.
THIS WEEKEND ONLY: Free E-Book Download In Honor Of Love Your Body Weekend!
by Golda Poretsky,
www.bodylovewellness.com
For those of us who aren't making it out to LA this weekend, I'd wanted to do something in honor Hollywood Love Your Body Day!
So I'm offering you all a FREE copy of my e-book, Stop Dieting Now: 25 Reasons To Stop, 25 Ways To Heal.
It's FREE for this weekend only!
Just click the button below to get your free download. You will be able to choose from a Kindle or Epub download! (Both have free e-readers available so you can read them on your computer if you don't have a kindle, nook, iphone or ipad.)
Please note, you will also receive a complimentary subscription to the Body Love Wellness Newsletter. We will not share, rent or sell your information to any other organization.
(c) Golda Poretsky 2010
Post expires at 7:00am on Monday October 25th, 2010
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THIS WEEKEND ONLY: Free E-Book Download In Honor Of Love Your Body Weekend! originally appeared on on October 23, 2010.
October 20, 2010
Affirmation Of The Week (In Honor Of Love Your Body Day, Tomorrow)
This week's affirmation:
"I love every inch of my body."
Try it out and let me know how it affects your week!
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Related posts:Welcome to the Body Love Wellness Blog!
Brooklyn, NY – 04/07/10 – Re/Dress NYC – NEW CLASS! Attracting Love By Loving Your Body
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Affirmation Of The Week (In Honor Of Love Your Body Day, Tomorrow) originally appeared on on October 20, 2010.
