Hi friends~
The title phrase is from an article about women at the Oscars.
I AM BEYOND SICK OF THIS.
I’ve written about it before. Skinny is back with a vengeance and women have been sucked right in. Line up for GLP1s if you’re in the market for sagging skin, sinewy arms, protruding clavicles, with frailty, and fractures in your future.
Waif-like figures at the Oscars were shocking, and so, so sad to see. Demi, Emma, and Jenna look like walking coat hangers. On the contrary thank god for the gorgeous Heidi Klum – who looked strong and confident, but got trashed on social media for looking fat in her yellow dress (Thanks for incredible content from alexlight_ldn).
. Ok, that dress was not my favorite look, but FAT!?
What the f is going on…?
The baseline for what is considered the ideal women’s aesthetic is constantly changing, and that is precisely the idea.
Women stars (media, film, and athletes too) have fallen under the influence of beauty industries that have been preying on all women for all time to fit into an ideal mold of youth culture, and now extreme, sickly thinness. Serena’s husband has been on the board of directors of Ro, a platform that prescribes GLP-1 medications. She’s a spokesperson, a perfect example of the results of using the drug, and sending a terrible message to other women and girls.
There’s tons of money to be made from making women feel like we’re too big, too wrinkly, not to mention too hairy, and afflicted with horribly unattractive cellulite – all the while making sure we’re fearful and weak, benefitting companies capitalizing on these manufactured insecurities, guaranteeing a never ending gold mine. It’s a multi-billion dollar machine, with women’s purchases the result of perpetual dissatisfaction. On and on it goes.
I’m not immune to insecurity about my size. It’s taken a lifetime to dispel.
Although there are some women clients who still tell me that they’re afraid to lift heavy because they’re averse to getting “bulky” – and as a lifter myself, it’s hard not to take this as a personal affront – I patiently suggest that they should really try to dismiss that fear (as we stand next to one another in a gym mirror, her being 10-15 lbs thinner than me), or they just might not want to strength train at all.
Strength training should not focus on reducing body size.
For years I’ve been relentlessly promoting the life, and health changing benefits of building strength as we age – getting strong and staying strong. I’ve made the point that strength can have a different aesthetic among women, and skinny is not one of them. Strength is built through increasing muscle mass, and yes, your jeans legs and butt might get tighter, or jackets might be more snug across the shoulders. I have a rack of clothes in my closet that have become too small, but dammit I love being strong, I’m happy with the way I look, and I’m really, really happy about the way I feel, both mentally and physically at the age of 72, wrinkles, cellulite and all.
Women who have fallen for the influence of working out to lose weight will remain on a hamster wheel forever, just like the industry wants it. I hope you’re not caught in that trap.
And oh yeah. Strength is my way of saying F the patriarchy.
Xo
Polli
