Recently I got the chance to be on Aron Bender’s show on KFI Los Angeles (a recording of the interview and pictures are below.) Aron, Brent, and the entire team were amazing and we had a blast (if only I had video of the dancing!) He asked me a question that I get asked a lot – is my choice to practice Size Acceptance and Health at Every Size about giving up?
Yes, in many ways it is. When I first read the research and found out that dieting almost never works long term, and that, in fact, by far the most common outcome of dieting is weight regain, I didn’t want to be a quitter. I wanted to believe that I could beat the odds if I just tried hard enough.
I believed the propaganda that people who didn’t succeed at diets were just weak-willed, I actually convinced myself that almost 100% of people were just doing it wrong. I convinced myself that I could lose weight through the sheer force of my will and by working hard enough.
I believed that weight was a simple matter of calories in/calories out. I believed that if I could create a calorie deficit with a combination of calorie restriction and activity then I would lose weight, so I didn’t understand why I kept creating a deficit but didn’t lose weight. I’ve since learned that it just doesn’t work that way. The body is much more complex than a calories in/calories out model.
That lead to another realization – this wasn’t just about hard work or force of will. This wasn’t just about my will, it was about my body. A body that I hated because it wouldn’t get smaller, instead of appreciating for doing everything for me.
I started to do more and more research and everything I found turned up the same results – intentional weight loss failed most of the time, there was no proof that it would lead to health even if it succeeded, and self-loathing is not good for our health. However, weight-cycling (yo-yo dieting) was very hard on the body and studies were suggesting that it could lead to long-term health problems. Dieting began to look more and more like playing Russian roulette with my health. Plus, for years I had been hating my body like I was getting paid for it, and it hadn’t made me thinner, healthier, or happier.
So I quit. I quit trying to do something nobody could prove was possible for a reason that nobody had proven was valid. I quit being part of a social construct that supported a $60 Billion industry with absolutely no proof that their product works. I quit fueling the machine that oppresses me with my time, money, and energy. As W.C. Fields said “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Then quit – there’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”
I got off the diet roller coaster for good. Now I have a wonderful life and healthy relationships with my body, food, and movement. So when it comes to risking that on a minuscule chance of making my body smaller, I’m out. Call me a quitter, I’m totally fine with that.
Here’s the audio from the show
And here are some pictures from my visit to KFI!
-
- When I got there I was met by Producer Extraordinaire Brent, who had set up the interview
-
- Brent took me on a tour and was kind enough to get this photo op
-
- Watching Aron do the segment before mine
-
- Then it was my turn – Early Morning Mic Selfie
-
- Aron was an absolutely awesome host and interviewer
-
- Of course I forgot to get a picture of the two of us so after the show he was kind enough to do this recreation!
-
- But it turned out that the ever awesome Brent was on top of things and so I have a live action picture after all!
Like my work? Want to help me keep doing it? Become a Member! For ten bucks a month you can support size diversity activism, help keep the blog ad free, and get deals from size positive businesses as a thank you. Click here for details
Book and Dance Class Sale! I’m on a journey to complete an IRONMAN triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!
Book Me! I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!
I’m training for an IRONMAN! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com
If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.
