I was at a party recently where a woman near me, a thin and very beautiful woman, gave everyone within earshot a running count of the calories she had consumed during the evening.  Informing us that the cheesecake in her hand that she was debating eating would result in an extra hour on the elliptical, followed by a 45 minute debate on whether it was worth it.  JUST EAT THE DAMN CHEESECAKE....or not.  I don't care.  But your fixation on it makes me wanna give you a good karate chop to the vocal cords.  By the expressions on their faces, I think some of the people around you might break into spontaneous applause if I did just that.

Deep breath......

I have known a lot of women like this - ones who have great bodies by any standard, but hate them and who see food as the enemy.  I am just not one of them, so I ask that you keep that shit dialogue in your head where it belongs.  Don't try to push your negative body image onto me.  And don't ask me to validate it either cuz I think it sucks. 

 

I have worked a long time to get OK with who I am inside and out.  I like my curves.  I like food.  I will never be rail thin, nor do I want to be.  If someone doesn't like that - tough shit!  There is a kind of liberation in accepting that.  If I want to eat something, I do.  No regrets.  No whining.  I enjoy every spoonful of Jeni's ice cream, every bit of Dagoba chocolate, every piece of thick cut bacon......mmmmmm.   And I find it easier to eat what nourishes me if I don't deny myself every damn thing that tastes good.   Find it easier NOT to binge if I am not always telling myself NO.  Honestly, my brain got sooooo tired of calculating caloric content and giving that up has left it free to do other things, like plan a revolution.

Are you with me Sisters of the Round?  

You are heretofore charged with letting go of the calorie counting for a minute, a day, a lifetime.  Let go of the negative language we use to sabotage food.  Pick up that Springerle cookie, that piece of cheesecake, that extra cripsy bacon.  Load your spoons with Creme Brulee.  Wave your candy canes proudly.  And let yourself savor the way those things taste when you eat them without a mouthful of ugly guilt-words to spoil them.  I guarantee a taste bud explosion better than any you have ever known.  And your body will thank you for it.  Thank you for not confusing it by filling it full of things you tell it are fat-inducing poisons.  It will stop being at war with food.  Peace will come.  You will feel better in your skin inside and out.  

Guaran-damn-teed.  

Who knows maybe you will even get that rarest of gems - to love your body  - JUST LIKE IT IS.