The Skinny on Me
April 11, 2006
So I couldn’t stand it anymore. I went to Alex in tears (well, not really but I was close) and told him that my life was horrible without him in it. When we were together I slept better, ate better, felt better, looked better, and behaved better. Now I’m a basketcase and I told him I didn’t know how much longer I could go on without him. The 8 months since we were last together have been a disaster. Getting back with Alex was a humbling experience, especially when he tested my body fat. What? Boyfriends do that? Hardly.
Alex is my personal trainer (Washington Sports Club) and to have a 21 year-old weigh you and take a tape measure to your hips and thighs does not rank high on the Zagat guide of fun things to do in DC. Humilitating, but since I no longer have any pride I suppose it doesn’t matter. I work out with Alex on Saturday mornings and M-F morning, I follow an exercise regiment he has set for me. MWF afternoon/nights I work out with Christopher at the gym by our office. This double duty work out is killing me (I went to bed at 9 pm last night) but I spent an insane amount of money for Alex’s time and expertise to whip me into shape and I’ll be damned if I’m fat forever.
I had a conversation with a woman in my office, Michelle. Michelle is Jamaican and from Brooklyn, NY. She’s beautiful, loud and tells you how it is. We had a chat the other day about how screwed up white people are: white men are only interested in stick-thin women and there’s no room for other shapes and sizes. Beauty magazines and celebrities (sans a few) are never larger than a size 4, say they never work out and are just blessed with beautiful bodies. Maybe because I’m already insecure about other things, watching the E! True Hollywood Story on whomever makes me feel like crap because I’m not a stick figure. So now I’ve got a trainer and I’m working out twice a day to look like a celebrity who has a
brain the size of a peanut.
Do you think American women would feel better about themselves if weirdos like the Olsen twins weren’t anorexic and the press made such a big deal about them? Is Hollywood to blame or bad youth eating habits which result in obesity?
Entry Filed under: Anorexia, Olsen Twins, Weight, Work Out. .
6 Comments Add your own
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
1.
BJH | April 12, 2006 at 2:37 pm
I’m afraid if you’ll excuse me, I have to take exception to one of your statements above. You said, “white men are only interested in stick-thin women.” Now my girlfriend Michelle should well know better than that! You all know that gay men for instance are not interested in looks at all, regardless of gender (cough, spit, sputter). Haha, what can I say more?
2.
Gordon | April 13, 2006 at 10:46 pm
I’m a white male who is interested in women, thick or thin, who, among other things, are interested in taking care of their health. So I applaud Pam’s commitment to get and stay healthy and fit through good diet choices and a rigorous exercise regimen. But stick-thin women as a feminine ideal? Naaah. Are women who become seduced by mass media fashion model images and become fanatically preoccupied with attaining an unrealistic body-type that interesting to be around? Of course, the same might be asked of narrowly focused male body-builders.
3.
Rod | April 14, 2006 at 7:18 pm
I’m also a white male who is interested in women, thick or thin. I look at the health of a person based on body fat and not the thick or thin. Since I work with people who are now or are working towards a healthy body and total wellness this is something that I notice. If Hollywood is such an influence then why is two out of every three Americans overwieght? Many things have caused the epidemic that we face in America and many areas of the world. It needs to be resolved one person at a time. At least Pam is doing her part.
4.
Faye | April 17, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Yes, American women would be much healthier, both emotionally and physically, if media attention were given to REAL women, not anorexic females who are starved to the point of looking pre-pubescent. This blog posting reminded me SO much of Pink’s new song, “Stupid Girls” where she questions the messages we as a culture are sending to young girls about their worth. Women, REAL women, come in all sizes and should be our own health advocates. Let the industry change their standards to match reality rather than trying to change our bodies to match the industry. Ooops, that sounded way feminist!
5.
Kimberly | April 30, 2006 at 10:48 pm
I applaud the comments above. Fat or stick thin? Why does it have to be one or the other? I think that by striving to accepting fat or idealizing the very thin we completely miss the mark. Both are wrong in my book. What about being healthy? Shouldn’t that be what we are all about? I grew up in a very health conscious family, and was very athletic. By the time I hit 23 I was going to school full-time and working full-time. Needless to say, my health took a back seat. By that I mean I wasn’t eating well or exercising. Then one weekend I took a trip to the beach in NC. I was having great fun boogie-boarding, but after a few hours I found I was exhausted. That really bothered my. I decided I didn’t like not having the energy to do the things I enjoy. From that point on I decided to go back to my healthy life style. Am I stick thin? No, but I am not fat wither. I do, however, feel great! In my mind, that should be the real goal.
6.
Guess | August 5, 2006 at 12:38 am
I am anorexic, and I honestly think it has something to do with Hollywood…but not completely. I think it was more peer pressure that got me into it. Not really them telling me to do it, but seeing other skinny people.