Leonard Nimoy is a photographer.
These portraits are from his "FULL BODY PROJECT".
http://www.leonardnimoyphotography.com/7body.htm
Apparently, Oprah now weighs 200 pounds. This is the big story of the day. This year, she also got behind a political candidate for the first time in her career. That candidate is our next president. Caring about how fat she is, except by her or her physician, is obscene and myopic.
I think that our hysteria that she is over "two" is an example of extreme dysmorphic mental anorexia as a nation, where we see our bodies and their relative fatness as a reflection of our complete selves, our total net worth as citizens, with no regard to other contributions.
The diet mania over the holiday weight gain will start soon and the attempted weight loss of the new year. And all of it to keep us busy buying food to assuage the guilt and diet food to assuage the fat, running like little hampsters on a death wheel that clenches and unclenches our hearts every time we shed and gain that same 20 pounds. And we will take the time to worry about this as children go hungry due to the economy. That is twisted. But that twist is not your fault, there have been millions of dollars implanting that twitch in your eye.
Just stop it. Enjoy your holiday. Look at these pictures until you can do it without cringing or having negative thoughts about the women in them. Don't binge, don't purge, just live your life this season. A directive. A gift from a person who cares about you, because I care about the people on OS, and frankly, I don't know or want to know what you weigh. I care about you without any access to that information.
So it is about time that you care about you without reference to that information as well. And I know that I am talking to thin and fat people with these words. Your place on the normative scale of weight has nothing to do with how much you worry about your weight. There are thin people reading this who fear every mouthful that passes their lips and fat people who have and never even consider dieting. Full spectrum.
Happy Holidays. Don't spend any of it thinking about food.
For once in your whole life, take this gift,
and just let this suffering go.
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Comments
Hopefully she will pass by your post and see that full figure women are beautiful creatures, too!
2. Cool pics. I like the shading on the stair one. The way the light comes in, very nice.
3. I've met Leonard Nimoy. Nice guy.
4. Why am I numbering? I have no idea. ha.
This post is terrific. People are idiots about the weight stuff. Really? That's the breaking news of the day? Please.
great piece!!!
Thank you for your post to hopefully edge us all a bit closer toward acceptance.
I grew up with the "lose weight" nag in my ears from my pediatrician and both parents. It was always an issue, and I am acutely camera shy to this day. I grew up feeling acutely self-conscious about it. It seemed that no matter what I did or did not achieve, it all circled back to my weight, eventually. It did not help to grow up with two older bothers with the metabolism of hummingbirds.
I do exercise, and I do try to eat sensibly most of the time, but without depriving myself, either. I threw away my bathroom scale years ago. I hated giving an inanimate object so much power over my mood, for good or ill. I find the fit of my clothes is a much better guage. I like them to fit witih some room to spare so I can move around freely without self-consciousness. When they get too tight, it's time to cut back.
I'm sorry, but that makes it a public issue. If she wanted her weight to be a private thing, she should not be telling people how to lose weight and keep it off. She might not even want to talk about her weight at all, the way various celebs choose not to talk about certain things (their relationships, their religion, politics, etc) in order to keep them private.
that said, cool post and i agree with the sentiments! i just have to go off on Oprah once in a while....
Your post is a good and valid one. How realistic or possible it is in our mixed-up world is another matter.
Thumbed.
So I am trying to jumpstart that journey for us all. Looking at fat women without emotion requires a clean heart and personal strength when you live in America. It is a feat worth achieving. If you can't do it for yourself, yet, try looking at these women with Leonard Nimoy's eyes. And then take another look at yourself with that same kind lens.
I am feeling the love today. And I wanted to share it.
Of course, I have an appropriate Mika song.
(thumbified because stress is deadly)
it is possible if you let it be.
I was pretty buff at 200 and did all kinds of military screwing around in the woods stuff back then, but I'm probably a bit taller than Oprah is.
Thumbed.
I've been called out! I lost a lot of weight and can only stay at my current weight by eating incredibly carefully every single meal (except maybe one splurge every 2 weeks or so), which sucks. I also dwell on my weekly scale results. If I'm up a pound or two, I am even more strict that week with my choices. If I'm down a pound or two, I can splurge a little. It's nuts. I need to find a happy medium.
I do agree that Oprah put herself out there when she promoted her permanent weight loss solutions, not that she wouldn't get comments on her weight anyway. That said, plenty of chubby people are beautiful.
http://www.bigburlesque.com/
But this doesn't have to be the way it is. You can actually look forward to seeing the ones you love with joy, if you can let go of the constant judging and monitoring of the eating. If you accept yourself just exactly as you are, get an outfit that fits you (right now!), and show up happy, even the Christmas trolls that live to judge and make snide comments about people's weights (they are at every gathering) will have to back off. Because you can't keep a person who is happy down!
How often can I rate this?
Cut yourself some slack and listen to your gut. If you are hungry or just eating to sample the treats, go for it, eat one or half of one of everything. But don't let the stress make you eat five of everything! I have found that if I lighten up on the guilt, the rest at least has a chance of falling into place. And surpisingly, the food calls less loudly when you are actually relaxed and having fun.
Makw some christmas cookies and enjoy bagging them up and decorating them with friends or the family kids. And for once, don't give a thought to the calories in each bite. You and everyone around you will enjoy them more. One of the worst christmas cookie adventures I ever endured was the year that the relative making them was on weight watchers. Every sprinkle or tablespoon of crystal sugar analyzed and sorted and portioned within an inch of its life. And really, it didn't matter in the greater scheme of things.
I am not saying to go crazy with the eating, I am saying go eat with the "crazies" (the ones that you have always marveled at, who just ate and enjoyed it....I know you know exactly what I mean!)
So thanks for this. I will try to take it in.
She's been engaged (uh huh) to the same man for twenty + years. I like Oprah, I think she's a remarkable woman, but she's the poster child also for women to look and say, wow, no matter how much money, power, fame someone attains, they still have problems.
Why won't Oprah marry Steadman or dump him? Someone PLEASE enlighten me. Because from what I've read, he would like to get married. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are both wealthy, secure together, and rebel against marriage for legit reasons.
Do people agree that this is Oprah and Steadman's deal as well? I NEVER see any affection between those two. Ever.
Just asking.
Ladies, men love curves! There's a man for every woman and a woman for every man. If you want one, they're out there.
I saw the headline and was curious about how Oprah was dealing with her situation.
I definitely applaud people getting comfortable with their weight if that's what they want to do, and I agree that we have given some people major mental stress about it.
But I think the bigger health problem our country/world faces is morbid obesity, and I applaud people who avoid the easy urges to eat all the crappy food that's so available to eat healthy and stay active and healthy.
I haven't seen Oprah's latest statements to know how she's dealing or what she's dealing with, but 200 does not seem like a healthy weight for her. (For ten to twenty thousand years of evolution, we do not appear to have had many people in weight ranges like that. I don't think our bodies were designed to carry that kind of weight.)
I'm all for enjoying the holidays and other celebrations and letting ourselves put on a pound or two. But I don't think it's mania or even foolish to then think about getting back on the health wagon and eating more healthy and exercising and getting it back off.
You cannot understand the relationship of any other two people.
Trying is pointless. Unless you are IN the relationship, just assume that it is fine and going to last forever, no matter what they say, no matter what you observe. Unless you are actually given cash in hand to give your opinion, and then only for exorbitant amounts of cash. Otherwise, just observe and smile and nod. If only the rest of the world would give you the same respect for being an adult making decisions about your life...
That said, I have always assumed that they love each other, are not a PDA kind of couple, and that no marriage means no pre-nup conversation, which I would see as a plus in a relationship with Oprah.
The angst is what weighs the most.
And we able to get very fat and survive in the very same way that some of us are hummingbird thin, or gay, or red-headed. The way I see it, if we can get a certain way and survive that way, then it is part of the plan.
The greater health issues of the nation will not be affected by the holiday five. And all the worrying over it will not make it not occur. So why worry? As you said, let it occur as it occurs and deal with it in non-stressful times after the ruckus and the temptations blow over.
i don't really have an opinion on which women are more attractive, because i find most women interesting to look at, but none arousing. i know i tend to like men trim, though that's just my taste.
and personally i feel a lot better since i lost 20 pounds two years ago, and kept it off. and i appreciate oprah, because her regular guests on the show helped me with the approach that worked, and was frankly really easy for me for the first time. i had lost weight before, always as a big struggle, and had to fight to stay that way. this time i did two main things: 1) swapped brown carbs for white ones, and 2) required that i eat ten servings of fruits or (mostly) veggies a day. it was so hard cramming down all those veggies, they squeeze most of the crap out.
just eating good stuff was enough for me--though i have a really high metabolism, so i've got it relatively easy on this one.
i've become a convert to the idea of making an effort to put a lot of really healthy stuff into your body most of the time and saving the crap for special occasions and/or moments when you're in a bind or need a little comfort. it's sure helped me. i think most people are a lot healthier and happier if they do that.
i realize that's pretty basic--one step from saying, "do healthy things," but most americans don't do it. i sure didn't. and the food industry is sure set up to make it hard, not easy.
"i've become a convert to the idea of making an effort to put a lot of really healthy stuff into your body most of the time and saving the crap for special occasions and/or moments when you're in a bind or need a little comfort. it's sure helped me. i think most people are a lot healthier and happier if they do that. "
The healthy stuff can happen any time. People get hit with all manner of ill will, stress, and judgy mc judge tpes over the holidays. And then they take pictures of you. If only they could tie in a little public speaking, it would be a trifecta of nightmare stress.
I say, take "food" and all food issues off the agenda of "things I am going to worry about today!" for the next 30 days and if anyone gives you grief about it, send them to me.
The happy naked fat women should shock them into silence for at leat 10 minutes of peace on earth!
Sigh.
Kay.
Now I have to read the comments and see if I need to hurt anyone.
Also...Oprah...damn, I wish they would let your body be....They meaning you too, of course. She is rather hard on herself with regards to this. Not has hard as the public, of course..but who is?
Nimoy photographed them with an eye for beauty and lightness. They seem to be really having fun. And capturing that, I give to the photographer.
I have a few pictures of me that make me happy to look at, but I need a good photographer to make me happy as I am super pale and ghost-people do not photograph well for the most part.
My favorite pictures of me are with my son, we always make each other laugh and goof and so the photos of us are special.
....and that many new studies suggest that the stress of being overweight in our society causes a great deal of the health issues that go with being fat.
People who are fat in societies where they are not given giant helpings of grief tend to have lower instances of heart disease, etc. They also visit their doctors more, because, well, they aren't told that broken wrist from hiking wouldn't have happened, for example, if they were thin.
True story, that.
My point was that he REALLY went out of his way to make it clear what he liked...because he didn't want people to think he DID. He even expressed frustration that people now associated him with liking fat women. Cuz thats bad, see?
I am going to close my ears to the man and open my heart to the art!
I completely agree with your point that our society is obsessed with thinness, and that a number on a scale should not be a measure of beauty. It isn't.
For me, healthy is hot. Anorexic models aren't healthy, and I don't think they're attractive. On the other end of the spectrum, hundreds of pounds of excess body weight doesn't just hide someone's appeal - it severely limits that persons experiences in life. If someone is happy with being overweight, more power to them. However, not that long ago I made the decision to drop the fifty pounds that had suddenly accumulated around my waist. I'm not doing this by going on some restrictive, unsustainable diet. I'm doing this by riding thousands of miles and spending hundreds of hours in the gym or in the pool.
Am I doing the wrong thing? Should I just accept the 215 pound version of me?
But just remember, what's important to you may not be important on someone else. So exercise to you heart's content and enjoy.
ePriddy....you are right of course..I love the art as well. That other bit was a bummer for me, so I admit to associating that with those beautiful photos...sorry to pee in your cheerios..NOT my intent.
I am posting pictures of the local Flotilla soon. This is the first big holiday to hit OS. Let's support each other!
I think it's all about not making decisions for other people - something I feel quite strongly about. I've always felt that consenting adults should be free to do whatever they like, provided they hurt no-one but themselves. I never realized that I was failing to apply this philosophy in some instances. Uh oh.
Thanks for the conversation, it did me good.
I personally could not care what Oprah weighs and she should stop obsessing. Way too many other things to do with your life. Like learn to make Flan. Cook a great meal for family and friends and enjoy it with them.
Health wise, yes we should all care about what we are doing with our bodies but realistically, well, some of us will be fatties till we die. The secret, to me, is good self confidence.
Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder.
Everyone have a great Holiday and enjoy a great meal.
Seriously, though, as someone who's struggled with their weight, I found myself watching "The Biggest Loser" last night (a bad mistake, always) and thinking to myself -- I gained all that weight back I lost two years ago. I'd like to lose it again. I felt better. Like, my back hurt less and so forth. But then I also thought -- the crippling anxiety I felt about every thing I put in my mouth when I was dieting, the eating the same dozen, wee pre-calorie-counted things over and over again, the gasping paranoia that "people were looking at me" on the treadmill in the gym ... I could do without all of that.
Turns out what I really want for Christmas is to have Leonard Nimoy come and take my picture. Thanks for those pics, too.
I will turn 45 next week. Which means that I have been on a diet one and off for just over the last 3 decades and have lost the same 60 pounds over those years. What a waste of time. Because they are back again and I'm probably at my second heaviest weight. I guess this is the cue for me to publicly chastise myself as Oprah does.
Instead I've made the commitment to stop obsessing over food and just get back to moving around again -- exercising more. I'm done with limitations in my life and pledge to only do MORE!!
Thanks again,
Karin
I just went to the eye doctor for a routine eye exam that diabetics get and he said that after 22 years with the disease, you would never even know I had it by looking at my eyes. So it is possible! And I am not and probably won't ever be thin. Health is more than a number on a scale. I am going to take this day and stow it away for an emotional upper if any of my "loved ones" try and get me down this year!
For the six dancing ladies and me, Peace Out!
Anyway, I'm fat and I've got the usual run of health problems, but they are NOT due to my weight. They are due to my age. I was meant to be out roaming the Serengeti plains where I would have been run over and killed by a Rhino, and by age 40. Had I died at 40, I would have died without a single health problem. Not my fault I'm fat. Sure as hell someone else's fault I'm alive. I should be under a lovely pile of sod, pushing up the daisies in Mother Africa.
rated!