Skinny cocktails, skinny popcorn, skinny coffee, skinny tea, skinny, skinny, skinny. Marketing strategies and their relationship with the media have caused us to disregard the hard fact that body type is something that exists and plays a major role in, well, I don’t know, the way our bodies look? The infamous they keep telling us we are unique and should embrace every aspect of our bodies— while striving to be skinny, of course. Skinny, is something that some people are, not something that everyone has to be. What we have to understand is that emphasis on “the skinny” stretches far beyond that of the physical body. Words are more than the letters that form them and the weight that “skinny” carries penetrates the mental and emotional body causing us to believe that only if we are skinny are we healthy, beautiful, desirable, and otherwise complete. The skinny revolution may be one that is meant to encourage a healthier lifestyle, which we can all agree is necessary, however the use of the term “skinny” implies that being healthy is being skinny and we should all know by now that the two are not necessarily synonymous. It is honestly just so Abercrombie & Fitch.
The beginning of the semester can be an incredibly stressful time and with new classes we often times want new bodies to go along with them. We begin new diets and start going to the gym and we’re not striving to be healthy, we’re striving to be skinny. It is not to say that thinner individuals are not healthy, but rather that being skinny does not have to be the way by which health and beauty are measured.The desire for skinny de-values bodies that aren’t and causes us to believe that only “good” or “right” bodies are. The only way to combat the skinny revolution is to start a revolution of our own. So, for the first part of the school year (and for forever really), here are some ways to de-skinny your life:
1. Know Your Body and Use it
If we know our own bodies, there isn’t room for anyone else to tell us about them. Exercising is a good thing, but anything in excess is harmful. Discover what type of exercises are right for you, whether it’s running, pilates, yoga, etc. Our bodies are as different as we are so its important to find something we enjoy that gets us moving. Know what healthy means for you (even if it that’s not skinny) and know what makes you feel the most comfortable in your own skin.
2. Eat
This seems obvious, but sometimes it’s not. With the pressure to be thin, there is pressure to diet and unfortunately that sometimes means we’re eating less than we should be. Be aware of what you put into your body by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and getting the right amount of protein and grains. We are literally what we eat and our bodies will reward us with energy and strength if were putting the right things in them. (That’s not to say that ice cream and cake and other delicious foods as such are not to be eaten on an occasion (or two or three) because our bodies like those too).
3. Sleep and Rest
These two are different. We can sleep without actually resting and sometimes we will wake up tired. You can rest by clearing your headspace and practicing mindfulness by focusing on the things around you instead of focusing on your own thoughts. This helps give your mind a chance to breath. Our minds need to rejuvenate just like our bodies. Not getting enough sleep can sometimes even cause us to put on weight and can also perpetuate stress. Getting enough sleep (and rest) contributes to a healthier emotional, mental and physical body.
4. Limit ‘Body Talk’
Often times when we give compliments, they’re attributed only to physical aspects of ourselves. Try complimenting others (and yourself!) by saying things such as “You look happy today” or “You’re so smart!” This sounds silly when they’re written like this, but this helps draw the emphasis off our physical bodies to other characteristics and reminds us that we are made of more than our physical selves.
5. Remove Fat and Skinny from Your Vocabulary
We call ourselves fat. We call other people skinny. The only time we should be using fat is if it starts with a ph. (i.e that beat was so phat) and the only time we should be using skinny is if were singing along to Skinny Love by Bon Iver.
Usually these types of things end with words of encouragement such as, “you’re beautiful” or, “love your body”. While these phrases are important and true, well, you’re also really phat. Which, according to urban dictionary is “excellent” and “first rate” and is more than what skinny has ever told you.