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Today is World Mental Health Day, Tumblr. 🌍

Never forget that your brain is beautiful, even if it’s a work in progress.

[hustleinatrap]

Lane Bryant has enlisted actresses Danielle Brooks and Gabourey Sidibe in the brand’s powerfully simple new ad, aptly called #ThisBody Is Made To Shine.

Actresses were there to inspire women of bigger sizes not be ashamed of their bodies. The point of the campaign, according to a release from the brand, is to “spotlight what it means to unapologetically celebrate themselves in spite of any adverse feelings or feedback.”

These beautiful Black ladies show us how to stay confident with our bodies no matter how we look. Women are always targets of standard beauty propaganda and whitewashing and have troubles loving their natural appearance. This picture is saying LOVE yourself no matter what flaws you have.

#RepresentationMatters

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

ED Recovery - Why I Prefer Group Therapy

While some people believe that recovering by yourself is possible, I’m a firm believer that one of the key aspects to recovering is professional help.  Not that I dismiss those who say that they recovered on their own, but I do believe that there are things we learn from others that we cannot learn from ourselves.  Because of my beliefs, I’ve been in and out of therapy, seen many specialists, and attended group therapies.  There are so many treatment options out there for those struggling with an eating disorder, and certain people fit certain options better.  For me, I’ve found that group therapy is the best option for my recovery.

Being in therapy by yourself can be uncomfortable.  If you’ve ever sat in a chair across from a psychologist, you know that there are often awkward moments where you don’t know if you should talk, or if they should.  You know that there are days when you have nothing to say, and days when you want to say everything.  I find that it is all resolved when you’re in therapy with a dozen other people.  Don’t feel like talking?  Someone else will, and you can sit back and listen.  Want to talk?  Everyone else will often be interested in hearing what you have to say, whether or not they can relate or offer advice.

While it’s always heartbreaking to me that so many people have suffered and suffer from what I deal with on a daily basis, it’s nice to know that other people understand.  Being in a room full of others who know what you’re going through, or can at least relate, is reassuring.  Feeling alone happens a lot in one-on-one therapy, especially when you don’t feel a connection with your therapist.  But knowing that you’re sitting with others who understand is one of the greatest feelings.

If you or someone you know suffers from an eating disorder, and aren’t sure what treatment options are best, group therapies are often ignored.  While the first thing that you should do is talk to a doctor, and ask for their recommendation, always know that you have options.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

Using “Obesity Causes Tax-Payers Millions” is Just an Excuse For Your Fat-Phobia

It would be a lie to claim that obesity is not a real problem.  The rate of obesity has more than doubled since 1980, and 13% of the world’s population are considered obese as of 2014.  There are many health problems that can be associated with obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  Because of all of the medical problems that can arise from obesity, a lot of money goes into annual health costs for treating these problems.  Because of this, an unfortunately large number of people have used the fact that obesity “causes tax-payers millions” as a way to fat-shame and blame obesity on the people who are, in fact, obese.

 If someone is suffering from an illness, it is often considered rude to blame it on the victim. Most would consider it to be extremely rude and intrusive to blame a cancer patient for their suffering.  So when health problems arise from things like obesity, why are people so quick to blame the ones who have it, when it’s so rare to do so with other illnesses?  Many people are ignorant to the fact that obesity can be caused by a lot of underlying problems with society, as well as genetic predispositions.  Instead of looking in to these issues, obese people are often branded with terms such as ‘lazy’.  This is, most often, not the case.

 Obesity and poverty have a really strong relationship.  Looking at obesity trends across income groups, BMI tends to be significantly higher for those in lower income groups than those in higher income groups.  It is the same for education; those with lower levels or a lack of education are more likely to have a significantly higher BMI than those with higher education levels.  Why?  Because those in lower income groups and with a lower level of education are less likely to have access to healthier food.  If you are living in poverty, it is a lot more difficult to go out and spend money on healthy foods that cost significantly more than most unhealthy foods.  We all know that McDonalds is cheaper than Subway. Choosing healthier foods is often a lower priority for those living in poverty when there are so many other things that need attention, such as educating your children, housing, clothes, and other crucial elements to living.  It often makes more sense to save money on food so that you can afford rent.  The cycle of poverty and the difficulty of escaping it does not make it any easier when it comes to where you want to spend your money.

 There have been a lot of research on genetic predispositions for obesity and obesity related illnesses. While most research has found that obesity is both caused by genetics AND behaviour, it is clear that some individuals are much more likely to become obese than others, and that avoiding obesity is much more difficult for some.  People can, however, become obese without any genetic predispositions.

 Ignoring the actual medical and economic facts about the causes of obesity, there is also good moral reasoning as to why shaming obesity is wrong.  Just because someone is obese, does not mean that they should not feel comfortable with themselves.  When you are blaming an obese person for causing the health system money, you are shaming their existence, and telling them that because of their size, they should not feel comfortable with who they are.  This is nothing other than fat-shaming.  Telling someone that they are a problem is never going to solve anything. You are not going to end obesity by telling obese people that they are a problem.  You are simply covering up your fat-phobia by trying to find a way to rationalize it, but instead you’re just showing off your ignorance.  Everybody deserves to feel beautiful and confident about themselves, and trying to take that away from someone is a terrible thing to do.

 Please, before you think that you are doing the world any good by tweeting, talking, or protesting against something, do your research.  Realize that there are causes and reasons behind why people suffer from things that they do.  Don’t be so quick to blame people for problems that are often out of their control.  And please, stop with the hate.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

Back-to-School Body Positivity

Going back to school for the new year can bring both good and bad.  When it comes to staying body positive, it’s pretty easy to slip up when you’re surrounded by friends who may or may not be worrying about myths like the ‘freshman 15’.  While we know that going back to school really shouldn’t change the way that we look, or the way that we see ourselves, it’s not difficult to forget why we’re focusing on positivity.

 Embracing the fact that you’re busy studying again should encourage you to treat yourself more often when you get the chance.  Monday mornings are rough, and you should never feel bad for splurging on a fancy Frappuccino from Starbucks if that’s what you want to help you through the day. Hell, even if it’s not a difficult Monday morning, you should never feel bad for treating yourself to something good. You shouldn’t feel pressured to eat as healthily as possible or go to the gym 24/7, especially if it’s getting in the way of your school work.

 What’s important is finding balance.  You’re going to classes, studying, and pulling a lot of late nights to prepare for tests.  It can be enough of a strain on your mental health; worrying about bodies is only going to make that worse.  You have to find a way to accept everything that is going on, and try your hardest to remain positive, especially about your body and your health.

 Most campuses also have some pretty great groups or counselling opportunities that can help you stay positive and healthy.  If you’re more concerned about your actual mental and physical health because of things like this, it’s really important that you don’t hesitate to contact one of these sorts of groups.  Living on residence also makes it really easy to reach out to these sorts of programs. For those who don’t feel comfortable going and talking to someone in person, many residences and campuses also have access to online and over-the-phone support.

 While it may sometimes seem like finishing an essay or studying for an exam is more important than your health, it isn’t.  You can always retake a class, but what you do to your body is a lot more permanent than your GPA.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

PROBLEMATIC NEWS HEADLINES

Honestly, the only reason that this article’s title is in all capital letters is because I’m angry.  I’m so incredibly angry that a news outlet would think that making this the headline and captioning of an article was okay.  Without getting into any discussions on Kim Kardashian herself, let me point out just how problematic this particular image is.

1) YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOSE SHIT TO DESERVE TO FLAUNT YOURSELF. FLAUNT YOUR BODY, YOUR FACE, YOUR HAIR, YOUR ANYTHING, JUST BECAUSE IT’S YOURS AND YOU CAN.

2) Shrinking in size does not make someone incredible unless you’re Ant-Man. Losing weight does not make you any more of a person than someone who hasn’t lost weight, or has gained weight.

3) The line in parentheses, “so just an appetizer, then?” is meant to imply that if you’re losing weight, than you’re not eating.  This is not always true.  And even if you have lost weight, you shouldn’t ever give your body the dissatisfaction of missing a meal because of your weight loss.  You also shouldn’t ever feel like you have to stop eating meals entirely if you plan on losing weight; this leads to unhealthy dieting, which we all know can cause serious problems.

So next time you open Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, or any other news sharing website, please realize that most headlines are made to make you want to click on a link.  Millions of views doesn’t make it right, it just shows that they’re hungry for viewers, no matter what the cost.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

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[learningbodypositivity-blog]

LOOKING FOR BLOGGERS

If you run a blog or Instagram page where you feature products including clothing, I’m really interested in pairing up with someone to help promote my Etsy store.  Please message me or email me at [email protected] if you’d be interested.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

BUY HERE

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

How Pokémon GO Helped my Body Image

I have never been an athletic person.  I’ve always been horrible at sports, and had no interest in playing them.  This didn’t really bother me when I was younger, as I had always had many other interests.  The older I got, the more people that I knew who actually were athletic. My sister was a competitive athlete, and is now a power-lifter.  My first boyfriend was a football player.  My best friends included ballerinas, skiers, soccer players and synchronized swimmers. And there I was, with no talents to my name.

 Once my eating disorder began to develop, I thought of how much easier it would be to lose weight if I could play sports.  Because this wasn’t really an option for me, I began to go to the gym.  At 13, I lied about my age, got a membership, and started going regularly.  I was finally able to say that I worked out, instead of playing sports, but was still active.  My gym-going turned in to a bit of an obsession, walking hand-in-hand with my anorexia.  At my sickest, I was going to the gym 6-7 days a week, sometimes twice a day.  I didn’t exercise to be healthy; I exercised to lose weight.  And, because of this, I still find that I cannot go to the gym for the right reasons, and it ends up fueling my disordered thoughts.  To prevent another relapse, I have had to quit going to the gym altogether.

 Now at 19, and still surrounded by fitness experts and fitstagrams, not being able to be active is a bit of a downer.  Sure, I go on hikes and am not particularly weak, but I’ve missed the endorphin release that you get from physical activities.  This is where Pokémon GO comes in.

 Pokémon GO has been everywhere in the news lately, so it would be hard to pretend that you don’t know the game’s premise.  It involves a lot of walking.  Whether you’re walking around to catch more Pokémon, or trying to get your 2, 5, or 10km eggs to hatch, it’s impossible to be any good at the game unless you’re out and moving.

 As someone who has grown up being somewhat obsessed with the Pokémon games, even with artwork of the game on my walls, it was the perfect thing for me.  Not only am I able to play a fun game that all of my friends play, but I finally have a reason to exercise that doesn’t trigger my eating disorder.  I am comfortable going on walks that can be longer than 5km every day, and feel healthy doing it.  I am back to being able to do things that help my body become stronger, without the obsessions behind it (other than the obsession of evolving my pocket monsters).  Being able to walk and do something that I enjoy has increased my confidence in myself. My body image has only been getting better, as I’m no longer stuck in the house avoiding all things triggering.  I am focusing on myself, while still being active and social, all because of one game.

 Thank you, Pokémon GO, for giving me everything that I’ve needed.  

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

(TRIGGER WARNING: There are some sizes and measurements mentioned, and talked about as being “too big” for agencies, so please keep that in mind if you are recovering from an eating disorder)

StyleLikeU has been making some very interesting videos of people talking about important topics to them, all the while slowly stripping off their clothes to show their true style.  Their newest video features the wonderful Iskra Lawrence, who is a model best known for working with Aerie’s campaigns, and for being very outspoken about body positivity.

I’d really recommend giving this video a watch.  While it is on the longer side, Iskra is a very inspiring woman and has a very good concept of what it means to spread body positivity.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

Everything is Photoshopped, But What Can We Do?

This week a former Victoria’s Secret photo retoucher came clean about the techniques that the company uses in their advertisements, and the way that they completely alter women’s bodies.  While we all know that photo-shop exists, and is heavily used in advertisements, seeing exactly how drastically it is used is a really good conversation starter.

 Refinery29’s article, ‘Confessions Of An Anonymous Victoria's Secret Photoshopper’ interviews a woman who has worked for years in the retouching business, with big name brands, but most notably with Victoria’s Secret.  While this woman mentions that retouching is crucial for any brand, as translating products into a photograph can be difficult, it is often taken out of control when the retouching is done on bodies.

 Before the retouching even begins, there are hours of prep work on a photoshoot.  Hair, make-up, airbrushing; pretty much everything that most women DON’T do when they wear the brand’s products.  After all of this is done, it’s time for the photo retouchers to step in.  Now, these aren’t just people with Facetune and minimal skills.  These people have studied in graphic design, photography, and a slew of other similar areas.  It takes a professional to alter an image so well that it’s undetectable, and Victoria’s Secret can certainly afford the best of the best.  All unnecessary body hair is removed.  Breasts and butts are completely reshaped; made bigger, rounder, and cellulite-free, which we all know is pretty rare in the real world.  Almost everything about model’s bodies is changed.

 So what does this all mean? It’s not easy to realize that these manipulations are taken to the extreme, and we all wish that an end would be put to this madness, but apparently, it doesn’t always sell. People have been conditioned to accept these ways of advertisements, and if something doesn’t look ‘professional’ enough, it won’t always sell.  And Victoria’s Secret has become a big enough brand that people aren’t just going to stop supporting them for using too much photoshop.

 While companies like Aerie have rid themselves of model retouching, and have been praised for it, photo-shop isn’t going anywhere soon.  The best that can come out of this new knowledge about just how far companies will go is that it gets us talking.  It reminds us that these women don’t look the way that they do in advertisements, so trying to look like that is an impossible feat.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

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I Bought ‘Facetune’ - and it’s Bullshit

Photoshop has been around for years, and everybody knows what it can do.  We all know about how every single advertisement is photo shopped, and how it can dramatically alter the way a model looks. While photo shop is around, it’s not readily available to everybody who wants to make themselves look a certain way, and, even if it was, it’s not the easiest thing to use. While filters and minor fixes have helped us alter our selfies a little bit, we’ve never been able to change them in ways that photo shop can; until now. 

With the creation of apps like Facetune, almost anyone can distort images of themselves to look a certain way, and viewers will never know if it’s natural or not.  It’s hard to bring yourself to buy an app from the app store that costs anything other than free. Because of how unwilling most of us are to spend money when there are so many cheaper alternatives, shelling out more than $5 for Facetune can be a bit much, but I decided to do it anyway, just to check it out.  I’ve heard of the wonders of Facetune, and seen it used in videos on how to take the perfect selfie.  With Instagram filters and other editors like vsco, I wondered why an app would become so popular if we already have so many.  Pretty much immediately after downloading, I understood why; Facetune lets you reshape, refine, and resize anything.  Whether it’s the size of your waist, or the volume of your hair, you can do it easily without completely distorting the background of your photo.  Do it well enough, and it’s almost impossible to tell that it’s been tampered with.

While the possibility of being able to change yourself in an image may seem like a great idea, helping you “fix” pictures with a little something off, it’s really doing more harm than good. Not only does falling into the trap of these sorts of apps encourage photo shopping people’s bodies, it also teaches the user that there is always something that they can change about themselves to make themselves look better.  It takes away from the genuine, in-the-moment quality that pictures have, and makes it become more about personal appearance than what you’re trying to capture.

While fixing blemishes and red-eyes can be perfectly harmless, when you’re altering your beautiful body you’re taking away from who you are.  A distorted image is nothing but a constructed idea of what we believe we should look like, but it’s not the truth.  Once we learn to accept that we don’t need to photo-shop ourselves to look better, we can finally start accepting the way that we already are.

[learningbodypositivity-blog]

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[learningbodypositivity-blog]

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(forgive me but because my business is new I’ve only been ordering sample sizes until request, so if you want a different size made please let me know and I can make it happen ASAP :) )