Let's get this out of the way

Permission granted!

Image: Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d'Ognes, by Marie Denise Villers, 1801, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac D. Fletcher Collection, bequest of Isaac D. Fletcher. Public domain.

Last week I mentioned that many people finishing up their No More Binges course were asking about weight loss. (They were also reporting their astonishment at the ease and downright do-ability of this method for quitting the binge eating habit. Many said these exact words, with happy surprise: "IT'S SO SIMPLE!"

More on their takeaways another time but if you're ready to blow up that binge life, you could do it right now. Here's a link.)

Anyway, weight loss. Wow. I feel I've never written about anything more fraught.

Here is the thing: As (mostly) women in the (mostly) Western world, we are expected to work HARD to conform to beauty standards, of which the correct body outline is one of the two or three most important aspects, and the one we can control (mmmm, sort of) the most. 

But of course we are also expected not to care about meeting this all-important standard, because that would be shallow and selfish. It's one more way the culture gets us coming and going: it's selfish to be fat, it's selfish to care about being thin, it's selfish to work on ourself, it's selfish not to strive. 

Like, literally, you can't win, and if you think you can, ask a supermodel how it's working out for her. Aside from the money. Apart from Lauren Hutton, who obviously has the secret. I digress.

Mainly: Weight loss? HOW. SELFISH. Listen Mrs Lady, have you heard about the pandemic? 

To that I say, and I should say it more often, it's always a good time to look out for the most vulnerable. And I know you are doing exactly that, by giving what you can, because I know you, you write me, we follow each other.

So acknowledging your unshakeable basic decency, two important things:

1. As we talked about a couple weeks ago it's okay to take yourself seriously. This right now is an excellent time to care about yourself. If not now, when? WHEN, FERPETESSAKE.

2. Plus some good news: YOU CAN CARE ABOUT TWO THINGS AT ONCE! You can help those most affected by the virus AND listen to your body about what it needs and wants. 

If that call to attend to your body is coming from inside the house, and not from the Headquarters of Misogyny, Inc: TAKE THE CALL.

All right, that's out the way (unless it's not. If you still feel guilty or otherwise conflicted about maybe attending to your weight, email me and let me know what's going on for you.).

Permission to care about yourself granted. And not for the last time.

Next week: Let's get practical.

PS I'm working on the sequel course to No More Binges, as many of you have requested. The original is available right now and is SUPREMELY HELPFUL. It's 30 days of emails that will give you control of your eating LIKE THAT!  🙌  and IIDSSM, is an astounding bargain.