April 13, 2010

Stuff Fat People Like

Let me preface this post. A while back I began reading this site called Stuff Christians Like. In my opinion, it is extremely awesome. And hilarious. The whole premise of the blog is about confronting the stuff we like that may be getting in the way of the God we love. It is funny, but it exposes some things that can, at times, be hard for me to read. The truth hurts, right?

Anyway, the writer (Jon Acuff) makes it clear that he never addresses anything that he himself has not been guilty of doing/saying/thinking, etc. So before I make every last one of you hate me, please know that anytime I do a "Stuff Fat People Like" post I am only drawing from something I have found myself guilty of or struggling with. In addition, use of the word "fat" is not offensive to me. As a 5'4" person weighing in at 229 lbs, I was fat. There's not really any way around that. Plus, "Stuff Overweight People Like" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

And here we go:

Stuff Fat People Like #187
Deciding who is not fat enough to be on a diet.

I grew up with a wonderful mom. She has always been a godly example for our whole family. She is beautiful, a hard-worker, a gifted baker and she is skinny. She has to work hard at maintaining that figure of hers. In my fatter days, it always bothered me that she put so much effort into monitoring her food intake. Why did she need to be worried about that? I was the fat one.

About a year ago she decided to go to Weight Watchers. Oh good grief, Mom! I thought. Why are you doing that? You look FINE! She proceeded to lose about 10 pounds that had been bothering her for some time. She has maintained that weight for about a year and is now a WW "lifetimer."

There is a revelation I have had over the past 3 months (and here's the sting): You don't have to let yourself get 100 pounds overweight before you try to get it under control! Really fat people are not more entitled to lose weight than kinda fat people. We are all called to take care of our bodies no matter what size we are. So GO MOM! You are amazing to me.

Shame on me for ever trying to make someone feel dumb for wanting to take care of the body God gave them. We should be striving to encourage one another. Skinny, fat, old, young, weird...period. We encourage--and it is good for us.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

The happy ending here is that God doesn't see fat. He sees the heart. What does He see when he looks upon yours? That's really all we have to be concerned about.
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Check out this post from Jess! It really got me thinking on this...

21 comments:

Unknown said...

I really liked this post! WTG to your mama! I know I would have judged her if she walked into my WW meeting- I always look at people who are there who SEEM like they should not be there. This post has made me realize that you do not need to be out of control(like I was!) to take care of yourself. :)

Katie said...

I dont have as much weight as some in my WW to lose but when they lose weight I get so mad! I know how terrible of me! I try really hard not to get mad but I do! Like you said shame on me!

Janelle said...

So true.. so true...

Absolutely, Positively Josie said...

brilliant, Keelie; and DEFINITELY something i have NEVER thought about. i can't count the times i've passed judgment on someone on a diet who "i didn't think" needed to lose weight.

thank you for a giving me a new web site to be obsessed with! i have to admit, when i read the title, i just laughed. keep these coming!

Nicole said...

OH man I am so this person! And since I am fat its fitting lol I get so annoyed when skinny people do WW. Although I am not very spiritual, you make a very good point! I should be happy for people and not hate :)

Alexis said...

What a great post! That is so interesting and I never really thought of it that way!!!

Jenny said...

Great post! I definately have felt this way.

financecupcake said...

I'm guilty of that. Thanks for putting a smile on my face!

Sherry said...

I appreciate that post and want to get to that place too. I really do. I'm just not there yet. For instance, my friend who is 5'7" and a size 4 (and has had two children) told me yesterday she's working hard to get back into her size 2 pants. I had no sympathy.

Unknown said...

Another one of your awesome, heart-touching posts! Love it! You are a gifted writer.

Thanks for sharing this! It's awesome!

Kate said...

Everyone ( and I mean the VAST MAJORITY of people I know and speak with) all have some sort of version of, "But you're so tall, you don't LOOK overweight." And I'm all, "Whatever. I feel disgusting." Because I AM in the overweight category and just because I CAN carry it well doesn't mean I should.

Keelie said...

Right on, Kate!

Stacey said...

Guilty as charged! I remember years ago a friend who I had defined as "little" had joined WW. I even told her, "Why? You look great." I'll never forget her response. She said she didn't have a lot to lose, but when your clothes no longer fit...your clothes no longer fit."

The Chubby Girl Diaries said...

Keelie you are gorgeous and doing such a good job at staying true to yourself on this journey! :)

That bit about what fat people like is too funny and TOO true!! Good for your mom for losing the weight though! I think weight loss is quite a feat for anyone whether they need to lose 5 pounds or 155 pounds! :)

~Kellie

PS Thank you so much for your words of encouragement on my blog! It means so much!! :)

http://chubbygirldiary.com

Loving my Complicated Life! said...

Love this post. Yea, most people tell me "You do not need to lose any weight." It is my body and I know it better than you do! :) Thanks Keelie!

Allie said...

My mom is the same way! It's SO frustrating/inspiring. I'm glad someone else has the same experience.

Member of the Justice League said...

Congrats to your mom for her hard work! Congrats to you for your hard work!

That way I figure it is that we each know how high we can soar and we are the only ones who can limit ourselves.

Jess said...

Wow so true! I wrote a very similar post like a week or so ago about people being judgy to me for getting banded at 206lbs. Basically saying I don't weigh enough to do that. There's nothing wrong with starting early, as you said!

Chibi said...

Hear, hear! Just goes to show that we can never guess what is going on inside someone's head: that "skinny" person we see may be just as unhappy with her body as we are with ours.

Reese said...

Sadly, I am guilty of doing this! I will think twice next time. I hope you post more of these. I love thoughts like this that really make me stop and think! :)

Kristi said...

So very true...dangit! ;)