![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quietannOK, first I want to say that this is purely my own pet peeve, and has more to do with my own issues than with any individual's.
I guess one of the things I like about this group is that women aren't expected to be skinny (or even "normal weight" whatever that is). But there's a trend for women in the group to be going on diets and otherwise trying to slim down in various ways. This is fine for each individual person, and usually quite justified for health reasons.
What disturbs me more is a further trend to comment about one's progress in one's LJ (or occasionally on a group mailing list). I don't see it happening much, yet, but occasionally the tone of these comments could be construed as critical of anyone who is not dieting/exercising. And it's only happening amongst the women, or at least the public commentary aspect is. I worry about people losing empathy over time and starting to judge others more on their body size. Heck, I worry that at some point *I* will be judged in this way, and found wanting. (I do try to be fairly careful about what I eat, but I don't exercise much... I find that I have many other things I would rather do with my time, and most forms of exercise bore me or make me twitch or sometimes both. And, I know that if I start an exercise program, it has to be a "forever commitment" because every time I do, and quit, I gain 10 pounds.)
There's a larger meta-issue here, which is exactly what does one put in one's LJ? There are things I'd love to write more about, but some of them are in the realm of gossip, and this medium seems way too permanent compared to talking gossip. Some of what I would say, if I didn't have this level of self-consciousness, would be mean, and I don't want the social repercussions. And some of it I would feel ridiculous about sharing semi-publically... it is my biggest fear to look ridiculous, and I am prone to choosing inaction over action if there's the slightest chance I'd be open to ridicule. I _do_ have an inner diva, and even an inner bitch, but both get kept under wraps most of the time
I guess one of the things I like about this group is that women aren't expected to be skinny (or even "normal weight" whatever that is). But there's a trend for women in the group to be going on diets and otherwise trying to slim down in various ways. This is fine for each individual person, and usually quite justified for health reasons.
What disturbs me more is a further trend to comment about one's progress in one's LJ (or occasionally on a group mailing list). I don't see it happening much, yet, but occasionally the tone of these comments could be construed as critical of anyone who is not dieting/exercising. And it's only happening amongst the women, or at least the public commentary aspect is. I worry about people losing empathy over time and starting to judge others more on their body size. Heck, I worry that at some point *I* will be judged in this way, and found wanting. (I do try to be fairly careful about what I eat, but I don't exercise much... I find that I have many other things I would rather do with my time, and most forms of exercise bore me or make me twitch or sometimes both. And, I know that if I start an exercise program, it has to be a "forever commitment" because every time I do, and quit, I gain 10 pounds.)
There's a larger meta-issue here, which is exactly what does one put in one's LJ? There are things I'd love to write more about, but some of them are in the realm of gossip, and this medium seems way too permanent compared to talking gossip. Some of what I would say, if I didn't have this level of self-consciousness, would be mean, and I don't want the social repercussions. And some of it I would feel ridiculous about sharing semi-publically... it is my biggest fear to look ridiculous, and I am prone to choosing inaction over action if there's the slightest chance I'd be open to ridicule. I _do_ have an inner diva, and even an inner bitch, but both get kept under wraps most of the time
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2002-06-05 05:29 am (UTC)For me, I got to a place in my life, after grad school, after settling into my job, where I wanted a new challenge. Weight loss was it. About a month ago, I started another challenge -- running. I think I just take on certain things, and write my progress on them.
A few years ago I had taken the challenge on myself to remember to brush my teeth every night, and I wrote in my journals when I did that and when I didn't. (ew, gross.)