We are More than a Jean Size

.:: Weight Versus Jean Size
Recently, I stated that I'm usually a size 12. That's where my body wants me to be. But that wasn't entirely true... a week ago I was wearing size 16 trousers. Today I have on a loose fitting pair of size 14 jeans. My body fits great into a pair of twelves I have in the closet. And no, I have not been fasting for the past 7 days. Pants sizes are SO confusing, and the older I get, the worse it seems to get!

 I recall feeling a brief pang of despair when I fastened the button on the size 16 trousers, which was pretty ridiculous in hindsight. The trousers looked amazing on me. I smiled when I looked myself up and down in the mirror. I felt super positive about my body in those size sixteens. Why, oh, why would I let the fact that the pants had a "16" threaded onto its tag bother me? Because we are told that the perfect body is anything under a 6. And that's BS.




Our bodies are all shaped very differently. The way our hips slide into one pair of pants may be completely different when we slide on another. Pants/jeans also come in different shapes, cuts, etc. They are as unique as we are. To say one size is better than another is pretty silly, since there really is no definite size. Besides, what matters is how we feel when we look in the mirror, not when we glance at the tag.

 I'd look like skin and bones in a size 6.

Our Natural Weight: Love your DNA

.:: Natural Weight
A couple months ago a friend shared a Salon article with me that changed the way I thought about myself and my body. After I read it, I became less body negative, and much more body positive. The article made complete sense- we are our DNA, and our DNA determines what we become. DNA also determines our body shape and weight. We all have a set weight our body prefers.

When I became a young woman, I was always a size 12. I, like most people, dieted, exercised and starved myself to try to be model thin. Through cutting carbs, sweets and running every day, I managed to get down to a size 8. Then soon after I started eating a more balanced diet (including carbs and sweets in moderation), I found myself back in my size 12 jeans.



Through all the times I found my weight fluctuating, I never stopped to ponder why most magazine models seemed so effortlessly little. It was because of the same reason my body liked being an average size 12. Most models are just thin. That's how their DNA made them- small boned, or with a high metabolism, etc.

Please enjoy the article. I hope it will help others love themselves a little easier!

You Should Never Diet Again: The Science and Genetics of Weightloss