21 Struggles Only Skinny Girls Will Understand

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While it’s considered rude to walk up to an overweight person and comment on their weight, most people consider it “fair game” to comment on the weight of a naturally skinny woman. Aside from being told “you need more meat on your bones” and being compared to a twig and toothpicks, there are a variety of other problems only skinny girls understand. Here’s just a few I’ve encountered in the 33 years I’ve been a lady who’s thin:

1. Strangers asking “Do you eat?” and having people tell you to eat something all the time.
2. Trying to find pants that fit in the waist but are long enough in the leg.
3. Hearing people would “love to have your problem” and that you have no reason to be insecure or complain because you’re skinny.
4. Skinny legs make your feet look huge.
5. Uncushioned chairs and benches hurt your buttbone.
6. Not being able to donate blood because you don’t reach the 110 pound weight requirement.
7. People saying they’re scared to hug you because they might break you.
8. Always. Needing. Belts.
9. The assumption that you have an eating disorder, as if looks can diagnose mental health.
10. Being told to be careful when it’s windy outside because you might just blow away.
11. People joking about your weight, as if it’s not just as hurtful as making a fat joke to someone who is overweight.
12. Wearing the same size bra you wore in middle school.
13. No one believing when you say you love food or that you eat a lot and being asked to prove it all of the time.
14. Being known as “the skinny one.”
15. People asking you why you workout, as if being skinny means you’re automatically healthy or not into athletics.
16. Not having the curves to fill out some fashionable clothes and being told “0” isn’t a real size.
17. Needing drawstrings on yoga pants because the elastic won’t hold them up.
18. Not being able to gain weight no matter what you do, and people rolling their eyes when you voice this frustration to them.
19. Feeling cold all. the. time.
20. Being told “real women have curves” and “guys don’t like stick figures,” as if you have to shame one type of body to celebrate another.
21. Explaining that skinny is sexy. Curvy is sexy. But most of all, confidence is sexy — regardless of the size.

Source:- http://thoughtcatalog.com/abby-heugel/2015/01/21-struggles-only-skinny-girls-will-understand/

5 Compliments You Shouldn’t Give To Someone Who Lost Weight

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When you begin a weight loss journey that involves a significant amount of weight being lost, people along the way will feel entitled to comment on your body as if it were up for public discussion. People will start introducing you to strangers as ‘and he’s lost a ton of weight,’ as if dropping 60 lbs is worthy of a Nobel Prize. Acquaintances will discuss the merits of your disappearing fat within your hearing as if you’re an entrée on a menu with a changed recipe, is it any better? I know I’m an asshole for criticizing people who are, in their minds, only trying to help you but there are better ways. And there are some things that should just be altogether avoided.

1. “You’re wasting away!”

 The last time I checked the dictionary I was pretty sure that ‘wasting away’ was a term used to describe someone who was dying. I don’t have cancer, consumption, or malaria so please don’t tell me I look like I’m in an ICU and expect me to feel buoyed by it.

 2. “You’re looking so great lately!”

By saying this to someone you are blatantly drawing attention to the fact that clearly you were not looking so great before. This might seem motivational to you but it just makes me second-guess my self worth. *Drop the lately or any temporal reference and this is perfectly acceptable. Who doesn’t want to be told they look great?

3. “Have you been losing weight?”

Ummm… If you feel compelled to ask you’re either oblivious or honestly unsure. And both make me feel like crap. Thanks for not paying enough attention to me beforehand to draw a conclusive answer on you’re own. Or, if you really can’t tell that I’ve lost weight then why have I turned down so many slices of cake? Why!?

4. “OMG What's your secret!”

Do I look like Oprah? Do I come off as a beloved international talk show host who now owns their own network? No, I didn’t think so. What makes you think I’m in possession I some mystical weight loss secret? You want to know the secret? Eat less than you want to and exercise more than you want to. Voila! Now get away from me.

5. “Hey, skinny!”

This is the worst, the absolute pits. You think you’re being so cute and I have to blush modestly so you feel good about your compliment. But really I want to throttle you. As someone who has lost a lot of weight but still has a long way to go, I am acutely aware that I am not skinny. Factually I am skinnier than I was but no one would describe me as ‘that skinny guy over there’. What’s makes this ten times worse is when you call me skinny in front of strangers, in public. They look at me like what? This guy? Lady, get your glasses checked. And I have to try and not make eye contact with them. Thanks for that.

At the end of the day, yes, I do want acknowledgement that I’ve lost weight, that I’ve changed my lifestyle. But be subtle, focus on the right words. Remember that the wrong thing is going to send me to the nearest McDonalds to eat my feelings. Or make me starve myself because feeling empty will erase the insult I snatched out of the jaws of your compliment. 

Source:-http://thoughtcatalog.com/j-r-kelly/2013/11/5-compliments-you-shouldnt-give-to-someone-who-lost-weight/

Muffin Top Makeover – 9 Ways to Whittle Your Waist

Ugh! The muffin top…it leaves many of us covering up at the beach, tugging down our shirts, or wearing sack-like clothing. The frustrating bulge can strike at any age, but women are particularly vulnerable once they reach their late 30s. The good news is you can makeover that muffin top for a wonderfully whittled waist:

1. Sculpt your core. When you want to get rid of that muffin top, work to build core muscles, which burn more calories than fatty tissues, and, as a result, raise metabolism. By toning the muscles in the back, chest, and abdomen you’ll burn more fat so less is deposited around the waist. Target your tummy with the Muffin Top Meltaway 200 workout.

2. Control calories with cardio. Burn the excess calories that turn into fat with regular cardio exercise. Work up a sweat with activities like interval-training, swimming, or running.  4 Minute Belly Burn, cardio you can do!

3. Get carb smart. Limit the bad (simple) carbohydrates that easily convert to fat.  Instead, choose good (complex) carbs like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, such as superfood superstar quinoa. Start your day with our muffin-top-busting Quinoa Breakfast Cereal.

4. Pump up the fiber. High-fiber foods help us feel full so we’re less likely to reach for junky snacks. Pack your diet with fiber-filled fruits and veggies, like apples, bananas, cabbage, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, or spinach. Get your fill of healthy fiber with this Skinny Slow Cooker Spinach and Mozzarella Frittata.

5. Slash sugar. Go easy on the extra sugar that leads to weight gain around your middle and other areas. Watch out for sugar-added processed foods as well, like jarred tomato sauces, store-bought salad dressings, and packaged breakfast cereals. You can still indulge your sweet tooth with these No Sugar Added – Skinny Desserts.

6. Power up with protein. In an effort to shed pounds, it’s common for women to cut back on the protein needed to build fat-burning muscle. The average non-pregnant, non-nursing woman needs about 46 grams a day from healthful sources, like lean meat or cold-water fish.

7. Reduce or eliminate alcohol. No matter what your libation of choice, alcohol only adds empty calories. What’s more, drinking even a little too much in one sitting can break down your resolve to eat well, which means it becomes harder to say “no, thanks” to muffin-top-building foods, like nachos or cheese sticks.

8. Control stress. The stress hormone cortisol makes it easier for the body to deposit fat in the abdomen. Stress may be inevitable, but you don’t need to allow it to create a ring around your middle. Find stress-relieving activities you enjoy, whether it’s yoga or journaling. Tame your tension tonight with this Evening Yoga for Relaxation.

9. Invest in jeans that fit. Okay, so this isn’t exactly an eating or fitness tip, but too-small or low-rise jeans are notorious for putting a spotlight on a muffin top. Create a smoother silhouette with mid-rise jeans that fit you at your current weight. As you shed excess fat, you can reward yourself with a smaller size.

Leave the muffin tops for the bakery case, and start building the healthier lifestyle that gives you the whittled waist you want.

Source:- http://skinnyms.com/muffin-top-makeover-9-tips-to-whittle-your-waist/

Healthy Is The New Skinny

Tell me about the Healthy Is The New Skinny campaign. Why did you start it? 
Healthy Is The New Skinny is not about size—it's a change in our mindset. Girls are extremely critical of their own bodies and how it needs to be changed in order to be more "perfect." Most of the concern revolves around weight and size: If you complement a girl, you say, "OMG you look so skinny"; girls eat or don't eat with the goal of being "skinny"; girls work out with the goal of being "skinny." This mentality is extremely dangerous, and Healthy Is The New Skinny is challenging not only how the media portrays beauty, but also our own motives and mindset. If we can do things in our life to be healthy instead of skinny, we will be much more successful and happier than chasing an unrealistic goal. Girls are hurting themselves in the pursuit of beauty, and Healthy Is The New Skinny is taking a different approach to an industry that consists of two extremes. We think healthy bodies are beautiful bodies and that having a healthy body image means treating your body right! 

Do you think it's tougher than ever for teen girls to maintain a positive body image in today's culture? 
Most definitely, yes. I mean, this is nothing new—issues with body image have always been prevalent in our culture. However, I do think it has gotten tougher not only for teen girls, but for women of all ages, to maintain a positive body image. Everywhere we look, there is this "ideal beauty" continuously shoved in our faces, but unfortunately this ideal beauty is just one extreme. It's an unattainable fantasy composed of underweight and photoshopped bodies. Women are never exposed to what is natural, healthy beauty since we don't have examples of that in the media. Women and girls don't have anyone to show them that it's okay to be healthy and happy, and that they don't have to conform to this so-called norm that really isn't the norm at all. 

You personally had to deal with poor body image during your years as a model. What thoughts plagued your mind at that time about your looks? 
You know, when people see models, they only see the final, retouched product in the magazines, billboards, and commercials. They put models up on pedestals and forget that at the end of the day, they're just like other people. They have insecurities just like everyone else, sometimes even more because they're constantly being criticized, and it's like always being under a magnifying glass. I remember when I was working, I never really felt like I was being true to myself. I was always doing what made other people happy, but without having much regard for my health. The more weight that I gained [to do plus-size modeling], the more I was rewarded for it, yet when I lost weight [to try to do conventional modeling] I was never thin enough. No matter what I did, I could never win, and there was always this sort of false confidence in everything that I did. 

As someone who has struggled with my body, I can honestly say that learning to love and accept oneself is not an easy process. It's not as simple as looking in the mirror and telling yourself that you're beautiful, but that is the first step in the right direction. You have to make the decision for yourself that you're going to take back your body and not only change the way you think about it, but change the way you treat it as well. Your health is important, and when you make the decision to be healthy, you definitely begin to feel it; then before you know it, you'll start to believe what you've been telling yourself. 

You also helped create a modeling agency for girls and women of all sizes called Natural Model Management. Why did you decide to do this? 
There seems to be a real disconnect between what the public wants to see and what the fashion industry thinks they want to see. Fashion keeps force-feeding us these unrealistic expectations; meanwhile, girls and women want to see females of all shapes and all sizes and all colors—not just one extreme or the other. This isn't about skinny versus curvy, but rather skinny and curvy and every type of body in between. Look at every public fashion forum online and you'll see millions of girls chatting and blogging about how they wish they could see bodies like theirs in fashion, not just really thin or really curvy ones. There's this growing demand to see more figures that are in between the agency standards, which has created a huge void, so I thought it was really important to create Natural Models as a way to not only fill that void, but to show people that beauty really does come in all shapes and sizes. One particular size or shape isn't more beautiful than another. All women are real women. 

How can teens get involved with the Healthy Is The New Skinny movement?
One of our main focuses right now is to build a team of ambassadors in high schools across the U.S. who can spread the word and raise awareness about Healthy Is The New Skinny. We're looking for high schoolers who are passionate about helping change our culture's perception and standard of beauty, who want to actively participate in our PUP (Perfectly Unperfected Project) program, and who want to bring Healthy Is The New Skinny to their schools. So if you would like to be involved or even make a donation to the PUP program, you can visit healthyisthenewskinny.com and send us an email! We're so excited about our HNS tee shirt campaign too, so make sure you order yours today! 

Source:- http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/health-fitness/2011-12/healthy-is-the-new-skinny/?slide=1