Podcast ep 11 / Exploring Fatness: Part TWO - Unpacking OUR Body Shit for Liberation on OUR OWN Terms

Ep 11 /  Exploring Fatness: Part TWO - Unpacking OUR Body Shit for Liberation on OUR OWN Terms

How do you feel about your fat body? This can be a sticky topic for anyone, let alone someone who has felt negative stuff about their weight in the past.  This (super-nuanced) episode is Part TWO of a series discussing the ideas of fatness so that people of all sizes can be empowered to pursue body liberation on their terms. If you've ever hated your body, you're not alone. But hating your body won't make you happier. It's time to change that. This podcast does not want you to be fat and it does not want you to lose weight - this podcast wants you to learn where your shitty ideas about your body come from so that YOU can figure out how YOU feel about YOUR BODY on YOUR TERMS.

In this episode we get personal. I’m guiding you with questions that will help you dig up your own weight-bias. Questions like:

• Who taught you to feel about your body the way you do? When did it start and how did it grow?

• How did the media you consumed growing up impact your feelings about your body?

• How does social media today shape how you feel?

We ask these questions to become really self-aware. It is only when we SEE that we can UNDERSTAND. And only when we understand that we can decide how we feel about our body for ourselves.  There's no right or wrong answer. Instead, it’s about self-love on YOUR terms. 

Topics we’re chatting about:

• Personal Journey Sharing:
  I share my personal journey with you, from childhood diets to adult realizations, to illustrate the importance of separating our self-worth from others' opinions. It's about crafting a value system that's centered around what's unique and beautiful in us, rather than being pleasing to others.

• Influences on Body Image:
  We explore the role of parents, media, and social media in shaping our body image. With the majority of influencers being much younger, it's crucial to question whether their perspectives truly resonate with our own experiences and challenges.

• Fat Narratives in Media:
  The idea of the two main narratives are identified: proud fat individuals and those aching to be thin. How the harmful lack of nuance in these tropes has an impact on our self-perception.

• Weight Shame and Weight Self-Stigma:
  I introduce the concepts of weight shame and weight self-stigma, which can deeply affect how we show up in our relationships and how we pursue our dreams. It's essential to recognize these feelings and understand that we can unlearn them to move forward in a more self-loving way.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Body Image Struggles
00:53 - Understanding Your Relationship with Fatness
02:09 -  Sarah’s Personal History with Dieting, College Experiences with Body Image, and using her Body for Professional and Social Validation.
05:00 - Separating YOUR Self-Worth from Others' Opinions
06:14 - Creating a Personal Value System
07:07 - Ground Rules for Body Discussion
08:09 - Influences on Personal Body Perception
09:02 - Childhood Influences and Body Image
10:09 - Parental Impact on Body Ideals
11:13 - Media Influence on Body Image
12:17 - Oprah's Weight Loss and Celebrity Diets
13:21 - Plus-Size Representation in Media
14:36 - Seeking Value Through Weight Loss
15:29 - Social Media's Influence on Body Image
16:44 - Demographics of Social Media Influencers
17:54 - Dominant Fat Narratives Online
19:37 - The Problem with Fat Tropes
20:30 - Relatability of Influencers' Content
21:37 - Weight Shame and Self-Stigma
22:52 - Anna Chapman on Weight Stigma
24:24 - The Concept of Weight Shame
25:10 - Consequences of Weight Self-Stigma and Shame
26:25 - Reflecting on Weight Shame in Life
27:38 - Recap and Moving Forward
29:49 - Unpacking Personal Feelings About Fatness
30:53 - Conclusion: Empowerment and Body Liberation
32:18 - Final Thoughts on Self-Love and Body Image
33:56 - Defining Body Liberation for Yourself

Links:

Soul Archaeology: Sarah's book on creating a self-loving and liberated life.
Find it on Amazon here. Listen on Audible here. Find her website here.

Anna Chapman: A wonderful resource for removing weight stigma and shame.
Anna’s Instagram

Diet Culture Expert: Referencing the work of Chrissy Harrison.
Chrissy’s website.

Body Liberation Guide: Created by Lindley Ashline, a resource for understanding fat liberation.
Lindley’s Instagram
Their website.

The Body Joyful: A book by Anne Poirier, mentioned in relation to body neutrality.
Anne’s website.

Jess Baker: Author and advocate for body liberation, whose definition of the term is highlighted.
Their website.

You can find this episode of Powered by Self-Love on Apple or Spotify