You might not find that word in a dictionary, but I couldn’t find another term to describe the process that has been unfolding for some time in our society. A development where anything and everything can be described through calories. A boyfriend should come with a warning sign – ” Being in a relationship increase your risk of gaining weight. ” At least according to the most popular magazines, such as Glamour, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. Not to mention being a student, oh my – there we have a real danger.
Ruuun – it’s the scary gingerbread men who are out to destroy your life.
At this time of the year Christmas is the victim of the widespread calorie / weight – obsession. A holiday that is supposed to be about coming together, sharing love and gratitude for the life we’ve been given has now turned into a fat trap.
” How to not gain weight during Christmas. ” ” We’ll give you the cakes that allow you to stay skinny. ” ” Here are the secret calorie bombs. “
Calories. Weight. Fat. More calories.
I remember diving into these articles when anorexia had a strong hold on me. They provided me with information that confirmed my perceived superiority – look at the other people, consuming 100 – 200 – 300 calories . . . Within me a disgusting thrill swirled around. My mind is different these days, I do not get triggered by the calorie content of food, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get upset by how calories seem to occupy the mind of more and more people. Obsessing about calories is far from limited to those fighting an eating disorder. Since the first Christmas products entered our stores, I’ve heard things such as ; ” You shouldn’t buy those Christmas cookies – they are unhealthy. ” “Hmmm, these biscuits are not too bad calorie- wise, maybe we should buy some of them.”
Those comments belong to people far from being overweight. Young people. Women and men with a beautiful future ahead of them. All about to enter a holiday that used to contain other values than nutritional values. I don’t want to remember having eaten 300 calories, I want to remember having enjoyed a delicious slice of pie surrounded by wonderful people. And I want other people to do the same. You. The girl on the bus debating with her friend whether it is actually necessary to bake some treats.
Take a minute and reflect over this development. Does it taste good to you? A society that estimates everything by it’s potential danger for weight gain? It tastes rather unhealthy and sad to me.
A healthy life is a balanced life. One where we eat what we need – and what we crave in amounts that are right for us. A healthy life is not one where calories have changed from being something we need to survive ( which is the truth about calories ) to something that should be limited as far as possible. A healthy life is a free life, where our mind is directed towards making the most out of the precious time we have here on Earth. Obsessing about calories don’t belong here. It deprives you of life.
It is time to take our life – and Christmas back. Now. You will never convince me to believe that we’ll gain a significant amount of weight if we do not keep an exact track over our daily calorie consumption during the holiday. We should allow ourselves to enjoy a little extra of all that is delicious without feeling guilty.
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Opinions? Anyone else feel like ” the calorie mafia ” has stolen some of the joy with Christmas? ( and life in general )
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Yesterday I recieved awesome news. I am now moving away from the minimum “healthy BMI” – in other words, my body is close to happiness. My next post will be about the importance of daring to add a healthy layer of fat to your body and not settle for a low, but just within the range of what is considered as a healthy weight. And the next post after that one? Probably discrimination against sexual minorities, another topic that is close to my heart.
being governed by calories is perhaps even worse than unfair taxation.
i cannot agree with you more about how the calorie factor taints so much of the christmas spirit, and of life in general. it’s lovely to read that a former anorexic manifests these thoughts, just as i do, as a former bulimic.
i wrote specifically about being governed by calories here: http://nicoleandgwendolyn.com/2011/10/27/governed-by-calories/.
thank you for a lovely post. x
The last years,I used to be afraid of Christmas time because I knew my family would surely bake and buy some treats: Not that I thought they’d force me to eat some of them – my family isn’t like that and I know that – ,but I was afraid of having to say “No,thank you,I don’t want to try one of your cookies” and seeing the disappointment,sadness and also the sorrow in the face of them.
I hated me so much for doing so,but I just could not NOT deprive me from all those “scary” treats; I could not NOT have a cookie or two on Christmas day whilst drinking a nice cup of tea with my family. And honestly,I hated me so much for doing that – doing that to me AND to the persons I love; to the persons who love ME and want me to be happy and healthy instead of weak and depressed.
This year,I baked some cookies already TWICE together with my mum. I tried the cookies and ate some without freaking out about the fat and calories whilst drinking a cup of tea with my parents. It was so,so wonderful,and I never want to get back to where I’ve been one year ago. Life’s just too precious.
Hedda Hedda Hedda : )
Hello you. I have been terrible at commenting and all things blog-like these past few months, but I am SO SO happy to hear about your news. Your body is healing and living *massive grin*. I’d be really interested to hear your healthy layer of fat post. We are women, we are meant to have a little layer of softness under our skin. I had a minor dip these past couple of months (nothing major, but even minor dips can cause huge disruptions in perception, eh?), and after acknowledging this, and upping my intake, and giving time to be initially uncomfortable with a new raise and adapting, I find myself back to the mindset where aiming for a little higher again isn’t as intimidating. Funny how anxieties increase and old thought patterns sneak in when we’re inadvertently not looking after ourselves properly, eh? ; ) Sorry, I am swaying from your post. Your phrase “healthy layer of fat” just made me smile, because I was having one of those “Oh hello, body, nice to be in you” moments last night in the shower.
Calorie Mafia, and more specifically festive themed calorie-based articles: I remember those all too well. They used to make me scared of food, back when I was struggling the most. It seemed like everything was ‘wrong’ and would cause ‘damage’ in some way, or that I wasn’t ‘entitled’ to X amount of Y because it was ‘too much’ and my body (seemingly) didn’t need that. I’ve avoided articles like those for maybe a couple of years now (and must say my appreciation of all things edible has greatly improved, now that what my body/mind want is based upon what, well…upon what my mind/body wants! And yes, sometimes it is cake for lunch: layered coffee cake with maple and pistachio praline icing that I made for my Dad’s birthday, to be specific ; ) ). That said, for some reason this past week I’ve been noticing those articles, and out of curiosity – and perhaps to see how I’d react to them now – I’ve clicked on the links.
And, ‘scuse my language, but they are absolute bollocks!!! They are just the ‘same old same old’ that they crank out at this time of year, almost as if they are guaranteed a readership because they prey on people’s fears; fears which have no doubt been embedded into people BY articles like these in the first place. It’s like a never ending cycle. And they are the exact same articles, repeated over and over. These articles can ignite a fear, and keep fueling it, or keep fueling a fear that is arising in someone independently of the articles. Sometimes I wonder how much of the motivation behind these articles comes from a place of concern for people’s health, and how much comes from sales/marketing etc. On the other hand, I can see how they may help someone who perhaps is starting to become aware of health and is genuinely oblivious to the nutritional value of food, but I don’t think they have to over simplify nutrition, essentially demonising everything and turning every food into a number, and that number into a potential weight gain. People do need calories, afterall, they aren’t just something unnecessary people invented for the sake of writing articles about. I think it would be ok for them to throw in the phrase “It’s OK to enjoy a little extra, the world won’t end and the Calorie Mafia will not shoot you ; ) ” every now and then.
I think you are spot on when you say, well, all of this post, and I’m going to remember it! I wish I wasn’t still so aware of calories, but at least now it’s more of an awareness and less of a set of rules set in stone. Sometime’s it’s quite liberating to ‘not know’.
I rambled a little ^.
Anyway, wishing you an *enjoyable* and free festive season. You deserve it. You really do. xxx
I don’t even know what to say, Hedda. YOU’RE AWESOME. Seriously, if anyone thinks this process is impossible they need to look to your journey. The depth and love for life that you have found through this is so inspiring. You should write a book, seriously! I love you so much <3
This year, my and bf plan to do a lot of cooking and baking together. Naturally, we will have to try all that food. And you know what? Even though he is trying not to eat too much in order to lose some weight, I will eat, I will try, heck, I will even try russian salad with mayo this year. Because I can, because it’s tasty and it is wonderful to share some food with people who love you. I have to admit I have been counting calories lately, but I try not to obsess. I need so much more than I ever thought I do, even when I am just sitting on my bum for the most of the time. Society should really stop worrying about stupid numbers, and instead of focusing how not to gain weight during the holidays, focus on spreading love and peace all around.
Oh, and please, I would love if you would share some of your christmas recipes with me
AMEN!! I think it is so sad that our society is so obsessed with calories and weight gain. I read this quote somewhere by JK Rowling:
“Is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me.”
― J.K. Rowling
Isn’t that true about what our society believes these days, that fat is worse than all of these things? I think it is linked to the calorie obsession, and that needs to change.
This needs to be heard, Thanks so much for sharing Hedda :]
Yup!
I love the fact that I can dive into things without the calorie label. I like to make my own hummus and dips precisely because I have NO clue the calories.
Well, I should clarify that there are only some things I can “dive into” I feel miles from where I have been.
I love the term “calorie mafia.” It is so fitting. As part of my Eating Disorder, I struggle with calorie obsession and am currently working toward alleviating it from my life. Thank you for this insightful, amazing post! ♥