Hi everyone! I want to thank all of you who have visited, commented, tweeted me, especially for my post on Shedding my Shame. From listening to the podcasts I discussed on that post, I have really been enlightened on some body politics and self-esteem issues. I decided to order Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby’s book, Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere. I plowed through this book from the instant it was in my hands.
Here is the product description via Amazon.com:
From the leading bloggers in the fat-acceptance movement comes an empowering guide to body image– no matter what the scales say.
When it comes to body image, women can be their own worst enemies, aided and abetted by society and the media. But Harding and Kirby, the leading bloggers in the “fatosphere,” the online community of the fat acceptance movement, have written a book to help readers achieve admiration for-or at least a truce with-their bodies. The authors believe in “health at every size“-the idea that weight does not necessarily determine well-being and that exercise and eating healthfully are beneficial, regardless of whether they cause weight loss. They point to errors in the media, misunderstood and ignored research, as well as stories from real women around the world to underscore their message. In the up-front and honest style that has become the trademark of their blogs, they share with readers twenty-seven ways to reframe notions of dieting and weight, including: accepting that diets don’t work, practicing intuitive eating, finding body-positive doctors, not judging other women, and finding a hobby that has nothing to do with one’s weight.
This book was so inspiring to me, that I decided it HAD to be my first giveaway item.
Note: Both copies of the book were purchased by me, and will be shipped by myself.
Onto the giveaway!
I have two (2) copies of the book to giveaway to you lovely readers. The giveaway is open internationally. Below are the rules for entering:
You can get up to two entries for the giveaway and I will use random.org to select winners. The competition closes on Wednesday, January 12th at 11:59pm EST.
EDIT!!! Make sure you include an e-mail address that I can contact you at if you win! If you’ve already entered, I will contact you via twitter or your blog!
1. For one entry, comment on this blog one thing you have learned to love about yourself that you struggled with previously.
2. For a second entry, tweet the following tweet and comment separately with the twitter name you tweeted from (wow, that sounds twitter-obnoxious! LOL). ” I’ve entered @theplussideofme giveaway for a copy of Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere. Have you? http://tinyurl.com/2aajuk4 ”
I know this isn’t a cool top or fancy dress, but I have such a belief in this book that I think anyone could benefit from reading it. Good luck to all of you entering :).
One thing I have learned to embrace about myself is” Me” You see I gained so much weight after I got out of Bad relationship and I just started to stack on the pounds I went from 180 to 245 wowwwzers but it was ether i get my metal health right or worry about the weight I got my mental health right and have healed so I learned to embrace myself and work with what I got until am ready to do something about my weight am happy with me Big arms and all
I tweeted it from @happiegolucky am not sure how to post the tweet here
That’s fine 🙂 I’m going to change that rule about posting the link.
Amazing give-away!
I keep meaning to buy this book, I just got Fat?So! too. I would love to enter! elizabeth.w.obrien [at]gmail.com
I got that one, too :). I have yet to start reading it, though.
I’d love to enter! This has been on my must read list for awhile.
I am learning that I can dress sexy or fashionable or saucy or whatever because I should feel good about myself and that helps. I don’t have to wear baggy sweats every daybecause I’m fat.
And I love the shedding my shame post! It’s totally brave and awesome.
And I will totally tweet this.
Thanks for the comment 🙂 Can you reply with a way to contact you in case you win?
1) I can’t honestly say I’ve learned to totally love my apple shape, but I think I’ve started to embrace dressing my body and enjoying inventing myself again. That’s pretty big for me, because for a number of years I lived in the most shapeless clothes, not just because I couldn’t afford it, but because I didn’t even want to look at myself in the mirror. I was slim as a kid, but I from middle school on thought that I was fat, and if I’m ever going to treat myself right, I have to stop rejecting everything about me.
Fatcast has also been helpful to me because it’s a relief to hear someone else say that they resent food at times. And I really just had to own that before refocusing my efforts from ‘weight loss’ to self care, whether it means via making sure I care enough to feed myself when I’m hungry or letting myself off the hook when I don’t have the energy to do something.
2) Tweeted at deliriumbubbles
Something I’ve learned that has brought me intense happiness is to ignore sizes. I buy what fits and that is what looks good on me! I don’t quantify my body and I don’t give in to comparing myself. It takes an immense amount of strength and I don’t always get it right so I’ve learned to be gentle with myself and others. brooklynsheep at google dot com
Tweeted as @brooklynsheep
I have learned that my happiness is not really directly correlated to my weight as I had always thought. When I was at my thinnest (relatively speaking) was one of the most difficult periods in my life and I was pretty miserable.
Size is also just a number given when I was down to a size 12 I could still shop in Lane Bryant, ha ha.
I am working to focus on being healthy and learning to love myself.
Thanks for this opportunity and keep blogging : )
Tweeted@PrattleOnLife
Thanks again for a chance to win.
I would like to enter? One thing I have learnt to love about is definitely my body, I’m starting to appreciate my body. I’m fat, so what? I’m a phat girl, pretty hot & thick ^-^
Struggling with my weight issues, and definitely fitting in. It hurts having to have only skinny people for friends, especially when we go out and guys are all trying to flirt with them and you feel like crap, because none of them is for you? :/
This book looks amazing, would love to read it! ^-^ <3
Oh yes, tweeted as @ellycakeface 😉