1.6 Pounds of Prevention
by Cookie
supersizeartist.deviantart.com
Oh. My. God.
Did anyone read the article about the Ravens cheerleader who got benched for weight gain? I’m talking about the senior one who didn’t get to go to the Superbowl, Courtney Lenz.
I don’t care about the Superbowl selection process. Apparently there were some other “fatties” who went so I don’t know what the decision was based on and I don’t care. What I want to know is, how can anyone be benched for a 1.6 pound weight fluctuation?
Obviously a man made these rules. To say that a woman, any woman cannot have any sort of weight fluctuation or face disciplinary action is absolutely ridiculous. Ummmm hello menstruation?
I mean, I could retain about 5 pounds of water weight just by looking at a bag of salty chips at that time of the month. Come on. A 1.6 pound weight gain isn’t a weight gain. It’s the difference between having lunch or skipping it. Your weight could fluctuate that much over the course of a day, depending how many fluids you take in. WTF?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not supporting the cheerleader or un-supporting her. I could give a shit about her, really.
What I have a problem with is that everyone is talking about whether she went to the fucking Superbowl or not, and no one is talking about how grossly inappropriate and humiliating it is to be weighed every week and judged by your employer based on it. I have a problem with a society that keeps talking healthy body image and yet allows non-stop advertising of this:
While making young girls feel like they need to look like this:
I have an idea. Why doesn’t somebody just write ” Bulimia for Dummies, How to Achieve the Unachievable” ?
I don’t know. I mean, as a parent, it’s up to me to help instill positive body image and help my daughter make the right nutritional choices. It’s up to me to create good habits that will help promote and maintain her health and fitness. But where is the line? How do I do that without making her feel shamed or judged based on her appearance or what the scale says?
I can tell you what it’s like to be scrutinized about your weight as a child, and let me tell you, it doesn’t reap any awards. My self perception has always been, and probably always will be fucked up.
How do I protect her from being judged over a 1.6 pound weight gain while still teaching her good habits and that it is important to maintain a healthy weight?
I guess the answer is simple in theory and difficult in practice. As usual, it is the power of my actions that will win out, rather than the power of my words. And so, I must lead by example. Sigh. I guess that means after this baby is evicted, it’s back on the treadmill, or packing a double stroller and a dog pack for some good old fashioned exercise. I must demonstrate a dedication to keeping myself healthy, while projecting a positive self-image. I must refer to myself as beautiful even on the days that I do not feel that way, so that she believes this to be “normal”. I must show her to love and respect herself so that she won’t love and respect herself based on a comparison to an unattainable image.
Fuck. Motherhood is turning me into a human being. One day at a time.
ihaveanopinionidliketoshare 
I have considered this too – and I’m hoping that by being more active myself, eating well at home for most meals (come on you need a treat now and then!), and most importantly, being happy with myself, no matter my size, are actions I need to promote. Weight should only be a factor as it relates to your health, not society’s ideals.
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Amen!
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You women are a lot of damn work! That woman in the two piece in your post is sickly looking. Way too skinny.
I come from a family of all boys where it was our duty to mock each other. We were always active and never fat. I’m the fattest one now, and even that has taken some work. I’m not meant to be fat, if that makes any sense. Were I, I’d be really obese what with all the beer and fatty foods I enjoy!
Anyway, my wife has me conditioned not to heckle my daughter about her appearance in any way and I obey dutifully. I used to worry that she was getting flabby (shame on me, she’s only 9!) but then she’d have a growth spurt and be proportional again.
I make it a point to tell my wife how beautiful I think she is, especially when my daughter is in earshot or when I know my wife doesn’t think she’s the hottie that she is. I’m a kickass husband like that! Crazy broads.
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You sir are an exemplary husband. First, by doing every thing your wife says. Second, by referring to her as a hottie when talking about her to other girls.
And yes. Women are insane. It’s part of our charm.
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I worry about this all the time. Having suffered through all the disordered crap that women go through, all I want is to spare The Tornado that garbage.
So I do squats. And eat veggies. Hopefully some of that will sink in…
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I agree with the perceptions of women in America and how we have made it too “big” (excuse the pun) of a deal to be thin. However, if you sign up, try out, and make a career out of something that obviously involves your weight, that is a choice. I was a ballerina for many, many years and weight was something that was brought up constantly. And we knew it was an issue that we had to control. But that was part of being a dancer. Or a cheerleader. If you don’t want to be judged for your weight you don’t have to do it, there are many other professions out there. The same goes for male athletes in wrestling or boxing. If you saw the strange and unhealthy things that they do to “make weight” you would be shocked.
I think that being in a profession that puts heavy emphasis on weight is a choice. If you make a choice, then you have to deal with the consequences. If you sign up-no, aspire and train and dream-to be on a team that you KNOW is going to “bench you” if you gain weight…then so be it. This is not a case of a teenager being bullied for her weight. It’s a cheerleader.
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All good points. But 1.6 pounds? Doesn’t that feel a little excessive?
Am I nuts?
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You are not nuts. I promise. It is just that I come from a world where it is just known that extra weight will keep you from getting roles, being accepted to programs, ect. It is a facet of that dream.
It’s competitive, it’s cutthroat, it’s brutal. But that girl knew exactly what she walked into. She wanted to do it. I can’t say that I agree with the choice but I know the “weight standards” are set and contracts are signed. Therefore, I can’t judge the coach for the decision.
When you put yourself in a position to be judged for your weight and your looks then you will be judged and one cannot complain when the judgement is not what you hoped for. I remember being told I was “fat” when I was a size 2. It hurt and I hated it and by high school I decided that I didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. It’s a sad fact that 1.6 pound could keep her from her dream but one that she made a conscious, adult choice to be a part of.
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You’re Canadian. Same difference.
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I realized that I probably come across as ridiculously callous. I swear this is not the case. If this was a woman that was refused service or a job or even teased on the street for being even remotely overweight I would be up in arms. I would be crying for vengeance at a society that created such a disillusioned ideal of beauty.
But not one with weight limits in the contract of the profession, that’s all. 🙂
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I don’t think you are callous. You are simply seeing things from a different perspective…and your comments are thoughtful, valid and appreciated. Most of my blog posts are meant to be the beginnings of discussions, and I like to hear all sides of things.
Otherwise, how do we ever learn anything new?
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I hadn’t heard about this, but that’s absolutely ridiculous. My weight fluctuates a pound up or down just about every single day, she can’t go because they caught her on the odd fat day? Insane!
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