When it comes to the topic of plus size women working out and health, society would have you to believe that the two can’t coexist. There are myriads of people who believe that plus size people are lazy, eat all day, and have no motivation to live a healthy lifestyle. This is so far from the truth as there are many curvy girls out there who workout and enjoy doing so, they even use tech like Apple watches and Fitbits to monitor their stats. If you are in the same boat with your fitness, you can check out some Fitbit charge 5 details as well as research other fitness watches that are available so you too can monitor your health journey. Just because someone is overweight does not mean that they don’t care about their health.
One of my biggest pet peeves as a plus size blogger is the judgement you receive about your size from people who don’t know you. Now don’t get me wrong. I get it. If you put yourself out there, especially on the internet, of course you’re going to be judged by people who don’t know you.
Promoting Obesity
Since I started blogging about loving your body, I’ve been accused of promoting obesity. I’ve had people tell me how much they like my style and then in the same sentence say, you look so unhealthy. You can’t be healthy at your size. I often wonder to myself, how could they know about my health. They don’t know me or my medical history. They have no idea what I do to support my body and how I feed it and nurture it. There are so many different ways that people can help themselves in their fitness journey and it doesn’t just come from the body, it comes from the mind too. There are those that will take supplementation like Onnit Alpha Brain and other tablets/drinks, to support their cognitive function which can help them tackle their fitness and health, as well as have regular check-ups to monitor their body output. Health supplements such as multivitamins, whey and plant-based protein can help a plus-size person remain healthy. You can Read this to learn more about the types of supplements you might need. However, you might need a minimum amount of exercise to complement that. That said, health journeys are not black and white, they are various shades and no-one should be judged when they start out.
Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover
You never know where someone has come from to get to where they are now. A once 500 pound person could be a happy and healthy 200 pound person after years of hard work and sweat, and all the world sees is that she is still plus size.
Photo Credit: Heytheretrivera
For the record, I don’t promote obesity. What I do promote and will not apologize for is women having the right to feel comfortable with themselves. I stand for women who want to look in the mirror and not feel disgusted. Women who no longer want to be afraid to take pictures from the chest down. Women who want to be seen and respected regardless of their size.
READ THIS: A Healthy Morning Routine
I stand for these women to be able to wake up each day and have countless moments where they’re not thinking about a number on a scale. Every woman deserves to have those moments where they feel beautiful and confident in their body.
There’s an unhealthy stigma that plagues plus size women. Plus size women do go to the gym, they do yoga, they are dancers, and they play sports just like everyone else. Two years ago Lane Bryant launched a national campaign promoting healthy realistic images of plus size women working out.
So many plus size women do yoga and can do all the twist and turn that comes with practising yoga. Since they do yoga it is understandable that might possess all the yoga essentials required. For instance, they might have eco-friendly yoga mats and clothes in their possession. So, those who think that plus-size women are not into yoga might need to change their minds now. It is high time the world stops judging plus size women. Anyway, Plus Model Magazine recently featured the #sizedoesntmatter challenge which has numerous photos of plus size women doing yoga poses.
As a proud plus size woman, I have been on both sides of the weight fence. I grew up skinny with a pot belly and used to get teased for being too skinny. I actually didn’t start gaining weight until 8th grade. By the time I graduated high school, I was about a full figured size 16 and dubbed by society as plus size and by the BMI as overweight.
Thanks to the women in my family, I was taught to be confident no matter my size. Even as I got bigger over the years, transitioning from a size 14/16 to a size 18/20, diet and exercise have always been important to me.
Can You Be Fat And Healthy
Last year Glamour did an article asking this question,“Can you be fat and healthy?“ They spoke with Dr. Linda Bacon, PHD who is the author of, “Healthy at Every Size” Dr. Linda said you can absolutely be fat and healthy.
Her exact words were, “If you’re fat but fit-meaning you can be active for 20 to 30 minutes-you can live longer than people who are thin and out of shape! She then went on to say, “If you eat a good diet and exercise, you’re likely to be healthy, no matter what the scale says.”
The world needs to understand that plus size people, fat people, big people, whatever you want to call us, are not couch potatoes. We are people who care about our health. There is actually a movement for plus size bloggers. It’s called healthy curves.
Read This: Amazing Plus Size Winter Coats
Relationship blogger Cece from “The Big Girl Blog” actually uses her Instagram and Twitter to connect with plus size readers all over the world about their fitness routines and allows them tag and share their healthy meals. She uses the hash tag #pspfit which stands for plus size princess fit.
In addition, last year she hosted a fitness event at a NYSC gym in New York City that brought together women of all sizes. They worked out with a trainer and even had a Q&A about the ups and downs of plus size women getting healthy.
Plus size blogger Shainna Tucker from “A Thick Girls Closet” does a monthly challenge with her readers that entails doing a number of fitness moves every day. Last month she challenged her followers to do 100 squats a day.
Plus size blogger Sarah from Queen Sized Flava (the beauty in the first and third photo’s) shares her journey to being plus size and healthy on her blog. She posts pictures of her workouts and even shares positive messages with her readers.
Be True To Yourself
As women we all have comfort zones. It’s important to be true to yourself and honest with yourself about your body and your health. If you’re not happy at the size you are then change it. Also, small steps lead to big changes. What’s even more important to know is that you’re beautiful no matter your size and to know that it is your responsibility to take care of your body and keep it fit regardless of your size.
And to everyone who thinks that plus size people can’t be healthy, Don’t believe the hype, plus size women workout an live healthy lifetstyles.
Checkout this video from Gym Bitch that shows plus size women being athletic and working out.
If you’re in the market for some new workout clothes, checkout the new workout looks from Livi Active
This article was originally posted on February 26, 2013
And let the church say….AMEN!
Great post, I totally agree plus size woman can and are fit and healthy. I am one of those women. I have had test done to prove it, I work out and can outlast many thinner women on the treadmill. Its all hype that media wants you to believe if your overweight, you are not healthy, and therefore you are probably not happy. I am healthy, happy and workout regularly. I am sure there may be some plus woman who may fit the stereotype, but don’t generalize and say WE are all the same!
Sooo true. I workout 3-5 times a week to maintain my weight and stay toned. Not all of us are couch potatoes….
(((Amen)))
I’ll keep saying it until I turn blue…A healthy mind in a healthy body is a must! Great post Alissa and I’m so honored for the feature…THANK YOU!
There’s so many studies that never make the media, that defies a lot of the “biased” superficial anti-obesity talk. We totally omit athletes who surpass the BMI but are perfectly healthy, the medical field know most of this is flawed and superficially charged but they don’t care because the diet and weight loss industry is a billion dollar industry, if those articles made it, they will lose a lot of money. They profit from people’s insecurities especially women. First of all I wish bigger people would stop apologizing and feeling guilty for their size. Everyone is entitled to exist in this world no matter their circumstances. No one should feel guilty to exist, weight, sexuality, race, religion, gender etc. And yes big women do workout, especially black one’s. I got larger associates who pester me more than I do them when we go to the gym. We’ve made weight more about “looks” opposed to actual health because if we lived by the rules we wouldn’t have reduced good health to “Body image”. That totally ignores science.That’s why big women are pestered more than big men. Why is it okay to tell a thinner man or woman “Girl/boy you can’t eat anything you want to and never gain weight”, why is that okay if we’re so concerned about health? And it also sends a negative message to thinner people suggesting since they’re thin they’re automatically healthy, so they’re able to gorge on junk. It’s pathetic that in 2013 we still go by a flawed indication of health because society is embarrassed by fat bodies with stigmas they’ve created. Even healthy marathon running, dancing, fat bodies. Stop apologizing big people and demand some respect.
Fat-shaming is one of the last stereotypes left, and it’s still acceptable. People shouldn’t apologize for existing in the world living their lives as they please. Society knows, hell the medical industry knows any body size can be fit and healthy, healthy is basically that in a nutshell. They’re making money off of “Health lies” and “insecure women”, which is why you don’t see them pester fat men that much. They’ve turned good health “into a body fashion show” which is setting a far worse example more than anything and totally contradicts science. There are articles and studies that never make public media that defies the poorly executed “Big=bad, thin= good” health lie.
As someone who is also plus-size and works out a lot, I’ll point out that homegirl in the first picture also is using proper form and is clearly quite strong, while the “fit” guy next to her is letting his back dip (which is bad for his back and is bad form). He basically needs to do his planks on his needs until he can hold his hips up like she can…I see a lot of men who aren’t really strong enough for these moves refuse to do them on their knees since that is always called “girl style.”
I could not have said this better. And from a man’s perspective, i believe a woman should look like a woman; not a little boy. Confidence is what is really sexy and being fit and enjoy life is a pleasure to be around… At any size! Keep it moving cause I’m on board!
Damn, That pose alone made me confident. I am plus size and I am loving it. I found some great party wear for curvy 😉 ladies out there. I know you all will thank me. This is the site, http://www.dailywt.com/10-flattering-dresses-for-plus-sized-women/